How to afford Organic

[Prizm99]

Since I am new, I hope I am posting this in the right place.
Where do you cut costs in order to afford organic food?
With the high gas prices and the midwest floods, food is already expensive to begin with. I want to buy organic food but I don't know if I can afford it. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[RedSoxRosie]

Coupons, coupons, and more coupons.
Stockpiling a good deal on organics when you can.
And I would suggest just little by little, do what you can.
Hopefully you have farmer's markets in your area to pick up fresh local produce.

[jujubee]

My family is on a tight budget as well, and I still manage to buy at least 50% organic and sometimes more.

I use coupons whenever I can, even if I have to get creative. For example: I had a coupon last week that was Buy Hidden Valley refrigerated dressing, save $1.50 on produce. I found the Hidden Valley marked down to $2 close to expiration, and found organic salad mix marked down to $2, also close to expiration. So:

$2 + $2 = $4 - $1.50 = $2.50

My hubby eats ranch dressing on literally everything (including pizza!), so that made a great deal for me, even though the dressing wasn’t organic.

I also choose to put my money where it matters most: I mostly buy organic only for the things we eat almost daily – salad greens, carrots, apples, eggs, milk (for dd), apple juice (for dd), etc. So I can focus the majority of my budget on what I feel are the “important” things, and for the rest I go organic if I find a good deal.

Contact companies for coupons. Smaller organic companies are happy to send coupons to potential/loyal customers to try their products.

Look for organics in unconventional places. I discovered that Big Lots carries tons of organic non-perishables such as Kashi, Back to Nature, Annies. We have an entire thread of all the things our members have found at Big Lots.

And I think, too, that you really have to feel the conviction to not only choose organic, but just to eat healthier in general. Once you have the knowledge of why taking care of your body should rank #1 on your priority list, you’ll find ways to incorporate healthy eating into your lifestyle. I read the book In Defense of Food and it changed me forever.

And lastly, come hang out with us! We have organic in our title, but most importantly we want to encourage and support each other to adopt a healthy lifestyle – whether it’s with organic or conventional foods.

[OHeather]

Take it one product at a time. You will overwhelm yourself if you try to go all out all at once. As your stockpile of conventional food dwindles, start replacing it with organic instead. While the cost of organic might be higher, say for shampoo etc, you end up using less of it.

Also, contact companies like Jujubee said. They are more than willing to send Q's to people just starting out. You can focus on the products that you already use that are organic (if any) and contact those companies, or try to find one product that is similar to what you already use and contact that company.

I wouldn't suggest throwing out the things that you have already in your house. But if you can find a great deal on a product that is more natural or organic than what you use, go ahead and pick it up. If you decide that you want to keep the organic product, you can always donate the non-organic items to the food pantry.

One thing that Jujubee said that I think needs reapeating is that when you have a q good off produce, for example, go with organic. Yeah, you might get 4 bananas instead of 6 or 7, but it is worth it in the long run. (And I find that those "extra" bananas go to waste anyhow...into the compost pile for sure).

The same goes with MIR. If the rebate requires a meat purchase, try to find grass feed beef or the like. Again, it costs more and you get less meat, but it is healthier for you and you might just eat a little less, which is not bad.

[derketchup]

For produce -- stick with only buying the dirty dozen organic (I try to do the first 20), and buy in season. Out of season artichokes are WAY more expensive than in season ones.

Also, see if there is a local coop or farmer's market. Talk to the farmers -- find out if they grow their food organically but don't want the hassle of paying/becoming USDA certified.

I can't reiterate the dirty dozen. There is no reason to spend money on organic onions if money is tight!

[samosa]

I buy nearly 100% organic. I make my menus based on what produce is on sale that week and cook mostly from scratch. Nothing too fancy, just good, healthy meals. If I want to buy organic 'junk food', I wait until it goes on sale or I have a coupon for it, hopefully both.

[ocean_brez]

What is the shelf life and flavor difference between whole milk and organic milk. My DH is a junk-food-aholic (is that even a word?) that rarely tries new new things, and I am wanting to try organic milk along with a few other new organic food items and he is against it. Any thoughts? I am stil fairly new to the OGD forum and as much as I am trying to read up/play catch up, it is taking time. TIA.

