Saving money on organic food and groceries
Organic products bring great benefits to our health and the environment. But organics may cost more. There are ways to shop for organic foods and products on a budget. These ideas may also be relevant to broader goals of reducing costs of groceries.
(Window) shop online
Convenient shopping online. Image: iStock, edited.
I personally save money when shopping online. Web browsing allows more time to consciously compare options. I feel more knowledgeable online compared to visiting one store. There is more choice. People would feel tempted to buy impulse items on the internet. But if we are thinking about our priorities for food, we can invest in resources that nurture our lives.
When stocking up on favourites, leap at deals. You're using those preferred products anyway. It's not impulsive, it's strategic. Here's an example. Organic canned foods vary greatly in price. I now order BPA-free cans of organic tomato and baked beans. I order them online. Nearby supermarkets generally have cans that are either BPA-free or have organic contents. But I have not found many products that tick both of those boxes in the supermarket. These criteria may push prices up if they become available anywhere. Small stores may have these tins but sometimes at a marked up cost. So I get my organic canned goods online online.
Find bargains especially for the dirty dozen
The Environmental Working Group lists the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen in the EWG's Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™. If you need to selectively allocate just part of your food budget for organics, consider finding cheap deals for foods that are in the Dirty Dozen. Remember to compare this list with the information in your own local area or country. The EWG is in the USA. When I shop for organic food in Australia, I hope to find more information about which organic foods Aussies should prioritise. If you can buy exclusively organic groceries, that's great. In my personal experience, organic alternatives are becoming available but not for everything. Dirty Dozen style lists help to focus the budget on selected organics.
Get what you truly need
What is definitely needed to feed and nourish yourself? Carefully select the organic groceries that are truly relevant to your lifestyle and physical needs. Skip the non-essential extras, and that grocery bill should go down.
Shop for your personal preferences
This might feel obvious. Why would you buy something you don't prefer? Maybe a food is on special or looks interesting. That's great. But are you attempting to convince yourself to try it? I personally struggle to actually use an ingredient if I'm just not that into it. I hurry to use up those foods to avoid waste. But easier low-waste habits can happen when we enthusiastically use foods sooner. This might sound more eco but it's also relevant to a budget. It's better to spend money on foods that will be gobbled up sooner than tossed away. Motivation is important in a food budget.
My preferences nudge me to shop differently. I am currently preferring cooked meals and less salads. It's probably because of weather and climate. Maybe it is because cooked foods may feel more gentle for me personally. So I am minimising my salad ingredients. We just don't use them quickly enough. Relax. I am not aiming to discourage anyone from eating salads. It just was not my recent preference. Chill again. I use some raw fruits and vegetables because it's good for health. But my diet isn't mostly raw. So if I bought lots of salad ingredients hoping to use them, I would be spending money on foods I don't feel passionate about. That's not a good use of budget. Right now, I shop for ingredients that can be cooked into hot meals.
Vegan cooking tomato pasta sauce. Shop for ingredients you actually want to avoid waste in the budget. Image: iStock, edited.
Enjoy diverse foods
Fulfil needs with varieties of foods you will actually enjoy and appreciate. Diverse plant foods are important for all of us. But this will only boost our wellness if we actually consume them. Buy something if you can imagine yourself eating it. Otherwise, it might become costly food waste. If you are fascinated by an unusual food, be sure to have the time and knowledge to actually use it properly. If a busy week is coming up, thoughtfully try a curated few new foods. The rest of the week's menu would be old favourites. Then do the same next week. I'm not giving nutritional advice here. I'm just suggesting a gradual diversification to avoid feeling overwhelmed and prevent food waste.
Avoid treats, novelties and purpose-less impulse purchases
I said avoid, not eliminate. We all find joy from rare delights. I adore quality organic sustainable fair trade chocolate. It's not cheap. A small treat is fine in moderation. Just make room in the budget for those occasional delights. Be mindful to appreciate special treats. Don't mindlessly chuck lots of treats into the shopping cart. That will burst the budget!
Quantities - not too much or too little
Think about the quantities you will truly need. I have been sometimes buying less of something that's needed, probably just to prevent waste. But I use it frequently. I then would run out and feel desperate to find more. Leafy greens are my favourite recent example within my habits. I have been sneaking more leafy greens into most meals and smoothies. So I need to stock up on those favourites when I see a good deal. Otherwise, I could end up spending too much on a top up wherever I can find those foods. Think carefully about the quantities of food you would truly use. If you need a large amount of something, look into bulk options. Plan ahead for quantities of organic purchases to then find the most affordable investment.
Compare costs from alternative retailers
Browse online when visiting a physical store. Here's the thing. If you're standing in a shop and truly want a premium product, and it's not in the usual routine, stop for a few seconds before picking it. Get your phone. Search online and see the first few results. Can you access a better deal somewhere else? Would you save significant money by waiting and getting the product elsewhere? A quick information search takes barely any time and could result in more quantity for less spending.
