5 Ways to Stretch Your Grocery Dollar
With the price of energy and (thus) food skyrocketing we are all looking for ways to get more bang for our buck. Here are 5 ideas to get you started!
1. Shop at your local Farmer’s Market
Feel like you can’t afford organic fruits and vegetables? Look no further than your local farmer’s market! Small farmer’s often can’t afford to become “certified organic” even though they truly are using organic (and sometimes better) practices on their farm. Look for “No Spray” signs and talk with the vendors about their farming practices. The one thing I’ve come to know from the farmer’s at my farmers market is that they truly care what they are feeding people. They make choices that are best for their land (some choose not to go organic because farming organically does not work best for their land) and truly feel responsible for what goes on your plate.
2. Organic or conventionally grown produce? It pays to be informed!
When buying produce organic doesn’t always matter as much as one might think. There are a few things to consider when making the choice between organic or conventionally grown fruits and veggies.
Where is the produce coming from? Are the organic strawberries grown in Mexico versus conventionally grown strawberries from CA? Personally speaking, I always try to support American farmer’s and the closer to my area the better.
Is it an item that generally retains a large amount of pesticide residue? I recommend carrying a list of fruits and vegetables that are rated on their level of pesticide residue that is generally left on the item if grown conventionally. You can download your own list of Pesticides in Produce that lists which foods are more important to buy organic.
The “Freshness factor”. Let’s say the organic strawberries are rotten and I know that conventionally grown strawberries are high on the list of pesticide residue. I then take such things into account as who will be eating them, me or the kids? How many non-organic strawberries have we had recently? Is there a better option?
I don’t spend extra money on organic onions or broccoli unless they are on sale or look way better than the alternative. Peaches on the other hand I almost won’t buy unless they are organic. It pays to be informed!
3. Buy in bulk
Not every grocery store has a bulk section but if yours does it pays to check it out. I won’t even buy a standard jar of spices any more. I buy all of my spices in bulk and pay literally, cents for a small baggie of spices. I could easily pay $5 for a little jar of cinnamon but in bulk I always pay less than a dollar. Don’t let the price per pound scare you off. Often the bulk jar will say $10 or more per pound but who buys a pound of oregano? Not me! The other bonus is that you can buy spices in lesser quantities more often, thus keeping a fresh supply going.
Many grains, flours, nuts, and pasta can be found in the bulk section and not only are you saving money by not having to pay for individual packaging, you are saving the landfills from disposing of said packaging. It’s a good thing!
4. Online Co-ops can save you big!
Co-ops have been around a long time and are a way for families that don’t live near a Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods to get organic and healthy food at a reasonably, if not discounted, price. Here on the west coast Azure Standards is a bulk foods distributor based out of Oregon that is also a farm. They buy rice from a small farm in California and grains from a farm in Montana. They also grow a lot of the food themselves, including produce, which keep prices very low. Co-op’s all have different requirements. For instance, Azure Standards requires at least a $400 order to enable a person to be a “drop point” along their route. Most people aren’t ordering $400 worth of groceries by themselves every month so they order separately but only one person is the “drop point.” You don’t have to buy in bulk but it saves a bundle. I recently saved around 50% on rice, oatmeal and a few other grains I ordered in bulk. If you don’t have anyone who wants to share a 25 lb bag of flour with you there is the option to buy in lesser quantities. You are still getting a really good price and if you don’t have a store that readily carries specialty items, this is a good way to get it at a reasonable price. To find a co-op in your area go to Local Harvest , put in your zip code and you’ll be on your way!
5. Look into Consumer Supported Agriculture (CSA’s)
CSA’s are a wonderful way to support local farming. Generally a farm sells “shares” of it’s bounty. One can buy a certain amount of shares and when harvest time comes around (once a week, once a month- it depends on the farm) the shares are distributed accordingly. During June a common share may include strawberries, asparagus, peas, rhubarb and bok choy. Of course it depends on what area you are in and what your farmer is growing but it’s a great way to get fresh produce at a good price while supporting your neighbors.
We want to hear how your family is reducing it’s grocery bill! Please share your idea’s with us in the “comment” area below!
Your partner in health,
Alison
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Comments
This is the best article I’ve read so far! Excellent advice Guru Allison! Saving money during these times of economic trouble is so important for our family.
thanks
said Penny, 149 days ago