DIY dressings and spice blends. Pre-made dressings can cost up to $4 per bottle and be loaded with added sugar, sodium, food colorings and artificial ingredients. The same holds true for spice blends.
Read the price tag. Check for store brands and be sure to read the price tag. Store brands often cost less than name brands. The price tag will give you the retail and unit price. Larger packages are often less per unit than their smaller counterparts. The unit price will tell you how much an item costs per pound, ounce, quart, etc. The unit price is useful when comparing two items. The retail price is how much you pay for each item.
Use the dirty dozen and clean fifteen lists. It’s true organic food products tend to be more expensive than their inorganic counterparts. But you can cut your expense by using the Environmental Working Groups’ (EWG) “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” food list. The EWG places nonorganic fruits and vegetables considered to have the highest amount of pesticides residues in the Dirty Dozen category. Fruits and vegetables considered to have the least amount of pesticide residues are categorized as the Clean Fifteen. If you’re looking for produce with low pesticide residuals, choose fruits and vegetables on the Clean Fifteen list and consider purchasing organic only for those fruits and vegetables on the Dirty Dozen list.