6/23 Deals and Savings

Before I get into my philosophical discussion of "natural" and my thoughts on healthy food,  I thought I would share which deals and coupons I am loving this week!

I just got the SmartSource and Plum coupon inserts in today's Sunday paper.  I recommend holding onto the inserts, even if you don't normally buy the items with coupons that week.  I check Krazy Coupon Lady and Pocket Your Dollars a few times a week to see if there are any free items or moneymakers (Walmart will give you cash back if your coupon is worth more than the product).  Now, in a past post I said I am not particularly interested in items I wouldn't normally buy.  The exception is when I am already making a trip OR the items would be enjoyed by someone else, as a gift to a friend or donation to the needy.

Save money & help others on this wonderful site!

Also, although organic is my goal,  I do not buy 100% organic products or clip coupons exclusively for organic products.  This blog is dedicated to shining more light on organic products, not excluding all non-organic items.  Sometimes the organic option is too expensive.  Sometimes, it is because my husband likes products that are not organic.  Sometimes, it is to donate.  Sometime, it is because I think the product is still healthy or tasty.  On that note, they should really make more organic ice cream! NOTE: I will underline all organic options.  I will also use it to denote products, such as Tom's, that are the closest thing to organic, in my opinion.  I have never seen organic toothpaste, although I am sure it exists.

As you become more aware of pricing either through spreadsheets or experience, you can remember normal prices of products and be aware when coupons are especially worth it! 

Coupons I clipped from the inserts:
$1.50/1 Hellman's Real Whipped Tangy Dressing Expires 7/21/13
$1/1 Tom's of Maine Toothpaste or Mouthwash Expires 8/10/13 (On sale for $2.99 at Copp's, double coupon for $0.99 per tube!)
$2/1 Schick Quattro for Women Razor, Bikini Trimmer, or Refill Expires 8/04/13
$1/1 Reynolds Baking Cups Expires 9/30/13 (I just doubled a $0.55/1 of these coupons at Copp's yesterday for free baking cups, now you can get the fancy aluminum foil kind for free!)
$0.50/1 Wonderful Pistachios 5oz+ Expires 8/23/13

Coupons I printed:
$1/1 6+ rolls of Scott Bath Tissue expires 7/21/13 (Join their site and share the membership with 3+ email contacts to increase your coupon from $0.70 to $1.00, you can print out both!  Sadly, they do not double.)
$1/1 Fantastic World Foods product Expires 6/30/2013 (From Common Kindness. Also does not double)
$0.75/1 Cascadian Farm product expires 7/23/13 (From Coupons.com)
$0.85/1 Cascadian Farm product expires 7/23/13 (From Box Tops 4 Education, cereal and bars currently on sale for 2/$6 at Copp's, double 2 coupons for a total of $1.30 each! I prefer their frozen fruit/veggies at Woodman's)

Image credit: http://www.ncmissingpersons.org/wp-content/uploads/common-kindness.png

Part I: Organic Issues

Many people claim to eat only "organic or natural foods."  Fantastic.  However, when it comes to labeling, natural means nothing.  Just look to the FDA for their answer on the question:

"What is the meaning of 'natural' on the label of food?

From a food science perspective, it is difficult to define a food product that is 'natural' because the food has probably been processed and is no longer the product of the earth. That said, FDA has not developed a definition for use of the term natural or its derivatives. However, the agency has not objected to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances." 

Source: http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/Transparency/Basics/ucm214868.htm

Deena Shanker (Is the ‘natural’ label 100 percent misleading? ) delves deeper into the subject, gleaning that "all natural" in regards to meats means nothing "unnatural" has happened after slaughter.  While that is better than nothing, it is the feed, use of antibiotics, and living conditions that are perhaps the most important factors in determining meat quality. For everything else, it is a little hazier.

I cannot discern whether or not the FDA's answer means that added color, artificial flavors, and/or synthetic substances bar the use of a "natural" descriptor.  The key thing to remember is that using the phrase "all natural" does not require certification like the use of "organic." Some of the most laughably processed foods are labelled "natural."  The rigor of the organic certification separates it from the other options.  I am just trying to educate, not put down natural options.  Many people think they are getting something equivalent when they are actually not.

That said, organic is the goal for my family and many others.  It is extremely expensive, generally, and not widely available.  You can often end up paying double but it is the fastest growing sector of the grocery industry.  With this growth, it is only natural (no pun intended) that people want to eat healthily and safely while saving.  I do recommend reviewing the list of the dirty dozen and clean fifteen of produce.  If you cannot afford to go all organic, these are great guidelines for getting the most safety with the least spending.  

If you are interested in eating more organic foods, I recommend that you start with the dirty dozen and more importantly, animal products.  This means all meats and dairy products.  It is expensive so doing meatless meals and using meat sparingly will help you stretch your dollar.  Look for my recipes using minimal meat in the future! Look below for reasons why organic foods are preferable.

Why Buy Organic Animal Products? - While this is not the most reputable, scientific site, it does give a good, easy to read list of reasons. 

A More Scientifically Based List of Reasons  - The Organic Consumer Association, while biased, offers scientific backed reasons why everyone should eat more organic foods.

Scientific Findings About Organic Agriculture - The most unbiased source I could find, linking to numerous studies and their findings.  I will note that they did recently find that organic food has a higher nutrition content, despite contrary claims.

Image credit: http://publicandculturaldiplomacy4.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/2.jpg

Forged Out of Necessity: A Frustrated Wisconsinite, Organic Couponer

Extreme Couponing.  We have all heard of it - some watch in awe, others in horror.  For many, the horror was not the obsession or consumerism but the unhealthiness of the items the couponers were hoarding.  After adopting a primarily organic diet several years ago, I wrote off the option of extreme couponing and submitted to the insane prices of organic foods.  Recently, I became interested in saving more.  More on that later...

Browsing the coupon blogs, one glaring fact remained: the Madison, Wisconsin area is home to nearly NO national grocery chains.  Copp's is a member of the Roundy's family but anyone who is savings minded (and organically inclined) knows that Copp's is significantly more expensive with a smaller selection of items.  Pick N Save does have some blog coverage but it is not near me.

One of the turn offs of extreme couponing is the commitment.  Most people, myself included, do not want to drive to 4 stores a week to get the best deals.  Considering how few couponed items I use, it is simply not worth it, even if that electric toothbrush will end up costing me a measly $0.24, I don't need it. This is a lot of what extreme couponing means to most people: effort aside, savings are all that matter.  What about saving some energy?!

Then, there is the rationale that store credits a la Walgreen's make your item free.  It is free if you plan to spend more money at the store soon.  I am not knocking these because they do offer, in my opinion, the best deals in the Madison area on non-grocery items.  Still, when funds are tight, a sista wants cold, hard cash, am I right?!  Digressing, I cannot get in on the extreme couponing to the level these other superstars do.  Despite my moaning, I give them major props.  They are saving their families so much money and if they are donating goods,  I am even more impressed.

Looking for a way to incorporate the savings into my lifestyle has been a challenge.  I am not looking to score anything that's free just because it is free (although I do not mind sitting in the comfort of my chair and requesting free samples).  I want to save money on things my family eats and uses.  The catch is that our diet is primarily organic.

Instead of extending this monologue any further, I will delve further into other topics in separate posts.  I welcome any feedback and feel free to share your blog links in your comments.  Looking forward to connecting to you!

Image Credits: USDA Organic Logo - http://www.ams.usda.gov/images/tm/4colorsealgif.gif
Wisconsin Silhouette - http://www.sircon.com/state-information-center/images/sic-wisconsin.jpg