Buying Organic on a Budget

For nearly everything you buy there is an organic version. But with tightening budgets and rising grocery costs, can you afford to only buy organic? To help you stay within budget it might be best to focus on the foods for which the organic label really matter.



These are known as the Dirty Dozen and whenever possible you should purchase organic.

1. Peaches


2. Apples


3. Sweet Bell Peppers


4. Celery


5. Nectarines


6. Strawberries


7. Cherries


8. Pears


9. Grapes (Imported)


10. Spinach


11. Lettuce


12. Potatoes

The following dozen are less dirty and okay to purchase the conventionally grown:

1. Onions


2. Avocado


3. Sweet Corn (Frozen)


4. Pineapples


5. Mango


6. Asparagus


7. Sweet Peas (Frozen)


8. Kiwi Fruit


9. Bananas


10. Cabbage


11. Broccoli


12. Papaya

Of course the benefits of organically grow food go beyond your table. They are better for our soil and water. But if to keep your budget in tact you may need to focus on the dirty dozen.

And since I can never remember this short list of items I find this wallet size guide from the Environmental Working Group quite handy.

Throw a Coupon Party (Cheap Fun Week)

Having fun doesn't have to ruin your finances. This week we're exploring the offbeat, new and old means of entertainment. And if these don't do it for you, well you can just take a hike--for free!

It started out as a question on a yahoo group that I belong to and since then it's been building into cheap fun. Some women that I know started trading grocery shopping strategies via the group forum. Now they meet on Sunday afternoons to peruse the grocery store fliers and coupons. Because no one really buys just what is offered in the Sunday circular they openly trade their coupons over coffee at one hostesses home. Some of these families claim that they save 50, 60, 70% or more on their grocery bills by using coupons. And now that they've added the Sunday gathering they're having a good time doing it.

They're also swapping tips such as excel spreadsheets, coupon organizing systems, grocery store shopping strategies...even bagging methods that quicken the unloading time.

Coupons are coming back into fashion. The way my friends formed their group is informal and designed to be fun as well as thrifty. Others have turned their penny saving snipping into businesses such as Be Centsable and the Grocery Game.

To form your own Coupon Party is simple:

1. Gather some friends
   
2. Everybody brings coupons and store circulars
   
3. Share your tips and tricks
   
4. Add some munchies and beverages.

Now for a few coupon tips:

• Say you have a store coupon for $5 off a $20 purchase and you also have some individual product coupons. Hand over the $5 off coupon first while your total is more than $20, then use the other coupons to lower the total even more.


• Shop stores that double coupons.


• Shop stores that match competitor prices.


• Don't just match your coupon to the picture of the item, match up the bar codes, you will often find the coupon is good for less expensive items.


• First you should look for sales. Then check to see if there are coupons for those same sale items.


• Combine the manufacturer's coupon with a coupon offered by the store.

Don't just rely on newspapers. For online coupons checkout these sites:

• CouponMom
• HotCouponWorld
• AFullCup
• Target
• DealCatcher
• Albertson's
• PrintClipCoupons

Happy Clipping!

photo by kyz

Let's Go Shopping: Got Coupons?

This is an Encore Post that originally ran May 13, 2009 as part of Let's Go Shopping week.

It used to be that newspapers could sell subscriptions by just asking, "Would you like to receive Sunday coupons?" But printed papers are struggling and not even the Sunday coupons are saving them. Why is that? A gallon of milk costs more than a gallon of gas. Cheese costs more than it weighs. Rice is rationed. And flour out prices the cookies we bake it with. Well, the answer is simple--coupons rarely cover the stuff we really buy.

Still we've all heard stories about coupon clipping queens who claim to rack up savings at the price of a few hours of cutting up paper. One clipper, Teri Gault, has turned the hobby into the savvy Internet business, GroceryGame.com. The Grocery Game gives you a list of items that are on sale at the stores you shop. You then buy the newspapers, clip and take them to the store. The premise is that you might not have been able to locate all of the coupons without the Grocery Game list. Well, maybe you could but it might be harder. The Grocery Game list will alert you to what the best deals are and when to use those coupons to get the best savings. Users have said that they can sometimes even get items for free. The cost for this service is $10/month for the first store you signup for and $5/month for additional stores.

