Frugal Living Mom

You Can Afford Local, Organic and Grassfed on a Budget

by 7 Comments

Tricks-to-help-you-afford-organic-on-a-budgetThe more I learn about organic foods the more I really want to be able to afford them on a consistent basis. Right now we just can’t all the time and to tell you the truth it’s pretty discouraging. But that said when our debt is paid off that is one of the “luxuries” that I am going to allow our family. Because although it really seems to be a luxury.. it shouldn’t have to be. Don’t we all want to provide our growing children with the best nutrition we can? But until that debt is paid off (and maybe after) I have a few tricks up my sleeve to get us at least some of that local, farm fresh, organic and sometimes even grass fed food.

1.Shop the discount section at your local heathfood store. I get my organic and gluten free breads for $1 now- they mark it down to $1 on the day of expiration. I just head there after I drop my daughter off at pre-school and pick up any loaves I like or need- then pop them in the freezer. This saves a huge amount since these breads run $4- 8 a loaf. You can also pick up markdown fruits and veggies (if you are going to use them soon). And you might want to scan the bulk department- sometimes you can pick up some decent deals on organic raisins, bean and flour.

Also Read: Clever Tips On Using Brown Bananas

2.Bargain at your local farmers market. The farmers market is a great place to pick up super fresh fruits and veggies (and it is a great educational family outing). If you find something you like- ask for a discount or for them to throw in another item. This works best toward the end of the market- not the beginning.

3.Invest in a ¼ to a whole grassfed cow, pastured pig or lamb. I have done some research on this and you are not going to get rock bottom meat prices, especially when you can pick up some conventional cuts for $1- 2 a lb on sale sometimes. But you may see the value when you think about what you are actually getting. The more I have seen documentaries like Food Inc. this is the route I want to go- I really want to know where my food is from and how it was raised.

4.Keep your eye out for sales on organic produce in regular grocery stores. It may not be as expensive as you think. I saw organic apples on sale the other day for $.89 a lb- that is less than some conventional prices.

5.If you have a $.99 Only in your area check them out for organics. I have seen huge tubs of organic lettuce for … you guessed it.

Also Read: Should you Make Your Own Baby Food?

6.Grow your own. Start a garden. Our garden was a little less than a huge success this year, but we got a lot of zucchini and tomatoes. I have really enjoyed the organic tomato sauce I have made.. and to know I grew it, that’s the best part!!

Also See: Organic Garden on the Cheap: Protect and Feed Your Garden for Pennies!

What are you doing to save more on organic or local foods? What are your secrets.. do tell!!

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Comments

  1. Here are my secrets: Our family eats grass-fed beef and only organic produce. When I tell someone how much I spend on groceries their jaw usually hangs open for a few seconds, but our motto is, "you can't put a price tag on health." Also, we believe what Hipprocates said about letting your food be your medicine and vice versa. We don't consider healthy food a luxury (we DO consider mainstream/grain fed meat a toxin, NOT food), and to this end both our vehicles are older and used, (no car payments!), we have a prepaid cell phone and only use it for emergencies, we do not have cable and check out movies from the library for free: this is how we eat healthy while still paying a very large ($90,000) student loan debt. Living without disease (think cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, dementia, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc) or the fear of disease is worth "sacrificing" a new car, expense vacations, or a huge cell phone bill so my family can eat healthy.
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  2. I'm on a tight budget and don't have the option of local, organic everything because we're on food stamps and local farmers just don't accept food stamps. A few years ago, though, we bought 1/4 of a cow and it was not too expensive, about $3.50/lb., and we had plenty of steaks, roasts, hamburger, and stew bones. Yum! It wasn't rock bottom prices but it certainly wasn't ridiculously priced compared to conventional (or Whole Foods for grassfed organic!) It was local and grassfed, and organically raised but not certified. I'm planning on doing that again next year with part of our tax return.
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  3. I am a grass fed, organic grain finished market beef producer. I can personally tell you that it is one of the most rewarding investments to do for your family in regards to healthy eating. My customer list has grown 10 fold since I started this project about 10 years ago. My animals get all of my garden recyclables as yummy treats, as well as orchard apples, pitted plums, pears, etc. We have a challenge as the prices of fuel, animals and grain have gone up more than double in the past 4 years. A family purchasing 1/2 a beef will probably have close to $650 into it after the butcher/processing costs and the price of the animal from the farmer (right now is between $2.50-$2.75 per pound hanging weight). Many beef farmer/producers will charge a customer more for a smaller portion of the animal (upwards of $0.50 per pound) so, it is wise to look into splitting a whole animal with like minded friends or family. Once you go "green grass fed" you will not want to go back. It is very lean and extremely tasty.
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  4. I have found great prices on organic foods at Trader Joes. I was just there and found organic sweetened condensed milk. I didn't know it existed! It was only .10 more than traditional. Their frozen vegetables are also priced reasonably. I know that is not local, but I also shop at farmers' markets, mostly in summer and fall since the Northeast has a short growing season. At the market I often find vegetables that are not perfect are less. For example I buy a 3lb bag of "off" carrots-shorter, not straight-for $5, versus $2.50 a pound. I find squash to be cheaper, and tastier, from the market. I roast it, puree it and freeze it in one cup servings to add to dishes.
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