How to save money on fresh produce is a question I am asked fairly frequently. I believe it is absolutely doable to save money on your grocery bill and still eat a healthy, well rounded diet.
Many people think they simply can’t afford organic produce but you can save on these products as well. I have a few tips that will hopefully help.
Just click below to get 5 easy tips:
1. Know your stores. One important thing is where are you shopping for produce? This takes a little legwork intially BUT you can get yourself into a nice routine and that intial research will really pay off.
If you have a discounted market like Sunflower, Sprouts or Aldi- check it out and see what the prices are like. I am so thankful for Sprouts in my area because they offer tons of discounts on produce and the prices can’t be beat.
If you don’t have those stores do you have Farmer’s Markets in your area? You might consider just evaluating the prices at the various stores in your area and see where the best prices seem to crop up. To give you an example, strawberries are a killer in organic because they are usually twice as much (or more) then regular strawberries. My local grocery store offers organic strawberries for $4.99/lb. I can go to Costco or Sprouts and get the same size for as low as $2.49. That is a significant difference so it is really important to check prices and try to spend your grocery dollars in the store that gives you the best deals.
And speaking of Costco… in my opinion they have some very good deals and some not so great deals. I almost always find great prices on organic salad mix and spinach and baby carrots. Otherwise it can be hit or miss at Costco. I do find some produce that is a great deal and some stuff that is actually more expensive. It is important to know what the prices are in your area because they are not always the best deal! (You can check out my Costco blog here if you are a Costco shopper!)
2. Learn the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15. These are lists that are updated every year and compiled by the Environmental Working Group. They list the produce that has the most pesticide residue. This can help you prioritize where to focus your organic bucks.
So the Dirty Dozen are the items you most want to buy in organic. The Clean 15 are the items that have the least residue and are not as important to buy in organic.
You can get the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 list for 2013 here. In general produce that has tiny seeds (like strawberries) or is fiberous (like celery) are very important to buy in organic.
3. Use coupons. There are not many coupons for produce- specifically organic but there are some out there! It can help you save a little here and there and that can add up. Earthbound Farms is the best about offering coupons- I get an email almost daily with coupons inside for Earthbound farms products.
My preferred grocery store (Sprouts) also offers coupons for any purchase- say $5 off a $30 purchase. That is a very easy way to save money if you just take the time to cut those coupons and take them shopping with you. If you have a store you regularly shop at why not sign up for the mailing list, follow them on Twitter or like them on Facebook. You might find they send a lot of coupons you would otherwise miss.
If you do see a great sale just stock up! This isn’t easy with fresh obviously but on frozen you can certainly buy a little extra. I have a store that offers bags of organic fruit for $2.50 on sale. If I stack a coupon with that sale, I can get bags for as low as $1.50. GREAT DEAL! I usually buy a few bags and pop them in the freezer.
If there is a brand you like, register for the newsletter or like them on Facebook. You will be the first to get the coupons if they release them!
4. Buy in Season! This is super important not only for flavor but also price. Grapes for example are impossible to find in organic out of season and if you do find them, they cost a small fortune.
You can see a list of what is in season for the entire calendar year here.
And on that note, often you will find out of season produce in frozen bags for a much better price.
5. Prioritze your purchases. Really take a look at what you spend your money on. I had a conversation once with a lady telling me how she absolutely can’t afford organic items so she doesn’t even bother trying anymore. At the time I was in a grocery store and noticed 12pks of soda in her cart, a lot of convenience foods, personal care items that were way overpriced etc… with a glance I could see about $50 sitting there in items that could easily get cut out of the budget.
Soda, juices, sports drinks, coffees, energy drinks… those are all budget busters. We cut soda out a long time ago- for health reasons and for budget reasons. Our family typically drinks water and milk and coffee (me!). I occasionally buy lemonade or orange juice and sometimes I make iced teas in the summer. Otherwise that is it- I don’t buy juice boxes and pouches and such because what I find is that when those things are available, my children don’t drink water. If I buy lemonade my husband can seriously drink an entire jug in a day or two. At $2-3 a pop that really adds up.
Maybe just consider the convenience stuff you buy and see if it is all neccessary. I find the more crackers,c ookies, chips, snacks I have in the house, the more I am snacking away (hungry or not!)