Record recent shopping habits
Take a short amount of time, maybe weekly, to observe grocery shopping behaviours. This should not be a shaming guilt trip. It's just an approximate look to see what could change in the future. Is there too much of something you barely use? Don't get more next week! The quick observation looks at more than overspending. Was something missing? Set a reminder for yourself and plan to responsibly fill the gap. Did some impulse purchases sneak into the shopping trolley? A quick look can help in seeing how shopping can be done wisely.
Electronic payment is a great way to see how much was spent and where. If you need more detail, get a receipt in a sustainable way. Ask a small business to email the receipt to you. If a large store automatically prints a receipt, take a photo of the docket and then responsibly dispose of it. Some receipts may have BPA - so let's try to avoid them. A simple record is a convenient reminder of what was bought and what can change.
Shop for bulk when possible
If something is used frequently enough, buy a large bulk pack (hopefully with minimal packaging). I use chia and other seeds for lots of meals, snacks and smoothies. I recently bough two kilograms of chia seeds. That is a lot! Here's the good part - it was cheaper per kilo compared to smaller retail portions. This bulk quantity should last for months. It was a significant spend in the short term but saves in the long term.
When you only need a small quantity of a pantry item, get it from a bulk store. This may be cheaper than buying packaged organic versions. It's clearly also more sustainable. Don't spend more to then have more than you need. Those extra supplies would just be sitting on a shelf. There's no point. Know your quantities and visit bulk stores when that's best.
Use what you have
Consume the foods that are already in your kitchen. I need to remind myself of this strategy more often. Find ways to use what's already around. Look online to learn about the 'pantry challenge.' From my understanding, the challenge requires one to set a time frame and primarily use up the contents of the pantry. I should allocate at least a day or two for a freezer challenge. We freeze so many foods - there would be plenty of meals just in our freezers. However you store food, use it up! That's a quick way to lower the weekly grocery total.
Preserve your organic perishable items
Do everything to preserve those valuable organic supplies. Any waste prevention is a step towards getting the most from a budget. Most foods could either be frozen, dried, fermented or somehow stored for longer. We have had an extra separate freezer for a long time. It has a few draws so I can easily find all the foods. We also have a dehydrator that was from Facebook Marketplace. It's great for drying leftover turmeric, orange peels, fruits and almost anything. Keep your perishable goods for longer to then save in future budgets.
Minimise convenience items
I stopped buying most forms of canned beans. For a while, I was using lots of canned beans even when I owned dry versions. I was using cans because they were quicker and they were there. But dry legumes cost less than canned pre-cooked options. Why was I using the comparatively pricier canned foods? Because they were in the cupboard. So I just stopped buying canned beans and lentils. I forced myself to get organised. It's as simple as soaking the beans and then boiling them. Or simply boiling lentils. This is just one example of how simple homemade versions will save in comparison to organic convenience products.
Choose local seasonal foods
Seasonal fresh local produce is known to be cheaper than foods that are out of season and imported. Of course, there will be a monetary impact when bringing fresh foods across great distances. Save the environment and your wallet by shopping local with seasonal delights.
Order bulk boxes
I love my produce boxes! Fruit and vegetable boxes may be cheaper since it's a bulk buy for more quantity of goodies. Programs vary greatly. Some will set a standard bundle of foods each week. So there might be less choice or no choice about the contents of the box. This can be positive since it encourages consumption of diverse plants. But only do this if you're ready to try new things. I recently got rosemary in a produce box. I usually don't go out of my way to buy herbs, especially this one. I try growing herbs and a few tiny leaves are appearing. But I don't usually shop for herbs unless they are on clearance. Since I now own some fresh rosemary anyway, I may as well use it. This is one of the moments in which a produce box affordably encourages use of diversified plant foods in the diet. Such a win.
Join a co-op
If you are lucky enough to live near a co-op, embrace the blessing and join as a member. A co-op should offer discounts for members. The prices may be lower if a co-op sources from local farmers. Every place is different, but these savings may happen.
Visit the farmers' market
Organic produce and groceries may be cheaper at a farmer's market. Just be conscious of what you choose. Stick to a shopping list. I had a phase of visiting those organic markets. The total would add up too much at those places. I became tempted by all the specialty treats, higher end groceries and things I just didn't need. It's a fun experience for those who want the takeaway coffee and organic cosmetics. For anyone who sticks to a budget, some markets require a bit of self-control. Don't avoid the farmers' markets. Go and visit those important gatherings that support local farmers and small businesses. Just be aware of what is truly necessary.
Most importantly, relax about the budget and don't stress.
This last point is crucial for living a healthy lifestyle with organics when also saving money. A budget is a guide. It shows us where we have been. It points us in the right direction for the future. But relax if you go a bit over the budget. Life happens. If we use the most natural household products, but we stress over it, this could negatively impact our health. I like to keep a healthy attitude of trying my best. That's all anyone can do.
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