[RedSoxRosie]

Organic milk usually has the same shelf life as regular milk. Though it is more expensive. If you want to try it, just buy a half gallon. The expiration date is stamped on it just like conventional milk. It is pasteurized and you can get it in whole, 2%, 1% and fat free.
I buy raw milk, which I've been told is usually only good for about 7 days on average. This is usually from a health food store or a dairy farm. It is not pasteurized and just comes as whole.
If I buy organic milk from the store I always get whole because it has been less processed and I feel it's truer to being organic...that of course is just my opinion.

What other things are you looking to try that your husband is veto-ing?

[Ayanna]

Shelf life:
The Organic Valley brand is UHT (ultra high temperature processed), so it is one organic brand that likely has a longer shelf life than normal milk. I do not know if all of the organic brands are processed at UHT, but I do know that in my area the regular milk is regular pastureization and all the organic is UHT. Some people believe that UHT milk is actually worse than non-organic (kills more nutrients, might cause cancer).

Flavor:
I believe there is a flavor difference, but I think the main difference I taste is when we buy organic milk it's in a paper package, non-organic is in plastic. Even buying organic milk in plastic though it does taste better than regular, but I think not using plastic at all makes it taste even better!

Best bet is buying raw milk if you can find a provider! That has a very different taste, but no shelf life :-p

A little advice for your junk-food-aholid DH, there is organic junk-food, could switch him to that and prove that organic doesn't taste bad without trying anything really healthy. Then do the switch to healthy. Or just start buying fresh fruit and veg switch him to that and he'll have to realize how much yummier that is than processed junk!

[derketchup]

actually if you want him to taste "chemicals" have him compare organic baby carrots to conventional baby carrots. Blech!

[RedSoxRosie]

Originally Posted by Ayanna

Shelf life:
The Organic Valley brand is UHT (ultra high temperature processed), so it is one organic brand that likely has a longer shelf life than normal milk. I do not know if all of the organic brands are processed at UHT, but I do know that in my area the regular milk is regular pastureization and all the organic is UHT. Some people believe that UHT milk is actually worse than non-organic (kills more nutrients, might cause cancer).

Flavor:
I believe there is a flavor difference, but I think the main difference I taste is when we buy organic milk it's in a paper package, non-organic is in plastic. Even buying organic milk in plastic though it does taste better than regular, but I think not using plastic at all makes it taste even better!

Best bet is buying raw milk if you can find a provider! That has a very different taste, but no shelf life :-p

A little advice for your junk-food-aholid DH, there is organic junk-food, could switch him to that and prove that organic doesn't taste bad without trying anything really healthy. Then do the switch to healthy. Or just start buying fresh fruit and veg switch him to that and he'll have to realize how much yummier that is than processed junk!

I am one of those people that think pasteurization is bad...whatever the temp. It kills the living enzymes that we need for proper digestion. This is why I believe some people are lactose intolerant. Perhaps if they tried raw milk or cheese, they would find it doesn't bother them. I'm not sure about this, just what I think. I very rarely will buy juice either because even if it's organic it has to be pasteurized as well to be bottled. We mostly drink filtered water. But, I have bought organic juice for my daughter, but I also own a juicer and make it fresh...AWESOME!!! You'll never get a better fruit punch then juicing (organic) strawberries, blueberries and grapes together! YUM!!

And for the junk food...yup!! There is plenty of organic snacks...Newman's Own Organics makes great cookies! BUT...they are not filled with chemicals or dyes or man-made sugars that (I believe) make us want more and overeat which obviously puts more of this "junk" into our bodies and turns into a horrible cycle...

Ok..enough ranting. sorry.

[ocean_brez]

Originally Posted by Ayanna

Shelf life:
The Organic Valley brand is UHT (ultra high temperature processed), so it is one organic brand that likely has a longer shelf life than normal milk. I do not know if all of the organic brands are processed at UHT, but I do know that in my area the regular milk is regular pastureization and all the organic is UHT. Some people believe that UHT milk is actually worse than non-organic (kills more nutrients, might cause cancer).

