Anyone else trying to eat organic on a budget?

[Melilot Boffin]

Just wondering. I see some of the food threads here, and I don't get an organic vibe off of them, though of course, I'm sure many do. I just feel a bit alone. We are a family of 5.5, on a very tight food budget, and trying to make it work on an organic diet is a challenge to say the least. Of course some things we cheat on, things that aren't supposed to be too bad in pesticides, like avacados or pineapple for example. And I make just about everything from scratch. We of course use a co-op and the farmer's market as well. But being organic vegans is really tough, and the end of the month (now ) is always SO slim and dull.

Anyone else in this boat?

[SarahGuinn]

Okay, it actually pains me to do this because I don't want people to know.

I do.

I do it at Big Lots.

I spent $66.00 on $220.00 worth of canned pintos/garbonzos/corn/tomatoes and oatmeal and granola bars and cereal and jam and crackers and pita chips and tortilla chips and peanuts and everything that is pantry and not fridge.

I don't want people to know about the fact that there is tons of organics at Big Lots because it'll get picked over too fast. :P

We also have a CSA share, we belong to the co-op, I have two sources for co-op coupons, and I have just started my own garden. I made awesome dill mayo with my own herbs, it was such a good feeling.

[A&A]

Do you have any place to grow a garden? That can make a huge dent in the food bill, at least for part of the year.

[sebarnes]

We do this, although we don't have quite as large of a family as you. By the end of the pay period, it does get pretty slim sometimes, but here are some of the ways we try to accomplish what we do.

1. Get stuff in bulk. We eat meat about once or twice a week, but I order it in bulk from Azure Standard, as well as grains. I go in on an order with a couple of friends because otherwise shipping can kill you. Also, our Costco has a fair amount of organic things we can get for a decent price.

2. We try to only buy fruits and veggies in season, since out of season just kills us price wise. This was a lot harder to do while I was pregnant! We use a CSA during the summer months plus farmer's market

3. We have a local source for eggs and honey, so we save and get local too, which is also one of our goals

4. We buy very, very little canned things. Although it takes some planning to remember to soak beans, it really saves in the long run. We also try to can stuff like peaches and applesauce.

5. We cook almost everything from scratch.

6. We do without some things so that our food budget can be bigger. We don't buy much new, and I utilize our freecycle group and our big thrift store (Deseret Industries) to find things that I need instead of buying new. We only have one car and DH walks to work.

So, we're probably not doing anything too different from what you're already doing, but I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone!

[yukookoo]

we cook from scratch and right now we live on organic bulk lentils, rice and some in season vegies.

Beans and rice mostly.

I bake 3 loaves of bread a week and maybe some sort of dessert as well.

I garden but dont have a lot of space. We have some herbs which helps a lot and am working on vegies

[Erin+babyAndrew]

I try with my small budget. A lot can be bought at reasonable prices, but I refuse to buy packaged organic conveniece foods. what a royal waste of $.

and...seeing as this is the frugality forum, why do people post here spending $1000+ a month on food? for a small family... lol

[heatherdeg]

We just took over hosting an organic produce coop site/pod. When the pod is full (14 members plus me), my share costs $6 (normally $46). We get food biweekly. If I help to divide the food on delivery day, I have another $15 credit. If I really wanted to, dh and I could ALWAYS divide on delivery day, pocket the $30 and use it towards buying another share (if the family were that big) so two shares would cost us $22 instead of $92... and that's year-round. Plus, if we're taking up two of the 15 shares--that's fewer people I need to manage.

Of course, that's only veggies and some fruit--but it's big.

We also grow our own stuff and can/freeze/store. We can't afford organic meat yet, though.

[spring978]

We eat about 90% Organic and its tough. I try to eat in season as well and we do a ton of u pick farms during the summer months and grow some too, it gets harder and harder every month. I ran out of frozen peppers so I was gonna pick up a couple while in town today organic red ppepper $8.69 a pound: : i weighed one pepper for giggles 1 pepper would of cost 4.25. I think I am in the wrong line of work

[SAHDS]

Organic meat is a killer! I told DH that a great portion of our food spending comes from meat, but it just doesn't seem like a dinner w/o it. I try and get in the 'beans and rice' mindset, but it just seems like a side dish.

