More and more people are opting for organic food. It’s not that they’re fitness freaks; however, everyone wants to stay healthy, especially now that medical expenses are shooting through the roof.
Eating natural food is a healthy habit that will keep you in fine fettle. At the same time, organic food expenses can be a drain on your monthly budget.
Before jumping on the organic food bandwagon, I was of two minds: the dilemma resulted from my wish to stay healthy and my limited organic food budget. But I decided to go organic even though I knew it would add to my monthly grocery bill. However, I ultimately decided that the invisible long-term benefits were worth the added expense.
That conflict motivated me to find out about ways to save money on organic food. As a result, I found some effective ways to keep my grocery budget under control despite my decision to focus on organic food.
If you’re still concerned over the high cost of organic foods, here are a few simple tips for buying organic foods that will help you stay healthy without busting your budget:
Bulk Purchase
No matter what you’re buying or where you’re buying it from, purchasing in bulk almost always saves you money; organic items are no exception. The key is to make sure you don’t overdo it and buy more items than you can finish before they spoil or reach their expiration dates.
No need to buy everything organic
Yes, organic food is better but, when it comes to cost-cutting, there’s no need to buy everything organic. The trick is in knowing which organic fruits and vegetables to avoid by replacing them with non-organic produce that aren’t bad for your health.One simple trick is to decide if you will consume the product with its skin — if not, buy the non-organic product. Another rule of thumb is that you can avoid buying organic fruits and vegetables with thick skin, including bananas, lemons, coconuts, and oranges.
Buy at local markets
You can usually source organic fruits and veggies at local farmers’ markets for a much lower price. Keep in mind that some farmers will often put a tag that says “no pesticides used” on their products, rather than claiming they’re “organic,” just to avoid legal problems. I buy “technically” organic foods from the farmers in local markets at cheaper prices — and the money I save allows me to stretch my budget to buy even more organic products. Best of all, it allows me to contribute to the growth of my local economy too!
Tina Roth is the founder of PROfinance, a leading personal finance blog. She is a finance advisor, author, and blogger.
Photo Credit: takebackyourhealthconference
It is true that I am fitness freak but I like to go for organic foods to stay healthy and in good shape. This article is of great help for all those who are switching to organic food of so late considering all adulteration risks and other food hazards.
The main organic food that I usually buy is milk, eggs, and meat. As you suggested, I go for the bulk option and buy two weeks worth of supply.
Hi Karthigna,
Thanks for your comment and feedback. I am glad it helped you save extra bucks.
Hint #4. If you have a small yard, or a big one, plant a garden, fertilize it with compost, and grow organic fruit and vegetables on your own. In our small Mid Atlantic backyard we harvest yellow cherries, six kinds of apples, elderberries, quince, gooseberries, rhubarb, red currants, at least 20 kinds of vegetables, sunflower seeds for wild bird food and chestnuts, all organic. Can some of the things for winter use in recycled canning jars, store winter squash, potatoes and pumpkins for later use. Your cost is practically nothing by buying used tools from yard sales, and contacting a local stable and picking up free used horse bedding as mulch. When I need something, my first thoughts are, “How to get it for free or dirt cheap, or trade something for it?”, buying is never first on my list of “how to”.
Hi Karen,
Thanks for the #4. Planting a garden is definitely a great ideas for frugal living.
I love organic foods because they’re so great for your health. Thank you so much for sharing this post, Len !
If you go for all organic, then the coffee or hot drinks you love should also be made at home to be sure you are taking healthy things. You can use milk frothers to make these drinks at home. Here is a guide to choosing the best milk frothers. You can follow the guide list your requirements and then purchase the one that suits your budget.