Budget Organic – How to Spend Less for Organic Foods

Eating organic is great for your health and for the environment, but it’s not always so great for your wallet. But, with these tips, you can eat organic foods without breaking the bank.

Shop at Local Farmers Markets – Unfortunately, this is only possible in certain seasons for most people, but the savings at a market can be great. The food you find is usually much fresher than in the store and therefore will keep longer in your refrigerator, so stock up! HINT: Stop by the market again just before closing. The selection will be smaller, but vendors hate to truck merchandise back home with them, so they may slash prices. To find farmers markets in your area, check http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/

Buy in Bulk - Many natural food stores and co-ops sell a wide variety of foods in bulk. You can find staples such as flour and sugar, pasta, beans, rice and other grains, honey, peanut butter, cereal, olive oil, dried fruits and nuts, and much more. Compare the bulk bin prices to the prices of pre-packaged counterparts and you may find substantial savings. Another plus is that you can purchase as much or as little as you need. No need to buy a big package of a product you use infrequently – just buy a few scoopfuls. It’s also a great way to try out a new item without having to take the risk of buying a large amount - just buy a little bit and test it out to see if you like it. Not only will you be saving money by buying bulk products, but you’ll also reduce the waste of excessive packaging. Many stores even allow you to bring your own reusable containers.

Reduce Processed Foods in Your Diet – Processed foods, whether they are organic or not, are almost always more expensive than foods made from scratch. Use simple recipes to make your own bread, baked goods and snacks to see the savings add up. Skip the packaged frozen dinners and throw together your own stir-fry or other entrée. You might say “I don’t bake!” or “I don’t cook!” but there is an abundance of simple recipes available and once you get started you might find a new hobby! The simple bread recipe in this article is a great way to start: http://thriftyjinxy.blogspot.com/2008/02/bread-prices-rising-again-what-can-you.html

Grow Your Own – If you have outdoor space, even a small garden can provide you with a lot of fresh produce in the warmer months. Even if you only have a balcony or patio, you can plant some basics in containers (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, herbs) and have fresh produce at your fingertips. Just remember to water them! If you don’t have outdoor space or you want home-grown produce year-round, you can use an AeroGarden. You can grow greens, tomatoes, peppers, herbs and more – right on your kitchen counter!

Buy Direct from Local Farms – Many farms sell directly to consumers. Like food from a farmers market, direct from the farm is about as fresh as you can get. To find farms that sell directly, you can check your state’s Department of Agriculture web site, or try http://www.eatwild.com/index.html Another way to buy from local farms is to…..

Subscribe to a CSA – A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) subscription is a way to receive a weekly bundle of locally grown produce and other farm products. In most cases, you pay up-front for a full season of produce. Then each week you receive a selection that is currently ripe and ready for harvest. To find out more about CSAs and locate one in your area, check out http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

Use Coupons – As organic foods become more and more popular, the larger manufacturers are distributing more coupons to attract consumers to their brands. Check for coupons at the customer service desk of your natural food store. There are also many web sites with coupons available – either to print or to sign up for mailings. A great list of these is compiled here: http://www.grocerycouponguide.com/articles/organic-coupons-natural-food-coupons/

By putting these tips into practice, you should be able to enjoy a healthy, tasty, environmentally friendly diet without spending a fortune. If you have any other tips for budget-friendly organic eating, or have any thoughts on this post, please leave a comment!

This article is currently featured in the Festival of Frugality. Check out the other great articles too!

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

Don't just recycle - REUSE! 10 Uses for Plastic Milk Jugs

We all know the refrain “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”, but sometimes forget those 3 words are phrased in that order for a reason – their order of impact. We can help the environment the most by reducing consumption. The second biggest impact comes from reuse. So, whenever possible, it's better to reuse than to recycle. Recycling is great, but many resources are consumed in the recycling process. It’s easy to throw an empty container in the recycling bin, but if you can actually find a practical new use for that container you're helping the environment even more.

This issue came up for me personally with regard to plastic milk jugs. For the last few years our next-door-neighbor asked for all our empty jugs. She's an avid gardener and uses the jugs as planting containers and transfer containers for digging up plants to share with others. Well, several months ago, she let me know that she had enough jugs to last for quite some time. So, I was left with the question of what to do with my empty jugs. Here is a list of ways to reuse them.

1. Fill with water and use to fill empty spaces in your freezer. Your freezer runs more efficiently when it is full! – Then when filling a cooler you can use these as ice packs.


2. Make a funnel - Cut of the bottom of the jug and turn upside down


3. Fill the jug with small stones and place it in your toilet tank to displace water and reduce the amount of water used per flush.


4. Fill with sand as use as weights to hold down a tarp or anything else you don’t want flying away.


5. Make a bird feeder (click for details)


6. Cut off the jug bottoms for use as refrigerator organizers. They can be used to keep produce organized and also are great for holding condiment bottles and catching drips.