Thankfully, our friends raise and slaughter cows so we go in half with them. I'm not sure it's 100% organic (since I know the guidelines are fairly strict), but the cows receive no hormones or antibiotics. Plus, they are fed veg-only diets.

We just planted our first 100+ square foot garden (DH is SO proud) and we're excited to use that. I'll also be planting herbs, garlic and onions soon too.

As for buying in bulk... am I missing something? I priced out bulk foods the other day and they were up to 3 times what boxed (pasta) and bagged/canned (beans) were going for. Even nuts, granola and trail mixes were pricier.

We have local honey makers and DH recently saw someone selling eggs. Should look into that...

Side note -to the OP, if you're having to cut corners, check out this:

Foods that should always be organic when buying:

Apples
Cherries
Grapes, imported
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Raspberries
Strawberries
Bell peppers
Celery
Potatoes
Spinach
Tomatoes
Milk
Beef
Poultry
Coffee

(bolded are the "Dirty Dozen)

Foods that don't really matter, organic or not:

Bananas
Kiwi
Mangos
Papaya
Pineapples
Asparagus
Avocado
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Corn
Onions
Peas
Cabbage

(bolded are the least contaminated)

And a few tips I found while browsing:

- Buy fresh vegetables and fruits in season. When long storage and long-distance shipping are not required, fewer pesticides are used.

- Trim tops and the very outer portions of celery, lettuce, cabbages, and other leafy vegetables that may contain the bulk of pesticide residues.

- Peel and cook when appropriate, even though some nutrients and fiber are lost in the process.

- Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. This would limit exposure to any one type of pesticide residue.

- Purchase only fruits and vegetables that are subject to USDA regulations. Produce imported from other countries is not grown under the same regulations as enforced by the USDA. Examples are strawberries and cantaloupes from Mexico.

- Wait until just before preparation to wash or immerse your produce in clean water. When appropriate, scrub with a brush. Experts at the University of California-Berkeley report that this removes nearly all insects and dirt, as well as bacteria and some pesticide residues.

- Special soaps or washes are not needed and could be harmful to you,
depending on their ingredients. Read the label! Cold water is perfectly fine.

[pranamama]

Trader Joe's has really good prices on organics fruit and vegies.
We don't eat a lot of meat that is often not organic.

[Melilot Boffin]

You're all so nice!

Originally Posted by SarahGuinn

I spent $66.00 on $220.00 worth of canned pintos/garbonzos/corn/tomatoes and oatmeal and granola bars and cereal and jam and crackers and pita chips and tortilla chips and peanuts and everything that is pantry and not fridge.

We live 2.5 hours from Big Lots, but WOW. We do go to "the city" about quarterly though so... I've never been in one. A: we are not shoppers, and B: we are not into big box stores, but at this point I just want FOOD! YKWIM? Thanks!

Originally Posted by A&A

Do you have any place to grow a garden? That can make a huge dent in the food bill, at least for part of the year.

*sigh* Ok, we have a homestead, it's at 9,600ft. Not great for gardens. Even our greenhouse does poorly. However we just moved to a new on site job that is 1,000ft. lower, yay! BUT we live directly at the base of the continental divide. It snowed 3 days ago. It snows in June a couple of times. I snows in September a couple of times. And no greenhouse... yet. However my husband can raise bees here, yay. We're very excited. We aren't opposed to honey if we're the ones taking proper care of the bees. He's been obsessed with it for years, and finally gets to put all his knowledge to work.
Also, the owners of this land would not mind me having chickens. Again, my chickens, my care, I'm cool with the egg thing. I don't like them, but I have 3 children that adore farm eggs. And there is no denying the health benefit of a natural good egg.

Originally Posted by sebarnes

1. Get stuff in bulk. We eat meat about once or twice a week, but I order it in bulk from Azure Standard, as well as grains. I go in on an order with a couple of friends because otherwise shipping can kill you. Also, our Costco has a fair amount of organic things we can get for a decent price.

