I found a produce co-op with has better prices than my local Whole Foods but the prices are still high. For example..
cucumbers 5 lb. min. at 1.92 per lb.
3 bunches of Roamine at $1.44 per bunch
slicer tomatoes 5 b min. at $1.92 per lb.
red onion 5 lb. min at $1.19 per lb.
apples 5 lb. min at 1.51 per lb.
This comes to a whopping total of $30.98 very 2 weeks. Plus I still have to buy organic milk, butter, eggs, shampoo, 7th Generation wash soap and fabric softner and deoderant.
My budget is set at $250.00 per month. So, if you had to give something up, what would it be?
I would love to go all organic, but right now that's not an option for me. However, I've thought a lot about it and am planning on changing more and more foods we eat to organic. Is there any way that you can grow some of these vegetables yourself? You can get certified organic seeds, and grow the cucumber, onions, tomatoes, lettuce for far cheaper than that. I realize that wouldn't help you right now, but it would help this summer. This is what I plan on doing, and I want to can some of the produce for later. [crossing fingers I can actually grow something!]
I was also thinking, could you switch your fabric softener to vinegar? I use this for my fabric softener, it's really cheap, does the job well, and leaves my clothes smelling like fresh clean water. You could also make your own detergent. There's a thread about this here on amity's in the super crunch, it wasn't that long ago - check it out. Believe it or not it is REALLY easy to make detergent and would free up some of your budget for other things.
I definitely would NOT give up organic milk, eggs, or butter, and I don't think REALLY that good sls free shampoo (this is what you are talking about right?) is that much more expensive, at least it doesn't seem like my family is really going through that much, and it seems like a worthy investment to me. Deodorant as well, it's not like you go through it that fast, it too seems like an investment to me. I guess I'm wierd that way though.
Would you really be able to eat all those tomatoes, cucumbers and onions in two weeks time? Would some of the tomatoes go bad before you got them eaten? I would be scared I would be wasting food to get a deal and that I wouldn't be getting a deal anymore. Just a thought. It might be cheaper to keep buying from the hfs as you need it than having half of what you buy go to waste.
Just my thoughts... take them or leave them. I am with you, I want to have organic foods, but right now I just have to have foods for them - yk? I'm making plans though to try to get us there, one way or another. Good luck. Maybe some more experienced, more organic mama's will help you out some more.
__________________
Delpha
Homeschooling Sahm to 2 boys - Devin Grey 10!, and Logan Dale 3, happily married to Casey
We eat all organic. I consider it a necessity, not a luxury, so I skimp in other places.
For example, I don't buy meat. I buy in bulk whenever possible. We eat tons of beans. I buy fruit that is in season and thus cheaper. When fruit is in season, I look for organic places that I can pick our own and we freeze (120 pounds of blueberries got us through last year!). I don't buy convience foods (or try not to). I try to cut down on the dairy. We don't buy milk at all, but do eat cheese and butter. I keep a food diary to find the cheapest places for everything.
Do you have a Trader Joes? They are even cheaper than my food coop (which is WAY cheaper than Whole Foods) on dairy, especially butter and eggs.
Look for a local person that sells eggs. Shop a farmer's market during the warmer months.
__________________
Allison
mama to Ara, Simone, and Zarin
Location: In the Land of Golden Warmth, Surrounded by Majestic Mountains, Inspired by Desert and Ocean, Cocooned in Love
Posts: 2,779
That seems like a lot of food to order every two weeks!
I personally would stick to buying produce from Whole Foods. I would do the following:
Shop sales. Don't have a specific fruit in mind for the week; instead, buy whatever fruit is on sale. Use this principle for other items as well.
Shop seasonally. Organic strawberries and grapes, etc. are expensive enough in season; don't buy them out of season. This time of year you may find better prices on broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, yams, etc. Come summer you'll find good prices on watermelon, corn, grapes, etc.
Eat cheaper produce. Organic apples and bananas are generally cheaper than more exotic fruits.
Plan more "cooked from scratch" meals. Organic beans, rice, lentils, etc. are cheaper than prepared foods.
Eat cheaper sources of protein. Beans are cheaper than meat. So are organic eggs. Organic cheese is too expensive to use as a protein, so only use it as a condiment (ie. use cheese shredded on tacos but don't make grilled cheese sandwiches).
Do you have a Costco or similar warehouse store? My Costco sells 5 pounds of frozen organic corn for $5, and 5 pounds of frozen organic green beans for $6. They also carry Silk vanilla and organic peanut butter.
You may end up making some compromises. Here is the list of the 10 most important foods to buy organic:
Baby Food. The National Academy of Sciences reported in 1993 that federal pesticide standards provide too little health protection for infants. Building on those conclusions, the Washington-based Environmental Working Group (EWG) commissioned laboratory tests of eight baby foods made by industry leaders Gerber, Heinz and Beech-Nut. Some 16 pesticides were found, including three carcinogens, five possible carcinogens, eight neurotoxins, five endocrine disruptors (which can mimic or interfere with hormones) and five very dangerous "toxicity one" chemicals. More than half of the samples-53 percent-had detectable pesticide levels. Organic baby food is widely available (Earth's Best and Well-Fed Baby are two supermarket brands), and you can also make your own by cooking, pureeing and freezing organic fruits and vegetables.
Strawberries. The fresh, sweet strawberries you buy in the supermarket are the single most heavily contaminated fruit or vegetable in the U.S., according to another 1993 EWG study. Seventy percent of all strawberries tested contained at least one pesticide, and 36 percent contained two or more. Strawberries are also laced with endocrine disruptors. According to Consumer Union's Pest Management at the Crossroads, strawberries can receive a dose of 500 pounds of pesticides per acre. Out-of-season strawberries are the most likely to have been imported, possibly from a country with less-stringent pesticide regulations. Organic brands include Golden River Farms, Cascadian Farms and Boulder Fruit Express.
Rice. An incredible 70 to 80 percent of the world's calories come from rice. Because rice allergies are practically non-existent, rice is a primary ingredient in baby cereals and snacks. Both water-soluble herbicides and insecticides have contaminated groundwater near rice fields in California's Sacramento River valley. The herbicide 2,4,5-T, used as a defoliant in Vietnam, was commonly sprayed on rice fields until it was banned in 1984. Many different types of rice are available organically (from Eagle Agricultural Products, Lundberg Family Farms and MacDougall's Wild Rice). And like most grains, rice can be bought in money-saving bulk.
Oats and other grains. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends six to 11 servings of grains daily. Oats are a fundamental grain in crop rotation, used by farmers to maintain soil health and break pest cycles. But oats aren't always as "wholesome" as cereal advertising suggests. In 1994, the FDA found illegal residues in a year's worth of General Mills' popular Cheerios cereal. By that time, millions of boxes were already on supermarket shelves. (General Mills allowed the boxes already in stores to be sold, but voluntarily withdrew the contaminated product awaiting shipment.) Organic growers provide a tremendous variety of grains; in addition to oats, these include millet, quinoa, barley, couscous, amaranth and spelt.
Milk. Milk comprises nearly a quarter of the non-nursing infant's diet. Many dairy companies inject their cows with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH)-a genetically engineered hormone used to boost milk production. Some 79 percent of rBGH-treated cows get clinical mastitis, a common infection of the udder. The more antibiotics used to treat these cows, the higher chance of antibiotic residue in the milk given to children. Fueled in part by the rBGH controversy, organic milk sales have reached $50 to $60 million annually, and organic milk is widely available in supermarkets.
Corn. Every year, Americans eat an average of 11 pounds of corn, which is one of the four crops that provide the basis of 90 percent of the manufactured food in American supermarkets. About 50 percent of all pesticides, by weight, are applied to corn in the U.S. While corn has only five percent of the pesticide contamination of cherries and strawberries (see above), switching to organic makes sense because corn is such a dietary staple. Many processed foods made with organic corn are now on the market. When buying fresh corn, look for ears that were locally grown, because they're much less likely to have been treated with post-harvest pesticides.
Bananas. Bananas are often the first fruit given to children, and remain one of the most popular fruits throughout our adult lives. But the toxic pesticides used during banana production include benomyl (linked to birth defects) and chlorpyrifos (a neurotoxin). In Costa Rica, a major exporter, only five percent of cultivated land is taken up with bananas, but they account for 35 percent of the country's pesticide imports. Organic brands include Ginger Ridge Farms, Made in Nature and Eco-Fruit.
Green Beans. The Environmental Protection Agency has registered more than 60 pesticides for use on green beans. EWG laboratory tests on baby food found three pesticides in green bean samples, including both neurotoxins and endocrine disruptors. Green beans imported from Mexico are the worst offenders-9.4 percent of the crop is contaminated with illegal pesticides.
Peaches. A recent FDA study cited peaches for above-average rates of illegal pesticide violations (five percent of the crop was contaminated). Over-tolerance violations in peaches are so common that the FDA routinely misses them-including a sample contaminated at eight parts per million (80 times the official tolerance level) with the pesticide pronamide.
