Couponing or Eating Well/Locally/Seasonally? Yes, please!

Ok...so, you probably can browse through the archives on my blog to note that me and couponing used to get along great. I would go to the store and come home with tons of food and personal care items for next to nothing.

Then, you'll notice my posts after that all deal with eating food that is local, organic, seasonal, slow, etc. My attitudes towards personal care and cleaning items have also shifted, too.

I think many people don't like the idea of couponing because they notice that a lot of coupons are for a lot of processed food, or are for household products that contain a lot of chemicals that they may not want in their home.

So, if you prefer fresh food and/or you're mindful of whom you support with your dollars, are you just destined to spend exorbitant amounts of money at the health food stores? Do you have to throw couponing out the window?

Well, here's what I think. I think you can coupon and bring home quality ingredients. You just have to keep in mind a few tricks, and you may have to unlearn a few things.

First, let's deal with produce. Most couponers know that produce is one of the hardest things to coupon, so let's examine if/how you can trim back here and still bring home quality ingredients.

1) Your grocery store is probably NOT the cheapest place to buy produce. Just for comparison, my Publix has one kind of tomatoes *on sale* for $1.69/lb. Normally, they run about $2.39 or so. We have a locally-owned produce market that sources from local farmers, and they also sell other produce from outside the area (pineapples, bananas, lemons, etc.). At this market, tomatoes are *always* $0.99/lb. Also, lemons and limes are only a quarter each, as opposed to somewhere along the lines of $0.50 or $0.66 at Publix.

2) Organic produce will also probably be cheaper at local outlets. I think I saw an organic cucumber at Publix for $1.69 or so the other day. I regularly get organic cucumbers from a local farm at my Saturday all-local farmer's market for $0.50 or $0.75 each. I even scored one week and got organic red peppers for $0.50 each! No coupons required!

3) Grocery stores always have most every vegetable. Some may see this as an advantage, and others may not think so. If you're making a strawberry shortcake in October, you're not going to find strawberries at your local farmer's market, but Publix will have them probably. So, as I said before, you're probably going to pay more for the produce itself, but at least you'll be able to make your dish.

4) Though grocery stores do have most every fruit/vegetable most every day, I guarantee you that fresh produce will taste much better when bought in season from a local farmer. If you can learn how to eat seasonally, eating the mess out of strawberries in April, peaches in August, and apples in November, not only will you be able to pay less for the produce, but you get to enjoy this produce knowing that they picked it when it was ripe. A lot of produce in the store is picked way before it is ripe so that it doesn't go bad by the time they get it out. This means, however, that you have to do without fresh watermelon in February and squash in December (except you don't really, if you plan ahead and can/freeze what you can). But at least what is available at the time is cheap and tastes great. It can take some adjusting, weaning yourself off of certain foods, but in my opinion, it's totally worth it.

So, needless to say, I have for the most part abandoned the produce section at my local Publix and have instead given those dollars to my local farmers. It helps my budget out, I get to enjoy better tasting food, and I get to support local agriculture, which is something that I personally am passionate about. (I just have to give up certain foods at certain times.)

But what about meat and dairy? Those are also notoriously hard to coupon. If you look towards local farmers, though, prices are much higher. Ground beef goes down to $1.99/lb sometimes at my Publix, but the lowest I've ever seen ground beef at my local market is $5.00. Milk at Publix is about $3.19 or $3.39/gallon, and the lowest I've found from local cows is $4.89. Seafood, poultry, and other meats also are cheaper in the store as opposed to local farmers.

While the taste of the two may not be too different, the difference comes from what happens before the products reach the shelves. I know that my local farmers treat their animals well, giving them a humane living environment, and feeding them food they were designed to eat. Essentially, to get a fair price comparison, you need to compare the local farmer's price with Publix's Greenwise (or whatever your supermarket's healthy brand is called) line. There, you will see that what I pay at the local market is very comparable to "the good stuff" at the supermarket.

So, if you eat a majority of fresh produce and meat/dairy, how does couponing fit in? Here's what I do.

1) Learn what foods you do buy at the supermarket that have coupons with them or that go on sale. For me, that includes olive oil, Cascadian Farms organic cereals, Stonyfield organic yogurt (which I use to make my own yogurt), etc. I remember getting Newman's Own fair trade and organic coffee when it was on sale, and I also used a coupon. And though it's not organic or healthy, I also get Blue Bell ice cream when it's on sale...because we all have to treat ourselves sometimes. :) (At least I can pronounce the ingredients.) Though I don't buy them much anymore, you can normally coupon frozen vegetables for really cheap.

2) You will probably have a few extra bucks to spend at the supermarket if you shopped well at the farmer's market.

3) At many supermarkets, you can get overage on certain items, which you can put towards those items you really need (assuming your conscience lets you get that money-making item).

4) At least for me, cat food is always free or close to it. Today was the first time I did this with dry food, but wet food is always free (Whiskas trays, regularly $0.50 each, and there's usually a B1G1 coupon in the newspapers that I use to stock up. The coupon value doubles since my store doubles up to $0.50.). I haven't gone to a healthier alternative for my kitty...I might switch in the future, who knows? (At least she doesn't mind the free food.) :)

5) Also for me, many healthy/organic ingredients actually cost less at the health food store (Earth Fare) than they do at my supermarket (Publix). So, for those items you know you will buy, shop around to make sure you get the best deal.

6) Watch for sales at your local health food store or farmer's market. Earth Fare has great sales, and usually has a weekly item that they give away for free. My local farmer's market also occasionally runs some deals. Just like you learned to do when couponing, when something is on sale...stock up! My local meat guy will sometimes knock a buck off per pound of a certain cut of meat (chicken legs, roast, etc.), so I make sure to get it then and then throw it in the freezer when I get home.

7) Use sites such as Groupon or Living Social to save some more money. Three local produce markets around me have had a deal on one of these sites, so it's a great way for me to save 50% in a place where they rarely have sales.

8) If you have the ability, grow your own food! This is my first time having a garden, and I've gotten some beautiful produce and fresh herbs. Yes, you have to put in labor, but you save on your grocery bill!

9) Also, see if there are any CSAs in your area. That stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and is a program whereby you pay a certain amount per week and receive a basket of food from a local farm. These are usually great deals.

Let me briefly address personal care and household items. You can usually get most of these free at the supermarket or drug stores. So, if you're inclined to buy natural alternatives or make your own, though getting them free is sometimes hard to come by, here are a few tips on how to make sure you get the best deals.

1) Most household cleaning can be accomplished using a combination of regular items (usually simply baking soda and vinegar), which can be couponed or gotten very cheaply.

2) If you want to "soup up" your homemade personal care/cleaning items using essential oils, online stores usually have the best price, from what I've found.

3) Tom's of Maine and Seventh Generation products go on sale fairly regularly, and they usually have coupons, too.

In conclusion, eating well and using natural products doesn't have to mean always paying top dollar. While I don't bring home quite as much stuff as I used to do, what I do bring home is top quality, and I don't break the bank in the process. So, shop smart, eat well, and enjoy life!