Saving Green & Going Green
ORGANIC IS SPENDY
Buying organic everything is ideal for a lot of reasons, health and political. But if you cannot afford to buy all of your groceries organic then at least try to buy thin skinned fruits and veggies organic to help minimize your chemical exposure. If you end up not being able to get your hands on organic at least try to peel thin skinned produce, discard the peel and wash it.
Fruits and Veggies to buy organic: apples, grapes, plums, berries, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, carrots and potatoes. Thicker peeled items like bananas, mangoes, squash and zucchini, avocado, oranges, lemons and limes are less susceptible to absorbing harmful agents.
If you are really struggling and can't afford fresh produce very often, buy canned or frozen organic produce. It's usually cheaper and some stores are regularly cheaper than others. Also, join a savings club, the organic items at the warehouse clubs is very fair priced and you can split the cost with other families who want organic or you can freeze it into smaller packages for later use in smoothies and snacks.
JOIN A CSA
Join a Community Supported Agricultural program. It’s a great way to save money and regularly chat with your local farms and be kept up to date on what’s fresh and in season. You pay a fee each season, and they provide you with a package of the in-season items, freshly picked. They then send it to a location such as a farmers stand and you go pick it up each week or two. You get a lot more than you would at the store and you are saving money as well as supporting the community!
*Make your own instead of buying bagged or pre- prepared! Bagged and convenience items can get costly, be sure to check through my blog for homemade and DIY items that are usually very expensive. I can help you make homemade flours, cleaning products, beauty and bath items and so much more!
*Buy your carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers all separate. No need to buy bagged and you can save a lot and make a TON of salad. This can be an easy way to prep for the next few lunches and dinners. Make a huge salad, keep it in the fridge to go with the next few nights of dinner (as a side), and to toss in some Tupperware for lunches!
*Freeze your fruits and veggies. This is trial and error, some things don’t freeze as well as others but it’s certainly worth a shot. I freeze a lot of my fresh items so I have out of season berries when I still want smoothies or greens. This is also great if you see things going bad quickly but don’t want to cook them or eat them just yet. My favorite is frozen grapes, they keep forever and have a satisfying crunch that’s cooling.
*Only bring a certain amount of cash to the market with you that way you don’t impulse buy, we are all guilty of it.
*Save your Plastic or paper bags and once done unpacking the groceries, toss them in your car or handbag. This saves bags and reduces waste. Some stores even give you money off for brining bags back! WIN!
*Waste not! There is a use for almost every rind, peel and pulp. Be sure to Google uses for leftover scraps when making something. You can make candy from orange peels, and pickles form watermelon rinds, you can eat carrot tops and beet tops, see? Be sure to check before tossing!
*Start a compost pile with what you don’t end up using, this actually is terribly easy to start and it may actually motivate you to start a garden! Gardens can save you money too! Grow your own fresh herbs (costly at the store)! Veggies and berries too!
*check with your local farms for You Pick. It’s literally where you pick your food. Travel out to the fields with a basket in hand and pick fresh produce! How cool right? It’s quite the money saver since you’re doing the labor, kids LOVE doing this too! Fun and money saving! Go to http://www.pickyourown.org/statelist.htm to find your state and area for picking your own food.
*eat in. Eating out is the worst culprit I find, for people on a budget. It’s far too expensive and you really can’t be sure what’s really in your food. Eating in is bonding for the family and for couples as well as cost effective. You also can find yourself getting creative in the kitchen and learning new recipes all the time!
*check markets that aren’t known for carrying Organic but do, like grocery chains. I have gone in on several occasions only to find an Organic section that’s in disarray (fruit flies all over the bruised over ripe fruits). I pick out what looks like it’s decent, something I could use for baking or to eat that day. I ask at the checkout for a discount because it’s so ripe almost bad. They do it every time. I get produce for a third of the price, organic produce!
*Have a meat free night or two. Use tofu instead. Tofu is very nutritious in it’s non-gmo organic form and it can me seasoned and cooked to taste amazing. Add it to almost anything! It’s VERY inexpensive.
*At the grocery store, buy what’s in season. Buying out of season produce will surely run up your bill quickly. Try out Epicurious’s interactive map for what’s fresh in your area http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/seasonalingredientmap
*Buying dried beans, legumes and grains are great money savers too. Canned items contain a lot of salt usually and bagged steamer items can be costly. Do the extra work and save the extra buck.
*Always check your list and compare it to your fridge and pantry. You may think you need groceries you already have! Agh!
*DO NOT GO GROCERY SHOPPING WHILE HUNGRY! (worst hole in your wallet ever).
*As daunting as the larger wholesale clubs can be, they really do have some amazing deals. Especially if you have a large family or eat a lot of fresh items and go through food quickly. Costco now carries quite a few Organic items and I am hearing more and more raves about them. Here is just an idea of what they carry that is Organic http://www.costco.com/CatalogSearch?catalogId=10701&langId=-1&keyword=organic&storeId=10301&refine=30009
*Be sure to sit down and write up a clear budget for your food as well. This, along with your list and only the cash you need for the items will help immensely.
