How To Buy Organic Food on a Budget

I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for ways to save money when it comes to organic food.  And well… if you are here that makes two of us.

One of the major concerns about living an organic lifestyle is the cost.  That’s basically the only issue because eating organic definitely has many benefits.
Remember, non-organic food is often laden with harmful and dangerous pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, immunity destroying anti-biotics, cancer-causing hormones and the list goes on… Pesticides by nature are designed to kill, they are poison. So when given the choice, I don’t know why anyone could logically buy food with poison sprayed on it?

Pesticides can cause neurological problems, cancer, diarrhea, allergies and asthma, infertility, nausea, vomiting, rashes and other skin problems, ADHD, birth defects and more. That’s why it is very important to buy quality organic food and eating nutritious foods because in the end, you will save big mula down the road in medical costs, prescription drugs, and doctor visits… Think of it this way: You are investing in your health vs spending.  Either you invest in your health now, or your body will hand you the bill later – It’s totally up to us.

With that in mind, I am sharing this list of tips on how to start eating organic foods below:

6 Easy Ways To Buy Organic Foods on a Budget (Plus a Hack For Summer Days)

1. Find Organic Coupons

   It’s SO important to use coupons when it comes to saving money for groceries.  Follow social media pages of your favorite food brands, they usually have offers, giveaways, coupons, etc.

   Check out different organic coupon sites. Some of my favorite examples include Organic Deals for organic food/natural living coupons, Mambo Sprouts, and All Natural Savings  for money saving ideas. Earth Fare has coupons here every week. Kroger has coupons or Simple Truth. Most stores will honor each other’s coupons, so don’t be afraid to use them all in one shopping trip at your favorite or most convenient store.

2. Grow Your Own

   You don’t really need acres to grow your own food. I can attest to that with my little organic community garden space… Check it out here. You can at least grow your own herbs on pots, vegetable/fruit/herbs planting towers, or a small plot in the backyard, on windowsills, on the porch, or on the driveway… it’s so rewarding.  Start with herbs as they can be so expensive to buy and take up little room. Try up-cycling your empty egg boxes into planters for seedlings and use old containers for seedlings. Learn more about growing your own…

3. Farmer Markets/Local Farms

   It is no secret that produce is cheaper when it is in season. Mainly, because it hasn’t had to be shipped halfway across the world and also because it will be more abundant.  You will save a ton of money when buying in season, so stuck up and freeze. I base a lot of my meals and recipes around seasonal produce for this reason as well as the superior quality. Look up your local farmer markets or farms here, and support/buy from them either at the local farmer’s market or at the farm itself. I oftentimes drive a few miles to stock up. It is worth the trip as pastured meats are cheaper, and veggies are abundant at the local farm. If they are too expensive go to the next nearby farm, and so on. Make it a fun day trip and bring along your cooler.

4. Bulk Warehouse Clubs

   Whether you have a large family or just you and your pet, buying in bulk (only foods you’ll absolutely use) can be a real money saving. Along with this, you want to allocate some time to cook from scratch and store/freeze.  I have noticed an increase in organic foods at warehouse clubs such as Costco, BJ’s, Sam’s etc.. Remember the more organic food you buy the more they’ll have to bring in. Ya know… the law of demand and supply.

5. Visit Different Local Supermarkets (TeamWork)

   We’ve come a long way when it comes to local supermarkets carrying organic food. I remember purchasing organic milk in 1999 at $7.00 a gallon. Ouch! That being said, you are investing in your health vs spending so it’s worth it.   These days it is easier and more affordable to buy organic food on a tight budget.   Your local supermarket should have an organic section– look for the weekly sales.  Aldis, Wholefoods, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and even Walmart carry organic products (make sure it isn’t from China).

   Note: ever since WF’s was acquired by Amazon, their organic produce prices dropped exponentially, I am eager to see what else has dropped because I stopped buying there years ago. Yep, too damn expensive!

    Now let’s be real, going from store to store is counterproductive and who has time? That’s where teamwork comes in. If your spouse, partner, roommate etc.. works near Aldi, they can go after work or during their lunch break and buy certain products there.  If you work near Trader Joe’s you do the same.  Most stores sell different products from each other because of marketing and fair sale laws. Finally, each supermarket carries their own organic brand– buy that. Target, for example carries Simply Balance, and their app Cartwheel discounts that brand. Download the app it’s worth it.

6. Buy Online

   Join Thrive Market . I love this website because it is like a health food store stocked up with non-GMO, fair trade and organic groceries at drastically reduced prices (up to 25-50% off).   You can buy cheap organic food online according to your lifestyle (paleo, vegan, GAPS, gluten/grain free etc..) The quality of their products is as good as what I can buy locally and they carry many of the brands I love and support.  The way they work is similar to Costco because you need to join to shop, but their fee is pretty reasonable (it equals to about $5 month).
   If you’ve never shopped at Thrive Market before, give it a try I am sure you’ll love it – especially because it is such a time saver for us busy bees.  Thrive always has some type of deal going on. Right now they have (
   Sign up to receive an extra 20% OFF your first 3 orders). No code needed to get 20% off, just go to this link.

   Tropical Traditions~ I love tropical traditions because they have deals such as BOGO, free shipping and everything in between at least weekly.  I purchase coconut oil in bulk, pastured meats, wild caught salmon, and other products.  One of the many things I love about Tropical Traditions is one of the few companies whose products are GMO and glyphosate tested. This Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is a truly unrefined coconut oil made on Mt. Banahaw and surrounding areas from coconuts. Coconuts are used fresh (within 24-48 hours of harvest) from small family farms on Mt. Banahaw and other rural places in Quezon Province, the coconut capital of the Philippines. Only the highest quality coconuts are hand-picked from each harvest. I have tried every kind of coconut oil out there, and nothing compares to gold label organic. Learn from the experts: What is Coconut oil, and even MCT or liquid oil.

   Amazon~
   One of my favorite shopping sites, because they basically have every brand available, have added tons of organic options, free shipping with Amazon Prime. Try Prime Discounted Monthly Offering.  Additionally, there is great news for convenience sake.  Amazon has the new groceries and produce delivery option which launched in 2017.
   You can Try AmazonFresh Free Trial and see if that works for you. I have ordered from there a couple of times, and the convenience made it a smooth shopping experience.  RELATED: How to grow a Garden with Limites Space.  How do you grow your own garden when you’ve never even planted anything in a pot? Learn how I’ve grown my own herbs, vegetables and even berries with limited space.   How to do you work on being more productive and organizing your time better? Please feel free to let me know down in the comments.

If you or someone you know is struggling to buy organic because of cost, or that needs a little extra cash (like most of us!), please share this post with them.

Thanks for spreading the message – let’s make buying organic foods easier for everyone!

P.S. Got any more organic food budget hacks? Please share them with me and others in the comments below.