I don't think I care for anything that might cause cancer. My mother died of uterine cancer 9 years ago and a few of my neighbors are breast cancer survivors. My one fav neighbor even went so far as informing me that she had read that Soy products have been known to feed cancer and since she is in remission, she is not chancing it or the health of her family by buying/eating anything with soy. Knowing that my mother used to eat tofu regularly as well as a few other soy products, has now made me leary and I will forever wonder if that's what helped speed up the spread of her cancer. So, no soy products for us until I can gain more beneficial info on it.

As for the raw milk, that is not an option because we don't have it here and DH definitely won't go for that.

I have already started checking out and have bought a few organic fruits and vegetables from my local Henry's and now that healthier junk food is available, I will be checking into that too.

So far, the only real thing that he has vetoed is some of the Kashi cereals. Not sweet enough or something. Although I can't really complain there because although he eats the sweet kids cereals during the work week, he will eat oatmeal and Cream of Wheat on the weekends. Oh and forgot, he also likes Post Grape Nuts. Now that is a cereal I can't eat because I feel like I am eating rocks.

[derketchup]

Ayanna... you might try to find cream top milk -- this milk hasn't been homogenized. It's still been pasteurized. I find it's a nice compromise for people who don't want to go fully "raw".

[RedSoxRosie]

Ocean Brez, there are lost of kids cereals out there that are organic that your hubby might go for.
In another post I mentioned I've gotten ones from Envirokids for my daughter that are Peanut Butter Puffs (had a panda on the front), and ones like Cocoa Krispies (had a koala on it) that I can't think of the name of, and we haven't tried it yet, but there is also one that seems similar to Trix (had a toucan on the front). So there are also comparable cereals...haven't found one that contains rocks yet.

[Ayanna]

Originally Posted by derketchup

actually if you want him to taste "chemicals" have him compare organic baby carrots to conventional baby carrots. Blech!

Mmm okay little tangent here...we grew carrots in our little container garden this year. First time I've ever had carrots out of a garden. OMG seriously...the things at the grocery story are NOT carrots! The flavor the crispness of biting into the carrot straight out of the garden was incredible!

If you have space I think carrots should be on an absolute must add to a garden list!

[OHeather]

You might want to try to purchase organic items and just cook with them. If DH doesn't know what he's eating (which he probably doesn't anyhow with conventional food) he may find that he is satisfied more and enjoys the food better. Make a regular dinner--one you've made many times before--but substitute organic items, like spices, vegetables, etc. If he asks what it is, tell him you just changed the ingredients to organic and it makes a huge difference.

[ocean_brez]

Originally Posted by OHeather

You might want to try to purchase organic items and just cook with them. If DH doesn't know what he's eating (which he probably doesn't anyhow with conventional food) he may find that he is satisfied more and enjoys the food better. Make a regular dinner--one you've made many times before--but substitute organic items, like spices, vegetables, etc. If he asks what it is, tell him you just changed the ingredients to organic and it makes a huge difference.

That's a good idea. I think I am going to try that trick with an Italian pasta dish. Those always go over well.

[queenofthehivemomof5]

Originally Posted by Ayanna

Mmm okay little tangent here...we grew carrots in our little container garden this year. First time I've ever had carrots out of a garden. OMG seriously...the things at the grocery story are NOT carrots! The flavor the crispness of biting into the carrot straight out of the garden was incredible!

If you have space I think carrots should be on an absolute must add to a garden list!

I agree, I have ranted about store bought conventionaly grown carrots before and how they taste like chemicals, organic is better and homegrown is best. And they are super duper easy to grow yourself, I have some growing in my front flower beds even, you can grow them in pots or just about any patch of dirt you have.

[yellowlilax]

Does anyone know if Horizon milk is ultra high temperature processed?

[jujubee]

Originally Posted by yellowlilax

Does anyone know if Horizon milk is ultra high temperature processed?

Yes, it is. From their site: Horizon Organic - FAQs: Organic Milk Processing and Packaging

How is milk pasteurized?

