It seems to be a common misconception that eating organic is super expensive, but we are here to tell you that this is not true. Eating organic can be just as cheap, if not cheaper, than eating take-away and packaged foods.

When you consider not only how many additives and preservatives are in packaged foods, not to mention how sprayed non-organic produce is, it makes sense to eat organic food as much as possible.

Believe us we were sceptical too and thought that eating organic would add a massive chunk of $$ to our grocery bill, but in actual fact, the reality is our food bills have gone down.

So here are some handy hints and tips to get you eating organic food.

Buy In Bulk And Save

There are some amazing food co-ops all around the world. Just google your area and see what comes up, yep it’s that easy.  Failing that, you could start your own. Some of our favourite places to buy in bulk from are Honest to Goodness and Organics On A Budget.

There are plenty of butchers that will do bulk packs of meat as well, it’s just a matter of asking around. Buy a side of beef and split it with friends, or freeze it yourself. You will save heaps by buying in bulk.

If you can, buy direct from the farmer. This will save you even more.

When buying meat wherever possible buy grass-fed and locally farmed meat.

Use Your Freezer More

Stock up when things are in season (or on sale) and freeze them. We both have a second freezer, as we both freeze pretty much everything we can. Peeled garlic, diced onions, fresh berries, stewed fruits, fresh lemon juice (or lime), pureed homegrown tomatoes and so much more.

Basically, rather than wasting something that is nearly ready to go off or stale, freeze it. It might turn out ok, and it might not, but at least you have tried. You will be surprised what freezes just fine.

We also like to keep all our bread in the freezer and don’t ever throw out the crusts because you can use them to make breadcrumbs, saving you even more money.

If you don’t have a second freezer, search through your local buy, swap and sell pages as second-hand ones are readily available.

Shop Locally

Head to your local farmers market as their produce is often a lot cheaper. There will also be the farmer’s who will most likely use less chemicals as the produce isn’t required to be stored for as long. Just ask the supplier if it’s organic or not. It might not have an organic certification as this is really expensive to get, but it might still be pesticide-free, which is a great alternative.

Also, chatting to the local farmers might enable you to buy direct from them, rather than at the market. This can sometimes save you even more as it is packed in bulk and you have to sort it out yourself, but that can be worth the effort if you are saving money.

Make Meals From Scratch

By simply cooking all your food from scratch you are filling yourself up with wholesome, nutrient-dense foods which will make you feel full for longer. This means you don’t need to buy as much food to feel full.  You’ll also stop snacking as much, so only eating three meals a day which will save you money too.  Not sure what to cook? Then head on over to our website as we have over 400 recipes there to give you plenty of ideas and inspiration.

Start Sharing More

Do you have a few friends that also like to cook and create? Start sharing your food around. Basically, if someone makes sauce, someone makes jam, the next makes relish etc then all you need to do is swap with each other. This way you are all saving money and time, and you all end up with a mix of homemade goods to take home.

As they say … “more hands make light work”.

Grow Your Own

Even if you don’t have a green thumb there are plenty of things you can grow yourself. Tracey grows tomatoes, onions, celery, parsley, strawberries, rosemary, chillies, garlic, lemons and blueberries, along with a stack of other herbs.

Tomatoes are really easy and can be grown in pots if you don’t have room for them in your garden. Herbs are super easy as well and perfect to fill in blank patches around your garden beds. Just plant them in with the flowers. This is the same for carrots, lettuce, zucchini and so much more.

There are some great websites to help you – we love Sustainable Living Guide and Gardening Australia.

So as you can see eating organic produce doesn’t have to be expensive, everyone can do it. It might take a little extra effort to start off with, but you will reap the benefits because the side effects of good health will be worth it.  Then after a few months, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start this years ago.

Tracey and Jo
xx