a healthy organic food budget & Costco
Many people say after reading my last post about my personal food journey ask "how can you afford to buy food to feed your body without your food budget being ridiculously high?".
And this is my answer:
First, good food is more important to me than say fancy cars (B's man van is a perfect example), expensive clothes, etc. Its just my personal choice and priority in the scheme of things. I enjoy eating from growing heirloom vegetables to cooking and sharing with the ones I love. We live in a climate that allows food to grow year round, all twelve months. Its just part of what makes me tick.
That aside I am still practical and stick to a monthly budget that allows our family to eat well and still enjoy life. Ideally we get as much local produce as possible from either our own garden or from a local CSA. This is true with any animals that we consume as well. We have many local options from Fish Brothers in Blue Lake to Rocky's and Rosie's Chickens from just a few hours south of us. Two years ago we bought into a local grass feed cow that lasted for over a year. However it does not provide everything we need and can afford 100% of the time. That is where Costco comes in. Our Costco has many organic nutritional options for the budget conscious and local options as well. I am going to outline a typical shopping trip for us and the cost to show how to buy well and on the cheap.
Pantry Staples
Lundburg Organic Short Grain Brown Rice – 12 lbs $11.49
Organic Cold-Pressed Olive Oil – 2/1 litter $17.49
Amy’s Organic Soups – 8/14.3 oz. $11.79
S & W Organic Tomato Sauce – 12/15 oz. $5.95
Craisins $6.79
Black Beans $7.89
Raw Almonds -3 lb $9.79
Organic Maple Syrup – 64 oz. $20
Natural Almond Butter $9.99
Organic Dave's Tomato Sauce- 2 jars $6.59
Organic Black Figs $7.99
Organic Flax & Pumpkin Granola $7.29- not GF
Organic Honey- 3 for $13.99
Organic Flax Meal $11.99
Organic Quinoa in 4 lb bags $9.99
And this is my answer:
First, good food is more important to me than say fancy cars (B's man van is a perfect example), expensive clothes, etc. Its just my personal choice and priority in the scheme of things. I enjoy eating from growing heirloom vegetables to cooking and sharing with the ones I love. We live in a climate that allows food to grow year round, all twelve months. Its just part of what makes me tick.
That aside I am still practical and stick to a monthly budget that allows our family to eat well and still enjoy life. Ideally we get as much local produce as possible from either our own garden or from a local CSA. This is true with any animals that we consume as well. We have many local options from Fish Brothers in Blue Lake to Rocky's and Rosie's Chickens from just a few hours south of us. Two years ago we bought into a local grass feed cow that lasted for over a year. However it does not provide everything we need and can afford 100% of the time. That is where Costco comes in. Our Costco has many organic nutritional options for the budget conscious and local options as well. I am going to outline a typical shopping trip for us and the cost to show how to buy well and on the cheap.
Pantry Staples
Lundburg Organic Short Grain Brown Rice – 12 lbs $11.49
Organic Cold-Pressed Olive Oil – 2/1 litter $17.49
Amy’s Organic Soups – 8/14.3 oz. $11.79
S & W Organic Tomato Sauce – 12/15 oz. $5.95
Craisins $6.79
Black Beans $7.89
Garbanzo Beans $5.79
Green Tea $14.99Raw Almonds -3 lb $9.79
Organic Maple Syrup – 64 oz. $20
Natural Almond Butter $9.99
Organic Dave's Tomato Sauce- 2 jars $6.59
Organic Black Figs $7.99
Organic Flax & Pumpkin Granola $7.29- not GF
Organic Honey- 3 for $13.99
Organic Flax Meal $11.99
Organic Quinoa in 4 lb bags $9.99
Wild line caught low mercury albacore tuna- 6 for $13.99-local
Perishables
Organic Butter 2- $7.89
Organic Cheddar $6.54
Organic Cheddar $6.54
Breeze Almond Milk 6 boxes -$13.39
Hummus- 2 pack $6.59
Vegetables
Organic Broccoli florets $4.99
Organic Carrots-10lb $4.49
Sweet potatoes-box $6.99
Organic Spring lettuce $3.79
Haas avocados $6.99
Fruit
Organic gala apples $7.79
Organic Raspberries $6.49
Organic Blueberries $7.49
Anjou Pears-bag $3.99
Lemons-bag $5.99
I do not buy eggs, beef, chicken, fish and most leafy greens including spinach from Costco because we have wonderful local options instead.
The total for this trip which will last for a month in staples and at least a week and a half in perishables and veggies/fruit is: $287.20
For those of you who do not shop in the state of california you may not understand how cheap that really is compared to conventional grocery stores and natural food store. Our monthly budget for food is $650 and includes the other veggies and such we buy locally but Costco saves almost half of what it would be otherwise. HALF! thats a 50% savings in my book!
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