5 simple, practical ways to save on organic foods
Tiny changes like prioritizing and searching for coupons can reduce costs on groceries
Organic groceries can cost more than twice as much as conventional groceries. You could get a basket of conventional chicken, eggs, milk, zucchini, carrots and apples for $10.68. But the organic versions of those products could cost $24.21, according to Consumer Reports. Yet many people would like to buy organic, either for the health of their families or the health of the planet.
“When my family began this adventure in eating whole and natural foods, we experienced sticker shock,” said Chrissy Pate, who runs the savings website BeCentsable.net. “So, I did some research and found that great benefits could be had from making some smaller changes.”
There are simple, practical ways to get deep discounts on organic products. Here are five methods: 1. Prioritize your organics The Consumer Reports’ Food Safety and Sustainability Center says produce is the highest-priority thing to buy organic, to avoid pesticide residues. But if a fruit or vegetable has a protective peel that you do not eat, buying organic is less important. 2. Try a regular store You don’t have to go to a specialty store for organics. Conventional grocery chains have devoted more space to organic foods as their popularity has surged. Their organic and regular prices are often fairly close to their regular prices, but shop and compare to make sure. 3. Go generic Generic organics are another way to save. For example, Whole Foods’ house brand is called “365.” Consumers Checkbook found that often these generic organics were cheaper than the conventional, name-brand equivalent. 4. Use coupons Organic coupons do exist. “Don’t be fooled into thinking you can’t get coupons on these types of items,” Pate said. The other trick is to simply search the name of an organic brand you like and the word “coupons” and see what’s out there. I found five different coupons for Annie’s Homegrown products this way and even a coupon to receive $1 off of Earthbound Farms organic lettuces. You can also sign up for your favourite organic brands’ newsletter. 5. Go natural There are three tips within this tip. First, shop seasonally because produce, in particular, is far less expensive when it’s in season. Second, why not grow your own? The third idea is to join a CSA, which stands for Community Supported Agriculture. You are basically subscribing to a local farmer and usually go to a central location weekly to pick up a box of organic food. I once compared a local CSA’s prices with grocery store prices and found they paid $11 less for their box of nine vegetables.