Budget Tips for Shopping Organic

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If you decide to shop for organic, whole foods that are not overly processed and filled with preservatives, you will be spending more on your groceries. When we made these changes for our family, we did cut out a lot of eating out, stops at the ice cream store, and Starbucks runs, reallocating money from those areas of the budget moved over to groceries. We were having less doctors visits and less prescription bills as well. We basically decided to view our grocery budget as an investment in our health, and while that did mean we had to allocate more resources in that area, we discovered a few helpful ways to make the most of your grocery budget when shopping organic.

I used to go to so many stores to make sure I was getting the best deal on everything, but then I realized that time is money, and for a work-at-home mom, I needed to have a one-stop place for my purchases. My basic routine became to mainly shop at Whole Foods and then do a Costco run twice a month. If I happen to find myself in the area of one of the other stores I like, I will run in and stock up on a few favorite things. 

Whole Foods

Too expensive? Not if you are committed to shopping organic!

Whole Foods is by far my favorite place to shop! You may have heard the joke that Whole Foods could be better named “Whole Paycheck” due to the prices. But if you are going to shop for organic, whole foods, it is actually more (sometimes much more) expensive to shop at other grocery stores. I have found Whole Foods to be extremely reasonable for the quality of food.

Tips go get the most out of your Whole Foods shopping

I shop at Whole Foods almost daily. I purchase a lot of fresh meats and produce, so I like to go often in order to keep things fresh and keep from wasting food if our meal plans change during the week. There is nothing worse that having to throw away a bunch of unused food! Here are a few tips to make the most of shopping at Whole Foods:

  • Do your major shopping on the weekend. Whole Foods runs great sales on produce on the weekend. It is a great time to grab fruit for the week and see what is on special.  I like to plan our dinners around their specials when I can. 
  • Download their app. They have great coupons on their app. One of my favorites that appears quite often is $5 off a $20 purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables.
  • Check out their coupon book. I love it when I find a coupon for an item that is also currently on sale. Time to stock up!
  • Shop on Wednesday. This is their overlap day for sales.
  • Shop the store brand, 365. Some of my favorite products are the Whole Foods store brand. The price point is great, and I have also found that I like the ingredient lists much more than more expensive brands, or common name brands. Some of my favorite 365 items are chicken broth, pasta sauce, frozen vegetables, salsa, and enchilada sauce.

Costco

I visit Costco twice a month and stock up on the goods we purchase here. They have a great price on organic eggs, organic frozen fruit, and dried fruit. I also love that they have raw, organic honey and a large bag of organic coffee for my coffee-loving husband. Our Coscto also recently began to stock Organic Almond Butter, 27 ounces for $12.99! So far the this is the best price I have found on almond butter that is also organic. (Aldi, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods 365 are not.)

Organic Harvest

Organic Harvest really knows how to run a sale! Sometimes small, local grocery stores can be know for high prices, but not Organic Harvest. They have some of the best prices on pantry items. (For instance, Organic Valley grass-fed butter was recently on sale for 3.99 instead of the regular 8.99!) Be sure to check them out for some of your pantry staples, and get on their email list as they send out coupons quite frequently.

Aldi

I love that Aldi is making the move to all organic. I don’t live close to an Aldi, but when I am in the area of one, I make sure to stop by and load up on whatever fruits and veggies they have in stock. I also love their organic quinoa and brown rice pasta; it is by far the best price I have seen on a whole grain organic pasta. 

Thrive Market

Thrive Market has great prices on pantry items. Ordering from here helps keep my grocery bags light and trips short, which is nice when you have a baby. I have really loved Thrive Market’s own brand. As an added bonus, they have free shipping over $49 and a free gift for orders over $59. I always make an order when I know I need at least $59 worth, so I get a free gift and free shipping.

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Holly H
Holly was born and raised in Birmingham and returned after graduating from Auburn University with a degree in graphic design. After working in the field of advertising, she began her own business to pursue her creative interests of calligraphy, illustration, and design. Holly serves as creative director to Dixie Design Collective, an online stationery company, and also teaches local calligraphy classes. Holly is blessed that she can work from home while raising her daughter Biscuit. Holly enjoys entertaining and cooking, shopping with her mom, antiquing at estate sales and most of all, play days with Charlton (her husband) and Biscuit.