Have I tried it? No. You can try out the service for 4 weeks for just $1. But I don't like any service that asks for credit card information upfront and then automatically bills if I forget to cancel--The Grocery Game does just that. It's just a principal that I have. Instead I hunt around for reviews on the Internet. I found a lot of users who suspiciously love the Grocery Game. They were mostly bloggers who ask that you mention them as a referral when you signup with The Grocery Game--read kick back.

I also found one honest blogger who said that the time and money spent clipping, buying papers, and driving to different stores was more of an investment then she was willing to give. That would be my thought as well. But I won't knock The Grocery Game since it may be just what you need to make grocery shopping more fun as many users claim.

Here's a thing to remember and it's what the whole Grocery Game concept is built on. It's also the secret that all successful clippers know. Manufacturer coupons are enticements to try products. You knew that right? They are often for items that you wouldn't normally buy. Store coupons might be for items that the store is trying to move. Either way the coupon is the first indicator that a price cut is coming. The secret strategy is to clip coupons and then save them--for about 4 weeks. The items will then typically go on sale. That's when to use the coupon and that's how Grocery Gamers get free and nearly free stuff.

photo by ninjapoodles

Serious clippers organize their coupons in categories like "produce" or "meats" and then save them for weeks until the items are on sale.

Do any stores double coupons any more? I've been hearing this, but haven't seen it locally. Have you?

What to do with leftover Halloween candy

Yesterday afternoon I sat down to read my email while eating my favorite candy--Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Okay truthfully it was morning and it wasn't just one Reese's, but they really are my fave. A couple have friends must have sensed my over indulgence as they relayed messages about dentists who are buying back candy to forward to our Troops.

These particular dentists are in Boulder and Lafayette. (Dr. Gordon West 1140 W. South Boulder Rd #201Lafayette, CO 303-665-5335 and Dr. Alber's 2919 Valmont Road, Suite 106, Boulder 303-449-3132). They'll pay $1/pound.

And though I searched and searched I couldn't find any dentists in other parts of the metro area who are participating in this nation-wide event sometimes called "cash4candy". But don't let that stop you.

Here's what you could do:

To send it to Troops. Gather up candy from friends and neighbors. Soldier Angels is one of several organizations that can help you get your candy to Troops.

More ideas:

One creative mom blogger suggests making an advent calendar, harvest tree or turkey pinata (hmm....not sure I like the idea of beating a turkey).

There are actually lots of recipes that will help you use a bunch of candy in one shot. There are cookie recipes. The Candybar-Bar sounds like a hit. This cake has been floating around the Internet for years.

Of course you could freeze it.

Note to self for next year...don't buy Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, or Butter Fingers. Yeah, stick with stuff like Mike & Ike's, sour or gummy anything, and everything not chocolate.

What do Food Expiration Dates Mean?

So we just returned from vacation. Of course, now there is no food in the house or at least very little. One of my least favorite tasks when returning from any trip is opening the fridge. We got in very late or very early depending on you point of view. And at 8:00 this morning I still haven't peered in the fridge. I purged quite a bit before we left like milk, yogurt, meats, veggies and other things that I expect wouldn't make it through the week. I hoped our pet sitter would eat the watermelon, but instead found that it had multiplied and we now have two. How long does a watermelon last anyway? How long does any food item last? If it doesn't smell, ooze or get fuzzy is it still good? And what about expiration dates? Is a jar of un-opened pickles history if the "use by" date has passed? Are pickles good for breakfast?

photo by Whit Balance

Food, like everything else has it's own confusing lycos of terminology. And each little word change can vastly change the answer to the question "can I eat this?" So for your information here are a few definitions:

