A while ago, my partner and I decided to switch to buying organic food. We think it’s not only good for our health but also helpful for the environment. Before we had more money, buying organic food was tough. But now that we’re doing better financially, it seems worth spending the extra money on organic items. We’ve always wondered if it’s actually a good investment.
One big perk of going organic is avoiding the pesticides and chemicals that are common in regular food. For example, apples are known for having a lot of pesticides. A report from the National Academy of Sciences in 1987 suggested that pesticides could cause around 4 million more cancer cases among Americans. Pesticides have also been linked to birth defects, nerve damage, and genetic mutations. Plus, organic farming is better for the environment since it doesn’t pollute water streams. The downside, however, is the cost, but there are ways to make it more budget-friendly.
Here are some strategies we use to save on organic food:
1. Use the “dirty dozen” and “clean fifteen” lists: Each year, the Environmental Working Group lists the produce with the most and least pesticides. We choose organic for the heavily contaminated produce and regular ones for less contaminated items. Our rule is simple: if we eat the skin, we buy organic; if we peel it (like bananas), we go with the regular version.
2. Stick to a menu plan: Planning our meals has greatly reduced our spending on organic food. One week, when we didn’t plan, our grocery bill was almost double, and we ended up making several trips to the store. Without a plan, we often make last-minute and unplanned purchases. We use TheFresh20, a cost-effective menu planner that focuses on seasonal produce.
3. Shop at farmer’s markets: We found two local farmer’s markets that we love. We get most of our produce there, usually walking away with two big bags for less than $20. For the rest of our groceries, we shop at Whole Foods.
4. Buy in bulk: Getting organic food in bulk, even from places like Costco, is a good way to save money. We’ve found that items like organic bread and spinach are more affordable this way.
5. Reduce meat purchases: To eat healthier, we’ve cut back on meat and focused more on vegetables and fruits. We mainly buy chicken breast, ground turkey, and fish, saving red meat for special occasions.
Despite these efforts, we’ve noticed our grocery bill has gone up a bit—by about $100. We’re hopeful that with more planning and strategies, we can get it back down to our goal of $350 a month for the two of us.