Tricks of the Trade: Organic Grocery Shopping

The first time we set foot in EarthFare (our organic grocery chain store), I was intimidated. There are so many interesting and weird things in that store! After several weeks of shopping there, I think I may have learned some keys to saving money.

1. Subscribe to the store's newsletter for coupons. This week, we got a great coupon for 1lb of coffee and a box of granola free with any purchase. (a value of over $12) Alex really liked this one!

2. Always check the bulk section first before buying items for recipes. I have finally figured out that I don't have to buy a whole pound of something, and I can buy just what I need for a recipe. Our store has whole wheat pastry flour and oatmeal for way cheaper than what you could buy it for packaged else where in the store.

3. Buy just enough meat for your recipes, unless they are having some ridiculous sale. Last week I bought 1 Chorizo sausage, which I cut the casing off of and cooked to use in my deep dish pizza I made the other day. It was great!

4. I have yet to do this, but go to the websites for the organic products you like to buy to look for coupons. Stoneyfield farms, for example, has several coupons on their website.

5. Stay away from processed/packaged organic foods. I try to steer clear of buying boxed cereal, cookies, chips, and crackers... with the exception of tortilla chips!

6. Buy vegetables for recipes from the salad bar if possible. I rarely need a whole green pepper for a recipe since I cook for just two people right now. Their salad bar is $7.99 a pound, which equals a lot of pre-cut veggies! This will also save you time when cooking. :)

I should note that our main reason for eating organic is not so much about supporting local farmers, but more because we want to avoid eating meat and dairy pumped with extra growth hormones and produce with pesticides.

I am excited for our local farmers market to open soon, so we can start getting some produce from there. :) Feel free to post any other tips of the trade that you may have learned.