Today many foods that naturally provide the essential nutrients your body needs, also have chemicals and pesticides that could potentially cause harm as well. Organic foods not only are chemical and pesticide free, but because they aren’t genetically altered, they also have greater value to your body.

Just about everyone would like to eat cleaner and healthier, but they don’t know how to do it without wrecking their budget. There are some simple ways to get healthy produce for you and your loved ones at a much lower cost.

Prioritize Your Buying

Focus your organic spending on fresh foods like meat, milk and produce, because packaged organic food is still processed.

Certain fruits and vegetables retain pesticides while others don’t as much. This is mainly due to protective peel that keeps the pesticides out as you remove it.

The produce of most value when bought organic tend to be gentle in construction. These include peaches, apples, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, grapes, lettuce, spinach, celery, potatoes and sweet bell peppers. Ideally you want organic produce where they are kept separate as misting can spread pesticide residue from conventional produce.

Join a Co-Op

Check to see if there is already an existing organization that offers steep discounts on healthy, organic food in exchange for volunteering or monthly dues. If there isn’t, find out what it takes to start one. It’s a great way to get access to locally grown produce and organic meats.

Grow Organic Produce Yourself

There is no better way to help your diet, wallet, and make a difference in the environment than keeping a garden of fresh fruits and veggies. Yes, there are some up-front costs and it will take time and energy to maintain it, but if you make smart choices you can recoup the cost quickly.

Ask your neighbors, or other local gardeners what they’re growing, so you can get a good idea of what works with the soil and weather in the area. Either buy some seeds, or ask around for some free ones instead of buying a pre-grown plant or sapling from the store. It may take longer to yield produce, but the cost difference is tremendous.

Try placing some buckets around the outside of your home to catch rainwater runoff from your roof to use in the garden. Put a large bucket in the corner of your shower to catch excess water that runs as you wait for it to get hot.

Today’s guest Author, sharing his tips for saving money while eating organically, is John-Michael Haines of DebtConsolidation.com.  Thanks for sharing your tips John-Michael!

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About the Author: Catherine

Catherine, The Evolving Mommy, is the mom behind the Evolving Motherhood. As the mom to two young girls, Catherine spends a good deal of her time feeding her family, cleaning up after feeding her family and planning the next meal she will feed her family. When she isn't feeding people, cleaning, running errands or volunteering in her daughter's school, she enjoys running, reading, writing, and cooking for fun. Motherhood is a jungle so we have to keep evolving and learning from the everyday.