Which is cheaper for fresh fruits & vegs..

lizzardsm

If you are on a budget, you'll often find that frozen veggies are much cheaper than fresh (but I don't think that's the case for fruit). There's also some evidence that frozen veggies are more nutritious than their fresh counterparts in the grocery store. The difference is that fresh veggies are picked long before they are ripe so by the time they arrive at the grocery store they are ripe or just under-ripe. Frozen veggies stay on the stem/in the ground/etc. until they are ripe and then are promptly frozen. Since they are allowed to grow longer they have more nutrients.

delilah47

I watch the sales at the grocery store and also find bargains at a small farmers market in the small town where I live. I recently had an experience at the grocery store with our local strawberries. I live in the "berry capital" of northwest Washington state. Since the berry season is very short here, I usually buy California or Mexico strawberries which run about $1.99-$299 per quart, year around. The other day, I noticed a "local berries" sign on the grocery store reader board. I stopped in and couldn't believe my eyes! The local strawberries were $7.99 a quart!! Due to the short season and rainy weather here, sometimes the local berries aren't very sweet or sometimes have bad spots on them. This year was a good season, but I wouldn't pay that price if they were the last strawberries on earth. I am all for supporting local products, but not this one. This also goes for the local raspberries. The county where I live grows more red raspberries than anywhere in the world. Most of them are contracted to Smucker's, but when you go to buy them in the store they are usually about $3.99 for a half-pint.

stephanj

I totally agree about the farm eggs. Since I have been eating free range, I can't go back to the "sweat shop eggs", with their pale little yolks and thin little shells, I really feel like the nutrition must be higher too... sorry for digressing.

Here our farmer's markets are a luxury. Local farmers struggle due to high land prices.

bcattoes

In my area, the prices aren't much different for most things.

beccala18

Where I live (NYC), it is MUCH cheaper to buy in the grocery stores. The farmers markets are super expensive here. I just buy at the grocery store, especially when things are on sale. I prep and freeze vegetables all the time or buy frozen.

eduardo_d

If you have a Costco in your area and a membership, they are hard to beat. Target/Walmart have cheap produce but it's crap. Farmer's markets cater to folks who want the experience and good feeling THEY get from buying local. That always comes at a price, as it should.

delilah47

I find the farmers market around me is cheaper because they offer assistance for those with food stamps (which I am unfortunate enough to be using at this time and am embarrassed to admit this). They have it where 10 dollars worth of food stamps counts for 20 dollars in market money if that makes sense. If I don't then I usually buy from the co-op because after eating a cucumber and blueberries that tasted like hairspray from a local grocery I can't help but be turned off by them. Definitely check out your farmers market to see if they offer deals like that. Also a lot of local farmers might offer packages where if you buy directly from them they will save you a bit of money and guarantee fresh produce to your home ^-^

On a side note just about farmers markets, I won't buy eggs from the super market because after buying from the farmers market the taste just doesn't compare. Chickens that are allowed free range to scratch and eat insects are phenomenal compared to anything I have ever purchased in a store. You've gotta try it if you eat eggs.

I hear ya on the eggs. When I lived in Alaska in the 70s and 80s, before they air freighted groceries, we got what was referred to as "cold storage" eggs. They had very light yellow yolks and not much taste, but you get used to that. When I moved back to WA, I couldn't believe it; the egg yolks were orange next to what I was used to. And that's just the eggs from the supermarket. I was raised on a farm with our own chickens so I know what a good egg tastes like.

now_or_never12

In my area (Ontario - Waterloo Region) the farmers market tends to be the cheapest for fruits and veggies. I try to shop there when my work schedule allows the time to go when the farmers markets are open. I can easily get four huge bags full of stuff for $25 which is pretty cheap.

It all depends on your area. Look at the flyers and shop based on what's on sale. If you have a few stores close to each other it helps since you can hope between the stores for their sales.

If you can shop on the cheap rack (some call it the about to go rack) you can score some great deals. When I do that I tend to wash and cut everything. What I won't use that day I will freeze for later use.

brandee1212

We have a chain of stores here in Texas (and the West Coast, I think) called Sprouts. They call themselves a Farmer's Market, but they're really just a specialty grocery store. I get really nice, quality produce (and often meat) for way less than actual farmer's markets AND places like Walmart/Target/HEB. I highly recommend you see if there are any in your area. I love, love, LOVE Sprouts!

http://sprouts.com/

dawnrenee567

Seasonal fruit/veg - Farmers Market wins Plus I like supporting local businesses

dvnjustina

I usually go to a local store which the produce is hit and miss, but always cheap. I make a plan on using what I get within 3 days. I'm also the type of person to clear out the reduced produce area. A lot of fruits and veggies freeze well, so I'll pop 'em in freezer bags and off to the freezer it goes. I have to drive 12 plus miles for the local farmer's market, so I don't go often. I have a garden too.

kristi5224

I shop at local produce stands but i live in south central California. If you hit the farmers market late you can get great deals esp if your spanish is good. They prefer to sell cheap rather than load it up but the selection is not as good. Its fun because ut makes whats for dinner more of a gamble.

cbevan1229

I really think it's a store-by-store thing.

When I lived in NJ, there was a farmer's market near my home - they had great produce for cheap - it often didn't look as pretty as what they sell at the grocery store - odd shapes, dings and marks, but it was fresh and ripe and delicious.

I'm in NC now, and I haven't found a Farmer's Market near me. There's a "Produce Market" that I find to be expensive.

SunshineT83

It all depends, you will really have to do the research in your area.

Here the smaller Farmer's Markets tend to be less expensive because they are full of more like large scale gardeners rather than farmers who make their living from the land. So you may go to pick up a $3 dozen free-range organic chicken eggs and that "farmer" will also throw in 3 bell peppers, some jalapenos, and a big onion all for the same $3 just because you took the time to ask him about is passion.

The larger Farmer's Markets here tend to be a bit pricier merely because these are people who make a large percent if not all their income from their farming and many of them do it the "hard" way with no chemicals which can be more expensive.

As far as the grocery stores go each one is different from the other. Some are crazy expensive and others are crazy inexpensive. But much of the time you get what you pay for. Just try to buy in season and local and most of your costs will be cut that way regardless of where you buy.

myfitnessnmhoy

PS: Although there is some risk involved, my wife and I purchased a "farm share" this year. It's by no means cheap (we paid $500 for ours), but you get your share of the vegetables from the garden all summer long. So far, we're 4 weeks into the growing season and we're so inundated with vegetables that we're finding inventive new ways to prepare them. Our grocery bill at the supermarket has dropped considerably and the overall health of our diet has greatly improved.

We're expecting harvest into September, so it works out to probably about $35 a week for the period we will be receiving vegetables. May not be the best bargain out there, but it's not terribly expensive and mmm.. mmm.. are we overloaded with a lot of delicious vegetables.

airbent

The farmer's market where I work is a little more expensive than if I go to Giant, so I only go every other week to pick up a couple items. But it depends. If it's in season and they have a lot of it on hand, farmer's market prices are good.

myfitnessnmhoy

I've found that it's best to shop farmers' markets just before they pack up for the day (like 30-45 min. before it's scheduled to close) because the sellers want to get rid of their goods and not have to take it all back with them. Therefore, you might be able to bargain and get some great produce for a couple dollars less.

There's often some overripe or just-about-to-go stuff left over that you can get them to give you for next to nothing, or free if you buy some other produce. If you're stocking up on something like tomatoes to make your own sauce, transporting them is generally a hassle, and you can quite often make an offer on "whatever is left, blemished and all" for pennies on the dollar because them packing it back to the farm means throwing it away.

I've seen people go up with a $20 or two and a pickup and offer the farmer the option of just going home with an empty food truck and a full wallet, including assistance in packing up their shelving and tent. As often as not, the farmer is just as happy to not have to deal with the dregs of the sale, and having help with the takedown and packup, and two people drive away happy. The farmer because he doesn't have to deal with sorting out the bad veggies for the next sale, and the buyer because he's filled a pickup truck with processable veggies for $20-40 plus a half hour's work.