Apples. Domestic apples have more than 65 percent as much pesticide contamination as strawberries, and that's after the heavily publicized 1980s battle that banned use of the carcinogenic growth regulator Alar. Now there are other things to worry about when biting into a nice crisp apple. The fungicide captan and the insecticide chlorpyrifos are just two; they were among the 48 pesticides found most frequently in FDA testing of 2,464 apple samples between 1984 and 1991. Luckily, apple growers are leading the IPM movement-some 70 percent of Northeast orchards are managed that way.
I did call some of my friends to see if they wanted to split some of the order with us. The problem with this is that they really don't eat veggies a lot. I tried making my on laundry soap but I didn't like the way it left a film in my clothes. Then again, I'm not sure if it was because I have really hard water or if it was the Dr. Bonners.
Maybe I should start a co-op for Kiss My Face or J/A/S/O/N/. products. LOL
Location: firmly planted in the postmodern pastoral economy
Posts: 12,328
I can sympathize - having moved here from the Northwest, it seems the Southeast is seriously lacking in inexpensive organics options. Sigh.
You can check out www.eatwild.com for sources of organic and free-range meats.
I started a local co-op for JASON and other natural stuff through http://www.frontiercoop.com. They allow you to start a buying club. I don't think you need a business license, but I'm not sure. We order every couple of months and shop their sales and get great deals on detergent, soap, shampoo and some supplements. Spices, too.
I think others have had awesome suggestions. I always buy the things Kimberly mentioned organic - strawberries, grains, etc. We try to stretch meat, but my youngest is on a high-calorie diet and it's really hard to keep his weight up without it.
We also buy in season, and make use of a local farmer's market. I am also going to start raised beds in the yard this season (which here, is starting now!). I think growing our own will really help cut costs.
__________________ Be realistic: Plan for a miracle. ~Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
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You made some great suggestions, as did others. but would you mind sharing your bean ideas? Not necessarily recipes because that takes too much time. I love beans but have a hard time being creative with them.
Heat oil and saute garlic. Add tomatoes and herbs and simmer for 20 minutes
until sauce thickens slightly. Add beans and simmer on low for 15 minutes.
Cook pasta, drain, add sauce.
Bean Salad
1 package edamame cooked and rinsed
1 can mixed beans rinsed
1 can black beans rinsed
half a big cucumber chopped
a red pepper chopped
a bunch of green onions chopped
a bunch of wild garlic chopped including leaves (or 4 big cloves regular
garlic)
2 stalks celery minced
salt and pepper
1/3 cup brown rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions:
Mix together and serve at room temp or cold.
Black Bean Quinoa Salad
1/2 cup quinoa
3/4 cup water
1 tsp oil
4 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1 T cilantro
2T scallions
1.5 cups black beans
2 cups tomatoes
2 tsp minced green chiles
salt and pepper to taste
Rinse quinoa. Boil water, add quinoa, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Cool. In bowl, combine ingredients.
Easy Black Bean Soup
For this one, I often add 1 tsp cumin and a chopped up carrot. Also, I make enough so that the next day we can make burritos with the leftovers.
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups water
15 oz can black beans, not drained
14 oz can diced tomatoes, not drained
1/3 cup rice
salt and ground cayenne, to taste
Directions:
Sauté onion and garlic in oil. Add water, beans, tomatoes and rice. Cook until rice is done, about 30 – 40 minutes. Add salt and cayenne.
Lentil Enchiladas
Corn tortillas
20 oz enchilada sauce
grated cheese
Filling:
2 cups cooked bulgar (equal parts bulgar and boiling water, let sit 10 minutes)
2 cups cooked lentils with little water left in
¼ cup broth
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
salt to taste
Cook onion, garlic, spices in broth until tender. Mix filling. Oil baking dish. Layer sauce, tortillas, filling, and cheese. End with tortillas, sauce, and then cheese. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Navy Bean Soup
1 ½ cup dried navy beans, soaked
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 chiopolty chilis, soak 15 minutes in cold water
4 cups vegetable stock
1 – 2 tsp salt
1 tsp brown rice vinegar
pepper to taste
3 celery stalks
Drain beans. Saute onions, add beans and broth. Simmer 1 hour. Puree part in blender. Stir in salt, vinegar and pepper.
Red Beans and Rice
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cups kidney beans
1 ½ cups tomato sauce
½ cup water
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp basil
1 pinch thyme
5 tsp adobo seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
In a large saucepan combine olive oil, kidney beans, tomato sauce, water, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, pepper, and 2 tsp of adobo seasoning. Simmer on low heat.
