Thursday, 25 July 2013

6 Ways To Buy Organic On A Budget

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1. Put your green bargaining cap on and talk with farmers at the markets to negotiate a lower price for your produce. We know they work hard for their money but it can’t hurt to ask. Bartering for fare isn’t as strange as it sounds. Maybe they’ll unload the less popular fruits and vegetables for less too.
2. Everyone’s looking for the perfect specimen. You might want to choose produce that’s been passed over, because of minimal bruising and spotting, and ask for a lower price. Let’s face it, basil is going to wilt anyways once you chop it up or cook it so buying some that’s already on its way isn’t going to affect its flavor. It just means that you’ll want to use it sooner than later — which isn’t a bad thing.
3. More and more of the bigger food warehouse stores (like Sam’s Club, for example) are carrying organic items. If you can buy in bulk (dried beans, rice, canned tomatoes, organic coffee, etc.) this will save you a few dollars too. If you want to buy vegetables in greater quantities because of price, some will freeze nicely if slightly blanched beforehand. Asparagus, green beans, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, turnips and squashes can all be frozen.
4. Before you go to the Farmer’s Market and get pulled into the romance of it all (“I must have those gorgeous garlic scapes – now what do I do with them?”), plan ahead and go with a set list in mind. If an item is too expensive because it’s just come in season, wait a week and the price may go down.
5. The proliferation of websites that sell organic food and related items is ever-growing and with the incentive of free shipping on some sites, this may be a great alternative for you. Amazon.com is even dabbling in selling organic grocery store items, so you’ll have a variety of sources from which to choose.
6. Just as you search for coupons in your local supermarket flyers (or watch them haphazardly fall out of your weekend newspaper), many of the organic brand websites offer a way to print out coupons too. If you don’t have access to a printer, some of the websites will simply send you the coupons if you supply your snail mail address.

What To Do When You Can't Find Organics Or Pesticide-Free Fruits and Vegetables? If you don't have the advantage of buying organic and your local supermarket only carries fruits and vegetables that have been sprayed with pesticides, reduce your risk by finding out which ones are the worst. 
Check:  47 Fruits and Veggies and Their Pesticide Loads


1 comment:

  1. Well... Seriously:
    . bargain for prices – they get upset :(
    ."because of minimal bruising and spotting," – not on organic market... Price stiil the same :(
    "plan ahead and go with a set list in mind. If an item is too expensive because it’s just come in season, wait a week and the price may go down" – unfortunately you really can't plan ahead on organic produce – on the market it just could be present or not... for example – right now is the season for currants, , but last week it was absent from the market... New potatoes never became cheaper from the first weeks of july till today... So is everything else...
    warehouse stores – yes,for the "dry" food... Fresh produce in the warehouse stores not fresh anymore...
    websites –yes, they sell some items... But again, the problem and the biggest spending not with the grains or beans - but with the fresh produce: fruits, veggies, berries, eggs, meats...
    coupons for organics? really? I never ever see anything like this :))) Maybe in "whole foods" – but the prices there even with the coupons would be higher than on the market... Unfortunately the switch to "organics" can destroy you financially... And – it's not really harder to grow... At least not all the items...

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