How to Eat Organic on a Budget

Thank you Alpine Valley Bakery for sponsoring this post. Check out Alpine Valley Bakery’s high quality, organic, and delicious products for taste you can trust!

Eating organic on a budget can be a feat.

Although it doesn’t have to be if you plan and shop smart!

A little bit about me…and maybe you can relate.

I don’t live in a convenient driving distance of all of the top health stores (chains) in my area. To get to most of these stores I have to drive close to an hour to hit them. This isn’t always do-able for me on a typical week.

Yet… there are some people that live minutes from these stores and can easily drop by on any given day and pick up what they need…that’s not me.

So today I want to share how I shop for organic foods while staying on my budget. Since I’m not easily accessible to the stores that carry a large selection of organic foods I don’t beat myself up for not being able to go organic in every area of our foods. I do strive to stick to organic when I can and where I can…

let me dig deeper.

I’m on a food budget for every two weeks…my husband gets paid every two weeks so I try to grocery shop every two weeks, aside from some fresh stuff weekly, it just depends on what is on my meal plan! Staying within my budget is a must in our household and let me tell you how I do this. There are two adults and one child with a budget of $150 every two weeks and this includes all of our household items as well.

First lets talk about – What areas I purchase organic foods:

Fruits/Veggies– stick to your plan from above and buy only what you need. Your produce is your biggest area of waste because it can go bad before you know it. So buy only what you need/amount you need.

Dairy Products – milk (most of the time I buy almond milk though), butter, sour cream and cheese.

Grains – Alpine Valley Bakery it’s delicious and clean + organic nutrition, but what I love most is the taste and soft texture…I can be a bread snob and this one meets my snobbish requirements!! We have tried the Multi Grain with Omega 3, Super Grains and Country White and all have been superb!

Second lets talk about how I get these items while staying on my budget!

My first and BIGGEST tip that I think most fail in is…

1- PLAN. Plan your meals from breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Plus keep a little extra for those days you decide to have unexpected guest come over.

I literally take a piece of paper and pen and write down how many breakfasts, lunches and dinners I need to plan for.

2- Buy in Bulk. You always save money when buying in bulk…and those dollars and cents add up in the end. I really try to buy my dairy products in bulk because you can save a lot of money…or I comb my local grocery store ads each week so when they run them on sale I can jump on the sale price.

3- Cook at home and don’t eat out! Don’t eat out…plan and cook at home, this will help your money stretch so much further and help you eat healthier on your budget.

4- Buy from locals. Go to your local farmers market or find your locals that have a garden and are willing to sell, you will be surprised how much you can save and eat healthy.

5- Stay in Season. When planning your meals choose recipes that use in season produce, when it’s in season it’s always cheaper!!

6- Grow your own. This is a bit of a longer process but consider buying your own vegetable plans or fruit trees and grow your own food, in the long run it does pay off.

7- Freeze. If you can buy in bulk or fresh in season consider freezing or canning fruits/vegetables. There are so many resources out there on preserving your food, you’ll be surprised a little work on the front end can make your food bill go a long way on the back end.

8- Cook Basic Meals/Recipes. Just because I use the word organic doesn’t meant I have to cook gourmet meals and neither do you. Choosing meals and recipes that are basic will help you stick to your budget and make your dollar stretch a long way!

It’s all about shopping smart.

Shopping smart + planning.

Shopping smart + planning + sticking to your list.

Stay basic and stick to your list.

I hope this sparks some thought and creativity…are there others ways you have found to save money while sticking to your budget and eating healthy? Please share!!!!

Hi I’m Erin a Southern mama from South Mississippi, owner and chief editor of Sixth Bloom a blog helping mom-tographers capture their kiddos and life, talking all things home, parenting and how we navigate through life. You will find me living life to the fullest with my mister (aka husband) and our little one year old, Miss Elle, in our 500+ sq foot cottage as we build our dream house on our two acres! We are blessed beyond measure, love to travel, involved in ministry at our church and in between all of that I run three successful businesses! Follow me at: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST