The other day, I finally broke down and printed out LIME's organic cheat sheet [0] for my next trip to the grocery store. The list I found tells me which organic [0] products are worth the splurge, and which ones aren't.

Motivated by some hefty post-holiday credit card bills, I was looking to cut some corners when I stumbled upon another great piece [1] in the Wall Street Journal with tips for those us who want to buy organic food, but also need to pay attention to our wallets.

This is especially helpful now that my grocery store -- which recently underwent a renovation to keep up with all the local yuppies -- has started to explode with organics. A trip through their aisles offers everything from organic apples to (don't laugh) organic Cheetos [1]. Still, the fact is that organic foods are not necessarily better [1].

Both lists note products (primarily fruits and vegetables) that are worth the extra money. Both are based on Environmental Working Group's data from pesticide residue tests, though conventional products are safe.

Need your own cheat sheet? See below.

Splurge on:

Organic apples, peaches, bell peppers, strawberries, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce, potatoes, carrots, milk and other dairy products, meat, poultry, baby food, any food that you very eat often.

Save on:

Conventionally-grown broccoli, bananas, frozen sweet peas, frozen corn, asparagus, avocados, onions, and seafood (there are no standards for organic seafood [1].) Also, breads, pastas, chips, oils, and other processed foods may not be worth it, considering that they generally contain both organic and non-organic ingredients.