If you’re on a mission to feed your family real food and stock your house with nontoxic cleaners, personal care products, and other items, you might be wondering, where do I look to find natural and organic products on a budget?
Especially if you’re looking to avoid some of the larger box stores or online marketplaces, you might wonder where else you can get these products at an affordable price.
Where to Buy Natural and Organic Products on a Budget
Just a note before we begin. Prices at these stores may be more than if you were to buy them from Amazon or Walmart, but you can still get good deals and know that no corners were cut in the making of the product you order.
These are some of my favorite places (mostly online) to order food, personal care, products, and more, all while staying within a budget.
I have personally used almost all of these companies, but for those that I haven’t (at the time of this post being published), I have linked to a review from someone I trust. As I try these companies, I can hopefully get up my own review and let you know what I think!
Azure Standard
I recently started ordering from Azure Standard when I learned they had a drop near me. My mom used to order from them when I was younger, but I’d never ordered from them myself.
I just received my second order, and I’m excited to try more of their products. Some of my favorite products are their organic bread flour and rolled oats, bulk cheese, and Annie’s cheese crackers.
What they sell:
- Fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, dried, anything you want!)
- Bulk flours and grains
- Dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, and sour cream
- Meat
- Condiments and spices
- Vitamins and supplements
- And more!
Frontier Coop
I love Frontier for their bulk herbs and spices! I bought bulk raspberry leaf tea from them and drank it pretty much daily during the last trimester of my first pregnancy. It’s so much cheaper than buying individual tea bags.
They also have other types of tea, seasoning mixes, and dip mixes (like ranch!).
By buying foods you eat frequently in bulk, you can save so much per ounce or pound compared to buying it one smaller package at a time.
What they sell:
- Salt (different varieties/flavors)
- Herbs for cooking or making natural remedies
- Teas
- Dried Fruits and Vegetables
- Soup mixes
- Baking extracts and flavors
- Supplements
- Ingredients for making your own personal care products
Thrive Market
Thrive Market prides itself on bringing you the same quality foods you’d find a your local health food store, but at a more affordable price.
They have tons of frozen foods and snacks made with quality ingredients that you can feel good about giving to your kids.
I personally haven’t used Thrive Market (yet!), but Katie at Wellness Mama has a great review of them along with some of her favorite products.
What they sell:
- Snacks
- Frozen foods
- Meat
- Sauces
- Candy
- Supplements
- Personal care products
- Cleaning products
Vitacost
Vitacost carries a wide variety of vitamins (hence their name) and supplements at very affordable prices. Their tagline is “Discount Vitamins, Supplements, Health Foods, and More”.
Everything I’ve gotten from them so far has been good quality and the prices are comparable or cheaper than pretty much anywhere else, including Amazon.
I love getting my prenatal vitamins and homeopathic cold and flu remedies through them since they’re so much more affordable than stop at Target or a health food store.
They also have a pretty good selection of food as well, though not quite as extensive as Azure Standard and Thrive Market.
What they sell:
- Vitamins and Supplements
- Personal Care Products
- Herbs
- Makeup
- Protein Powders
- Cleaning Products
- Homeopathic and other natural remedies
- Diapers
- Pet health and grooming products
ClothDiaper.com
As the name says, ClothDiaper.com carries all things related to cloth diapers and related accessories.
They carry all sized of cloth diapers to help get you all the way from birth and newborn-sized diapers to toddlers and potty training.
If you need to add to your cloth diaper collection on a budget, check out clothdiaper.com!
What they sell:
- Prefolds/Fitteds/Flats
- Diaper Covers
- All-in-one diapers
- Swim diapers
- Wet bags
- Wipes
- Fasteners
- Bed protectors
- Training pants
- Burp clothes
- Onesies
Imperfect Foods
Imperfect Foods lets you sign up to receive boxes of “imperfect” produce that would otherwise go to waste at a grocery store.
Often this produce is just fine. Maybe it looks a little odd or it’s too small. Other times it might be reaching the end of its ripeness and needs to be used soon.
By utilizing the food that would otherwise be thrown out, Imperfect Foods allows you to get fresh produce (even organic) at a fraction of the price you’d pay at the grocery store.
Imperfect Foods delivers your food to your door once a week. You can also add different “packs” to your order with things like grains, meat and fish, snacks, or plant-based items.
If you live in a larger city, you’ll probably be in one of their delivery areas already. Yay! However, if you’re like me and you live in a rural area, this might not be an option for you.
What they sell:
- Fruits and vegetables (conventional and organic)
- Grains
- Meat and Fish
- Snacks
- Plant-Based Foods
Misfits Market
If you live in an area that’s too rural for Imperfect Foods, Misfits Market is for you!
Since they ship through shipping companies instead of delivering the boxes themselves, they have a wider area you can have delivered to.
Like Imperfect Foods, they have a wide variety of seasonal produce. You can either customize your box, or you can let them fill it and see what you get!
What they sell:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Pantry staples, including:
- Coffee
- Snacks
- Granola
- Pasta
- Herbs and Spices
- Cooking Oils
- Baby Food
Butcher Box
Butcher Box is similar to the two companies I just talked about, but instead of produce, they deliver meat to your door.
They offer quality, sustainably-raised meats shipped right to your door. They have a lot of options, and you can choose to have your order auto-shipped so you don’t have to worry about running out.
If you don’t have a farmer to buy meat from locally, this can be a wonderful option to get healthy proteins for your family!
I personally have not used Butcher Box because my parents sell the same products as them, but here’s a review from 100 Days of Real Food if you want a first-person account of their services and products!
What they sell:
- 100% Grassfed Beef
- Free-range organic chicken
- Pork
- Wild-caught seafood
Local health food stores
While shopping at smaller health food stores is a great way to support local businesses, they may not always have the best deals on the products you need.
However, if they have it in stock, you can get the product right away and not have to pay shipping, so if you need something right now, they’re probably your best option.
It is possible to find great deals at health food stores. You just might need to do a little looking.
Here are my tips for getting a good deal at these stores:
- Know what you need and approximately what it should cost. This can help you know if you’re getting a good deal.
- Shop sales
- Ask if they have a discount section for products that are near their expiration dates.
What they sell:
- Meat
- Produce
- Supplements
- Pantry Items
- Herbs and Spices
- Baked Goods
- And more depending on your store
Farmers/CSAs/Farmers Markets
Like I’ve talked about in other posts in this series (see below), sometimes you can get really good deals by going straight to the farmer and skipping the middle-man.
Local farmers can help you find just about anything that can be grown on a farm, whether it’s from their own farm or from someone they know.
CSAs are a local, summer/fall-only option similar to getting produce boxes from Imperfect Foods or Misfits Market. They offer fresh produce that you get in a box each week. You will get a variety of foods depending on what is ready at different times during the season.
And CSAs aren’t just for produce, either. I’ve heard of a flower CSA where you get a bouquet of flowers each week, and my sister is part of a cheese CSA!
Farmers Markets are an awesome place to find these local farmers and businesses and to establish connections for sourcing healthy food for your family.
What they sell:
- Meat
- Produce
- Milk (maybe raw depending on your state)
- Honey and beeswax products
- Soaps, candles, etc.
- Flowers
- Lots of other things!
Check out my Real Food on a Budget series:
- How to Afford Healthy Food on a Budget
- How to Save Money on Grass-fed Organic Meat
- Where to Find Affordable Organic Produce
- How to Get the Most Nutrient Dense Foods for Your Money
- Where to Buy Natural and Organic Products on a Budget (you’re here!)
- How to Build a Grocery Stockpile on a Budget
- Super Simple Tips for Packing Lunches (So You Can Save Money)
