12 Ways to Buy Organic Food on a Budget

Yes, It IS Possible to Buy Organic Food at Good Prices!

Organic food means reduced or no pesticide residues, no GMOs, and less damage to the environment. It’s green and eco friendly.

Unfortunately, organic food is often more expensive than non-organic food products.

There are several good reasons for this – as a general rule, it’s much more expensive to grow food organically than with the conventional methods of centralized agriculture.

For example:

• Food producers need to pay for organic certification, and to have their production inspected for quality.
• Animals for organic meat may not be given antibiotics, so extra precautions against disease must be taken, nor can they be given growth hormones. Growing at “normal” speed means feeding them for longer before slaughter, which costs more.
• Water and soil must be conserved and wasteful practices avoided; this all takes more care, planning, organization and labour.
• In most countries, the sales and distribution chain for most organic products is not as efficient as it is for conventional foods.
• Labour costs are higher – you can’t use artificial fertilizer, and your pest control has be done differently instead of using cheaper and easier chemical pesticides

All of these things mean the word organic on your food label is a sign that you are going to pay more than you are probably used to for that particular type of food.

Even so, it is still possible to eat organically on just about any budget.  Here’s how:

1. Don’t rely solely on the organic section of your big box grocery store or large supermarket – they are often NOT the cheapest place to buy organic food.
2. Join your favorite organic food company’s email list and social media accounts. You are often rewarded with coupons and money-saving deals – for example, some companies offer a good coupon when you join their Facebook page.
3. Buy locally grown foods. When your organic food doesn’t have to be shipped across country to reach you, shipping costs don’t drive up the price.
4. Shop around for the best price. You can buy organic products at local specialty shops, health food stores, delis, farmers markets, vending machines, convenience stores and community sponsored agricultural (CSA) programs.
5. Use the Internet. Even after considering shipping, some Internet organic food suppliers can get healthy products to you cheaper than if you buy them locally. You many also get free shipping and other rewards when your purchase is over a minimum amount.
6. Google “organic coupon sites”. There are dozens of sites which do your coupon clipping for you.
7. Each year the EWG provides a list of the fresh produce with the most and the least pesticide residues in the US. When you’re buying foods with very little pesticide residue (the EWG calls then the “Clean 15”, you can safely buy those items non-organic and save money. (Then be sure to buy the “Dirty Dozen” organic).
8. Buy in bulk. Even organic foods may cost less when you buy in larger amounts.
9. Shop the bulk food aisles – there are often bargains in organic food because there is no packaging (check the labels to make sure it’s organic).
10. Split your costs with a group of family or friends. When purchasing an entire organic animal, or a huge bulk lot of organic produce, it is budget friendly when you share the cost with others.
11. Join the loyalty programs for your local grocery stores. This can save you anywhere from 1% to 10% on your organic food purchases over time.
12. Get to know the farmers and sellers at your local farmers’ market, if there’s one near you. Once you become a regular customer, they may give you good deals.
13. Arrive shortly before closing time at a farmers’ market. Sellers will be keen to sell their stock rather than take it back with them, and you can often get great bargains at this time.

These are all great ways to make sure you can have the best organic food – at a great price!

Do you buy organic food? Do you shop around, or do you buy it becuase you know it’s best for your health? Let me know in the Comments below.

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