Rather than rummage through your average grocery store, looking for organic options, I shop at Whole Foods. Think what you will of this all-natural chain – it is still the best place to get countless eco-conscious brands in one spot. But let’s not deny the one reason why so many of us don’t shop at Whole Foods – the cost! This also goes for smaller health food groceries, and local chains like Mrs. Green's; all of these destinations just tend to be pricier than conventional jumbo supermarkets.

With the American economy doing a proverbial nosedive, cutting costs is vital. Looking at your grocery budget is a sensible place to try to save money, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who can't justify saving money at the cost of my family’s health and by supporting environmentally destructive industrial farming. Let me ease a burden for you – you can shop at Whole Foods or other natural grocers AND save money; you just have to know the tips and tricks.

Whole Foods Goes Frugal: Whole Foods seems to have taken it upon themselves to help educate their customers about money-saving options in their stores. All over the country, they've been offering “Shopping on a Budget” tours. A few of the tips they offer during these sessions is to always look for Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value brand items and making sure to check the weekly sales posted at the front of the store before you begin shopping. (You can also find the weekly sales online via your local store’s WholeFoods.com page) So even despite the infamous nickname, “Whole Paycheck”, Whole Foods can be quite competitive when it comes to prices.

Don't Underestimate Coupons: While it seems very 1950's to clip coupons, the fact is that you can easily save five bucks off your grocery bill without doing too much work- which will more than offset the slightly higher cost of organic foods. Mambo Sprout's coupon books (available at Whole Foods and elsewhere, as well as online) offer significant discounts of fifty cents, a dollar, or more, mostly on packaged products. You can also go to your standby food site's webpages (Stonyfield Farm always offers discount coupons), where there are often promotions and printable coupons.

Buy in Bulk: At other natural foods groceries and markets, keeping an eye out for sales is a no-brainer, but here's what's not; when a favorite packaged item does go on sale (like your regular soymilk, your kid's breakfast cereal, the frozen organic peas you put in everything from soups to sides) buy them in bulk. This food WILL get eaten, and whether it's in your house or at the market, it's sitting on the shelf, so why not take advantage? You may even save a couple (carbon-producing and gas-guzzling) trips to the grocery in the future.

Get to Know Your Farmers: Shopping at farmers’ markets can offer big savings, provided you don’t let any of your fresh purchases go to waste, plus there's the amazing (and educational for kids) bonus of interacting directly with the people that grow the food you're buying. If you go towards the end of the day, you can often get deals if you ask; especially on pre-made items like pestos, pies and other baked goods, and fresh cheeses and eggs. The farmers don't want to cart home more than they have to, after all. Check out the Greenopia listings in your area and look under farmer's markets in the categories area to get a comprehensive list.
 

Disclaimer: I was born in Indiana. That means I have experienced all four seasons, including the beauty and majesty each one has to offer. Having lived in San Francisco for the past 2 years, many of my friends and family assume that I love being snow-free during the winters. Wrong! At first, the idea of having no snow to shovel or trudge through was refreshing, especially after living in Connecticut for 7 years, where winter happily makes itself known. Slowly but surely, the idea of experiencing the end of the year without snow just felt … alien. Had I grown but in, say, Puerto Rico or Texas, maybe Christmas in short-sleeve shirts would seem completely natural. Instead, I'm a homespun farm girl who love everything nature has to offer. Lately, many say due to global warming (and I agree with them), the weather has gone completely wacko. There has been more rain than snow in Massachusetts and Connecticut; Orlando, Florida was 80 degrees the other day; but the ultimate proof that things have truly gone nutty is that is snowed almost 4 inches in Las Vegas a few weeks back! Snow … in Vegas … something just isn't right about that … that feels alien. Maybe we should all be thankful that the weather patterns are shifting. Soon, central states all across the United States will be able to put away their tire chains and relax in lawn chairs during Thanksgiving, while folks in Vegas, Texas, and Georgia get covered in many feet of snow. It sounds extreme, but that is the way the weather is headed - 2008 is proof of that. Storms will get more violent, summers will be hotter, winters will be colder, and unexpected events will become commonplace.

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Navigating the world of green toothpaste is a little like trying to find a good handbag at a discount store - lots dodging of formidable land mines (aka ladies) who are determined to find that $50 Kate Spade, even if it means blowing up a few people along the way. So why bother? Well, because it's not considered a food, conventional toothpaste contains lots of potentially harmful stuff, including artificial colors, flavors and sweeters that are known to cause cancer in lab animals, like saccharine. Not to mention fluoride, which many natural health advocates insist is bad news. Since 1997, the FDA has required that all fluoride toothpastes carry warning labels. Don't believe me? Check out your tube. Mine reads "If more than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away."

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