Stretching our dollars to afford Organic and safe products

Merilee - this is a great thread - thinking of water - I heard something on NPR recently where a guy was talking about how much water we waste - said that now that he's done the research he does things like save all the odds & ends of water from cooking, drinking, etc. in a bucket and waters his plants/gardens w/that. Also - there is an up-front cost to buy one, but rain barrels go right under your downspouts (or out in the yard if you're allowed as a renter) and can catch a lot - also great for gardens and plants.

As for foods - I cook my own beans - amazing how long you can stretch a pound of beans. I cook them in quantity and then use them and/or freeze them for future use. So as not to waste produce, I made up something called "green soup" - I put all the odds and ends of broccoli, leafy greens, scallions, garlic, etc. in a big stock pot where I've sauteed an onion or two in some oil, then put in low-sodium chicken broth to cover it all, cook it until it's soft and then puree it (I have a stick blender but you could also let it cook and puree in a blender).  S&P to taste, serve it with a drizzle of olive oil or some crumbled/shredded cheese on top - very healthy, very tasty and very economical.

Sarah 

hire someone to set up a garden for you.  i want to have some guy come in, till the soil (it's pretty hard in this part of KS. and work in my now decomposted compost pile.  I certainly am not up to that myself.  Learn to can and freeze (easy).

-apple who planted her garden to close to the street and the roaming deers who ate the plants.. not just the fruit.. the whole plants.  Oddly, they did not like green and hot peppers.. they ate the leaves and left the fruit.  yay.

I coupon and save $$ on household items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, soap/body wash, makeup, toliet paper, vitamins, cleaning supplies, laundry and dish soap.  Often these items are either free or highly discounted if you purchase them while they are on sale, use a store coupon + a manufacturer coupon.  I started last year and I am amazed at how much one can save on these items.  Toothbrushes--free, toothpaste, never more than $1, shampoos/soap etc at least 75% off.

I don't purchase many food items with coupons.  I have found coupons for some organic frozen fruits/veggies online, as well as coupons for almond milk, or organic dairy that I will use.  But we now eat more veggie dishes at home which helps me save money for when we purchase organic and/or hormone free foods. 

I like the water idea.  Although we don't pay for water, it is something we should all be doing.

Apple is right - freezing extras is easy. If good veggies are on sale, I'll buy more, and freeze the extra. This works well when produce is in season.  Eating in-season produce is also more economical.

We had a small garden this summer and hardly had to go to the store. We canned and froze (and gave away) the surplus.  When we do go to town, I try to make a list, then fill the carts and the car, and go to the stores as seldom as possible, (except for milk & bread). We call it commando shopping - in and out with a purpose.   Not going into stores so often saves a LOT of money! I buy brown rice in bulk (25# bags) , and store it in the freezer so it won't go rancid.  Having a pantry is so helpful - we've been able to eat out of it for months when things were rough financially. 

The first pantry I had, when I was about 25, started with a sack of rice and a sack of dried beans.

I like the saving-water ideas.  Merilee your house must be a delight of greenery and clean air! 78 houseplants!  I've been reading how certain house plants help clean the air in your home.

ETA: Making sprouts can save money too, using them in salads, soups, sandwiches, into breads.  I've done alfalfa, mung, lentil, soy, wheat sprouts and all are delicious and easy, and you're eating fresh stuff within a few days. I get the seeds at the health food store, and a tablespoon of alfalfa seeds makes a quart of greens, in days.

Great ideas so far!

I recently discovered that Amazon has this program called "Subscribe and Save" - if you agree to have an item delivered to you regularly (e.g. once a month, once every 3 months), you save something like 15% or 20%.  What this means for me is that a bottle of Tumericforce is $23 at my local health food store, but only $12 if I subscribe through Amazon.

I'm also a member of Harris Poll online surveys.  You get points for taking surveys that are pretty quick and easy, and eventually you can trade in your points for gift cards.  It's not SUCH a great deal - I get a $5 Amazon gift card every 3 to 5 months - but it's easy, and worth it to me.

I've joined a local time trade/bartering network, which definitely saves money.  e.g. I walk someone's dog once a week, and use the "time credits" that I earn through that to have other people cut my hair, give me a ride to the airport, etc.

Lunch bags: one woman I know uses waxed paper, and stitches pieces into sandwich-size bags.  When she bakes for bake sales, she also makes waxed paper bags for cookies/etc. I don't know how it works out $-wise, but she feels it's more earth-friendly.

Another $ help is to grow a few herbs - buying fresh parsley or basil etc. can get spendy, but having your own, that you cut when you want, is pretty cheap and you know what you're getting.  If you have space outside, many are perennials (I have sage, rosemary, lavender, mint, thyme, and parsley as perennials in pots, basil as an annual).

Riffing off ElmCity69's suggestion on vegetable stock - two more ideas. One - if you think you might like a cookbook (or need inspiration, etc.) the library is a GREAT and FREE source. I often go browse the aisles there and get a bunch of things, try some stuff out, copy it down, send it back. Two - veggie stock is easy and delicious to make, as is chicken stock - and you can get some of the best stock-making parts, oftentimes for free from your butcher (or the butcher in your supermarket) - necks, backs, etc. Just ask and see - then for meat you can get big packs of organic chicken legs for less $, use some and freeze the rest.

Sarah 

I have a water purifier attached to my sink. It has 2 hoses expelling water anytime the faucet is turned on. I catch the drinking or which ever water I am not using at the time in a bucket and use it in the washer.

Hi, Merilee ~ Great tips here!  Thanks so much for starting this thread.

I've spent a lot over the years on environmentally safe cleaning products, but the only ones I still buy are laundry product and stuff for the dishwasher.  For everything else I've switched to vinegar and water -- 1/2 cup white vinegar in a quart spray bottle and fill with water.  It works surprisingly well at a fraction of the cost of store bought household cleaners.

I've also done some bartering.  My best deal was a pool table our family wasn't getting much use out of any longer for a kitchen paint job.  I actually found a professional painter who was looking for a pool table on Craig's List, and he did a beautiful job!      Deanna 

We have water restrictions here, so we have a water tank - just for the garden. I also used to leave buckets out to catch any rain water, but stopped due to an increase in mosquitos. We also have solar hot water and have had for over 30 years. It does save us a lot in the electricity bill.

We don't ever have take away food - I cook everything - even pizza and fish and chips. I make my lunch everyday for work - things like that can save you a fortune.

Sue

 DH and I always took our homemade lunches to work --   Huge savings there, cumulative.

One of my "little things" is using cloth table napkins most of the time.  They are so small & easy to keep up with in the laundry; and guests think I'm using them because they, the guests, are really special. win-win.

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I have found that certain organic items are available at Costco but they are in larger quantities.  I usually buy organic milk, chicken, ground beef, quinoa, eggs, spinach, carrots for sure at Costco because they are cheaper than regular stores.  I also found that if you are trying to avoid hormones, if you buy imported cheese (imported from Europe) it is hormone free.  Hormones are banned in Europe.  The cheese won't be organic but it will be hormone free.  Trader Joe's has a good selection of hormone free cheeses for the best price.  After I am writing this...I realized a few months ago I wrote on my cooking blog my best priced organic finds at various stores....it's on a tab on my blog if you want to look. I also found that if you can find a local place that sells Amish chickens, those are hormone free and usually less expensive than organic. 

Where did you get the cheese slicer bedo?  I want to start that.  That would work for me.

Padiddle, I was interested in trying something like that.  Is that like a vacuum cleaner, or does it have a wand to clean like the barbecue grill and shower and things?