The Environment Site Green Living Guides
How to save money when buying organic foodIt is true that many organic foods--fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, eggs, and prepacked foods--do cost more. But the one thing to keep in mind is that organic food means higher-quality food; artisan and handmade touches, smaller batches, obsessive attention to the freshest, most delicious ingredients. Organic and gourmet go hand in hand.
 But since we all like saving money, here are four tips:
- Sign up for a free shopper’s-club savings card. Many supermarkets have a bonus card program so they can collect valuable data on consumer habits, helping them stock the stores with items their customers actually buy.
- Store brands can save you money. Decades ago, supermarkets created “no-frills brands” that lacked expensive packaging, and passed the savings on to the consumer. These generic items were easily identifiable by their plain, black-and-white packaging. Today, supermarkets have evolved generic into store brands. These are high-quality, gourmet varieties of popular items like soy milk, chocolates, olive oil, canned beans, frozen fruits and vegetables, and much more, often made with organic ingredients at lower prices.
- Search the Internet. Many organic food companies offer printable coupons available on their Web sites.
- Buy in bulk. Warehouse clubs are beginning to carry a wide variety of eco-friendly household items (recycled paper towels, cleaning supplies) and organic food items; larger quantities up-front, mean bigger savings at the register. Consider buying the essentials you will always need: cold-pressed organic olive-oil, recycled paper toilet tissue, a big bag of organic lemons (if you are planning to make freshly squeezed lemonade for a party, etc.)
26.11.2006. 02:15
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