Expiration Date refers to the last date a food should be eaten or used. Last means last -- proceed at your own risk.
"Sell by" date is a suggestion to the store for how long to display the product for sale. It's not a mandate. It's more of a notice of quality as deemed by freshness, taste, and consistency not to be confused with spoiling potential. Food is still edible past the "sell by" date. Psst-If you want the freshest items reach into the back of the shelf and check the date.
"Best if used by (or before)" date again refers to quality, not safety.
"Born on" dates orginated with beer. And its not just a marketing trick. Beer really can lose flavor after about 3 months. Clear bottles are especially subject to microorganism growth from sun exposure.
"Guaranteed fresh" dates are often found on baked goods. After this date they become more than day old bread and won't be as fresh. But even before you see green fuzzies baked goods can develope a white powder--also mold.
"Use by" date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. Not too different from "Best if Used by".
"Pack" date is used on canned or packaged goods. This one gets me because I always thought it was an expiration date. Canned goods won't always use the lingo they may just put a code on the can that includes a date. It can be month-day-year-MMDDYY. Or the manufacturer could use the Julian calendar. January would then be 001-0031 and December 334-365. Or whatever system they choose. Canners mainly use the code to identify the batch. If a batch problem was discovered the code helps them recall or pull the product.

I gathered all of these definitions from a variety of sources WebMD, KATU TV (Portland, OR), and Business Week. But it's interesting to note that the FDA only requires expiration dates for baby food. All other food items are voluntary. Still I'm not eating those pickles for breakfast.

The Cost of Organic Drinking

I was just reading this article by Smart Money entitled "Top 5 Green Products Not to Buy". Most of it wasn't very surprising, but #5 Wine and Spirits was one that I had to question. The article correctly points out that distilling, fermenting and filtering remove any pesticides. I also agree that just because something can pass the USDA regulations for "Organic" doesn't mean that it's good for you. Yeah, I think anyone can figure out that just because your vodka is organic doesn't mean you should drink more.

But Smart Money misses the point of organic. It isn't only about what we put into our bodies. It's also about what we do to our earth. It's not just a marketing tactic to sell higher priced wine. The amount of pesticides used to grow the grapes equals a hefty cost to the environment.

An article by Salon.com explains "organic" quite simply:

"Wine labeled organic means that at least 95 percent of the grapes used were never sprayed with pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Such chemical purity is ensured by 40-foot buffer zones from farms that spray specific chemicals, loads of paperwork and on-site visits from third-party certifiers. Organic grapes then go to a certified organic winery that doesn't use chemical cleansers or add any preservatives like sulfur dioxide, an antioxidant that gives wine a significant life span."

Anyone who is really into wine and knows something about it will ponder not whether it's worth an additional cost--but is it drinkable? Many people feel that organic wine doesn't taste as good. They are partially right. Some of the flavor in wine comes from the added sulfites. Sulfites are added for preservation, holding off the natural process of turning to vinegar. But sulfites do not meet the government definitions of "organic" because often they are not naturally produced. Therefore organic wine cannot contain sulfites.

photo by sarahfelicity

So, organic wine will taste different than what we are accustomed to. It will also go bad quicker. This means that you need to refrigerate that wine right away, no matter what color it is. As a bonus, organic wine is good news for people with sensitivities to sulfites.

There is a comprimise. Some wine producers are opting for the label "organically grown grapes". This wine will be a more environmentally friendly choice, but is unlikely to be produced by a certified organic winery, therefore it does include sulfites. It may pollute the environment just not as much.

I'm sorry Smart Money, but I have to disagree that organic wine is not worth the cost of putting less pesticides into our water. Yes, companies are jumping on the band wagon of organics, but there's a lot of jumping before they can actually ride. Certified organic products must meet specific standards it's not just a nicely designed marketing label with an inflated price.

Let's Go Shopping: At the Warehouse

I think we can all agree that grocery shopping is a drag. But we've all got to eat. So this week we'll examine some ways to save money at the grocery store.

A few years ago my husband and I got a membership to one of those warehouse stores. We didn't really research it, we just went with it. Probably because we heard it was supposed to be such a good deal. But it didn't take long before we were caught up in the abundance and spending too much money there. Plus, I grew increasingly suspicious of the quality of meats and other items. So we let our membership go and didn't really look back--until recently.

About nine months ago I started paying more attention to how much we spent at the grocery store on standard items like toilet paper, paper towels, etc. So I decided to conduct an experiment to see if shopping at the warehouse store would really save us money.

