How to Shop Green and Spend Less!

2 Local Stores to that You can go shopping to stay lean, mean, and green!


I hope by now with all the media, news, and hype about going green you realize that going green does not have to be more costly and can, in fact, save you hundreds of dollars on your home's overhead expenses. But you might be thinking that the savings stop at your door. Doesn't it still cost more to buy green products at the grocery store -and, for that matter, at any other kind of store?

The short answer is no and here is why: Your spending choices shape the world we live in. How you spend not only determines the quality of your life- what you eat, where you live- it also contributes to the success of your businesses where you shop. And as more and more Americans are choosing greener products, the prices are dropping all the time. That just makes sense, right?

For example, as ordinary Americans have become conscious of shopping for food grown without chemicals pesticides, supermarkets have begun marketing store brands of low-priced organic foods. Safeway introduced its O brand, an organic line that includes 150 products across the store, from bread to olive oil to yogurt. They even deliver your food too! And Whole Foods has a popular brand called 365, which includes competively priced organic and all- natural products. If you would like to learn more I give grocery shopping tours, and a cooking class at Whole Foods once a month to educate the public.

Not only are these products cheaper than name-brand organics, they're also often cheaper than the non-organic alternative. A 15-ounce can of O organic black beans costs $1.05. Whole Foods' 365 label organic beans are 99 cent. Compare that to a can of Bush's Best beans, on the shelf at Safeway for $1.39.

A bag of O pasta costs $ 1.95- just slightly more than a box of Barilla brand pasta, which sells for $1.79. But a bag of Whole Foods' 365 organic pasta costs $1.29- a savings of 50 cents a bag!

If we all begin to shop green and demand envoronmentally friendly products and services, the companies of the world will keep delivering them at more and more affordable prices. I believe it won't be very long before the cost of green products reaches parity with non-green products, and not much longer after that before the green alternatives become cheaper.

In the meantime, shopping green does not have to mean paying premium prices. Even with categories that are still significantly more expansive, like organic produce, there are ways you can come out ahead at the grocery store. So let's go shopping. If you have the willingness to learn how to become lean, mean , and green then I can help educate you for a long lasting lifestyle. Have a healthy and happy GREEN day!

By, Natalie Pyles

Health & Fitness Expert, Nutrition Specialist, Author, and NSA Speaker