The question I get asked the most (aside from "how do you have the time?") is "how can you afford to eat the way you do?". But, honestly, I am spending the same amount of money, or in some cases, less that what we were spending before on food. So, how do we do it? Read on...
Most importantly, my definition of organic has changed. In the past, especially during my years of kickboxing and weight lifting, organic to me meant rows of processed nutrition bars, boxes of cereal, and all sorts of products made with soy. It also meant trips to specialty stores, or at the very least, a health food store smelling of protein powders. Now, my idea of organic is food in it's original form, grown without the use of chemicals or artificial means. It also means avoiding processed foods, especially those with high fructose corn syrup in them.
It is important to give up traditional ways of shopping for food and look to the conventional supermarket as a back-up plan, not as a primary means of locating and purchasing food. We do often buy our milk from the supermarket, as the closest farm with raw milk is a good driving distance at the moment. And, sometimes we buy our non-perishables there, too, but mostly we have hunted for alternatives.
So, where do we get our food from? In the summer, we shop at the weekly farmer's markets. Local, just-picked foods are abundant here, and the ability to ask a farmer about growing techniques, storage, and cooking tips can't be beat. There are often great deals to be had on slightly misshapen fruits and veggies, and some farmers will start tossing "just a little something" in your bag each week once they get to know you well.
We also joined a community-supported agriculture program, or CSA. For one up-front sum, we get a fresh box of veggies every week (enough to feed my family of 4 and both my parents). My kids love to visit the farm and talk to the farmers about what they see. We usually walk away with a few extra treasures here, too. Fresh picked flowers, a few of the overabundant beans, or some of the rapidly growing kale at the end of season are some of the wonderful give-aways.
Another great option is to join a co-op or buying club. Ours is the foodshed buying club, and for a very small fee ($15 per year!), we are able to order local meats, cheeses, yogurt, eggs, produce, organic fresh baked bread, honey, maple syrup, and more. Our weekly order is then brought to a central location near our home every Friday. The prices are the same as for high quality foods in the supermarket, but the taste can't be beat. we don't have to drive to all the separate farms, and we are able to walk away with a huge bag of groceries without all the temptations of the checkout line.
Another great money saver is bulk buying. This can be done with seasonal foods, such as fresh picked berries in spring and summer. It takes a little research to discover the best, tastiest ways to store them for future use, but the rewards are amazing. Our non-perishables are also bought in bulk at our local big box store. Most carry organic products now such as chicken stock, canned tomatoes, and other products for the shelf or freezer. If you really want to get adventuresome, you can even buy a whole cow...cut to your liking and frozen. I have yet to go this far, but still an option.
Of course, the best way to get local foods on the cheap is to learn to grow your own. It takes research, and a good deal of dirty work (pun intended) to get a garden started, but if you do it right, the payoff is immense and the workload through the following seasons is minimal. Learn what grows best in your climate, and if you don't have a lot of land, what grows best in pots. My blog will turn mostly to this aspect in the coming weeks as we start to grow our veggie plants from seed.
Of course, mix and match all these ideas to create the plan best for your family. And start small. Buy the items your family uses most or go organic with those items that are most risky if exposed to chemicals or hormones. Or, like my family did, start with those products that just taste better when local and fresh (like eggs and produce).
Of course, this just hits the tip of the iceberg of savings. The best way to cut costs in is the preparation and storage areas...more on that later!
I should also add that most of my bagged pantry staples come from a small, local grocer (the Olde Kountry Store) where big bulk items are split and sold in very affordable smaller bags. We buy flour, sugar, and such at about half the cost of supermarket prices. They also have great prices on snacks (like the bag of alphabet pretzels for a couple dollars) and lunch meats and cheeses (we buy maple smoked ham at $3.99/ pound). Deals are out there, it just takes looking.
For ideas on where to find CSA farms, co-ops or buying clubs, and farmers markets in your area, the best resource I have used is localharvest.org .
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