Everyone wants to be healthy. Nobody wants to lose a fortune doing it.
Can you really eat organic consistently on a budget? Many people are geared away from eating healthy simply due to the fact that the costs will add up over time. Fortunately, though, those high costs can be avoided.
A lot of the excessive cost is a result of the high-demand for organically certified goods. On top of that, brands demand a lot of money for their products just because the market is small and there’s not always a lot of competition.
That being said, there are ways to avoid the high prices in the grocery aisle, and we will cover how you can get quality, organic food for less. Here are 10 ways that you can buy organic food on a budget.
10 Ways to Buy Organic Food on a Budget
Some of these options may require you to exert a little effort, so be open to the ideas listed here and see if they can help you improve your diet!
1. Utilize the Web for Coupons and Promotions
If you live near to a large-scale grocery store that sells organic food, you’re probably in luck with this one. There are always a lot of coupons and promotions out there that are intended to get people started on organic foods.
Your grocer’s website will likely have a lot of coupons available. Additionally, keep an eye out for vendors and other people in your community that represent organic foods. They’ve typically got the inside scoop on coupons and deals that will stock your fridge without emptying your wallet.
2. Go to Farmer’s Markets
The farmers market is the Mecca of cheap, organic food. Honestly, a lot of the produce that you can find at a farmers market will barely reach one dollar in price, and you can get a whole lot of it.
Another great thing about these markets is that you know exactly where and who the produce came from. You’re supporting local business and ensuring that you’re food is doing you well.
3. Buy in Bulk
You may not want to buy produce in bulk, but there are a lot of organic products that have a long shelf life. Just like anything else, organic food comes out cheaper per unit when you buy in bulk.
Large stores like Sam’s Club and Costco typically have organic food aisles that allow you to pick up large amounts of your favorite foods.
4. Buy Together
Trying to get some of your friends into eating healthier? Try seeing if they will join you in buying bulk organic food together. You can buy produce and any other food you want without the fear that it will go bad in the fridge.
Divvy up your groceries with a friend or two and keep cutting down your costs.
5. Don’t Buy Things You Don’t Need
“Oh, that looks nice. That too. I’ll probably really love this.” These are all things that you should probably stop yourself from saying in the organic aisle.
It’s no secret that organic food is typically really expensive. A lot of it has really appealing packaging and claims to solve all of your dietary problems. While we can’t speak to the validity of these claims, your wallet can.
Don’t pick out things that you don’t know, don’t need, and don’t even know if you want. This is the main reason that people lose crazy amounts of money in organic stores.
6. Freeze It
Just because it’s organic doesn’t mean that it has to stay in the fridge. You can preserve organic foods just the same as you can with other, processed foods. Doing this will prevent waste and frustration associated with losing food.
Also, try buying produce when it’s in season and preserve it in your freezer for the alternate seasons when you’re not able to get it. You’d be surprised by how well things preserve, even if they are organic.
7. Join an Online Organic Community
There are sites online that can provide organic foods at ridiculously low prices. These sites also offer a number of coupons and discounted rates that will leave your jaw on the floor.
Even Amazon hosts a number of organic brands that can be shipped for free as long as you pay over 25 dollars. Browse around online to try and find sites that will save you on organic foods.
8. Plan Your Meals
Another way to cut costs is by planning out recipes in advance. If you know exactly how much you’re going to need, you’ll save on waste and costs. Organic food costs more per unit, making the leftovers that you sweep into the trash a lot more agonizing.
Miss out on this by knowing what you’re going to buy before you even enter the grocery store.
9. Diversify Your Shopping Habits
A lot of specialty stores will charge you an arm and a leg for specific items. This goes for many co-ops as well, often charging extremely high rates for locally sourced foods.
If your produce is locally sourced anyway, cut out the middleman buy getting it at the farmer’s market directly from the farmer their self. Figure out where you can get the best value for the items that you need will make a huge difference in your grocery bill at the end of the month.
10. Keep a Log of Your Habits
Just jutting down what you do and don’t like, eat, and want will make it a lot easier to streamline your time spend in the grocery store. That, and you want buy anything that you don’t really use.
A lot of the things we buy are just things we think we want. When we look back at the last five years, though, we may find that we’ve thrown out every single piece of cilantro we’ve ever bought. Things like that lingering cilantro really add up when they’re organic.
Explore Your Organic Options
There is so much out there at the moment that it can be hard to know exactly what works and what doesn’t. The best way to combat this is by researching what is scientifically proven to provide benefits, and what people say works for them when they buy organic food.
If you’re looking for more information on organic foods, we have everything you need.