Shopping sustainably yet affordably intimidates even the most ardent shopaholics. Since sustainable products are pricier than conventional ones, sustainable shopping is often ignored.
If you think sustainable grocery shopping is a prerogative of the rich, you are dead wrong. With the right strategy, you can lower the cost of your shopping. Thanks to our expertise in both coupons and sustainability, we bring you eight simple hacks to make your sustainable shopping more affordable.
What is sustainable shopping?
So… what is sustainable grocery shopping?
Sustainable grocery shopping means paying attention to the environmental impacts of your shopping. From production to packaging, being mindful of these factors when you shop can make the Earth a greener place.
Products that focus on reducing their environmental impact are called eco-friendly products. They are the answer to many pollution issues right now. For example:
- Eco-friendly laundry products reduce toxic wastewater, lessening water pollution.
- Sustainable clothing alleviates microplastic pollution and textile waste worldwide,
- Organic food uses fewer chemicals during production, which leads to less pollution.
In the end, sustainable grocery shopping can even offset climate change, if you know how to do it correctly.
Why aren’t there more people practicing sustainable shopping?
Good question. If sustainable grocery shopping is healthy for both us and the planet, then why are there so few people practicing it?
Sustainable prices are the main turn-off for most shoppers. “Greener products” don’t mean they are cheaper. In fact, green products are about 75% to 85% more expensive than their conventional alternatives. For the same budget, you are getting a lot less by buying green products.
The inconvenience also discourages lots of people from shopping sustainably. When it comes to convenience vs. sustainability, 48% of eco-consumers prioritize the former. In other words, convenience in shopping comes first for most people.
How to shop sustainably on a budget?
If sustainable grocery shopping does help our future, how can we make it work for every budget? The answer is… Yes, it is possible! Here are a few tips to make your green shopping a lot cheaper. Like, a lot!
1. Shop locally and seasonally
Most non-seasonal or out-of-state products at your supermarket are more expensive. This is because of the extra cost of transporting and preserving the products during shipment. But it is only the tip of the iceberg.
What you don’t know is that the further they are ferried, trucked, or flown into your area, the bigger their carbon footprint will be. It is estimated that shipping is responsible for 940 million tons of CO2 emissions.
Greener yet cheaper shopping tip:
Resist the urge to be exotic and try using seasonal alternatives from local stores instead. By shopping for seasonal products, you are reducing the need for shipments, thus lowering both the price and the carbon footprint of your shopping.
2. Shop for the organics
For budgeting folks, organic is a luxury. But is it better to stick to cheaper factory farms’ products?
Factory farms are not sustainable, being responsible for 37% of greenhouse gas emissions. They also employ unsustainable practices to boost production, including herbicides, fertilizers for crops, and antibiotics for livestock.
Unlike traditional factory farms, organic farms limit the use of chemicals, lowering land and water pollution. This makes organic farming the ultimate sustainable method of agriculture.
Greener yet cheaper shopping tip:
Organic food is a lot cheaper when you…
- Shop for frozen goods: Frozen organic goods are cheaper than fresh ones. They don’t spoil easily, therefore reducing your fruit waste.
- Shop seasonally and locally to reduce your shipping cost.
- Shop from farmers at farmer markets; they offer organic food for a lower price than retailers or supermarkets.
3. Read the labels
For many, shopping sustainably means shopping for anything with a “green” label on it. This leaves a lot of room for brands to dupe you into buying their non-sustainable products.
With rising demands for eco-friendly products, more brands are switching to a greener approach. Stay informed on certified organic labels to differentiate them from greenwashed brands.
- USDA Organic: guarantees that the products adhere to the US Department of Agriculture’s regulations on organic products. It is also the most trustworthy organic certification in the US.
- Non-GMO Project ensures that no GMOs were used during the production.
- Quality Assurance International means the products meet organic guidelines in other countries as well.
- MADE SAFE means no known harmful chemicals are used during the production.
- Safer Choice ascertains the product’s safety for human and environmental use.
- Fair Trade USA Certified confirms that all stages of the production and distribution chain are sustainable.
How eco-labels help you lower your spending?
Not directly. Products’ labels contain lots of information, including their ingredients and expiration date. Those that use natural ingredients are a tad cheaper than synthetic ones.
