There's nothing like good weather that gets me in the mood for cooking in my kitchen, which inevitably leads to more trips to the grocery store. Although some may think supermarkets that focus on natural and organic foods are too expensive, there are plenty of ways to cut costs on your grocery bill. I talked to Lindsay Lehfeld from the Whole Foods team who shared with me 10 ways they can help you save.
To choose organic, or not to choose organic: that is the question. Whether it is nobler to choose better quality and suffer the outrageous fortune at the cash register or buy conventional items that are lighter on the wallet. Luckily, we have done the dirty work for you by comparing the prices of 10 common groceries. You might be surprised how comparable some of the prices are. If you choose the completely conventional route, all of these groceries add up to $34.22 a week. Likewise, if you opt for 100 percent organic fare, you will pay $53.41 a week. That's a $19.19 difference, which may seem pretty steep.
You'll notice we have checked off our Savvy Picks. You might be wondering why we're opting for the more expensive organic animal products. If you haven't seen Food Inc., you should definitely educate yourself on the conventional animal farming practices in the USA. Think: cramped animals in unsanitary conditions that are fed hormones, steroids, and antibiotics to synthetically accelerate their growth and prevent illness. In our opinion, sometimes the quality of organic food trumps the price of its conventional counterpart, and our Savvy Picks reflect which foods we think are worth going organic.
Ultimately, only you can decide what feels best for you and your budget. It might make sense for you to buy cheaper coffee and cereal to save up for organic milk. Or, maybe you're paying off a credit card, and every cent you save counts. Now's the time to calculate all of your options, so you can stick to your budget while shopping.
See the complete breakdown of organic vs. conventional foods here.
We always talk about saving money on groceries, but I'm wondering what are the common staples you reach for in the grocery store. I always get items like milk, eggs, bread, chicken, fish, bananas, oranges, and some fresh vegetables like broccoli, green beans, or lettuce. To satisfy my soda addiction, I occasionally buy some sparkling water, and once in a while I reach for some cheese! As you can see, I don't really buy processed meats or frozen foods.
I know all of us have different diets, but I'm interested to know what the typical grocery list looks like. What do you reach for when your browsing the aisles of your local grocery store? Don't be afraid to add your whole list!
We might not all qualify for the TLC show Extreme Couponing, but a lot of us (to an extent) use coupons to cut costs. As food prices keep on rising, many will employ new strategies to cope with the ding on their wallets. So who exactly is couponing? A recent survey by Harris Interactive and Coupons.com shows that clipping coupons is fast becoming picked up by Americans looking to save. In fact, 95 percent of respondents say they are actively employing some sort of saving strategy at the supermarket, and coupons are the most popular choice. Here is an interesting breakdown of the statistics:
The results are pretty surprising because you would think those who need to save more money would rely on coupons more.
