How to save money when buying organics

Tampa, Florida -- Food prices continue to soar, and you might find it tough to swallow premium prices for organic produce. But you can save money if you're smart about what you buy.

Jill Collins recently started shopping for organic foods, because she was concerned about the impact of pesticides on her family.

"You hear a lot of things about the long term and I'm very health conscious, so I want to make sure that I live a long time and that my family is healthy, that we don't have any long time health problems because of the pesticides we consume," said Jill Collins, consumer.

Fruits and vegetables that go bad shortly after harvest tend to be heavily laden with pesticides.

"Something like a peach or a nectarine and strawberries are very susceptible to moles and to lots of different types of bugs, so they just throw on the pesticides, so that when it comes to the supermarket it looks bright fresh and healthy so that you will want to buy it," said Jaden Hair of SteamyKitchen.com.

You don't have the budget to buy completely organic. There are some conventional fruits and vegetable that are safer for you.

"An avocado, you don't have to choose between a three dollar avocado that's organic, or a dollar and fifty cents one that's conventional. Buy the conventional one and use the money for things that count, like the strawberries," Hair said.

Jill Collins is glad stores like Publix Greenwise and Whole Foods are starting to emerge for health consious consumers.

"I like to have everything available to me in one store - I don't want to have to go to five stores to get my big shopping list full of ingredients, so if I can go to one store it works for me," Collins said.

The long-term effects of eating healthier works for everyone.