2. We try to only buy fruits and veggies in season, since out of season just kills us price wise. This was a lot harder to do while I was pregnant! We use a CSA during the summer months plus farmer's market

3. We have a local source for eggs and honey, so we save and get local too, which is also one of our goals

4. We buy very, very little canned things. Although it takes some planning to remember to soak beans, it really saves in the long run. We also try to can stuff like peaches and applesauce.

5. We cook almost everything from scratch.

6. We do without some things so that our food budget can be bigger. We don't buy much new, and I utilize our freecycle group and our big thrift store (Deseret Industries) to find things that I need instead of buying new. We only have one car and DH walks to work.

So, we're probably not doing anything too different from what you're already doing, but I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone!

Oh, yeah. All that and more. You know, people think everybody who is on a tight budget can just cut back more, well a lot of us are cut back all the way already. I mean we live SO simply. I'm utilizing our one luxury right now. You know, people say things like "We just stopped eating out." or "We stopped going to Starbucks." "I stopped shopping at the mall." Um, we NEVER do those things! Plus a lot more! I think it's weird for people to wrap their head around those of us who "Go without." People say things to us like "Turn off your cable." Um, we don't have TV!

Originally Posted by yukookoo

we cook from scratch and right now we live on organic bulk lentils, rice and some in season vegies.

Beans and rice mostly.

I bake 3 loaves of bread a week and maybe some sort of dessert as well.

I garden but dont have a lot of space. We have some herbs which helps a lot and am working on vegies

Oh yes, we eat a lot of staple grains. And of course a lot of baked carbs. I luckily get 50lbs. of organic flour for $20.00 through our co-op, so LOTS of bread items.

Originally Posted by Erin+babyAndrew

I try with my small budget. A lot can be bought at reasonable prices, but I refuse to buy packaged organic conveniece foods. what a royal waste of $.

Oh jeez, I know. : Same here with us.

Originally Posted by heatherdeg

We just took over hosting an organic produce coop site/pod. When the pod is full (14 members plus me), my share costs $6 (normally $46). We get food biweekly. If I help to divide the food on delivery day, I have another $15 credit. If I really wanted to, dh and I could ALWAYS divide on delivery day, pocket the $30 and use it towards buying another share (if the family were that big) so two shares would cost us $22 instead of $92... and that's year-round. Plus, if we're taking up two of the 15 shares--that's fewer people I need to manage.

Of course, that's only veggies and some fruit--but it's big.

We also grow our own stuff and can/freeze/store. We can't afford organic meat yet, though.

Yes. My husband is trying to start a produce co-op/CSA here where we just moved, from Grants Farm. We only need seven families, for once a week pick-ups about two hours away. Not bad, but we need to find the people! Not only are we new here, but it's the type of town where people like us are kind of odd men out. I know there are others, just where do we find them? But we will.

Originally Posted by spring978

We eat about 90% Organic and its tough. I try to eat in season as well and we do a ton of u pick farms during the summer months and grow some too, it gets harder and harder every month. I ran out of frozen peppers so I was gonna pick up a couple while in town today organic red ppepper $8.69 a pound: : i weighed one pepper for giggles 1 pepper would of cost 4.25. I think I am in the wrong line of work

OMG, I know. Of course, guess what this pregnant lady is craving? Peppers. *sigh* And grapes. And watermelon. Needless to say, the craving goes unfulfilled.

Originally Posted by SAHDS

Organic meat is a killer! I told DH that a great portion of our food spending comes from meat, but it just doesn't seem like a dinner w/o it. I try and get in the 'beans and rice' mindset, but it just seems like a side dish.

Thankfully, our friends raise and slaughter cows so we go in half with them. I'm not sure it's 100% organic (since I know the guidelines are fairly strict), but the cows receive no hormones or antibiotics. Plus, they are fed veg-only diets.

We just planted our first 100+ square foot garden (DH is SO proud) and we're excited to use that. I'll also be planting herbs, garlic and onions soon too.