So here's what I did. I made a specific list and stuck to it. I didn't even look around to see what other items were there. The first visit felt successful, but I needed more guidelines. In the past I treated the warehouse store like a grocery store and went every week. This go around I made new rules. I would only go to the warehouse if I had a list of at least 10 items. Of course they had to be valid needs and not wants. I have to admit coming up with a list of 10 needs was tough, but that's the whole point. Doing so reduced my visits to once every three months.

After my first visit I created a spreadsheet to track my purchases against what I would have paid at the grocery store. I also wanted to be sure that I recovered my $50 membership fee. Here are the results:

Happily I recovered the membership fee just in this visit. For comparison I used King Soopers and tried to match up brands. Often I calculated price based on quantity and I used King Soopers' sale price whenever possible. Notice that toothpaste was not a big bargain.

Usually stuff like toilet paper and paper towels do run out just around 3 months. For the things that we go through more quickly like Cliff bars and Vitamin water our house rule is "when it's gone, it's gone until the next scheduled trip."

Of course this is all just an estimate and I should track this over time, but I still think it shows that the Costco savings are worth it. However, I could easily slip back in to overspending if I didn't stick to my essential list (with a few exceptions like the delicious large container of blackberries I purchased last time for just $4.99).

Well that does it for Let's Go Shopping week. I hope I've passed on some good information, but I'd love to hear any shopping tips you might have.

Let's Go Shopping: Don't Forget the Card

I think we can all agree that grocery shopping is a drag. But we've all got to eat. So this week we'll examine some ways to save money at the grocery store.

When grocery stores first started offering "member savings cards" a.k.a loyalty cards people were freaking out. They were worried that retailers would be more out of control than an drunken underage coed on a Girls Gone Wild video. But as a marketing data junkie who salivates at the idea of attaining shopping trend data I can assure you grocers haven't dug into the treasure at hand. That's because they can't. Sorting through all of that data is expensive. Though the cards were first introduced in the mid-90s grocers are just beginning to become sophisticated in customizing offers based on data collection.

And really what sort of privacy concerns are there? Are we worried that Safeway now knows where we live and what our phone number is? Or is the fact that we spent more last year on Doritos and Chips Ahoy than broccoli? Well, that's not really the point of today's post so let me get back on task.

Club Card savings, are they for real? Yes and No. You really do save on items purchased with the loyalty card. If you didn't have the card you would pay more. But those savings are inflated or "padded" in industry terms. Every product has a MRSP (manufacturers retail suggested price) and all retailers have a cushion to play with that price--that's how they make a profit. They also know what the competition charges and so they all hover around the same price in comparison. They'll also pick a few items to put on sale, shrinking their margin a bit. This is done to get you in to the store, so you'll buy more. Actually it's not that different from coupons. If you don't have the coupon, you don't get the savings. Don't have the card, don't get the savings.

But coupons aren't trackable. Loyalty cards give retailers the ability to know who their customers are and what their preferences are. Even if they don't use it to it's fullest extent the marketing departments use the data to create advertising campaigns and budgets. And although I currently don't worry about what grocers know about my purchase habits I do watch how they use the data. In the past two years the grocery industry has been putting the data pieces together albeit slowly. It's up to consumers to question how data is used and demand that it is not shared.

So you should use loyalty cards just as you would coupons. Don't buy something just because it's on sale. Buy it because you'll use it AND because it's a good price. Don't buy the Philly Cream Cheese because it's slightly lower. Buy it because when it's on sale it's cheaper than the store brand.

Oh but wait I've got more....

Don't abandon your coupons just because you've got a loyalty card. Use coupons on top of club savings to save even more.

When the sign says "10 for $10" you don't have to buy 10 to pay just $1 each. I rarely buy 10 and I always check my receipt to be sure I've only payed the sale price. A clerk once tried to tell me otherwise, but the register gives the sale price.

Albertson's dropped their loyalty card and offers savings to everyone. They say this is to differentiate themselves in crowded market. Could be. They'll also save a lot bucks in data marketing analytics. Probably a wise business choice.

Let's Go Shopping: At the Dollar Store!