7. Make a scoop. Leave the cap on and cut off the bottom portion. Use the handle as the handle for the scoop.


8. Use them to store dry goods (rice, sugar, etc.)


9. Make a watering can - Use a small nail to poke about 20 holes in the cap.


10. Do a fun craft project like this skeleton (click for details)

Finding the BEST Reusable Shopping Bags

I love my reusable shopping bags, but I admit it took me a while to find ones that I liked. I figured that since they were something I would be using often and for a long time, I should like both the way they worked AND they way they looked. I hated the bags for sale at our local Cub grocery store. The shape and function of them were good, but they were an ugly cardboard brown color with a big red Cub Foods logo - ugh. I waited and waited until I actually found the same bag but with a nicer design at a different grocery store while on vacation! It's a great bag because it's sturdy with a flat bottom - so it stands up on its own. I've been searching for the same bag online and found World of Thanks Reusable Tote Bags. I wish I had found them earlier, because I paid more for mine at the grocery store!


The other bag that I LOVE is one that I won from a sweepstakes. It is made of canvas and has long straps so you can carry the bag on your shoulder. This is the bag I always fold up and keep in my purse for unexpected shopping trips. After doing a search, I found these Groovy Earth Canvas Grocery Tote Bags. They have 22" handles so would be great for over the shoulder.

So, whether you choose to go with one of these bags, or continue to search for your own "perfect" bags, these are some things to keep in mind when making your selection:

• The bag should be washable. It will be holding food so you want it clean!
• You need a sturdy bag, capable of holding heavy items
• A flat-bottomed bag is great for keeping your bags upright in the back of your car or on the floor of the bus
• If you will be walking longer distances with your bag, you might want a bag with over-the-sholder handles
• The bag should be lightweight - it will be heavy enough with the food in it!
• Choose a bag you like to look at - you'll have it for a long time

Healthy Baking Tips - Replacements & Additions

Homemade baked goods are yummy (and overall a better option than store-bought) but often very UNHEALTHY, so here are a few tips that I use to help rate my goodies a little higher on the health scale.

Healthy Baking Tips

• Replace butter or oil with an equal amount of applesauce
• Replace all or part of the flour with whole wheat flour
• In many types of cookies you can decrease the amount of sugar by up to ½
• Replace an egg with one Tbsp soy flour and one Tbsp water
• Add 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp wheat germ

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

Moving Away from Processed Foods

As Jinxy and I mentioned yesterday, Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma has caused us to take a hard look at what and how we are eating. YES, we are guilty of enjoying our processed foods - a double-edged sword that both makes us less healthy and also adds to the strain on our environment. So, we are trying to change that. We have been breaking out the bread maker and also making some yummy cookies. These taste better than anything at the store, are quick to make and are fairly healthy (considering they ARE cookies!)

Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/4 cup applesauce
2 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips or crushed dark chocolate bar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together applesauce, butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir flour mixture into first mixture and mix well. Then stir in oats, followed by the chocolate. Place rounded tsp-full 2 inches apart on an Exopat baking mats on a cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes.

You can bake these directly on the cookie sheets, but I love using the Exopat mats because they don't stick AT ALL and the clean-up is super easy. Once you take off the cookies you just shake it clean and store it away. They're also guaranteed to last up to 3,000 bakings. Click on the picture for more info.


This recipe is featured in Fifth Edition “Heavenly” Healthy Recipe Blog Carnival. Check out some more great recipes there!

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

The Omnivore's Dilemma

Welcome to our new blog. Jinxy and I are excited to be here! We first wanted to tell you about an amazing book we just finished reading: "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan.
Basically, ANYONE WHO EATS should read this book. Pollan goes into great detail to discover the inner-workings of farming and food production in the U.S. He first discusses "industrial food" and the amazing impact of corn. Did you realize that a huge number of the foods found in the supermarket have corn in them? Many of those undecipherable ingredients on a food label (calcium citrate, maltodextrin, propylene glycol) are actually corn products. Additionally, the meat department could more-or-less be re-named the "animal processed corn department" as most all commercially raised meat is fed corn. I personally found the section about corn to be absolutely fascinating and eye-opening.

The book then goes on to discuss organic farming - both traditional "small-time" farming and the newer "Big Organic" which provides the majority of organic foods. The differences between these two processes are many - - as are the similarities between "Big Organic" and conventional industrial farming.

The last section concerns hunting/gathering. Pollan describes his experiences hunting wild pig in Northern California, as well as foraging for mushrooms. He acknowledges that this lifestyle is not practical for today, but does incorprate ideas from this lifestyle into the overall theme of our relationship and evolution concerning food.

This is a book that has made me consciously consider everything I have purchased or consumed since reading it and will definitely continue to make an impact on my future actions......and Jinxy's too!

And now his new book: