Posted by Fiona Saiter on Apr.13, 2009

©iStockphoto.com - redmal

It is important to provide a healthy environment from whole grains, a rainbow of fresh fruit and veggies, organic food and non toxic cleaners. Unfortunately, with these tough economic times, buying organic is harder. Here are ten hints for saving money on organic and healthy foods when money is tight:

• Always check your weekly store sales ads for organic produce and products.You will often find sections dedicated to organic products. With increasing demand for healthy organic products, stores want to draw people in. Many stores post their weekly sales ads online. Compare all the ads and special offers, planning your meals around the best value items.

1. Look for coupons in your news paper or do a search online for coupons for your favorite organic products. For online coupons, simply go to your favorite search engine either type in, “Organic coupons,” or type in your favorite products and you will find countless coupons and also be able to sign up for future coupons if you wish.
2. Buy store-brand organic products. Generics are often cheaper than the well known brands, and sometimes cheaper than the conventional foods. People love to buy their favorite name brands and pay more at the register for it. By being adventurous and trying a brand that is organic, but missing the familiar name or picture, you will save big. I have found items like cereal, salad dressing, and others are often cheaper than the popular conventional brands and big named organic brands. If you have a Whole Foods near you, just check out the prices for a big bottle of Whole Foods shampoo compared to your regular brand at the local store.
3. Don’t forget to check out your clearance and marked down section of the store whenever you go. Organic or healthy items get marked off at great prices. If you do find a great deal on something that will last or you can freeze, buy in bulk to save in the long run.
4. Read labels. This is something you should always do, but you can save on items that are not always organic and good for your family. For example Paul Newman’s pasta sauce states it is, ‘natural,’ on the label, but you can read the ingredients and see that they also donate proceeds to charity.
5. Buy organic where it counts. The Environmental Working Group, which has extensively tested for pesticides in produce, found 80% of pesticides can be avoided by choosing the fruit and veggies from the, “cleanest,” group instead of the, “dirty dozen.” The dirty dozen to buy organic whenever possible are:  strawberries, apples, lettuce, cherries, celery, sweet bell peppers, peaches, nectarines, kale, grapes (imported), pears, and carrots. The fruits and veggies the EWG suggest are the safest are: avocados, onions, eggplant, papaya, corn, pineapple, sweet potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, watermelon, mango, kiwi, cabbage, peas, and asparagus. You can download a clip out list to take with you.
6. Grow your own produce and herbs. You can get a book from the library (saving money again instead of purchasing a book) about growing fruits, veggies and herbs. If your thumb is not so green you could try container gardening instead of trekking out into the whole unknown yard.
7. Buy from farmers markets. There is a lot of competition for your money in the summer at farmers markets, so take advantage of that. As well as saving money on healthy fruits and veggies, you will save the planet by not having the produce shipped from half way around the Earth. You can ask the farmers what fertilizers and pesticides were used growing the produce. Produce that isn’t labeled “organic” might have been grown with few or no sprays or soil additives.
8. Join a co-op with other members to save money buying directly from the farm instead of through the grocery store. You will save money but you do have to of course take what they have in season at the time. You can search online for a co-op in your area.
9. Make your own cleaners. Cleaners are expensive weather they are conventional or natural. You can save big by buying a large jug of white vinegar, baking soda, Borax (found in the cleaner aisle of your grocery store is a natural laundry detergent), Murphy’s Oil Soap, Lemon or Lemon juice adds shine, and natural dish detergent. Simply do a search online on your favorite search engine, “Natural cleaning recipes,” and you will find numerous simple, inexpensive, and natural recipes for your home.

By starting to apply even just a few ideas you can begin to save money and continue to shop healthy for your family.

Links to some organic coupons:

Organic Valley Coupons

Mambo Sprouts

Earth’s Best

Horizon Organic

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Posted under Living, Money Savers.