Unless it's on sale or discounted, organic food is generally much more expensive than conventional grocery store items. However, there are plenty of reasons to appreciate and want to eat organic foods whenever possible. Organic farming has a lighter environmental impact than conventional farming, the foods it produces are free of pesticides and herbicides and its growers often demonstrate a profound ethical commitment to their businesses. Consumers pay a higher cost for those reasons and more, but it is possible to find ways to save on organics.
Step 1
Clip coupons for organic foods, find printable savings on company websites and pick up coupon books at co-ops and grocery stores. The Daily Green states that companies selling organically grown items have one of the largest sectors of growth in the food industry, so many are offering coupons to lure new customers and entice existing consumers to buy more.
Step 2
Buy store brands or generic brands. According to The Environment Site, many store brands that sell products made with organic ingredients offer quality that is just as high or even higher than that of comparable name brand items. Since store brands are almost universally cheaper than name brands, sometimes dramatically so, it's easy to save lots of money by choosing them.
Step 3
Shop locally and at farmers markets. Local food isn't always cheaper, but since it's closer to home, it reflects savings on transportation costs, and it's almost always fresher than food shipped from farther away. Often, local farms grow produce using organic methods, even if they are not formally certified organic. Items from those farms are usually cheaper than other choices, but their quality is just as good. Cooking Light magazine also recommends visiting organic pick-your-own farms and harvesting produce there to save cash.
Step 4
Join a CSA, or community supported agriculture group. Cooking Light points out that even if a CSA does not offer cheaper prices on a per-item basis, the total cost of joining such a group for one season results in big overall discounts. Find out what potential CSAs grow ahead of time by talking with farmers, and choose one that fits your budget and harvests items that you use often.
Step 5
Buy in bulk when possible. Organically grown bulk items offer convenience that packaged items don't, since the consumer can always choose how much to get and how much to spend on it. Prepackaged, per-unit groceries often reflect price markups that bulk items don't, so packaging your own brings big rewards in the form of discounts.
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