Cook rice. Add 3 tsp adobo seasoning to rice. Serve beans over rice.
Refried Beans
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1T oil
1 small red pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp honey
1.5 cups kidney beans
1 T tomato paste
Saute onions and garlic. Add pepper and seasonings. Saute. Add beans and
tomato paste and mash.
Bernice's Baked Beans (YUM!)
3-4 cups of dried navy beans (white beans/haricot beans) cooked until just before tender. (reserve cooking liquid)
Puree one large onion, combine with beans in bean pot (Any pot with a tight lid that can go into the oven)
Add
1T salt
1/2 t pepper
1t dry mustard
1/4-1/2 C maple syrup
1/4-1/2 C Molasses
1/2 t ground cloves
Now add enough reserved bean cooking liquid to just cover the beans, then add 2T butter (they don't taste nearly as good without butter)
Now cover and let sit in a 250 degree oven for 7 to 8 hours stirring every hour or so. Your house will smell dreamy after about 4 hours.
Unfortunately we just don't have access to all organic stuff but we do what we can.
For milk, butter and cheese we stock up when it is on sale and freeze the excess. We don't use a lot of milk so we buy the paper cartons and the milk lasts longer than in a plastic jug.
During the summer we buy produce at our local farmer's market. Tons of organic growers now and a wide selection of products.
We also stock up on bread from a bakey in Santa Fe and freeze the excess.
As for things like dishwashing liquid and the like we always stock up when they are on sale. So if we happen to be at Whole Foods (almost 40 miles away on horrible roads) and 7th generation is on sale we buy 6 of them and put them away. Of course, you need to have room in your budget to take advantage of sales and opportunities.
We are hoping to purchase an entire organic lamb from a local rancher this spring to stock our freezer. We are also going to look into buying organic chicken in bulk from a local source.
I have spent a big part of my day going to different grocery stores to see who had what and best prices. I know I won't be able to eat 100% organic but some is better than nothing
I have several Super Targets close to me (within 12 miles) They carry organic, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes, carrots, celery at pretty good prices. I bought 3 lbs.of gala apples for $3.49. I also bought some of Laura's Lean Beef on sale. Target markes it 30%-50% off as it gets close to the sell by date. They do this in the morning.
My local WalMart carries Organic Milk for $2.89 1/2 gal. The store manager will give me 10% off if I buy (6) 1/2 gallons at a time.
I found a farmer to buy lean gound beef for (not organic but free of the bad stuff) $2.50 lb. but have to buy 50 lbs. at a time. This should last us about 9 mos.
I can buy free range eggs for $2.50 doz. for $5.75 per flat and chicken breasts for 6.99 lb or whole chickens for $2.49 lb.
Originally posted by arasmama Most of my favorite bean recipes are saved in word. I'll cut and paste our regulars.
Easy Black Bean Soup
For this one, I often add 1 tsp cumin and a chopped up carrot. Also, I make enough so that the next day we can make burritos with the leftovers.
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups water
15 oz can black beans, not drained
14 oz can diced tomatoes, not drained
1/3 cup rice
salt and ground cayenne, to taste
Directions:
Sauté onion and garlic in oil. Add water, beans, tomatoes and rice. Cook until rice is done, about 30 – 40 minutes. Add salt and cayenne.
I made this soup Allison posted last night for dinner and it was great. I used cumin instead of cayenne, and added some pepper sauce my Mom made last summer to my bowl. My picky 3 yr old ate seconds of it, which is amazing for him! I have a big list of recipes she posted a long time ago somewhere on my old computer, I need to go look them up
Thanks!
Anne
Location: somewhere between complete exhaustion and utter euphoria
Posts: 5,883
Do your research. If it is hard to go totally organic due to price, figure out what foods your family eats most and which are most contaminated. I learned this from my best friend. She had a list of things she would absolutely not buy non-organic. Apples and peanuts I know were on that list. (She buys all organic now). Oh, grapes and raisins. She researched which foods were most contaminated. She slowly added to this list until she could handle all organic.
Also ask around at your local LLL meetings, homeschoolers meetings, etc. and see if there is a local organic co-op. We actually have a couple here.
Now, I have given this advice to you, I need to follow it myself. But, I have found that here, especially this time of year when little is "in season", organic is the same price as non-organic in the grocery.
__________________
Michelle
-- Mom to Beth, 11 and Sam, 8
How can I be frugal and buy organic?
and Sam, 8 
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