Can I Buy Organic on a Budget?

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There was a time when I was a coupon queen and the thought of spending over $75 on a grocery trip would have given me hives.

Then I had my third child and had to cut back on couponing due to my sanity, though I did still make sure to find great deals and not spend a ton.

And then I decided that I wanted to feed my family wholesome foods. I wanted to buy as much organic as possible and avoid genetically modified foods because I started to see that the food we put into our bodies is what keeps us healthy. Pay more for food now and pay less later in medical issues is the though I kept in my head.

My grocery spending has obviously gone way up- to me right now spending $150 in a week for food is awesome. I actually feel good about what I buy now and do not let great deals and freebies sway what I bring into my house, which is so hard because passing up a deal on free and cheap food makes me almost want to cry sometimes.

The thing is, and I am being completely honest here, that I need to try and do better. As of right now with me quitting my part time job and my daughter going to a very expensive preschool we are just barely able to pay all of our bills. We can pay everything, but there is not enough leftover for me to feel comfortable.

I am so happy that I left my job because I get to spend more time with my family and am also so happy with my daughter's preschool because she is thriving there- I do not regret either decision one bit. I suppose many would say take my daughter out and put her in a cheaper one but she really loves it and I still have major mom guilt for not being able to afford to send her to preschool when she was three. Preschool is just a temporary cost because she will be done in June (and my almost two year old won't be going for another two years) so we just have to make it through then- which is totally 100% possible if I can stop my wayward shopping ways (grocery and other miscellaneous things). I think food is the best thing you can spend your money on but I think being wasteful about it is not good- to me I am be wasteful right now.

Even with wanting to be able to save more money I refuse to give up buying the types of foods I have been buying. Organic and gmo free are very important to me so I just need to find a way to make it work. I really need to go back to making a menu plan and a sticking a strict grocery list. I need to look at what I have been buying and see what I can eliminate, which I am sure is a lot because I love to impulse shop! Put out a free sample and I will buy your product which is so not frugal in any way, shape or form. I am also going to have to force my kids to eat what I buy- especially when it comes to fruit and veggies. My girls are good at this but my six year old son is terrible- he is actually at the point now where I am going to pack his lunch with 75% fruit and 25% other food with no special snacks just so he will eat the fruit.

Please stick with me on this journey- it is not going to be easy and I know I am going to stumble along the way. I may even have to make some compromises in what I buy to try and stay on target. I would love for suggestions on how I can do better or any other tips on how to save some money while going organic.