I think we can all agree that grocery shopping is a drag. But we've all got to eat. So this week we'll examine some ways to save money at the grocery store.

Okay you've probably visited a dollar store at some point, but have you thought of grocery shopping there? My mother swears by it. She picks up a bunch of frozen meals there almost every week. I was surprised when she first told me about her meal bargains, but it turns out she's not the only one.

I recently saw this video on MSN.com featuring Jeff Yeagar, The Ultimate Cheapskate. He brags that he's not afraid of off-brands and loves the dollar store.

But even the Ultimate Cheapskate will tell you to be careful at dollar stores. For one thing I'm not sure what brands of frozen food my mom finds and I definitely question their nutritional content. I wouldn't serve that stuff to my family even at full price. So if the nutrition isn't there it's not worth the buck--at least not for me.

You can find canned goods at dollar stores too. But you'll need to carefully check for damage and past expiration dates.

I accompany my mom on trips the the "dollar parlor" as she calls it. I've found that even items such as ziplock bags, food storage containers, paper towels and toilet paper are not worth the savings. If the quality isn't poor then the quantity is small. I do much better buying in bulk (a subject I'll cover later this week) for these items.

But if you're looking for party supplies like paper plates, decorative napkins, wrapping paper, cards or even helium filled balloons this is the store. You can also find bargains on brand name soaps and shampoos.

I'll repeat the helium balloons thing. We were invited to a party with the request to just bring a balloon and no present. I was shocked to find a single balloon costs around $5 at Safeway and the fancy ones are more than double that. Hellooo dollar store. One balloon=$1.

Let's Go Shopping: Got Coupons?

I think we can all agree that grocery shopping is a drag. And with prices gone wild it can get downright depressing. But we've all got to eat. So this week we'll examine some ways to save money at the grocery store.

It used to be that newspapers could sell subscriptions by just asking, "Would you like to receive Sunday coupons?" But printed papers are struggling and not even the Sunday coupons are saving them. Why is that? A gallon of milk costs more than a gallon of gas. Cheese costs more than it weighs. Rice is rationed. And flour outprices the cookies we bake it with. Well, the answer is simple--coupons rarely cover the stuff we really buy.

Still we've all heard stories about coupon clipping queens who claim to rack up savings at the price of a few hours of cutting up paper. One clipper, Teri Gault, has turned the hobby into the savvy Internet business, GroceryGame.com. The Grocery Game gives you a list of items that are on sale at the stores you shop. You then buy the newspapers, clip and take them to the store. The premise is that you might not have been able to locate all of the coupons without the Grocery Game list. Well, maybe you could but it might be harder. The Grocery Game list will alert you to what the best deals are and when to use those coupons to get the best savings. Users have said that they can sometimes even get items for free. The cost for this service is $10/month for the first store you signup for and $5/month for additional stores.

Have I tried it? No. You can try out the service for 4 weeks for just $1. But I don't like any service that asks for credit card information upfront and then automatically bills if I forget to cancel--The Grocery Game does just that. It's just a principal that I have. Instead I hunt around for reviews on the Internet. I found a lot of users who suspiciously love the Grocery Game. They were mostly bloggers who ask that you mention them as a referral when you signup with The Grocery Game--read kick back.

I also found one honest blogger who said that the time and money spent clipping, buying papers, and driving to different stores was more of an investment then she was willing to give. That would be my thought as well. But I won't knock The Grocery Game since it may be just what you need to make grocery shopping more fun as many users claim.

Here's a thing to remember and it's what the whole Grocery Game concept is built on. It's also the secret that all successful clippers know. Manufacturer coupons are enticements to try products. You knew that right? They are often for items that you wouldn't normally buy. Store coupons might be for items that the store is trying to move. Either way the coupon is the first indicator that a price cut is coming. The secret strategy is to clip coupons and then save them--for about 4 weeks. The items will then typically go on sale. That's when to use the coupon and that's how Grocery Gamers get free and nearly free stuff.
Serious clippers organize their coupons in categories like "produce" or "meats" and then save them for weeks until the items are on sale. photo by ninjapoodles

Do any stores double coupons any more? I've been hearing this, but haven't seen it locally. Have you?