Money Saving Mom®

I often get asked: Is it possible to afford organic foods on a tight budget? And I’m here to tell you: Yes!

While “organic” and “budget” might feel like they’re opposites, it is possible to eat well on a budget.

Sure, depending on where you live, this will be easier or more difficult, but in most areas, you can feed your family natural, unprocessed, even organic foods without spending a fortune — especially if you’re willing to get creative and think outside the box!

Keep reading for 20 ways to save money on organic food — allowing you to eat clean, even if you have a tight budget!

20+ Ways to Afford Organic Foods on a Budget

Here are several ways to afford organic food on a tight budget:

1. Plan your menu based on what’s in season and on sale.

If you want to feed your family on a budget, the first step is to have a plan for what you’ll eat. Regardless of your special diet or food preferences, meal planning will always save you money.

You’ll significantly reduce your grocery bill if you intentionally plan your menu around what’s on sale at the natural foods store, what’s in season at the Farmer’s Market, what organic foods are on sale at Aldi or your local grocery store, and/or what your garden is producing. (Read more about how I “reverse meal plan” like this here.)

As an added bonus, you’ll reap the benefits of a balanced diet as you’ll constantly be rotating your produce based on what’s in season!

2. Calculate the cost of your meals.

When you’re planning your menu, think about how much each recipe will cost. Cutting costs on a meal in general will create more wiggle room in your budget to prioritize organic items.

It doesn’t have to be a scientific, to-the-penny figure, but just having a good idea that there is a $10 difference between the price of making one meal as opposed to another meal can help with keeping your grocery budget down.

3. Practice the “buy ahead” principle.

If your budget allows, stock up whenever you find an incredible sale on organic items. This could be organic tomatoes at the Farmer’s Market, markdown deals on organic produce/bread/meat at Kroger, reduced-price organic frozen veggies at the health food store, a super weekend sale at Sprouts, if Aldi is offering a great deal on organic products, or any other amazing grocery deals, like the ones we share regularly.

Buying items you routinely use when they are at their lowest price is a surefire way to save more.

4. Buy in bulk.

It is usually much more cost-effective to purchase meat and staple ingredients in bulk.

Call around to local farmers and see what they would charge you for purchasing half a cow. In many cases, this meat is at least $1 cheaper per pound to purchase in bulk. And the meat is much higher quality.

Buying organic grains, beans, and other basic ingredients with long storage lives in large quantities will almost always save you at least 20%, if not more.

5. Focus on the worst offenders.

Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists are a great place to start when trying to prioritize organic purchases.

These lists will help you steer clear of the stuff with the most pesticides, and confidently save money buying conventional when it comes to the cleanest fruits and veggies.

6. Plant a garden.

Produce is typically only pennies per item from your own backyard, it’s tremendously fresh and you know exactly what you did or didn’t spray on it. Plus, if you can or freeze your extras, you’ll be able to enjoy “fresh-from-the-garden” produce for much of the year.

Have a brown thumb? Find a friend who loves gardening and trade services (babysitting, bread-baking, car maintenance) in exchange for their garden excess.

If organic produce is something you’d like to prioritize, you won’t find it at a better price than if you grow it on your own! It’s a fantastic option on a budget.

7. Consider joining a CSA or Co-Op.

If gardening isn’t for you, you might look for a co-op or CSA in your area. They do usually have a fee to join the group, but it still might be a money-saving option on organic produce for your family.

And if you can’t find an affordable co-op in your area, you could consider starting your own co-op.

8. Order from Misfits Market

If you’re willing to eat fruits and vegetables that are odd shapes or sizes, you could save a lot of money by ordering from Misfits Market! This company sells produce that isn’t attractive enough to sell in a typical grocery store but is still perfectly edible, allowing you to save on fresh produce while reducing food waste. Read our full Misfits Market review and get a discount code here.

9. Serve meat as a condiment.

Serving meat in soup, on a salad, or as a pizza topping is going to be a lot less expensive than serving it as the main dish, especially if you’re buying high-quality organic and grass-fed meat.