Pasteurization is the process of heating milk to make it bacteriologically safe and to increase its keeping quality. Horizon Organic™ milk uses two types of pasteurization processes: high-temperature short-time (HTST) pasteurization, referred to simply as pasteurization, and ultra-high temperature pasteurization (UHT), also called ultra-pasteurization.

Pasteurization requires heating milk at a temperature of 162°F for only 15 seconds. Horizon Organic offers whole, reduced fat (2%), lowfat (1%) and fat free milk in both HTST and UP varieties. You can look on the carton to see if the milk you are buying is pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized.

[yellowlilax]

Great (sarcastic) so regular non organic milk causes cancer, but organic milk that is high temp pasteurized causes cancer too. Ok, so which is worse...I'm so frustrated with everything causing cancer. My mom had breast cancer and I feel like my turn is just coming and its a matter of when. It seems like EVERYTHING will give you cancer.

[RedSoxRosie]

Originally Posted by yellowlilax

Great (sarcastic) so regular non organic milk causes cancer, but organic milk that is high temp pasteurized causes cancer too. Ok, so which is worse...I'm so frustrated with everything causing cancer. My mom had breast cancer and I feel like my turn is just coming and its a matter of when. It seems like EVERYTHING will give you cancer.

I understand where you are coming from. My dad battled with and passed away from cancer in '07 and now my uncle is going through it.
Have you tried raw milk? It's hard to find and can be expensive...I've also noticed though that my store brand, Nature's Promise, organic milk is pasteurized, but not ultra-pasteurized...not sure if you have looked at all the brands of milk you may have available to you. You could pick the lesser of the evils.

[OHeather]

You could also ask yourself if you actually need cow's milk to survive. I know that's a whole different topic than this thread was initially, but it's something that you may want to question. Are we as humans really meant to drink cow's milk? If you can change your habits, little by little, you may be able to switch over to rice milk or almond milk (or any other type) with no cow's milk consumption. Just a thought.

[yellowlilax]

I guess I'm not overly concerned with it, because the only time I have milk is when its on cereal in the morning and thats not an every day thing or for recipes. Tried rice milk and wanted to puke. I'm allergic to nuts, so almond won't work for me and soy milk I'm not supposed to have soy because my moms cancer was estrogen positive and soy can act as a hormone. So I'm not left with a lot of options.

[cityhopper]

I am not 100% organic yet but I am taking baby steps. I shop weekly for produce and dairy. I have learned to buy ingredients rather than "organic meals". It can be cheaper and healthier to buy the ingredients and prepare an organic meal rather than buying a frozen organic meal.

Living in a large city has helped as I found grocers like Kroger and Publix want to be more competitive and a one stop shop against grocers like Whole Foods/Harry's, Trader Joe's, and a few local organic, natural grocers. So this help with the pricing of "name-brand" organic products.

[MamaBird06]

so what does everyone pay for organic items like:

8 oz shredded cheese
yogurt
organic milk
5 lbs of potatoes?
eggs?
1 lb of butter
organic cooking oil?


My new years resolution this coming year is start transitioning more toward organic and natural products.

My first order of business is to try to use up some of my more conventional products/foods stockpile in january, i know that some things i have a way longer amount of, especially tp, shampoos and condiments. So my first order of business is to try to go organic for dairy/poultry for january and then go from there after february. I told dh when we are debt free we will be eating way more organics and natural foods and so i am transitioning into that this year. I have been couponing for almost 2 years and have gotten some good organic products along the way, but would really like to move toward more organic now...

[IFALLSMICHELLE]

I live in a small town with few choices for shopping. Organic Yogurt is 93 cents per container (Stonyfield Farms Single Serving). Organic milk (Stonyfield Farms) is about $4.08 per half gallon. I can't get most of the other items you have listed locally.

This is not on your list, but I paid $3.99 for Earthbound Farms Romaine Hearts tonight and $1.99 for their small size peeled baby carrots. Used coupons of course!!! I had $1.75 deducted from these items.

