Living Low Tox When Money is Tight

For the first 4 years of my low tox journey, our family was barely scraping by, bringing in less than $30k a year. We were on Medicaid, we had access to WIC, and it was… hard. My husband Nick was taking out the max allowed amount of loans for medical school, and I was working a variety of part time jobs, including teaching spin classes, photographing weddings, and small affiliate comissions from Instagram.

We are in a better financial place in our current season, but I will never forget all the valuable things we learned during that time of pinching pennies. I hear all the time that “low tox living is for upper class only” or “I wish that lifestyle was actually accessible to me” and while I do recognize that non toxic things generally reflect a higher price tag due to their ingredients, sourcing, and quality, I KNOW it’s possible to prioritize a low tox lifestyle while not having much money, because we had to figure out how, and we did.

So, here’s all my best tips for living low tox when money is tight.

Take a CLOSE look at the ways you spend your money on a monthly basis.

Write down every transaction, and create a spreadsheet with 3 categories:

1 - NEEDS

2- WANTS

3- WASTES.

Move every transaction into one of these categories, and consider eliminating things in the WASTES category, and many in the WANTS category, too. I quit my streaming subscriptions, my hair appointments, and almost completely stopped buying “fun” food items when we were in the thick of making low tox swaps. The newest iPhone, an upgraded car, the outfit your favorite influencer posted yesterday… probably not needs. Just sayin ;) 

Choose organic for things such as meat, eggs, and the Dirty Dozen for produce. Don’t worry about choosing organic for produce that aren’t on the dirty dozen. If you have it in your budget to also choose organic dairy products, great, but don’t stress about it. 

Don’t eat out. Eating out is WAY more expensive than cooking all your meals at home (yes, even if you’re only buying organic groceries). I realize this may seem inconvenient, but I hate to break it to ya - low tox living on a budget is rarely about doing the most convenient thing. 

Eat a big meal before going grocery shopping so you won’t be hungry and tempted to spend money on unnecessary things like snacks or desserts. Also, be sure to ALWAYS come with a list, and stick to it. You’re way less likely to overspend on groceries if you meal plan ahead of time and go shopping with a specific list. 

You don’t need as many cleaning products as you think. Nobody actually needs a separate window cleaner, toilet cleaner, tile and grout cleaner, etc. Branch Basics has an amazing toxin free starter kit (code THE.ORGANIMAMA) that gives you one bottle of concentrate that makes all purpose cleaner, bathroom cleaner, window cleaner, hand soap, and even laundry detergent. It might seem more expensive upfront, but in reality, you’ll spend WAY less on cleaning products by going this route. 

When buying anything fabric, if organic cotton isn’t in the budget, just look for 100% cotton. It’s still a way better option than synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon, and it’s much more budget friendly. 

Investing upfront usually means spending a LOT less in the long run. Here’s what I mean: spend $600 on ½ a grass fed cow share at the start of the fall, and you’ll have a freezer stocked with all cuts of beef for the entire winter that comes out to probably less than $5 per pound for ALL the meat - ground beef, high quality cuts of steak, etc. This ends up saving you way more in the long run vs buying 4lbs of organic beef at the grocery store each week. 

While not always true, the non toxic versions of things tend to be higher quality, and therefore, last a lot longer than their cheaper and more toxic counterparts. Keep this in mind when making purchases. If you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck, you may not be able to buy all the things you’d like to buy right then and there - you may need to consider setting aside a bit of money each month to save up for the higher quality swaps. 

Practice patience, and save up for sales. Plan ahead to spend more on low tox swaps around times like Memorial Day or Black Friday when things are significantly marked down, and be prepared to stock up on things then for 6-12 months at a time.

If you’re welcoming a new baby, please be aware that the majority of baby items that people tell you that you “ABSOLUTELY NEED” are not things you actually need. Cloth diapers might take a bit more work and a bigger upfront investment, but they will save you thousands and thousands of dollars compared to buying disposable diapers in the long run. Breastfeeding may be challenging, exhausting, and overwhelming at times, but it will save you thousands and thousands of dollars compared to formula in the long run. Bedsharing might mean that friends and family tell you you’re a bad parent (they’re wrong), but that means you won’t need to buy a baby monitor or a crib. Your baby doesn’t need a new outfit for every outing. A handful of cotton onesies and sleepers is all that’s necessary. 

Invest in your health now, or pay for chronic health issues later in life. This is kinda my philosophy for everything, lol. 

If I were starting this journey all over again, still making less than $30K a year as a household, here’s what I would prioritize first and foremost:

• Organic food, especially meat and the Dirty Dozen

• Swapping out my deodorant (I recommend Primally Pure. My discount code is ORGANIMAMA10)

• Throwing away anything with artificial fragrance—especially unnecessary things like Febreze, candles, car air fresheners, etc.

• Filtering my drinking water (check out this post for recommendations based on your budget)

• Choosing as many low tox or non tox products as possible for my children (they are much more susceptible than adults)

• All the FREE ways to promote healing: avoiding screens, getting sunlight, barefoot grounding outside, drinking plenty of water, getting lots of sleep

Lastly, remember my motto: Do your best, and let go of the rest. Make swaps where you can, when you can, and release the rest of it until you can revisit it. It’s going to be okay, I promise :) 

YOU’VE GOT THIS. While having money in the bank certainly makes low tox living a little easier, that’s not the only way to pursue a less toxic life successfully. I’m rooting for you!! 

If you want more than just a place to start and want to go all in, check out my low tox living guides!

I have guides that cover a low tox home, beauty + personal care, babies, clothing, and pregnancy! All made so that you don't have to do the research - I've already done it and I'm giving you my top picks with clickable links (and some discounts too!)