Organic Coupons
It’s true, you won’t usually find organic or 100% natural products in your Sunday newspaper's coupon section (although their popularity is growing), but thankfuly the internet is full of great deals!
Organic Coupon Collection Sites:
BestOrganicFoodCoupons.com
WholeFoodsMarket.com
Healthy-holistic-living.com/organic-food-coupons.html
You can also search the website for your favorite brands and on their homepage look for a “coupon”, “promotions” or “offers” section. Some of these sites additionally provide coupons on their online newsletters if you sign up.
Some of my favorite products’ sites that post coupons:
SeventhGeneration.com - Seventh Generation has great natural household cleaning products, baby diapers and wipes, personal care items and more
EarthsBest.com - Organic Baby Food and food for kids of all ages and baby care products
Kashi.com - All-Natural multi-grain products (featuring cereals, crackers, entrees, cookies, etc.) without high-fructose corn syrup and other artificial ingredients
CascadianFarm.com - You'll need to sign up for their newsletter for coupons. Cascadian Farms has everything from Organic cereal, granola bars (the only ones I’ve found at my regular grocery store without high fructose corn syrup!), jams, frozen fruit and veggies and more
SimplyOrganicFoods.com - Organic dressings, sauces and seasonings and Gluten Free Baking Mixes
Stonyfield.com - Stonyfield has organic yogurts, milk, and other dairy products. In addition to posting coupons, their products carry product codes that can be redeemed online for free product or other special offers.
OrganicValley.coop - High quality organic yogurt, milk, cheese, butter, meat, produce, etc.
The "Dirty Dozen” of Produce
The “Dirty Dozen” of produce as they are nicknamed contain 47 to 67 pesticides per serving. These foods are believed to be most susceptible because they have soft skin that tends to absorb more pesticides. (This report came from the Environmental Working Group that reviewed nearly 100,000 produce pesticide reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.) When you're budget is tight, knowing which produce is the most important to buy organic and strategically purchasing just these can still save your family from a lot of pesticide contamination. "You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by up to 80 percent by buying the organic version of the Dirty Dozen," states Amy Rosenthal of the Environmental Working Group.
Celery
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Blueberries
Nectarines
Sweet Bell Peppers
Spinach, Kale and Collard Greens
Cherries
Potatoes
Imported Grapes
Lettuce
Buy in Bulk
When the items I regularly use go on sale I LOAD UP! If you don't already have them, an investment in storage shelves and a half-size to full-size freezer are great tools to help. (Go frugal by getting these at garage sales or through the classifieds.)
Many health food stores have discount, bulk purchasing through them. They may have a membership/owner program where you pay an annual fee for year round savings. (Of course, you’ll need to do the math as to how much it would save you specifically.) For instance, the local one that I’m part of has special sales just for members and if you buy the items in cases, you get additional savings. To help me out during those times when I need a really quick cooking help, I recently bought a 12 pack case of all-natural macaroni and cheese made with organic pasta for just $0.90 per 6 oz. box! Even if your local health food store doesn’t offer membership programs, don’t be afraid to ask the manager if they would be willing to order items for you in bulk at a discount. Health food stores usually have a smaller customer base than the larger area grocery stores, so they are often happy to accommodate you while increasing their sales.
Even if you’re already saving money by making your own home cleaning and bath and beauty products, you'll probably be surprised at finding how much more you could save by buying the ingredients in bulk. For instance, for my products I buy my baking soda, cornstarch, Epsom salts, oatmeal and more for a mere fraction of the price that I would at the regular grocery store. For me, I can drive to nearby bulk food store where they sell packaged ingredients in various sizes. Wholesale stores and clubs can also be a good option. The internet is also a great place to buy in bulk that you can take advantage of regardless of the stores near you!
Organic Farm & Food Co-ops
Organic Farm and Food Co-ops are when people join together to form a buying club where you can purchase organic meat and produce (in bulk or by the pound). Some offer purchasing “shares” for the coop or animal that allow you to legally buy non-pastured dairy products. Depending upon your area, you might even find one that delivers seasonal produce right to your door! To find one near you, search the internet or ask at your local health food store for leads.
Plant a Garden
Another way to save money is to raise an organic garden. If it sounds like a laborious task, you might be amazed at new, easier methods and their growing popularity. You can start small with a few upside down hanging tomato plants that can provide a bountiful harvest without affecting your yard's landscaping. Square foot gardening with raised garden beds have a very high yield, naturally control pests and weeds and you don't have to worry about your soil's nutrient or chemical toxity level. (For a how to, read "All New Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew.)
