With all the talk about pesticides in our produce and the possible dangers of pesticide consumption for children, you may be concerned about feeding your baby conventionally-grown foods (once he or she is ready to eat solids). As someone who never worried about such things before becoming a mom, though, you may be daunted by the high price of organic produce (and maybe organic baby food) in our local supermarkets. Here are some suggestions for how to feed your little one worry-free, without breaking the bank.

1. Seek out organic produce at your local farmer's market. Buying local is an added benefit here, since locally-grown produce often retains more nutrients than produce shipped around the world before arriving at the local Safeway. Find a farmers market here if you're in DC, here if you're in Maryland, and here if you're in Northern Virginia.

2. Instead of going all-out and buying everything organic, buy organic only for those items in the "dirty dozen": peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce, and potatoes. These are the items found to have the highest level of pesticide residue.

3. Start your own organic garden! Admittedly you probably won't be able to grow peaches, apples, etc., but a number of other items (bell peppers, strawberries, lettuce) can be grown in your back yard. Live in an apartment with no backyard? Some vegetables, such as cucumbers and tomatoes, lend themselves well to be grown in smaller spaces such as planters on your balcony.

If you are unable to obtain organic produce within your budget or at a reasonable price, however, don't worry too much: many experts believe that feeding your baby organic food makes little to no difference.

Another possible way to save money on baby food is to make your own. Although the convenience of jarred baby food can't be denied, many new moms do not realize that it can also be extremely easy to make your own. Feeding your baby can be as simple as mashing a ripe banana or microwaved sweet potato (neither of which is on the "dirty dozen" list and both of which can often be found cheaply in the supermarket) with a fork. Be sure to refrigerate leftovers immediately, but discard any food that has been touched by the spoon you are feeding your baby with (to prevent bacterial growth). Homemade baby food can also be frozen in small portions in an ice-cube tray.

How to get cheap diapers

Since having a baby, one of the greatest new household expenses has been diapers. Unless you are going the eco-friendly cloth diaper route, you are probably using up about a pack of diapers a week, and this can really add up! One popular solution is to buy large boxes of Kirkland brand diapers at Costco. These are pretty cheap; at $39.59 for a box of 208 size 3 diapers (a baby who is a size 2 in another brand might be a 3 in Kirkland, since they sell only size 1-2 and none that are just size 2), you'll pay about 19c per diaper. However, there is an even cheaper way.

Here is how to buy diapers for less at CVS:

1) Get a free ExtraCare card at your local CVS to take advantage of their ExtraBucks deals. The ExtraCare card is linked to your phone number, and it keeps track of your CVS purchases. CVS often offers deals where you can purchase an item at a sale price but then receive ExtraBucks in return. These may total the whole value of your purchase, making the item effectively free, or they may be worth only a part of the cost of the purchase. The ExtraBucks will print out at the bottom of your receipt. They can then be used as money on a future purchase at CVS, but they do have a two week expiration date.

2) Sign up for a CVS.com account to receive store coupons periodically by e-mail. One of the best coupons they send out, which you might receive every few weeks, is a $4 off $20 store coupon. This is a coupon that you print off your computer and that will allow $4 to be deducted from the total cost of your purchase at CVS, as long as you are buying at least $20 worth of merchandise. It can be used in combination with manufacturer's coupons.

3) Check your Washington Post Sunday insert for diaper coupons. You may also sometimes be able to find diaper coupons online; for instance, at P&G (Procter & Gamble).

4) Check the CVS ads in your Washington Post Sunday insert to see what diapers are on sale for the week as well as what other items come with ExtraBucks.

Use deal-finding websites such as slickdeals.net or iheartcvs.com to help you find when there is a good diapers deal at CVS.

You could get a really cheap pack of diapers if, for example:

1) that Sunday's CVS ad showed that Pampers were on sale (sale price is usually $8.99); pick up two packages of Pampers

2) that Sunday's CVS ad also showed that there was some item or items costing about $2.50 but that would be free or really cheap after ExtraBucks; pick up about $2.50 worth of that item

3) you had received a $4 off $20 store coupon via e-mail; print it out, and give it to the cashier along with your ExtraCare card (or phone number)

AND

4) that Sunday's Post had a $2 off Pampers coupon; try to obtain two of these (a second one could come perhaps from a friend who gets the Post but does not have a child in diapers); give these to the cashier after you have given the store coupon

Your items will total $20.48, but you will pay out of pocket $12.48. You will receive $2.50 in ExtraBucks, making your net cost $9.98. You have now spent $4.99 for each package of Pampers. That is only 13 to 17c per diaper (depending on how many are in the pack)--even cheaper than Kirkland, and you didn't have to pay for a Costco membership or take a long trip out to the nearest Costco (Arlington is the closest you'll find to DC, whereas you're probably never more than a couple of blocks away from the closest CVS). Just make sure to save your ExtraBucks and use them on something else you need at CVS before they expire (tip--you can buy milk or paper towels or something else you would usually buy at the grocery store. Just keep checking the CVS ads on Sundays to see what's on sale that you would have to buy anyway).

Although the $4 off $20 coupons usually expire only a few days after you get them, diapers coupons usually last a while (and, off the record, CVS often accepts expired manufacturer's coupons), so save them up until they can do the most good.

(All calculations do not include sales tax; this will vary depending on whether you are in DC, MD, or VA.)