A few more suggestions:
Another option is to simplify or vary your meals. When we switched to organic beef I changed portion size. I am a vegatarian but the rest of the family is not and instead of making the meat the centerpiece of the meal, it is a small side dish. We get something that is much better in quality but the trade off is a smaller portion. Another tip is to vary what you eat. As I mentioned before strawberries can be a killer – they are usually twice as expensive if not more and most of us with kids know that a pound of strawberries can last five minutes. I pack strawberries in lunches all the time but I usually fill it up with other fruits that are less expensive. Kiwi is perfect with strawberries and on the Clean 15 list and it usually goes as low as $.33 in my area. I also like clementines- I can peel and seperate to add them to a little fruit salad. They hold up well and are typically $1 per lb.
So try mixing up the more expensive items with less expensive items and you get the best of both worlds. Something that will be prettier to look at, taste better with a variety of flavors and you can stretch the more expensive items a little bit more.
And of course there are other ways to save a bit- many people will suggest a garden. I have a black thumb myself but if you are inclined to grow your own fruits and veggies that is awesome! I did start with one organic tomato plant this year myself- just because those darn tomatos are so expensive- and I have my fingers crossed the plant survives and produces fruit. We also planted a lemon tree, orange tree and a peach tree this year so hopefully next year we start seeing fruit from those.
The very last thing I will mention is to also be very accountable for what you actually use. Organic produce has a shorter shelf life then conventional and if you regularly toss your produce because it spoils… that is literally money in the trash. So take care that what you buy you are actually eating!
And I’d love to hear your great tips for saving a bit on produce and on organic produce.
Here are a few other articles you might enjoy:
- 5 Steps to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half
- How to Determine a Grocery Budget
- How to Start Menu Planning
Mindi says
I also loved your tip on vinager for prolonging the life of berries. I do it all the time now, since I first read your post last year. Often times my strawberries are good 10 plus days (if they last) so I can buy the huge containers and know it won’t spoil.
Dee says
The web site/app “Out of Milk” lists groceries with the prices at local grocery stores. I can sort for Fruit (produce) and Vegetables (produce). Just now, I saw that two local stores have organic strawberries for $3.99/lb. I can comparison shop without searching ad flyers or stores. Of course, Costco is not on their list.
I can click on the tab below the item to automatically add it to a shopping list I set up in the app on my phone.
And….I’ll say it. Garden. Last summer, I spent $35 on seeds and seedlings but grew more than enough veges for Hubby and me, plus gave away a lot to the neighbors. Composting makes it really cheap, too because I don’t need to buy fertilizer.
A cheap, easy way to start is to use the wooden boxes from clementines (I save them all winter). Line them with landscape fabric or any old cotton fabric (sheets, shirts, etc.) cut to fit. I suppose you could use a few layers of newspaper, too. I haven’t tried it though. I use fabric.
Fill with organic potting mix and you have mini planters that are easy to move to where they can get the best sun. I like to sprinkle seeds rather than do rows. They work great for salad greens. You could grow herbs, kale, peas, green beans, or onions in them. They aren’t deep enough for peppers, tomatoes, squash, eggplant, etc.
In New England, Ocean State Job Lot has Burpee organic seeds 1/2 price.
I do buy more fruit than I grow.
EC says
Very well-written & thought-out article! I agree with Tip 5 where you said “I find is that when those things are available, my children don’t drink water.” My kids used to go straight for the juice/soda instead of water before I cut-down on buying those budget busters. As a bonus, two wonderful outcomes resulted:
1) My son dropped 10lbs & reached healthy weight! Pediatrician thrilled!
2) Eliminated my time-consuming trips to CA CRV Recycling place turning-in bottles/cans!
franki says
I 2nd Dee on Garden!
I use my Rite Aid UPs to buy plants, and they carry Ferry Morse seeds, which are decent quality
Also containers & potting mix
Used Lowe’s coupons and gift cards to buy dwarf & semi dwarf fruit trees
Charlene mentioned her favorite store Sprouts,
I had Seeds of change $1.50 coupons expiring today and actually saw a rack of Seeds of Change seeds in Sprouts for 1.99ea! (after I gave away the coupons, of course). Printed more and going back
I considered myself black-thumbed too, but have moved up to sort of olive color 😉 so it can happen!
Leanne says
Great article Charlene! I have been thinking of getting a Costco membership again and wondered if anyone had a blog. I’m so glad it’s you! Thanks!