Which is cheaper for fresh fruits & vegs..

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  • dvnjustina
    dvnjustina Posts: 114 Member
    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
    kristi5224 Posts: 98 Member
    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
    cbevan1229 Posts: 326 Member
    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
    SunshineT83 Posts: 158 Member
    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
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    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
    airbent Posts: 150 Member
    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
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    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.

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