Saving on Organic Food

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Saving on Organic Food~Never Pay Full Price For Groceries Again

 

Organic food doesn't have to be expensive.

 

SHOP LIKE . . . your mother.

 

Use coupons. Clip or download five dollars worth a week and you'll

save $260

in a year. You'll find coupons for organic products at

mambosprouts.com,

stonyfield.com, and alexscoupons.com.

 

Know the pitfalls. Supermarkets are designed to make you spend more.

Rule #1:

Get out fast. Rule #2: Beware of merchandising tricks, like placing

companion

products, such as strawberries and shortcakes, next to each other so

you'll

buy both.

 

Make your own. A jarful of salad dressing takes a couple of minutes

to blend

and costs less than half the price of a store-bought variety.

Homemade soups

and chilies freeze well and cut the cost of meals.

 

SHOP LIKE . . . a hippie.

 

Be flexible. A little spontaneity will allow you to take advantage of

sale

items and store specials. Instead of specifying chicken breasts on

your shopping

list, try writing simply protein. Choose the freshest vegetables on

sale.

 

Join a co-op. Many co-ops are now as big as conventional

supermarkets. All

are excellent sources for organic and local brands at minimum markup.

To find a

co-op nearby, visit cooperativegrocer.coop and localharvest.org.

 

Buy in bulk. Purchasing from bins lets you take the exact quantities

you

need. The biggest price differences are in prepared foods, such as

granola ($1.90

a pound less than packaged). Bulk rice, beans, and flour run 20 to 50

cents

cheaper than their packaged counterparts.

 

SHOP LIKE . . . a student.

 

Shop less frequently. Skip the supermarket for a day and " shop " your

pantry,

fridge, and freezer instead. For last-minute pasta, keep on hand a

can of

tomatoes, tuna in oil, beans, and vegetable stock.

 

Try house brands. The certification process for growing and

processing is the

same for all organic food, name brand or not. Look for store brands

at

markets like Wild Oats, Safeway, and Whole Foods.

 

Share with a friend. If you are single or have a small family, pair

up with a

friend or two and split things—such as bunches of fresh herbs and

bags of

potatoes—that might spoil before you are able to use them up.

 

~http://www.organicstyle.com/feature/0,8028,s1-37-0-0-679,00.html