Weekly How-To: Live organically on a budget

All about cheap sticks and berries

When people think about Boulder, images of the Flatirons, Pearl Street and college students come to mind, but this portrait wouldn’t be complete without the environmentally friendly attitude the town embodies.

As chic as organic living is in Boulder, it is also a notoriously expensive lifestyle. It costs an average of 30 percent more for organic food than for conventionally-grown, and not many money-conscious shoppers have that extra money to spare. However, there are a few tricks to budget organic living that will put you in with the environmental hippies faster than you can say “compost pile.”

Tip one: Start with the staple foods of your kitchen such as milk, vegetables and bread. Next time you are at the grocery store, search the natural foods section for these. The core essentials tend to be comparable in price to their non-organic counterparts and are good places to begin your new lifestyle.

Tip two: Many nonperishable organic foods are available in bulk and are actually cheaper than conventional nonperishables. You can purchase almost all rice, grain, nuts and flours in bulk. By buying in mass, you’ll save money by not having to buy the smaller pre-packaged products.

Tip three: Acquaint yourself with the local farmer’s market. Boulder’s local growers have the freshest fruits and vegetables available, and though they take pride in the products they produce, the superior quality of the food is not reflected in their prices. The market runs every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., April 7 to Nov. 3, and Wednesdays 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 3 to Oct. 3. It is located in Central Park on 13th Street between Canyon Boulevard and Arapahoe Street. A crop calendar can be found here.

Tip four Creating energy efficient living spaces will save you money in the long run. Remember to change your heating filters once a month and weather-strip your windows to prevent heating or cooling loss. Don’t place large appliances by your thermostat; they give off heat that your thermostat will register and attempt to correct.

Tip five: Install energy efficient light bulbs in your fixtures and low flow showerheads in your showers. Replacing the showerheads is extremely easy to do, and will save money on your water and energy bills as well as conserve water.

Tip six: There are alternative cleaning products that will save the environment as well as money. On common stains, hydrogen peroxide (yes, that stuff that cleans wounds) works better than most household cleaners. You can also scrub many stains out and polish metals with water and baking soda.

Tip seven: If you have a lawn consider grasscycling. This is the very simple practice of evenly distributing your grass clippings across the lawn after it has been mowed. Grasscycling returns the nutrients collected in the clippings back to the soil.

Organic living, much like the name implies, is a fluid transition. If you try to convert to a more natural lifestyle all at once you will most likely hate your decision and revert to your old ways very quickly. By integrating these tips into your life slowly, you will find it easier to take more drastic steps in the future. Go forth and prosper.