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Organic on a budget

March 29th, 2007 at 05:15 pm

So this has been a big dilema for me and DH as we would like to do more things organic but it seems so expensive (we are not really mix up your own cleaning supplies at home types), but I decided to see if I could find some budget ways to go organic. There are probably many more but here are my preliminary findings:

1. Natural foods store - they have a sale circular just like the normal stores. If I stick to it religiously there are some very good deals. Also our local natural food store has a cafe/bakery that has a 1 day old rack, delicious, nutrious and half off.

2. Trader Joe's - I used to spend a lot here, so I pretty much put myself on restriction but if you stick to their sales circular (also witty and amusing) there are some good deals, they also have wonderful organic dog food for quite cheap

3. Walmart - I can hear the groaning now, but honestly they also carry very good organic dog food (that includes a $2.00 coupon inside) and have a wonderful line of organic baby clothes that are adorable and affordable

4. Big Lots - here was the real suprise, a cruise through our local big lots (which is not a very large one) yielded Kashi cereals, Annie's organic pastas, Newman's Own popcorn and sauces (all well within expiration dates), Method and Seventh Generation home cleaning supplies and Nature's Gate beauty products....who knew???

5. Starbucks - more groaning...but they do offer used coffee grounds for free for gardening in biodegradable pouches. Ours puts them by the front door in a large bucket but you may have to ask to get them elsewhere. Also using your own mug nets .10 off each beverage purchase.

6. Chevron -weird, but true, they offer Naked juices for .25 cents less than anyone else.

7. Albertsons now has reusable grocery bags, $1.00 each and very sturdy, you get a few cents off for each use.

8. Vons/Safeway has their own fairly large arrary of organic goods (O Organics) and they are frequently on sale

9. Farmer's Market I shop the one near my work once a week and the small one in our town once a week, the smaller one gives the leftovers to the .99 centers superstore---score!!! (I think they do this in exchange for using the parking lot...)

10. ask around, I found out our bookeeper sells veg-fed organic eggs for 1.00 if you don't bring your own box and .75 if you do, another friend was trying to get rid of avacados and lemons, I also found someone who makes wonderful, organic soaps

11. Etsy.com many of the creations here are using recycled goods and make wonderful, unique gifts for not much money while supporting artists

12. Army/Navy these stores are treasure troves for good quality bags, camping equipment, shirts and pants

6 Responses to “Organic on a budget”

  1. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    1175190687

    Your Starbucks uses new packaging for the used coffee grounds? Ours puts them back into the same silver color plasticked foil bags that they receive them in. They then seal them with a sticker that says something like, "For you garden," and gives a general description of how coffee grounds can be used. The bags are not decomposable, at all. They are garbage to be thrown with the trash. The packaging does make them very clean and easy to transport, even if you take public transportation--as easy as carrying a fresh bag of beans.

  2. fairy74 Says:
    1175194753

    our local one puts them in a biodegrabable bag, I have seen the ones you are talking about but our local one uses different bags.

  3. LuckyRobin Says:
    1175233487

    Do you have a Fred Meyer in your area? They have fairly large organic sections for a grocery store and the prices are usually better than at the health food or organic food stores here on almost everything.

  4. fairy74 Says:
    1175532432

    No we don't have Fred Meyer in California. I loved them when I lived in WA and OR, but none here unfortunately!

  5. PauletteGoddard Says:
    1175706476

    Have you read Real Food by Nina Planck?

  6. fairy74 Says:
    1175716231

    Paulette, I just ordered it off bookcloseouts last week, it looks like a wonderful book!

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