ORGANIC IS SPENDY
Buying organic everything is ideal for a lot of reasons, health and political. But if you cannot afford to buy all of your groceries organic then at least try to buy thin skinned fruits and veggies organic to help minimize your chemical exposure. If you end up not being able to get your hands on organic at least try to peel thin skinned produce, discard the peel and wash it.
Fruits and Veggies to buy organic: apples, grapes, plums, berries, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, carrots and potatoes. Thicker peeled items like bananas, mangoes, squash and zucchini, avocado, oranges, lemons and limes are less susceptible to absorbing harmful agents.
If you are really struggling and can't afford fresh produce very often, buy canned or frozen organic produce. It's usually cheaper and some stores are regularly cheaper than others. Also, join a savings club, the organic items at the warehouse clubs is very fair priced and you can split the cost with other families who want organic or you can freeze it into smaller packages for later use in smoothies and snacks.
JOIN A CSA
Join a Community Supported Agricultural program. It’s a great way to save money and regularly chat with your local farms and be kept up to date on what’s fresh and in season. You pay a fee each season, and they provide you with a package of the in-season items, freshly picked. They then send it to a location such as a farmers stand and you go pick it up each week or two. You get a lot more than you would at the store and you are saving money as well as supporting the community!
*Make your own instead of buying bagged or pre- prepared! Bagged and convenience items can get costly, be sure to check through my blog for homemade and DIY items that are usually very expensive. I can help you make homemade flours, cleaning products, beauty and bath items and so much more!
*Buy your carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers all separate. No need to buy bagged and you can save a lot and make a TON of salad. This can be an easy way to prep for the next few lunches and dinners. Make a huge salad, keep it in the fridge to go with the next few nights of dinner (as a side), and to toss in some Tupperware for lunches!
*Freeze your fruits and veggies. This is trial and error, some things don’t freeze as well as others but it’s certainly worth a shot. I freeze a lot of my fresh items so I have out of season berries when I still want smoothies or greens. This is also great if you see things going bad quickly but don’t want to cook them or eat them just yet. My favorite is frozen grapes, they keep forever and have a satisfying crunch that’s cooling.
*Only bring a certain amount of cash to the market with you that way you don’t impulse buy, we are all guilty of it.
*Save your Plastic or paper bags and once done unpacking the groceries, toss them in your car or handbag. This saves bags and reduces waste. Some stores even give you money off for brining bags back! WIN!
*Waste not! There is a use for almost every rind, peel and pulp. Be sure to Google uses for leftover scraps when making something. You can make candy from orange peels, and pickles form watermelon rinds, you can eat carrot tops and beet tops, see? Be sure to check before tossing!
*Start a compost pile with what you don’t end up using, this actually is terribly easy to start and it may actually motivate you to start a garden! Gardens can save you money too! Grow your own fresh herbs (costly at the store)! Veggies and berries too!
*check with your local farms for You Pick. It’s literally where you pick your food. Travel out to the fields with a basket in hand and pick fresh produce! How cool right? It’s quite the money saver since you’re doing the labor, kids LOVE doing this too! Fun and money saving! Go to http://www.pickyourown.org/statelist.htm to find your state and area for picking your own food.
*eat in. Eating out is the worst culprit I find, for people on a budget. It’s far too expensive and you really can’t be sure what’s really in your food. Eating in is bonding for the family and for couples as well as cost effective. You also can find yourself getting creative in the kitchen and learning new recipes all the time!
*check markets that aren’t known for carrying Organic but do, like grocery chains. I have gone in on several occasions only to find an Organic section that’s in disarray (fruit flies all over the bruised over ripe fruits). I pick out what looks like it’s decent, something I could use for baking or to eat that day. I ask at the checkout for a discount because it’s so ripe almost bad. They do it every time. I get produce for a third of the price, organic produce!
*Have a meat free night or two. Use tofu instead. Tofu is very nutritious in it’s non-gmo organic form and it can me seasoned and cooked to taste amazing. Add it to almost anything! It’s VERY inexpensive.
*At the grocery store, buy what’s in season. Buying out of season produce will surely run up your bill quickly. Try out Epicurious’s interactive map for what’s fresh in your area http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/seasonalingredientmap
*Buying dried beans, legumes and grains are great money savers too. Canned items contain a lot of salt usually and bagged steamer items can be costly. Do the extra work and save the extra buck.
*Always check your list and compare it to your fridge and pantry. You may think you need groceries you already have! Agh!
*DO NOT GO GROCERY SHOPPING WHILE HUNGRY! (worst hole in your wallet ever).
*As daunting as the larger wholesale clubs can be, they really do have some amazing deals. Especially if you have a large family or eat a lot of fresh items and go through food quickly. Costco now carries quite a few Organic items and I am hearing more and more raves about them. Here is just an idea of what they carry that is Organic http://www.costco.com/CatalogSearch?catalogId=10701&langId=-1&keyword=organic&storeId=10301&refine=30009
*Be sure to sit down and write up a clear budget for your food as well. This, along with your list and only the cash you need for the items will help immensely.