Our local store just stopped carrying Cascadian Farms frozen vegetables, I am so disappointed. They also stopped carrying Egglands Best Eggs

[knittingintheround]

[quote=MamaBird06;44708]so what does everyone pay for organic items like:

8 oz shredded cheese--don't buy, usually. Probably $2.99/bag, though. It's cheaper to buy a block and shred it yourself.
yogurt--6 oz Stonyfield Farms cups are $.99
organic milk--about $6 gallon. I buy a local, non organic (but non-ultra-pasturized and no hormone or abx) milk for $3.99 gallon
5 lbs of potatoes?--$4.99, I think?
eggs?--$2.99-3.50 depending on brand
1 lb of butter--$5.99 for Organic Valley butter...$3.99 for store brand organic
organic cooking oil?--not sure...I don't use. I use butter for cooking

Another idea...look for local dairy products and produce...if you get to know the farmers at your markets, you may be able to get better prices or barter for items you need. Localharvest.com and eatwild.com (for local, pastured meat) are good resources. Craigslist sometimes has listings for local eggs, too.

[strivingmom]

Originally Posted by MamaBird06

so what does everyone pay for organic items like:

8 oz shredded cheese
yogurt
organic milk
5 lbs of potatoes?
eggs?
1 lb of butter
organic cooking oil?


My new years resolution this coming year is start transitioning more toward organic and natural products.

My first order of business is to try to use up some of my more conventional products/foods stockpile in january, i know that some things i have a way longer amount of, especially tp, shampoos and condiments. So my first order of business is to try to go organic for dairy/poultry for january and then go from there after february. I told dh when we are debt free we will be eating way more organics and natural foods and so i am transitioning into that this year. I have been couponing for almost 2 years and have gotten some good organic products along the way, but would really like to move toward more organic now...

8 oz of shredded chesse is expensive about $5.50 I stay away from that and buy blocks. I get a block of Cheddar from Costco for @ $9.00 it's pretty big not sure how many ounces

Yogurt Oikos has coupons all the time I just got some free this week at Krogers look out for that. But if you have to buy plain is usually about $3.00 for the pint. You can find coupons on certain brands. I would suggest making your own.

Organic Milk. Coupons also I have a local market that on Mondays has a sale $1.67 per half gallon that is Central Market here in TX. Retail Price about $5.50 per Gallon

Potatoes not sure I belong to a food co-op you may want to look into one in your area I haven't priced potatoes in a while

Eggs I get at costco 18 eggs anywhere from $3.50 to $4.50. A dozen at a market can be anywhere from $2.79 to $3.99. Local farmers charge $4.00 a dozen...ouch.

1 lb butter at Costco is $7.00. Market it's expensive I would use coupons like Cascade Farms. About $4.00 for 2 sticks.

Organic cooking oil. Coconut oil is $10.00 for the jar. Olive oil can be $9.00 for small bottle but you can find deals. Also there is Costco for savings.

I hope that helps.

[MamaBird06]

thanks for the info. I know i can get eggland's best eggs cage free dozen for .99 with coupon and doubles about 6 times a year at a local grocer, and i have made my own yogurt before, so i may just have to do that. The butter and oil will be the most expensive as i use it in a lot of cooking. I did see that my local hyvee has 8 oz blocks of cheese on sale for 3.50 the generic kind, but we are not real big cheese eaters, maybe eat about 1-2 lbs a month. I am just going to start tracking prices, since i will be getting into organics slowly, so hopefully by the time i'm buying more organics i will know what prices to expect.

[jellopopsicle]

I think that you need to start small, until you get used to budgeting your life around buying organic. Unfortunately, organic food and products are still much more expensive than the mass made products full of growth hormones etc. I still am buying only about 30-50% organic. I tend to buy it more when it's on sale (like organic toilet paper), but as time goes, I get better at budgeting and buying the essential, so I can afford more organic !

[queenofthehivemomof5]

I gotta tell you, I still struggle with buying organic stuff. The price where I live is so much more.

A gallon of organic milk is almost $6.00 here! compare that to three gallons of milk for $5 on sale I just can't seem to wrap my brain around the cost!

If something is a little bit more expensive I am willing to go organic but not when the cost is triple or more than conventional.

The selection of organic produce is pretty slim still and I just don't see that changing much. I garden a bit and will garden some this year too but the winter months are pretty slim on fresh organic produce.

