Save Money Shopping for Organic Food

You may have grown accustomed to paying more for groceries when trying to shop organically, but with just a little extra effort you can indeed save money shopping for organic food.

Shop smartly to save money.

Organic foods and other organic products generally cost more than products produced conventionally. There are several reasons for the higher prices including:

• There is less demand for the organic versions of products, which brings the cost up.
• Organic items usually have a higher cost of production than conventionally produced items.
• Consumers generally accept the fact that they will pay more for organics, so merchants are not in a rush to lower the prices.

Just because you can expect to pay more for organic food than for conventionally produced foods, it does not mean that you cannot save money when making your purchases.

You will use most of the same strategies to save money shopping for organic food that you would when attempting to save money buying conventionally produced foods.

Although you are less likely to encounter coupons for organic foods in the newspaper or in magazines than you would for other types of foods, coupons for organic foods do show up once in a while. You can also go directly to the websites for your favorite organic producers and look for coupons. Some of the larger organic companies routinely offer coupons online or send coupons in the mail to registered members of their sites.

Join the frequent shopper clubs at your favorite grocery stores. Most stores offer discount cards to members that may yield substantial savings even if you don't have any additional coupons for the organic food you want to buy.

Organic foods go on sale just like other types of foods. In some instances you might be able to find your favorite organic foods on a clearance rack, especially if the organic food you are looking for is something that is not routinely purchased by other shoppers.

Read the ads from your favorite grocery stores to find out which store offers the best prices for the organic foods you want to buy.

If your town hosts a farmer's market, be sure to check out the organic items offered by local growers. Costs are lower when a grower can sell items directly to consumers, and if you can build up a rapport with a local grower then you may be able to enjoy even bigger discounts.

Some growers offer weekly or monthly bulk deliveries of organic produce. You pay one flat fee and the food is either delivered directly to you or you can pick it up on a scheduled day. This is a great way to obtain fresh, organic food at a discounted rate. If you do not need as much food as the grower delivers, consider sharing the expenses with a friend for even more savings.

Here are some other tips that may help you save money when buying organic food:

• Buy in season. For example, you will find fresh organic peaches at a much cheaper cost when they are in season in the summer instead of buying them in the middle of winter. If your recipe calls for a fruit or vegetable that is out of season, check to see if the canned or frozen version will be cheaper.
• Check coupon websites. Once in a while, coupons for organic products show up on coupon websites. Take a look at Start Sampling or Couponing 101 to see what coupons are available.
• Compare products. If you shop at a store that offers multiple brands of organic food, take the time to do some comparison shopping. The more expensive version of a product is not always the best.

Remember: By paying a little more for organic foods, you may be saving yourself quite a bit of money in the long run because of the reduced health care costs that may come with living a healthier lifestyle.

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