Being BOLD on a Budget!

Image Courtesy of Microsoft Clip Art

Although eating locally-grown, organic foods is great for your health, it’s often tough on your wallet. Organic foods can cost much more than the same foods grown using conventional farming practices. But, there’s no need to fear! Below is a list of our top five tips to help you and your family be BOLD on a budget!

·         Start Your Own Organic Garden! Even if you live in a small apartment and don’t have the space to start a large outdoor garden, you can still set aside a small area in your kitchen or on your patio for a small herb garden.

·         Use Coupons! Quite a few organic food producers offer coupons to help customers save money when buying their products. You just have to know where to find them! Web sites such as Earth Fare, Food for Life, and Whole Foods Market offer lots of coupons that can be printed or used online to purchase organic foods.

·         Shop In-Season! If you’re trying to be BOLD without going over your weekly grocery budget, buying organic tomatoes in the middle of winter may not be the smartest idea. Tomatoes, as well as many other crops, are not in-season in Maryland during the certain months. Because supermarkets cannot purchase their organic tomatoes from local farmers, they have to import them from other countries. Importing crops from other countries is expensive, and supermarkets do not hesitate to pass the extra cost along to their customers. Buying only those foods that are in-season and can be purchased from local farmers will save you a lot of money at the register.

·         Buy in Bulk! Can’t imagine going through the winter months without tomatoes? Buy them (as well as other organic fruits and vegetables) in bulk when they are in-season. At home, can, dry, and pickle them for later use during those months when they are not in-season. Never canned fruits and vegetables before? Not a problem! Visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation web site for tips to help you get started.

·         Join a CSA! Organic foods purchased through participation in a community supported agriculture (CSA) program are often much cheaper than when purchased at the supermarket. To learn more about CSAs and how they work, read our past blog post.

So, there you have it! Our top five tips to help you and your family be BOLD on a budget. We hope you find them as helpful as we do. If you have any personal tips or tricks that might help others be BOLD on a budget, please share them in the “Comments” field below.