More Ways to Save?

Recently, Prevention Magazine featured an article about savy ways to watch your money and still stay healthy. It's important to be able to recognize information that may or may not be useful. Here is our cautionary warnings about some of those tips:

• Beware of generic Although nearly every mainstream supermarket now carries organic store-brand options, including Safeway's O Organics line, H-E-B's Central Market Organic Selections, Wal-Mart's Great Value private label, Stop & Shop's Nature's Promise, and Supervalu's Wild Harvest. Organics are also available within Kroger, Publix, and Wegman's store brands. Because generic brands are cheaper, the likelihood of organic standards not being adhered to is much higher. Avoid "cheaper" brands that may be trying to capitalize on the organic buzz word to market a product, as your health may suffer.
  
• Think before joining a price club Organic options can be found at Costco, BJ's, and Sam's Club. Actually, purchasing food from big, corporate stores like these may not be a good idea because some of these stores sell compromised quality, genetically modified, and irradiated foods. Remember -- in many cases, if something is being sold at a cheaper price, there is likely a reason why.
  
• Use caution when replacing meat with beans Replacing meat with beans may not be advisable. As meat is considered a complete protein, finding a substitute is difficult. This is especially true when eating canned beans, which are typically higher on the glycemic index than fresh or dried beans. Canned products also contain plastic lining which leaches into the food in the container.
  

Keep in mind that if you are paying less for something, it may in some cases mean you are compromising health. The best rule of thumb to keep in mind is that purchasing organic may be expensive up front, but the costs it saves in your long-term health care expenses could be substantial if your lifestyle consistently reflects that of healthy choices. You decide - is it worth it to pay expensive prices in the grocery line now, or get yourself in substantial debt later because of big medical expenses such as hospitalization, drugs, and surgery?