By Lara Kimbrell of The SNSPost
Many years ago, I was a coupon queen. I had my coupon organizer in meticulous shape. I would scan all of the sale ads, cross check my coupons and hit the stores. Shopping was like writing a dissertation. But I would beam with pride when someone behind me in line would gawk in amazement at the $40 that I would routinely get knocked off of my grocery bill. During those times, I was young, broke and had no time to cook from scratch.
Now that I am a bit older and (ahem!) wiser, I try to feed my family healthy, whole foods. I have a large organic garden, raise chickens, and routinely cook from scratch using as few prepared foods as possible. This new lifestyle has made the weekly search for coupons in the newspaper a waste of time. In the hundreds of coupons, I might fine one or two that meet the requirements of wholesomeness that I want for my family. Despite the “natural” and “whole grain” labels on many products, these products are still full of GMO corn, excessive amounts of sugar, artificial colors and flavors and preservatives. Is there any way to save on the wholesome organic foods that I buy? Yes! To find the deals, you have to go look for them.
The first thing that I do is keep track of prices. I have a great little app for my android phone called Grocery King. I’ve used it for a couple of years, and it just keeps getting better. I can easily enter prices for items that I purchase. I can even enter items into my database by simply scanning the bar code. That was helpful last weekend when I stopped in at Kroger for milk and I saw that my family’s favorite organic granola bars were on sale for $4.99 a box. I remembered that I paid less at my usual grocery store so I decided to wait. The next day I went to my HEB store and got them for $1.98 a box using a $1 in-store coupon. Even without the coupon, the granola bars were still $2 less at my usual store. It pays to pay attention as I usually buy four or five boxes at a time.
For coupons, there are many online sources. I will share some of my favorite below. If you have some favorite organic brands that you routinely use, check out their web page and Facebook page. Usually being a fan or signing up for a free newsletter is an easy way to get coupons and promotions sent directly to you. Companies love to reward their loyal shoppers! Check out the following for coupons and deals on most everything that is green.
Arrowhead Mills Organic and gluten free baking products.
Cascadian Farms Become a Facebook Fan for deals. Huge line of organic foods. My kids love their cereals and granola bars!
Horizon Dairy Coupons for their organic dairy products.
Organic Deals Shop by store, item or event. This is an awesome place to start all of your shopping!
Mambo Sprouts Huge variety of discounts found here! Great for in-store and online deals.
Muir Glen I love their tomato products and soups. Join their “connoisseur’s club” for discounts.
Pristine Planet Tons and tons of deals! From clothing to jewelry and furniture, this site has it all.
Simply Organic Coupons for the Simply Organic brand products.
Whole Foods Get coupons to use in-store.
Of course a great way to save on organic groceries is to buy local, in-season produce or grow your own. Skip prepared products and make your own. My list is just a starting place. There are tons of deals to be had out there if you know where to look. What steps do you take to make a green lifestyle more affordable?
Lara Kimbrell, AKA GreenTXmom & Physicschick, is a wife & mother to three precious little boys. Her family is her whole world & inspire her in so many ways. Alsoa regular contributor to The SNSPost & a published childrens author, she’s a physicist w/ a degree from Texas A&M & taught H.S. physics for years. She became interested in environmental health due to her oldest son’s asthma & inspired by her curious children she writes to engage all children in the amazing world of physical sciences.