4. Ditch your one-time-only plastic.
Plastics are everywhere, especially in products with a short lifespan. It’s in the synthetic fibers in fast fashion, beverage bottles, or plastic packaging.
Plastics, one of the cheapest materials out there, are often used for one-time-only products and packaging. As plastic is non-biodegradable, plastic containers and packages last a long time in nature. Packaging, with 40% of plastic being used annually, is considered the biggest cause of plastic pollution.
Are short lifespan plastics really cheap?
In terms of cost, yes. A plastic bag costs an unbeatable 1 cent to produce. But it is only good for 11 uses. Once broken down, you’ll need a new plastic bag. On the contrary, non-woven reusable bags cost $0.10-0.25 to produce but can be used a lot longer.
In other words, reusable products save you replacement costs.
Greener yet cheaper shopping tip:
Shop for reusable plastics. While they are both plastic, reusable plastic lowers your discarded plastics significantly. Also, avoid products with excessive plastic packaging.
5. Shop less frequently
Obviously, if you shop less, you will spend less, thus saving more. So how is it sustainable?
People go shopping a lot! A normal person goes grocery shopping on average 1.6 times a week. The more shopping trips you make, the bigger your carbon footprint from transportation grows.
However, impulse shopping is the main reason why frequent shopping is not sustainable. Impulse shopping is when you buy things you don’t need on a whim. In 2021, each American makes about 12 impulsive purchases, many of which will end up in landfills. This increases the amount of global waste.
Greener yet cheaper shopping tip:
The easiest is to cut down the number of your shopping trips. This will save you lots of money on fuel.
The main challenge is impulse control in your shopping. Shop for only what you need. A few tips to help curve your shopping enthusiasm include:
- Make a shopping list before going shopping and shop for items from that list only.
- Choose wisely. Regardless of the products, quality trumps quantity always.
- 2-for-1 or 3-for-1 deals are good only if it’s for what you need.
6. Pick the right shops
Not all stores are sustainable. Yet, more stores are practicing sustainable behaviors than ever.
Stores that focus on being sustainable tend to have their own sources of organic and sustainable goods. This lets them cut out the middleman and lower costs, meaning you will also get your green products for a cheaper price.
Greener yet cheaper shopping tip:
If you are on a budget, shop at these sustainable stores that offer cheaper goods:
- Thrift shops: Thrift shops offer secondhand items for lower prices. Shopping for used items keeps them in circulation and away from landfills. This works especially for clothing.
- Zero-waste stores: Zero-waste stores let you buy refills of cleaning products, beauty products, and whole foods with your reusable containers. This cut out the plastic packaging completely.
- Online stores: Online stores are more sustainable than brick-and-mortar stores. E-delivery emits 3% fewer greenhouse gasses than your multiple trips to the store.
7. Shop for energy-efficient products
Household appliances and electronics might do the same thing, but their efficiency differs. Likely, the more efficient your purchase is, the more costly it will be. In that case, why would you bother with the more expensive choice?
In the long run, the more efficient your appliance is, the fewer resources it uses. This can save you a lot on your energy and water bills. A high-efficiency washing machine uses 80% less water and 65% less energy than your average model.
Greener yet cheaper shopping tip:
- If you must choose between two models, go for the more recent one. Also, look at their parameters before purchasing; most household appliances include their resource consumption parameters on the box.
- If you are on a budget, try shopping during big sales to enjoy the stores’ discounts. Or better, just use coupons.
8. Use sustainable coupons
Coupons are the ultimate hack for anyone shopping on a budget. Yet, compared to non-eco-friendly products, there aren’t many coupons for sustainable products.
Traditionally, coupons are printed in magazines or newspapers and are often non-recyclable. Yet, with online shopping rising in popularity, people are switching to e-coupons, a zero-waste alternative.
Greener yet cheaper shopping tip:
Yes, sustainable coupons do exist. They are from Tenere, a coupon site that uses its revenue for reforestation.
As a tree-planting initiative, Tenere makes every purchase cheaper and greener. For each purchase you make through Tenere, a small donation is sent to one of our tree-planting partners.
You save money with working coupons, we plant more trees.
