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Organic groceries can be costly as compared to their non-organic counterparts, but it is difficult to deny the health and environmental benefits of eating natural and organic foods. One way of making organics more affordable is by using coupons. One way to obtain     coupons is directly from the manufacturers’ websites. Many manufacturers offer special discounts, coupons and free samples if you sign up to receive their newsletters. I maintain a separate email account that I use specifically for this purpose, so that I am not bombarded by these “special offers” when I go to my personal inbox.  I regularly check this email account, which I jokingly refer to as my “fake email”, when planning trips for the week to see if there are any new offers available. Some manufactures will even allow you to print coupons directly from their own websites. Here are a few manufacturer’s websites that are offering great discounts now:

Many local health food stores also allow you to print coupons from their website. These “Health-E-Coupons” can be redeemed at any retailer since they are manufacturer coupons and are generally for national brands. For example, one health food store, Thyme and Season, located in Hamden, Connecticut provides coupons from their website: http://www.thymeandseasonnaturalmarket.com/.

Mambo Sprouts is a coupon distribution program that provides consumers in the Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore/Washington, D.C., Chicago, Denver/Boulder, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles metro areas with value-packed booklets for a wide range of brands such as  Kashi, Clif Bars, De Boles pasta, and Organic Valley products. You can print coupons directly from their site at: http://coupons.mambosprouts.com/online_coupons.
You can also sign up to receive their booklets in the mail (definitely worth the minute of your time) or  find out which stores in your area distribute these booklets. Another coupon booklet is distributed by Organic Earth Day  www.organicearthday.org. Check back soon to receive information on their annual booklet in April!

Other coupon sites that you may find useful include:

  • http://www.couponsinc.com/corp/source/cp_clientlist.asp , a site that links to coupons for many national brands (and if you like the product, you may print it twice if you use the back button).
  • http://www.couponmom.com/  is an  invaluable resource for those learning the ropes on using sales and coupons to their advantage, and where you can even compare deals before you shop at the major chains. It’s Supermarket Shopper even will alert you where you can redeem coupons to receive items for free!
  • Do not overlook  traditional coupon sites such as http://www.redplum.com/ and http://coupons.smartsource.com/, I have found many great coupons for many natural organic brand names, such as Cascadian Farms, Barbara’s Bakery, and Muir Glen.

Another great way to obtain coupons (and lots of them) is to perform a Google search for  coupons for products you love or check out the company website. If there are no coupons or offers available, don’t hesitate to contact the manufacturer via email or snail mail and politely ask them if they have any coupons that they would be able to mail to you…I have done this on rainy days or when my daughter was sleeping, and have been pleasantly surprised by what they had to offer! Including coupons for free items! Speaking of free items, for a limited time, Kashi is sending coupons for a free frozen entrée. You may fill out the form here http://www.kashi.com/picturehunt to request your free meal.

When it comes to organic produce: If you are on a tight budget,  but are still concerned about toxins and pesticides , check out the Environmental Working Group’s website: http://www.ewg.org/ and learn which fruits and vegetables make the “Dirty Dozen”, a list of  fruits and vegetables that are best purchased in their organic form, and which crops aren’t as heavily sprayed.

If organic produce is an absolute must for you, you could always grow your own at a relatively low cost. Home-grown organic produce results in the least impact on the environment as there are no carbon emissions from the transportation of the goods. Also, check out your local farmers market, or even support a local farm. You can learn more about supporting local agriculture by visiting the site, http://www.localharvest.org/ The site also has a link to CSA programs (Community Supported Agriculture) where you can purchase a share of a local and/or organic farm at the start of the season and receive a basket of fresh produce each week (a real bargain in many cases). One share of a local organic farm with a variety of goods was listed at $475 a share for a 15-week season…so that’s 15 baskets of fresh organic produce will be available for pick-up at a reasonable price and you’d also be supporting local, organic, green agriculture. (Note: Just as some risk is assumed when purchasing stock, the outcome/ benefit of purchasing a share of a farm will vary depending on  the success of the growing season.) Some of the farms even have a working share program where you can volunteer a few (about 3) hours a week in exchange for their produce.

Are you Gluten-Free? We know that healthy foods for those with dietary limitations can be quite costly. Our friend Jennifer over at Gluten-Free Inspired recently posted some great tips for being a Savvy Gluten-Free Shopper.

We hope you find these money saving tips helpful; it really is possible to save some green while being green! If you have any of your own tips and tricks for saving money on healthy and environmentally friendly products…please feel free to post them in our comments section!