How to eat organic food on a budget

How to eat organic food on a budget

More and more people these days continue to buy what are known as “organic foods.”  Organic foods are basically foods that have not been made with any sort of synthetic pesticides, artificial flavors, or anything along those lines.  Organic foods are never genetically modified.  It is basically the way food is supposed to be, relying on nature to do most of the work instead of large factories and chemical plants.  However, with the way the economy is these days it can seem difficult to find organic foods within one’s budget as they are usually more expensive than foods grown on an industrial scale.  What follows are some tips to help find great organic foods for a lot less than the sticker price indicates.

Buy Organic Foods in Season

Buying organic foods in season will save a lot of money as opposed to buying them out of season.  For instance, for the month of May consider buying strawberries, blackberries, cauliflower, and cabbages, as all of these fruits and vegetables are in season.  Usually when fruits and vegetables are bought out of season they are imported from overseas or from areas far away, which obviously make them more expensive, so an easy way to save money would be to buy them in season instead.

Buy Locally

Buying locally can come in the form of dealing directly with a farmer on their farm, going to a farmer’s market, joining a community supported agriculture program, along with many other different ways.  You will not only save money by cutting out the middleman, but you will also be supporting the local community and the environment as well.  What could be better than that?

Create an Organic Garden

Instead of buying organic food, why not grow it yourself?  This may not be a great option for those who live in urban areas, but growing an organic garden is a great way to save money on organic foods.  Even those who live in urban areas can still benefit from using containers as opposed to a full-fledged garden.  Not only that, but you can be sure that the organic food you have is truly organic and not mislabeled from a store.  There are many different places to find the seeds necessary to grow organic food, from garden centers to supermarkets.   Compost can be used as part of the soil for the garden, further reducing waste while benefitting yourself that much more. 

Buy In Bulk

Another option to consider when it comes to organic foods is to buy in bulk.  Simply buy a lot of the fruits or vegetables you want in season and store the extras away.  You could do anything from putting them into zip bags to canning or drying the foods to make them last for a while longer. 

Use Coupons

Last but not least, you can generally find a lot of organic coupons both in newspapers and online.  Not only that, but you could also comparison shop for organic foods in the local area along with finding out when particular grocery stores have sales on organic foods.

Last words

There is a compelling argument that buying locally grown, organic foods (particularly plant based, whole foods) will actually save you money over the course of you lifetime!  Even though the foods themselves may be a bit more expensive, the money you will save in medical bills, insurance costs, prescription medications, etc... will more than make up for the few pennies you will spend on organic vs non-organic.

If you are ever in Thousand Oaks (Ventura County), there is an outstanding, organic pizza and salad restaurant you must try!  Click HERE for their menu and location.