This week I did buy organic yogurt and sour cream and was out of hamburger and the regular retail price for regular hamburger was only $0.50 more than that of the natural hamburger (no certified organic beef here at all)

There are no farmers markets up here this time of year and the itty bitty one we do have in our town only runs 2 months of the year in the summer.

I am still trying to do what I can but it is still really hard.

[wyo-helpmeet]

Heidi, I understand your pain. Org milk runs 5.99+ when it's not on sale. Occasionally I can score a gal for 4.69. Otherwise the store brand org is typically 2/$5 & I get those. There are certain things that I don't compromise on. Unfortunately milk is one of them. I've finally found a beef opportunity, and go to pick some up tomorrow. My half comes in May-ish.

[DakotaSommers]

I definitely feel your pain with the milk. I've found I drink much less of it now that I've (mostly) switched to organic milk.

[wyo-helpmeet]

I can't wait to start getting my raw again.

[purplemoon2008]

It's certainly tough, but definitely more do-able than it used to be, that's for sure! A lot of the conventional and big box stores are getting into organics (at a much cheaper price) and if you have no objection to those types of stores, you can (sometimes) score big ~ especially if you use coupons. I also agree, to start small. Try and buy the produce that's on the dirty dozen list first (if your family tends to gravitate towards produce!). I know a big thing for us is organic dairy (we don't do lots of dairy, though) as well as grass fed meat and produce:~)

[sunshinemegs]

My doctor (who is an EXCELLENT doctor and the ONLY one who would take me seriously about my thyroid problems) recommended raw milk, so if you're feeling odd about it, maybe that will help you feel better :).

Great ideas in this thread! Thank you very much! One thing I know for sure is that we want to get raw milk and grassfed eggs somewhere around here in WI. Will have to check craigslist with it being winter and all. We also are on a TIGHT budget, but will definitely check that dirty dozen list. We almost always cook with coconut oil now and so far have cut out high fructose corn syrup from our diets. I can get Xylitol for $12.75 for a 3 lb bag sometimes and I know there's a website for cheap xylitol somewhere so I'll post it once I find it. Sometimes you can check amazon.com for certain things also. We have a store called The Free Market here and also a Woodman's. I live across the street from a post office so maybe if I have access to certain things that others can't find, maybe I can help people out by sending some?? Just an idea. Not for profit or anything, just if there is something that somebody cannot find.

[greenshopping]

Originally Posted by sunshinemegs

We almost always cook with coconut oil now and so far have cut out high fructose corn syrup from our diets.

I just bought a container of coconut oil yesterday. It smells SO yummy! I am wondering if you notice that it flavors your foods of coconut or if it's not that bad? Some foods wouldn't be so bad to have a little flavor in them, but it seems it would clash with others. What's your experience?

[Andi]

Regarding the milk, I buy a brand at Whole Foods called Farmer's Creamery. Be warned, it's not cheap - but at the same time, i've seen worse. It's not homogonized (sp?), and I think the taste is much better than regular milk and the other organics I've tried. We've gone from 2% milk to skim with that brand without any loss of taste (other skim milks I've tried have seemed watery to me). It's pastured and organically fed cows. I'd never heard of the pasteurization issue til this thread, but this is what it says on the Farmer's creamery website:

Pasteurization is a mandated production method for milks in the United States where heat is applied to raw milk to decrease the possibility of food-borne illness and to increase shelf life. Farmers' All Natural Creamery uses a process called VAT pasteurization, where a fixed volume of milk in a vat is slowly agitated at 145° Fahrenheit; this process has a uniquely negligible effect on the pure flavor of the milk. Our end product is as close as pasteurized milk can get to farm fresh flavor. Our Creamery also chooses the VAT process because we believe its lower temperature allows milk to retain more of its nutritional value than other methods of pasteurization (industrial-scale milk operations heat their milk to 171° or higher, Fahrenheit, HTST method, and from 265-300°, Fahrenheit, UHT method). The difference is very easy to understand; overcooked food loses flavor and nutrients. A well-known example of the impact cooking has on food is its effect on vegetables. Raw or gently cooked vegetables have more flavor and nutrients than overcooked vegetables. We believe the same is true for milk. Most milk available today is pasteurized at temperatures significantly higher than 145° Fahrenheit. By doing this, dairies sacrifice the fresh flavor and nutritional value of milk for a longer-than-natural shelf life.