As for buying in bulk... am I missing something? I priced out bulk foods the other day and they were up to 3 times what boxed (pasta) and bagged/canned (beans) were going for. Even nuts, granola and trail mixes were pricier.

We have local honey makers and DH recently saw someone selling eggs. Should look into that...

Side note -to the OP, if you're having to cut corners, check out this:

Foods that should always be organic when buying:

Apples
Cherries
Grapes, imported
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Raspberries
Strawberries
Bell peppers
Celery
Potatoes
Spinach
Tomatoes
Milk
Beef
Poultry
Coffee

(bolded are the "Dirty Dozen)

Foods that don't really matter, organic or not:

Bananas
Kiwi
Mangos
Papaya
Pineapples
Asparagus
Avocado
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Corn
Onions
Peas
Cabbage

(bolded are the least contaminated)

And a few tips I found while browsing:

- Buy fresh vegetables and fruits in season. When long storage and long-distance shipping are not required, fewer pesticides are used.

- Trim tops and the very outer portions of celery, lettuce, cabbages, and other leafy vegetables that may contain the bulk of pesticide residues.

- Peel and cook when appropriate, even though some nutrients and fiber are lost in the process.

- Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. This would limit exposure to any one type of pesticide residue.

- Purchase only fruits and vegetables that are subject to USDA regulations. Produce imported from other countries is not grown under the same regulations as enforced by the USDA. Examples are strawberries and cantaloupes from Mexico.

- Wait until just before preparation to wash or immerse your produce in clean water. When appropriate, scrub with a brush. Experts at the University of California-Berkeley report that this removes nearly all insects and dirt, as well as bacteria and some pesticide residues.

- Special soaps or washes are not needed and could be harmful to you,
depending on their ingredients. Read the label! Cold water is perfectly fine.

Thanks We've started using the lists more and more lately, since food is rising every new trip to the store. I just can't believe the change from week to week. You're right about bulk, you have to pick and choose. Some things are great, and others are not. Price checking is the new label reading. We make our own granolas and such, but we've actually had to just drop nuts (except butter) all together. We just can't afford the prices. At least sunflower seeds are still in our budget. Bulk beans are usually a good deal though. And dried fruit, yikes. We're down to just raisins. I will start drying again soon I hope. My dehydrator (sp?) died, and I hadn't bothered making one yet. It's on my list with the earthen oven. I'm getting to them, I swear!

Originally Posted by pranamama

Trader Joe's has really good prices on organics fruit and vegies.
We don't eat a lot of meat that is often not organic.

No Trader Joe's here in this region.

[justmama]

I try really hard. REALLY hard. But we are so low income and food stamps just doesn't do the job. But I splurge on organic milk for the girls(and limit their intake pretty severely) and I try to buy the dirty dozen organic. And whenever there's any extra in the budget I try to get organics. Doesn't happen often. But we are trying really hard to not kill our teeny garden this year so that we can have organics this summer. We do a lot of rice and beans though because it's cheap.:

[hollianna]

Wow, you are all so inspiring! My husband and I would love to eat all organic, but right now are on a very low income. I have also struggled with being tired a lot (pregnancy), so I'm trying to break myself of the habit of just buying cheap convenience foods.

I'm also trying to move toward a vegetarian lifestyle, but I think eating healthy and organic is going to take a series of baby steps for me. As of now, we've cut chicken out of our diets but are still eating other meats.

We still shop at places like Wal-Mart because it's cheap enough for our budget, but we've started also looking at local farmer's markets and buying what we can.

So you're definitely not alone in wanting to eat organic on a tight budget. It's just really hard! Baby steps.

[kdabbler]

Originally Posted by spring978

I ran out of frozen peppers so I was gonna pick up a couple while in town today organic red ppepper $8.69 a pound: : i weighed one pepper for giggles 1 pepper would of cost 4.25. I think I am in the wrong line of work

I looked at your location and you're in OR! I was fully expecting some remote island or Alaska or something. So I could grow a little container and get about $20 out of it?

It's so hard to really try and be organic. I'm so suspicious of the organic labels since the USDA has watered the regulations down. I can't really afford to be 100%. I buy what I can afford. Certain things I try and buy organic all the time such as strawberries - they just taste better.

