Does Organic = Expensive?

Sometimes, but not always.

I was definitely a bit concerned, when we decided to buy organic whenever we could, that it would mean spending a lot more money, but so far, I haven't seen a big difference at the checkout. This is what I've been doing to keep the costs down, and really, this could should be done whether your buying organic or not.

1. Generic Names

I think that most of the time names mean nothing when it comes to food quality, though I know sometimes generics just don't taste the same. For example, I've tried all the brands I could to find a condensed tomato soup that tastes as good as Campbell's. No dice. But, I think a lot of the time buying brand names is a pride issue. It's time to get over that. Many stores are now coming out with their own brand of organics. We have a local Giant Eagle that is stocked with the Giant Eagle (Nature's Basket) organic foods. Here are other stores with their own organic brands:

Safeway (O Organics)

ShopRite (ShopRite Organics)

Kroger/King Sooper (Private Selections)

Albertson's/Jewel (Wild Harvest)

Whole Foods (365 Organic Everyday Value)

Harris Teeter (Harris Teeter Naturals)

Meijer (Meijer Organics)

Publix (GreenWise)

Super Target (Archer Farms)

Food Giant (Nature's Promise)

Food Lion (Nature's Place)

Part of this list was found at http://www.foodjustsayin.com/2011/02/21/affording-organics-part-2-store-brands/

2. Discount Grocery Stores

One of my favorite stores to just wander through is Ollies. You really never know what they'll have and more than once I've seen random organic drinks and things piled at the ends of the aisles. The only problem is these types of stores are never consistent. You know how you hate it when a store gets you hooked on something and then stops carrying it? Well, that happens. A lot. So, if you find something you really like, I'd stock up. 

Another favorite store of mine is Sharp Shopper. Again, you never know what you're going to find, but again some really good deals. I'm talking Cascadian Farms Chewy Chocolate Granola Bars for $.99 a box. You just have to keep an eye on the dates on packaging, but for lots of canned/packaged foods those dates are for optimum taste, they don't necessarily mean if you eat them past the date, you'll get sick. Just use common sense.

3. Stock Up.

If you find a great deal on something that you know you'll use, buy lots. I just bought about 10 jars of organic spaghetti sauce for about $1 a jar, and I should have bought more. We'll use it for pasta and pizza, and it will keep for quite a while. When I found those $.99 boxes of granola bars, I bought 6 boxes. I usually take one to work for a snack in mid-afternoon, and we'll grab a couple to take if we're hiking.

4. Circulars

I know that Giant Eagle has a section in their flyer for organic/natural items on sale. Believe me, it's very small section, and it's easy to miss, but it's only a portion of what they actually have on sale. So, if I see a good price on something I know I need, I make the trip to the store and usually end up finding many of the other things on my list on sale.

5. Perks

I've mentioned a lot of Giant Eagle things today, but that's because that's the closest grocery store we have besides Walmart which I've found to be disappointing when it comes to organic foods. Another thing Giant Eagle has going for it is it's fuel/food perks. It doesn't take long to rack up $50 worth of groceries anywhere you go, and with gas prices going up and down, I like that extra $.10 off. Plus, it builds and you could end up with free gas! Just watch out, because the points expire.

Check to see if any of your grocery stores have perks. It's easy to sign up, and you just have to remember you store card - some even give you cards to put on your key chain and sometimes one for you and another person in your family.

6. Coupons
This is something I'm terrible at. I don't get a paper and I just don't know where to find all these coupons that everyone else seems to have. While on the blog that I mentioned above for store brand generics, I found a post on coupons including links to find them. Check out: Affordable Organics Part 1: Using Coupons. And judging from the two post I've read so far, you might want to check out the other posts in that series.

---

There are a few things, however that I've either not been able to find at all or haven't found at a price I'm comfortable paying. Juices, soups and dairy products seem to be the biggest problem. Our local Walmart carries a total of 2 organic juices in tiny little bottles for ridiculous prices. I was able to find some at Giant Eagle for a better price, but still not a very good selection. Larger stores might have better options. I had pretty much the same problem with soups.

When it comes to dairy products, I've found nearly nothing. Last week Matt discovered that our IGA carries an organic milk. Because they seem to be more expensive, I don't shop at IGA very often unless they're having a good sale, or I need something immediately (they're just down the hill, in town, and our big grocery stores are at least half an hour in any direction). The milk was not an exception. I think Matt said it was about $5 for a carton - not even a gallon! Even with just the two of us, we go through a lot of milk. I usually buy two gallons at a time. So, this is where the organic prices could really get us, and I haven't made the commitment yet to the organic milk. But, we ran out of milk a couple days ago, and I had made cookies, so Matt bought a carton. I was surprised at how different it tasted! It was delicious! It was like it had more flavor, and it was creamier even though it was still 2%. I'm thinking if we can find all these other places to save, I may just splurge on the milk, but we'll keep an eye out for better prices.

The moral of the story is you don't have to double your budget to buy organic foods.

I was not compensated in anyway by any of the stores mentioned above. These are just my opinions and observations as I'm trying to find the most inexpensive ways to eat organic.