Tricks to saving money on organic/free-range animal products? Unnecessary? - Page 2

[EmsMom]

Originally Posted by mumkimum 

Few more thoughts:  I think about how we're planning on eating the foods too, sometimes, when I'm needing to conserve the money and making my choices.  If I'm making an egg heavy dish that's mainly for dh (with his intolerances) I get the more expensive eggs.  If we're planning on making soft boiled eggs or something similar, where they'll be less cooked - I get the more expensive ones .  If I'm making something that isn't egg dominant, I might get the free range but not organic eggs and save a dollar, say if I'm baking them in cookies or something.  I don't get the totally conventional cheap eggs because they disagree with all of us.  If we're low on cash for groceries and I'm going to want them for my breakfasts (but dh won't really need to eat them) I'll also get the cheaper ones.  If I can't afford the cheaper realm of higher quality eggs, we just don't get them.  

Same kind of thing with milk - cultured dairy (like cheeses, yogurt, sour cream) rarely bother us so we don't often get those organic unless it's cheaper or only marginally more expensive (less than a dollar more, say).  If I know I'll be cooking with the milk in the first place, there are times I've gotten non-organic milk and not even our non-homogonized kind (and save like $2).  That's rare, and usually around the holidays when we'll also have guests who will probably drink it up anyway too.    

and if I am cooking for others, cookies for school to sell, even Christmas gifts, I don't usually use organic since most people I know do not use organic foods most of the time. 

[EmbraceLife]

Love the post and information.  Thanks for sharing.  We're doing as much organic as possible and as toxin free as possible in our environment.  It's challenging to say the least.  It does cost more but we know it is worth it. 

[SweetSilver]

Originally Posted by EmsMom 

and if I am cooking for others, cookies for school to sell, even Christmas gifts, I don't usually use organic since most people I know do not use organic foods most of the time. 

Here as well.  Come Christmas time and for gifts and family dinners in general, I buy good-quality non-organic ingredients like butter and nuts and chocolate.  Flour is cheap enough and I have lots on hand, so that I will use organic.

[JudiAU]

You have a lot of questions!

We try and buy ethically raised and organic products because it is more humane and is better for our health. We also try and reduce the environmental footprint of using animal products.

Eggs-- We buy either pastured (highest standard, truly free range with access to worms and "chicken behaviors, may or may not be organic) when available or free range and organic/omega 3 in a supermarket. I prefer organic feed but give priority to pastured.

Meat- Prefer pastured, grass-fed meat. Prefer certified organic but will give way to the first two. We buy some important lamb from New Zealand but only if grass fed; the air miles are terrible. Mostly we buy grass fed beef and half a lamb. Pork must be unconfined and organic. Will buy half a big when we find it.

Dairy- must be certified organic for fluid milks and yogurt and butter, for milk products like cheese must at least be free of growth hormones. I pay a premium for grass fed in season and it must be local and vat pasturized, not that nasty CAFO UHT Horizon junk. No additives like DHA allowed.