10. Make homemade snacks.

Pre-packaged snacks are significantly more expensive than homemade snacks.

As a bonus, homemade snacks are often more nutritious since you can control exactly what ingredients you use.

11. Skip organic “junk food”.

It’s probably a better use of your cash to spend it on organic produce versus organic candy, fruit snacks, or other sweet treats that you don’t technically need to buy anyway!

12. Swap out expensive ingredients.

You probably don’t really need Gruyere cheese… Swiss will do just fine!

And you likely don’t need that fancy (a.k.a. expensive) chocolate when store-brand chocolate chips will work.

If you’re using a recipe that requires a specialty ingredient you don’t already have in the house, do a quick Google search to see what you could substitute instead.

13. Eat your leftovers.

Repurposing leftover meals into lunches is a great way to save money on groceries and time in the kitchen. Not having to buy a lot of extras for additional meals can help save money — especially if you’re prioritizing organic items.

14. Use coupons.

Although they are harder to come by, there are organic-based coupons available online. Also, take time to email your favorite companies, because they just might send you coupons by mail!

15. Use coupons on non-food items.

If you can’t find coupons for the organic food items you purchase, you can still use coupons to save on toilet paper, toothbrushes, and other non-food items — lowering your overall grocery costs. (Make sure to check out our weekly drugstore deals posts for deals under $2 at Walgreens and deals under $1 at CVS to save big on these household items.)

16. Avoid specialty stores.

Although they have great selections of unique items, you typically pay a lot more across the board.

17. Opt for frozen produce.

Fruit and veggie smoothies are a great way to get your greens all year round. However, buying these ingredients organic 12 months a year isn’t always realistic.

Before abandoning organic produce all together, take a look in the frozen section and you may be surprised to find that organic, frozen alternatives can mean fantastic savings.

And most frozen foods are frozen immediately after harvesting so they are packed with vitamins and nutrients that can sometimes be lost in fruits that sit on store shelves for a week.

18. Find a local Amish community.

They often sell lots of produce, breads, and cheese at reasonable prices — and they are almost always organic and homemade (and delicious!).

19. Buy the store brand.

Most stores have their own brand of organic foods these days — saving you quite a bit on your overall bill without much difference in taste or quality.

20. Don’t forget about Farmer’s Markets.

Your local farmer’s market is a valuable resource! There are SO many local farmers who grow delicious, organic food for much lower prices than you’ll find at any store.

21. Shop at Costco, Aldi, or Trader Joe’s

You can often find great deals on organic items at Costco, Aldi, or Trader Joe’s for great prices! You might also try Thrive Market for specific organic items you’re looking for.

Would You Like to Become Financially Healthier, Too?

For even more encouragement and ideas to save money and become financially healthy, order a copy of my new book, The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women.

This book is something I wrote for each and every woman. It’s for the woman in college, the married woman, the single woman, the mom with lots of kids, the woman who doesn’t have kids, the empty nester, and anything and everything in between.

It is part memoir (sharing so many stories of my upbringing and how my parents and grandparents influenced me when it comes to money + lots of stories from our early years of marriage) and it is part practical handbook.

It is packed with my best time-tested advice on how to change your financial future — one step at a time — written in a very realistic, down-to-earth, encouraging style.

Whether you are struggling and stressed or feel like you are in a good place financially and would just like to fine tune things, The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women is for you.

Get your copy of The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women here.

Tips for Saving on Specialty Diets

If your family has allergies or sticks to specialty diets, you might find some of these articles helpful:

• Buying Specialty Diet Foods on a Budget
• Five Ways to Save with Dietary Restrictions
• How to Survive on an Allergy-Free Diet
• How I Feed My Family of 4 on an Organic, Gluten-Free Diet
• Ask Crystal: Is it possible to eat healthfully on a budget?
• My 25 Favorite Things to Buy at ALDI
• How to Use Target Circle (and Get the Most Value From It)
• The Top 30+ Items to Buy at Sam’s Club
• 25 Benefits of Costco Membership
• The Best Candy and Sweet Treats Without Refined Sugar

Do you have any other ideas or tips for how to save on organic foods?