{"id":12966,"date":"2015-09-25t21:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-09-25t21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/going-organic-on-a-student-budget\/"},"modified":"2015-09-25t21:00:00","modified_gmt":"2015-09-25t21:00:00","slug":"on-a-student-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/on-a-student-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"going organic on a student budget"},"content":{"rendered":"

by katlyn manka<\/strong><\/em>
\nplanet forward intern\/marymount university<\/em><\/p>\n

we\u2019ve all heard it: the vegan diet is the most environmentally friendly and sustainable<\/a>. here at planet forward, we even tried it<\/a>. unfortunately, going vegan isn\u2019t the right lifestyle choice for everyone. of course, some people opt out due to budget and others because of taste. personally, i love my meat and as a student, shopping just for myself, i have a relatively small budget.<\/p>\n

it\u2019s easy to keep the ears shut when our beloved meat, eggs, cheese and milk might be a casualty of any possible lifestyle change, but there is certainly the thought, \u201cdo i have to do that? can\u2019t i still be green?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

the answer is yes. you can grocery shop more<\/span> sustainably even on a budget<\/a> by taking a few small steps at a time. the real question is: to what degree can i shop organic on a student budget of roughly<\/span> $120-$160<\/a> per month? (that\u2019s within the range of $35-$45 per week to feed a single person between the ages of 19 and 50.) for the average student, this seems like an impossible task <\/span>without <\/em>trying to buy organic.<\/span><\/p>\n

one blogger already tackled this challenge \u2014 but for her family of four. lisa leake documented her experience at <\/span>100 days of real food<\/a>, spending only $125 per week ($31.25\/person) and buying organic whenever possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

on a meager student budget i can see how leake’s pledge, which includes dropping processed foods in favor of<\/span> real food<\/a>, might be difficult. also, she obtained much of her organic produce and eggs from the farmer\u2019s market, which takes advantage of seasonal produce. the average student is more likely to walk into a grocery store \u2014 probably a national or regional chain. and while farmer’s markets can be cost effective, there are two problems with counting on them in your budgeting: one, they don\u2019t always operate year round and, two, a student might not have access to a farmer\u2019s market nearby. <\/span><\/p>\n

leake acknowledged in her 100-day-challenge wrap-up post that it was a relief to not be constrained to the budget when her 100 days were over, while college students have to endure four \u2014 or more \u2014 years of learning to make do. on the plus side, after a while you get really good at planning your meals and stretching your dollars.<\/span><\/p>\n

so, in lieu of full conversion to either a vegan diet or a diet free of processed and refined food, it\u2019s easiest to start with small substitutions. i started by looking at organic meat. <\/span>foodbabe.com<\/a> noted dairy and meat products as the highest priority to buy organic. organic meat and dairy products also happen to have a higher markup in<\/span> price<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

i was able to stay under $35 on my last grocery store trip by buying my organic meat in bulk and eating the same thing every day. i <\/span>saut\u00e9ed veggies as a side and served them over some very affordable brown rice. but this strategy doesn\u2019t work for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

popsugar offers some tips for shopping for a single person<\/a> on a budget<\/span>. here are the tips i found to be the most practical:<\/span><\/p>\n