More and more families have a member or multiple members with food allergies or intolerances. Beyond the effort that is required to keep those with allergies safe from the offending food, many families watch in dismay as their grocery budget rises to accommodate the food allergy.
In my family, three out of five of us cannot have dairy, and two out of the three also can’t have soy. Buying rice and soy milk instead of cow’s milk is much more expensive.
If you are coping with food allergies or intolerances, you don’t have to accept a grocery bill that increases dramatically; there are still ways to save when buying specialized food.
Don’t Look for a Substitute
Often, a person’s first response when trying to avoid a food is to seek a similar replacement. For instance, when I first discovered I was dairy intolerant, I was loath to give up ice cream. Instead I bought ice cream that did not have cow’s milk, but it was $6 to $7 per gallon! Obviously that was not sustainable. Now, I generally go without a dessert, but on a hot summer day, I might still splurge on sorbet that is on sale.
Find the Coupons
Although coupons for specialized products are not as plentiful, they are still available. Some places to look include recyclebank.com (earn points through different activities, and points can be redeemed for high value coupons, many for organic products) and Whole Foods’ monthly coupon booklets.
Another technique is to e-mail the manufacturer. We recently traveled by car 1,000 miles from our home. I could only find one granola bar that did not contain soy or milk. After our trip, I wrote the manufacturer to thank them for their product as the granola bars made a great snack for my kids in the car. The manufacturer in turn sent me six $2.00 off coupons. Some manufacturers will even send you coupons for free products.
Consider Club Stores
Stores such as Sam’s Club and Costco sell many organic and specialized products at a much lower price. We now buy all of our soy milk and rice milk in bulk at Costco and easily save at least 30% off the price I found at other stores.
Stock up When You Find a Sale
When you see a product that you love and use frequently, stock up. After a year without using any cheese, we finally found a shredded rice cheese that tasted good and was agreeable to everyone in our family. Now we stock up whenever it is on sale. While grocery stores might put traditional products on sale every six to twelve weeks, I find that sometimes the sales on specialty products can have a longer duration in between. When our cheese goes on sale, I will buy 12 to 15 bags to last us until the next sale. Because there is no alternative for us, it is not possible to buy different brands when they go on sale; our best bet is to stock up when the price hits its lowest point.
Buying groceries for a family member who has food allergies or intolerances is a bit different than buying typical food. However, with some careful planning, saving money while grocery shopping for those with food intolerances is possible. You might notice your budget inch up a bit, but you shouldn’t have to spend 20 or 30% more to accommodate a food allergy.
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We have food allergies in our family too. We stock up on products when they go on sale. I have found a few things at our local Sam’s Club but many of the specialty food items can only be found at expensive health food stores. I have found a few good deals on Amazon.com though I have to remember to check more often.
I love the suggestion on just doing without rather than finding a substitute. That’s one you really don’t see often. I have a ton of food & environmental sensitivities that i don’t usually pay attention to, I take antihistamines daily rather than avoid the things I’m sensitive to… it’s tough, some things are just really hard to avoid.
Great post! i am always looking for money to save, especially now when the times are harsh. I have recently begun to stock up when stores have sales so my fridge i so full right now, haha
Keep coming with these great tips, its a lifesaver!
Great ideas! Club stores are good for non-perishables and shopping for large families. Stock up on items like paper towels and soaps during sales.
Very informative text, it is very useful for me. I have been in trouble since my son was diagnosed with gluten intolerance. I haven’t known anybody before who have had this kind of food allergy. At first, I was shocked when I saw the bill after the shopping, but I’ve found some really nice saving tips in your article. Thanks for sharing them!
We don’t actually have any food allergies or intolerances, but I’m super picky about what I eat. I can see these tips being useful in that sense as well.
So far our son, who is two and a half, seems cool with everything. Our daughter is seven months old so it’s too early to tell if she has any allergies just yet. We’ll keep our fingers crossed. This is great information and you are correct, this seems to be more and more common of a thing.