Organic on a Budget: Eating Naturally on the Cheap
You don’t have to be a practicing organic shopper to know that organic products can be pricey. Grocery stores not specializing in organic items usually have a special aisle for organic or responsibly grown and produced foods. Unfortunately the prices in that special aisle can be double or triple that of conventional foods. Living and eating organically doesn’t have to be expensive. Here are some tips we find to be helpful:
- Look for store brand organics. Most big-box stores, and even local grocers, are now making organic versions of their own that are often cheaper than the rest. Look for “Simply Balanced” products at Target, “Great Value Organics” products at WalMart, and many more.
- Shop with coupons. Look out for local coupons. Coupons for organic groceries can be harder to find, but there are websites that offer these. A few sites we like include: organicdeals.com and healthylifedeals.com. We also recommend checking your favorite organic manufacturers’ websites for savings.
- Become a regular at your local farmers’ market. Buying direct from local growers is usually one of the cheapest and healthiest ways to shop for organic goods. Just be sure to double check with the farm stands to ensure they aren’t using any pesticides or chemicals on their crops.
- Buy in bulk. It may be harder to do this with produce if you’re a single person or small family that won’t eat large amounts of fresh produce quickly enough. We don’t recommend letting your food go to waste, so try preparing meals with plenty of fresh produce ahead of time and freezing them, or shopping and sharing with a friend or neighbor. Whenever you purchase organic non-perishable foods in bulk at a warehouse store you will save a significant amount of money.
- Grow your own/make your own! If you’ve got the space and time, a home garden is ideal for any family that eats organic foods. If you don’t have the space for a full backyard garden you can always use large pots on a terrace or grow fresh herbs in your kitchen. When it comes to solid baby foods, making your own has many benefits. For example, you’ll know exactly what your baby is eating and it won’t be preservatives, and you’ll easily avoid toxins leaching into baby’s food from plastic containers. Our all natural Emily Crib Mattress is the perfect place for your little one to take a nap after a satisfying homemade meal.
In addition you can also make your own cleaning products. Homemade cleaners cost pennies on the dollar compared to store bought cleaners. Vinegar, baking soda, and tea tree oil are your friends! Check out our blog post to find a super simple all purpose cleaning recipe.
