Stretching our dollars to afford Organic and safe products

Thanks!  I'm going to look on line for that.  I had the made for tv one before, but I think I broke it from over use.

This is a great thread; thanks for starting this one. We struggle with this in our family. I have 3 growing children, so we really have to stretch our dollars.  I buy organic for the dirty dozen whenever I can. When I can't buy organic, I purchase frozen veggies.  I often wash non-organic vegetables in apple cider vinegar to get pesticide residue off the vegetables. 

As for cleaning, I use vinegar / water solution for just about every surface in our house. It cleans nicely. If the stain is too much, or if I can't get it off with vinegar, I will use a "regular" cleaning product in small doses.

I follow the "Fly Lady" website for cleaning, and she advocates that one should use leftover shampoos / handpump soaps to clean toilets with. So, when the shampoo gets to the end of the bottle, I usually mix it with water, and use for toilet/countertop/sink cleaning in our bathrooms.  

I buy all our meats at Whole Foods, and I just keep a stash of frozen chicken strips in the freezer. I add to our soups, vegetables, etc when I am cooking. It's an easy way to get a little protein into my kids' meals, and the bag of frozen chicken is about $11.... we eat a lot of chicken, rice and veggies in our household!

How do I get a large bag of brown rice? I have never found a large bag of this-- at Costco, Sams, Whole Foods, or regular grocery store.  We have problems with meal moths because I buy so much at WF, so all my pastas, rice, and bread is stashed in our fridge and freezer. I have tried to get rid of them, but the minute I put the rice/pasta/bread back in our pantry, they reappear, despite frantic cleaning of all surfaces in my pantry! I've tried storing the pasta products in plastic boxes, etc, but the meal moths always come back! 

I have the problem with the moths too. I keep all my flour, noodles, cereal ect. in the frig. I think it's because of the heat we have here.

I agree vinegar is a great cleaning agent. I grew up using ammonia, but find I prefer the vinegar now.

I also wash my vegetables and fruits with a solution of water a bit of dish soap, and a bit of bleach. I think I got the idea form Dr. Oz.

The public library is a great money-saver and resource. As noted earlier, being able to test-drive cookbooks is great and, depending on your library, there can be DVDs and CDs free for the borrowing, kids' books, free internet access, eBooks to borrow and download to your computer or smart device, classes and workshops, audio books, lectures and public readings. Libraries are awesome!

Judith and the Mods

Thanks Merilee looks like a good find.

Google "Naturally Savvy".  It is a natural and organic food website that sometimes offers coupons and samples.  I just signed up to be a product tester.  I will have to try products and answer a survey about them.  I expect they will offer coupons with the products.

Anyone got a good scrubbing solution that doesn't have Comet-like ingredients?  There used to be a wonderful one called Bon Ami...can't find it anywhere now.  Also, how about whitening alternatives for white surfaces and clothes?  That is something I always had a hard time compensating for, I never used bleach.

LtotheK Bon Ami is still on the market (or was the last time I bought it, a year ago?)  Can't remember where I bought it, the health food store or ? Until you find it, can you use a paste of baking soda? (not sure if that scrubs enough)

Edit: I justed google Bon Ami. They sell it at Amazon, among other places. 

I wasn't sure, just know that All Clad recommends it.

I am going to look for the Bon Ami!  Thanks.

Is Bon Ami less toxic than Comet? I have trouble keeping our bathtub clean using pure vinegar, so I have often resorted to Lysol Cleaner with Bleach. Yuck.  I take a lot of baths with Epsom Salts, so the tub gets dirty after a few baths. If Bon Ami is less toxic, I'd certainly like to give it a try.

Love this thread, lot's of great ideas. thanks merilee