My newspaper focused on what 3 families spend on food. One of the featured families buys all organic. And they outspent the others about 3 1/2 times.

I really think the only way to save is to purchase in large quantities and grow your own.

[jeca]

I've never even been to big lots but I'm gonna go now, lol. I only buy certain things organics. Pretty much meats, salads, certain veggies and fruits.

[Norasmomma]

To the OP have you also posted on the Nutrition and good eating forum? There is a dedicated Veg/veg*n sub-forum, maybe there are others who would have the same issues. I see you are getting great advice here, but there are also some other places to post on here also.

IDK where you live, sounds like Montana or Wyoming to me(some where mountainous). Definitely getting a greenhouse would help. I'd also check out the gardening forum I'm sure there would be many helpful people on there with mountain gardening. I live at the eastern base of the WA Cascades, so I understand cold, but the intermountain west is even colder:.

Oh and I am not vegan nor do I eat 100% OG, but I do buy about 50% OG and i get a lot of my organics at Costco. I live about 1.5 hours away so it's a trek to the "big city" but I can get a lot of my preferred organics there, depends on the region though. WA seems to have organics everywhere.

[macheetah]

We eat organic selectively, like most of you. I do buy organic milk, butter and yogurt - because my DD consumes a lot of this in proportion to our regular diets. I belong to a CSA and that helps tremendously - veggies in general, let alone organic, are SO expensive in grocery stores here now. But, our CSA season is Nov. -May; we're in the tropics, so I'm taking a stab at expanding my container gardening in the back yard beyond tomatoes, peppers and herbs. It's a learning curve plus physical work but i really feel the cost saving will be significant if successful. In anticipation of that, I am trying to learn how to can and I have a pressure-cooker and a dehydrator too.

We eat meat, but we definitely are not eating much of it. Mostly organic chicken and sustainably-harvested healthy fish when we can get it. I'm adopting the method of many other cultures' cooking where a much smaller portion of meat is used as a flavoring or condiment rather than the main element of a meal, and I cook from scratch all of my main courses. I love recipe websites for finding ethnic cooking tips and I keep a well-stocked spice pantry to keep things interesting. I find a lot of good recipes with this in mind within Indian, Latin and Caribbean cooking.

If I didn't currently live in the HOA-controlled 'burbs, I most definitely would be raising chickens and rabbits and working a serious organic garden. That is one of my major goals.

[wombatclay]

Big Lots- if you're planning a seperate trip, be aware that each Big Lots is an independant store and their merchandise varies a lot. We shop there for DIY home repair supplies/auto supplies/house stuff if we can't find it at a thrift shop but I have never seen anything there that I would offer my family to eat... certainly no organic foods, and almost no unprocessed foods (canned, dried, or otherwise).

So I think the food options probably vary a lot by store! Do check it out, but don't count on it too much.

[Melilot Boffin]

Originally Posted by justmama

I try really hard. REALLY hard. But we are so low income and food stamps just doesn't do the job. But I splurge on organic milk for the girls(and limit their intake pretty severely)

Yeah, the kids get the primaries in our house too. And all of us, my sons included, give way a lot to our youngest. For example, she has a corner on the household yogurt stock! She loves it, one of the few things she really eats, so we all stopped so she could have a plentiful amount. Things like that.

Originally Posted by hollianna

Wow, you are all so inspiring! My husband and I would love to eat all organic, but right now are on a very low income. I have also struggled with being tired a lot (pregnancy), so I'm trying to break myself of the habit of just buying cheap convenience foods.

I'm also trying to move toward a vegetarian lifestyle, but I think eating healthy and organic is going to take a series of baby steps for me. As of now, we've cut chicken out of our diets but are still eating other meats.

So you're definitely not alone in wanting to eat organic on a tight budget. It's just really hard! Baby steps.

You know, the best way to go veg, is not to wean, but to go cold turkey and then lapse back now and then. I know it sounds bassackwards, but it's actually faster and easier than trying to wean.

