Baby Steps to a Healthier Lifestyle: Using Coupons & Deals Pt. 2

Be sure to read part one of Using Coupons & Deals before reading this post.  The first post has to do more with using coupons to save on organics, and this post is more about different ways to find the best deals.

6. Buy items in bulk. Bulk buying can sometimes be effective in saving money, but other times it can cost you more.  It’s always good to calculate and compare cost per ounce or pound before just jumping into the bulk food buying.

How to start buying in bulk:

• Start small by buying one or two items every other week to add to your collection.
• Make sure you have proper storage, and freeze things that need to be frozen.

Places I buy in bulk from:

• Amazon.com offers a 15% discount for subscribe and save items, and has many bulk items to purchase.  See more on how to save on Amazon here.
• Local co-ops and farmers will sell you items in bulk.
• Find out if your local grocery store offers a discount when you buy a lot of an item.  Specifically, Whole Foods gives a 10% discount when you buy a case.

7. Find a local Co-op or Farmer. Many times local co-ops can save you a significant amount of money on organic food because you have collective buying power.  You can save buying directly from a Farmer as well, because you are cutting out the middle men.  Here are some websites to help you find local co-ops and farmers: Local Harvest, Yahoo Groups, and Craigslist.

8. Shop in Season. Buying produce when it is in season is always best.  It can mean the difference in an item being .10 cents versus $1.  Buy in bulk at the rock bottom prices to stock up, or always just buy what is in season and do without the others.

9. Can or Freeze. If you are stocking up on what is in season, or just buying in bulk,  you are going to want to freeze or can your bulk purchases. You will want to educate yourself on this, so I recommend reading the Ball Blue Book of Preserving.

10. Grow a Garden. Growing a garden is not only great to supply food, but I have found it to be great for exercising and also very fulfilling on an emotional level.  There’s nothing like walking out to a garden that you grew, and picking something off to add to the evening meal.  Even if you only grow tomatoes, at least do that.  Every little bit helps you save money and provide fresh organic produce for your family.  I recommend reading  Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space! to get you started.  Gardening will be covered more in depth later on in this series.

11. Narrow Down What HAS to be Organic, and What Doesn’t. There are those that may not like this statement, but I’m a firm believer in doing what you can do and allowing the Lord to take care of the rest.  It’s not always possible to buy exclusive organic, so it’s better to narrow it down to what the most important things are that should be organic.  For my family it has been meats, eggs, milk, apples and flour.  As we are able to, we have added in more things that are organic into our diets.

Recommended Viewing:

Food Inc. (available for viewing on Netflix Instant Streaming).

Baby Step Week 4: Decide what has to be organic and what doesn’t, and start planning your purchases.

Baby Steps to a Healthier Lifestyle is not meant to diagnose or treat illnesses of any kind.  It is merely a series of personal opinions and facts based upon the author’s research, and is for entertainment and educational purposes only.  Please consult your physician for health related problems and before starting on any kind of fitness plan, nutritional supplement or diet change.