[kristen.c]

Originally Posted by greenshopping

I just bought a container of coconut oil yesterday. It smells SO yummy! I am wondering if you notice that it flavors your foods of coconut or if it's not that bad? Some foods wouldn't be so bad to have a little flavor in them, but it seems it would clash with others. What's your experience?

From my experience it depends on what you buy. I buy Spectrum Coconut Oil and that adds no real coconut flavor to foods, however the Spectrum Virgin Coconut Oil does.

[MamaBird06]

Originally Posted by queenofthehivemomof5

I gotta tell you, I still struggle with buying organic stuff. The price where I live is so much more.

A gallon of organic milk is almost $6.00 here! compare that to three gallons of milk for $5 on sale I just can't seem to wrap my brain around the cost!

If something is a little bit more expensive I am willing to go organic but not when the cost is triple or more than conventional.

The selection of organic produce is pretty slim still and I just don't see that changing much. I garden a bit and will garden some this year too but the winter months are pretty slim on fresh organic produce.

This week I did buy organic yogurt and sour cream and was out of hamburger and the regular retail price for regular hamburger was only $0.50 more than that of the natural hamburger (no certified organic beef here at all)

There are no farmers markets up here this time of year and the itty bitty one we do have in our town only runs 2 months of the year in the summer.

I am still trying to do what I can but it is still really hard.

organic cows milk is expensive here too, that's why we often are drinking organic soymilk with coupons, it is usually cheaper per gallon than organic cow's milk. I was able to get 3 silk organic milks on clearance at target last week, so 1 1/2 gallons for 1.38 each a/c so 2.76 a gallon, which is way way cheaper than a gallon of organic cows milk running at 6-7 a gallon or 3.49-3.99 for a half gallon. While ds like both cows/soymilk, i just buy what i can get that is cheaper organically and that is more often soymilk.

[smiller]

The more I get into organic couponing the more I realize how affordable certain items really can be!

Today I got a half-gallon organic soy milk for $1.19 and a box of organic frozen waffles for $1.75. Those prices are way cheaper than similar conventional items at my local chain grocery store. (Plus, got a whole bunch of free organic yogurt last week, too!)

I've noticed certain produce will be the same price both conventional and organic. Jewel had conventional mangos for $0.99. Whole Foods had organic mangos for $1.00 the same week.

I paid $3.99 for Seventh Generation dishwasher soap - not necessarily a bargain but I would have paid just as much for regular Cascade if I needed it in a pinch (which I did today!).

I sign up at all the manufacturer's websites and print coupons. I need to get started with emailing/mailing to request coupons as well. I stack Whole Foods store coupons with MFQs for great savings.

I find unconventional ways of buying the green products I want - I used my Staples rewards to buy lots of Method products at the store today. I'll use my other Staples rewards for green toilet paper, paper towels, and dish soap through an order online.

I had a small package of conventional raspberries in my cart today at WF - I kept thinking about how much $4.29 was - then I came across organic frozen raspberries for $3.99. Sure, fresh would have been a treat, but I'd probably just mix them into yogurt so frozen will do just fine. Plus, they are cheaper and organic!

I'm slowly learning how to go green and organic. Since I'm a couponer at heart, I love finding the best deal possible. Keep it up and good luck!

[kristen.c]

YES! That's the spirit!

Right before the big snowstorm I had to chuckle because DH and I stopped at a store we don't normally go to on a regular basis because our regular places were out of a lot of stuff, and anyway, they had only a few gnarly looking onions left in the bin. I happened to notice that in the next row over they had lovely organic onions for 10 cents cheaper a pound than the non-organic! Granted, they were still more expensive than the onions I normally buy at our natural grocer, but still I felt like so many people had ignored the awesome-looking organic onions and resigned themselves to going with what they know, even when it was half-rotten!

The same thing goes for things like Kale and dark greens-- I can get them organic for a few dollars for a huge bunch at my locally owned natural grocer, but go to the nationally owned grocery store up the road and I'll pay nearly twice as much for non-organic and a smaller bunch!