We've been organic for years. It's just that with the rising prices, we're having to either go without, or supplement conventional.

Originally Posted by kdabbler

It's so hard to really try and be organic. I'm so suspicious of the organic labels since the USDA has watered the regulations down. I can't really afford to be 100%. I buy what I can afford. Certain things I try and buy organic all the time such as strawberries - they just taste better.

My newspaper focused on what 3 families spend on food. One of the featured families buys all organic. And they outspent the others about 3 1/2 times.

I really think the only way to save is to purchase in large quantities and grow your own.

My husband is leary of the label too, although he's the staunch organic person in our house.

Yeah, those numbers don't suprise me. Especially if they were shopping at someplace like Whole Foods. My cousin, who has no financial issues is a huge spender. $10 jars of nut butters and the like. : I'm both jealous and disgusted.

Originally Posted by jeca

I've never even been to big lots but I'm gonna go now, lol. I only buy certain things organics. Pretty much meats, salads, certain veggies and fruits.

I know.

Originally Posted by Norasmomma

To the OP have you also posted on the Nutrition and good eating forum? There is a dedicated Veg/veg*n sub-forum, maybe there are others who would have the same issues. I see you are getting great advice here, but there are also some other places to post on here also.

IDK where you live, sounds like Montana or Wyoming to me(some where mountainous). Definitely getting a greenhouse would help. I'd also check out the gardening forum I'm sure there would be many helpful people on there with mountain gardening. I live at the eastern base of the WA Cascades, so I understand cold, but the intermountain west is even colder:.

Oh and I am not vegan nor do I eat 100% OG, but I do buy about 50% OG and i get a lot of my organics at Costco. I live about 1.5 hours away so it's a trek to the "big city" but I can get a lot of my preferred organics there, depends on the region though. WA seems to have organics everywhere.

Well, I'm more interested in the frugality forum, because I see a lot of posters that seem to still be doing finacially well elsewhere on MDC, and here I feel like we more on the same level.

I've lived in Montana. It's easier to grow there! But I lived in Alaska too, and this place is better than that for growing! Colorado. Just below RMNP and on the west side of the rockies. Very cold. Yes the greenhouse is going up soon. We grew food up until about 3 years ago when we moved to our land and started our off-the-grid homestead. Not much of a homestead without food. Our greenhouse there doesn't do great. We've gone through SO many types of high altitude plants too. *sigh* But yes, we have higher hopes here.

Originally Posted by macheetah

and I cook from scratch all of my main courses. I love recipe websites for finding ethnic cooking tips and I keep a well-stocked spice pantry to keep things interesting. I find a lot of good recipes with this in mind within Indian, Latin and Caribbean cooking.

Yes on the spices! They *can* be inexspensive if you know where to get them, and they make poor cooking a pleasure. Ethnic food in general is "poor" food. We have many a meal of just naan with hummus on it. Nutritious, filling, tastes great, and yet pennies. We eat ethnic a lot!

Originally Posted by wombatclay

Big Lots- if you're planning a seperate trip, be aware that each Big Lots is an independant store and their merchandise varies a lot. We shop there for DIY home repair supplies/auto supplies/house stuff if we can't find it at a thrift shop but I have never seen anything there that I would offer my family to eat... certainly no organic foods, and almost no unprocessed foods (canned, dried, or otherwise).

So I think the food options probably vary a lot by store! Do check it out, but don't count on it too much.

NOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... ....

[mnnice]

Originally Posted by wombatclay

Big Lots- if you're planning a seperate trip, be aware that each Big Lots is an independant store and their merchandise varies a lot. We shop there for DIY home repair supplies/auto supplies/house stuff if we can't find it at a thrift shop but I have never seen anything there that I would offer my family to eat... certainly no organic foods, and almost no unprocessed foods (canned, dried, or otherwise).

So I think the food options probably vary a lot by store! Do check it out, but don't count on it too much.

We have a nearby Big Lots (it's only a block or two from DH's work). I've seen very few organics, mostly just stale looking tea bags and canned tomatos (that I can get cheaper with a coupon in the supermarket).