Tips On How To Save When Buying Organic Food

The following is a guest post by Susan at Organic Deals and Coupons.

Hi, I’m Susan. I blog over at Organic Deals & Coupons. I buy only organic and thanks to the great tips and tricks about couponing that I learned from sites like Couponing101.com, I am able to save a ton of money doing so. I am guest posting to tell you some of my tricks for saving!

Where To Find Coupon Books

There are many coupon books that only contain natural & organic coupons. Healthy Clippings, ONE, and Mambo Sprouts are the biggest and have new books every few months. Around Earth Day (April 22nd) another great organic coupon book comes out called “Go Organic For Earth Day.” It is filled with a ton of organic coupons. Whole Foods also has its own coupon book and many stores will allow you to stack these coupons with manufacturer coupons (this varies by store location).

Besides coupon books, you can also get organic coupons from online coupon sites, like Red Plum, Smart Source, and Coupons.com. Health-e Savers and Delicious Living Magazine also provide a bunch of printable organic coupons and Whole Foods also has printable store coupons on their site. Here is a great list of organic printable coupon sites.

Another way to get organic coupons is to check the company site for printable coupons. Some examples are Organic Valley, Horizon Organic, Stonyfield, and Annie’s. If they do not offer printable coupons from their site, sign up for their newsletter or use the contact form and ask them if they can mail you coupons. Many companies will send coupons by mail if you ask for them.  Late July is a great example. If you email them, they will send you a flyer full of coupons for their products.

Also, look for coupons on or by the products themselves in the store. Many stores will put blinkies or tear pads of coupons right by the products.

A great tip is to use a coupon for an item that isn’t specifically organic, but the manufacturer makes an organic variety. Unless the coupon specifically excludes organic, you can use it on the organic version!

Shopping At Whole Foods & Natural Food Stores

Every week I log into their websites and get the weekly ad. I write down the sales prices and then look for matching coupons that I can use with the sale. Many natural foods stores also offer their own store coupons good for a certain dollar amount off of your total order. I combine those coupons with my manufacturer coupons to save even more. Most Whole Foods locations allow you to “stack” Whole Deal coupons and manufacturer coupons (this varies by location, so check at your local store). Some stores (including Whole Foods) also offer bulk discounts. Many offer 10% off if you buy a case of a product. You can usually combine the 10% with your coupons as well. These stores usually also offer .05 – .10 per bag if you bring your own shopping bags.

Shopping For Organic Food At Grocery Stores & Super Stores

Some great deals on organic can be found at your regular grocery store. Look for Manager specials in the meat department and dairy sections. Grocery stores that double coupons can really save you  a lot. Ask your store if they double and the terms of doing so. Also, take advantage of their club cards. You can get special sale prices and sometimes the stores reward you with points that convert to store coupons. Combine those rewards with manufacturer coupons and sales and snag some great bargains! Don’t forget your reusable bags. A lot of stores offer .05 bag credits as well.

Stores like Target & Walmart are jumping on the organic bandwagon too. Check their weekly sales ad or roam the aisles for unadvertised deals. Shop the perimeter for clearance items and stock up when prices are really great.

I could probably write an entire book on ways to save! There so many options from CSA’s to local farmers markets to growing your own food. If you are interested in learning more, please visit my site and say hello!

Susan is a mother to a 2 year old son and she began her organic journey shortly after he was born. She started her blog Organic Deals and Coupons to help other moms go organic without going broke.