Originally Posted by smiller

The more I get into organic couponing the more I realize how affordable certain items really can be!

Today I got a half-gallon organic soy milk for $1.19 and a box of organic frozen waffles for $1.75. Those prices are way cheaper than similar conventional items at my local chain grocery store. (Plus, got a whole bunch of free organic yogurt last week, too!)

I've noticed certain produce will be the same price both conventional and organic. Jewel had conventional mangos for $0.99. Whole Foods had organic mangos for $1.00 the same week.

I paid $3.99 for Seventh Generation dishwasher soap - not necessarily a bargain but I would have paid just as much for regular Cascade if I needed it in a pinch (which I did today!).

I sign up at all the manufacturer's websites and print coupons. I need to get started with emailing/mailing to request coupons as well. I stack Whole Foods store coupons with MFQs for great savings.

I find unconventional ways of buying the green products I want - I used my Staples rewards to buy lots of Method products at the store today. I'll use my other Staples rewards for green toilet paper, paper towels, and dish soap through an order online.

I had a small package of conventional raspberries in my cart today at WF - I kept thinking about how much $4.29 was - then I came across organic frozen raspberries for $3.99. Sure, fresh would have been a treat, but I'd probably just mix them into yogurt so frozen will do just fine. Plus, they are cheaper and organic!

I'm slowly learning how to go green and organic. Since I'm a couponer at heart, I love finding the best deal possible. Keep it up and good luck!

[jtjohns]

Originally Posted by smiller

I find unconventional ways of buying the green products I want - I used my Staples rewards to buy lots of Method products at the store today. I'll use my other Staples rewards for green toilet paper, paper towels, and dish soap through an order online.

That's a great idea! I've got ink cartridges to recycle at Staples; that'll be a great way to spend the rewards. Thanks

~JJ

[sunshinemegs]

Originally Posted by greenshopping

I just bought a container of coconut oil yesterday. It smells SO yummy! I am wondering if you notice that it flavors your foods of coconut or if it's not that bad? Some foods wouldn't be so bad to have a little flavor in them, but it seems it would clash with others. What's your experience?

You know what is funny? It doesn't taste like coconut. Just like olive oil doesn't taste like olives. I substitute it for just about every recipe that says to use olive or vegetable oil and it has always worked just fine, even though it is more of a solid at room temperature. It's actually a lot cleaner than most of the stuff that I have used in the past. I have to check on how that works with baking; probably do the same thing as you would with butter and heat it up first if you need it to be more of a liquid. Or for baking you can use raw butter, grapeseed oil, and there are other ones, too. I have to look it up. I was able to attend a seminar on some of this stuff so I'll go fetch my notes when I get a moment :).

[sunshinemegs]

Originally Posted by kristen.c

From my experience it depends on what you buy. I buy Spectrum Coconut Oil and that adds no real coconut flavor to foods, however the Spectrum Virgin Coconut Oil does.

OOoooh that would make sense! I'm assuming the virgin stuff is probably a little better for you; right now I have been too cheap to try it yet.

[sunshinemegs]

Oh, and olive oil is good for you if it isn't being heated up. Learned that at the seminar, too.

[knittingintheround]

Yeah, the coconut oil tastes pretty mild--at least the Nutiva Extra Virgin that I use. Some of the more processed ones have a weird aftertaste, IMO. It's really compatable with sweet things--I use it in pie crust, baked oatmeal, and to make coconut/nut butter 'candy'. Some people use it in more savory dishes like fried eggs, but I just can't bring myself to try it. Butter works just fine for me for eggs. CO is also good as a moisturizer.

[savinggrace]

Originally Posted by greenshopping

I just bought a container of coconut oil yesterday. It smells SO yummy! I am wondering if you notice that it flavors your foods of coconut or if it's not that bad? Some foods wouldn't be so bad to have a little flavor in them, but it seems it would clash with others. What's your experience?

I have been cooking with it for a few years (but use olive oil a lot too). And yes, it most definitely adds a slight taste to your food. My dh does not like it. Personally, it annoyed me initially but, I eventually got used it.