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If you're looking to go organic or if you already have, here are some helpful strategies to save money at checkout:

Go organic on produce with the highest levels of pesticides. The "dirty dozen" are a good place to start with when you make organic produce purchases. Starting with the worst, they are peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, grapes (imported), spinach, lettuce, potatoes. The cleanest 12 are onions, avocados, sweet corn (frozen), pineapples, mangoes, asparagus, sweet peas (frozen), kiwi fruit, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, papaya, so you may decide to skip the extra cost for organic on these. Download the Environmental Working Group's shopping guide to help you make savvy decisions.

Choose organic for items that your family eats the most. If your family drinks gallons and gallons of milk each week, consider allocating your organic funds there. If your kids won't touch anything but grapes, think about splurging on organic ones and balancing out the rest of your cart with conventional foods that don't have as big an impact on your family.

Look for store brands. Many national supermarkets now have their own private label organics brand. According to our extensive taste tests, it makes sense to try supermarket brands. Here are some examples of where we found them.

365 Organic: Whole Foods Market

• Green Way: A&P, Waldbaum's, Pathmark, Food Emporium, Super Fresh, Food Basics

GreenWise: Publix

O Organics: Safeway, Vons, Carrs, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Genuardi's

• Private Selection Organic: Kroger, Ralphs, King Soopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith's, Fry's, QFC, Baker's, JayC Food Stores, Gerbes, Pay Less Super Markets, Scott's Food & Pharmacy

• Wild Harvest Organic: Shaw's/Star Market, Jewel-Osco, Albertsons, Farm Fresh, Shop 'n Save, Acme, Hornbacher's Cub Foods

• Wild Harvest Organic: Shaw's/Star Market, Jewel-Osco, Albertsons, Farm Fresh, Shop 'n Save, Acme, Hornbacher's Cub Foods Winn-Dixie Organics: Winn-Dixie

• Nature's Basket Organic: Giant Eagle, Market District, Giant Eagle Express

Cut coupons. Check out HealthESavers for specialty brands or go to Coupons.com

Subscribe to an RSS feed. The Organic Trade Association scouts out prices and reports bargains on its Savvy Organic Shopper blog . Sign up to get the 411 on deals.

Buy in bulk. Warehouse clubs are a great place to find savings, and buying in bulk is especially handy when shopping for a family.

Look for local produce. True, local doesn't necessarily mean organic, but many local farmers are producing food in accordance with organic standards and just haven't paid to be certified by the USDA. Ask the farmer. Also, local produce means you're buying in season when there is an abundance of that item. That tends to translate into good deals.

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