Which is cheaper for fresh fruits & vegs..

WalkingGirl1985
WalkingGirl1985 Posts: 2,046 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I wanna stock up on some fresh, yummy, fruits & veggies.but I wanna get my moneys worth on a budget. Do you feel you get more deals at farmers markets in your area or stores?
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Replies

  • Saiklor
    Saiklor Posts: 183
    If you're inclined towards cheap then I think the best option is to shop frequently at grocery stores and to buy things off of the about-to-go-bad rack.

    I find stuff at my local farmers market to be more expensive, sometimes prohibitively so, but there can be other benefits to paying more (like supporting local industry).
  • WalkingGirl1985
    WalkingGirl1985 Posts: 2,046 Member
    Okay..just a question, dude.
  • Bubs05
    Bubs05 Posts: 179 Member
    The grocery store may be a little more expensive but I prefer the local markets and stands. They can tell you a lot more about what you are buying (when it was picked, is this from their farm, etc.)
    In my area several of the local produce stands have co-ops. You pay a certain amount up front and get weekly produce from them.
  • kylee_marie
    kylee_marie Posts: 299 Member
    farmers market for sure! i got a ton last night for $17
  • iiiEllie
    iiiEllie Posts: 224 Member
    Our farmers market here is way more expensive than the stores, but the stores are horribly overpriced too haha.
  • majones_orl
    majones_orl Posts: 195 Member
    I go to a local fresh market and they are cheaper than grocery stores and the quality is better.
  • WhittRak
    WhittRak Posts: 567 Member
    I go to farmers markets when I can. It can be a bit spency. Often times I grab my fruits and veggies from Giant. And the organics there are totally spency. Either way, healthy eating does cost, but look what ya get in the long run :flowerforyou:
  • jenbridges
    jenbridges Posts: 213 Member
    Our farmers market here is way more expensive than the stores, but the stores are horribly overpriced too haha.

    same here!
  • DeniseBromley
    DeniseBromley Posts: 123 Member
    It really all depends - I've found good deals at both.

    At the farmers market, or even better yet, a fruit/veggie stand right at someones farm..you can usually ask if they have anything thats not quite its best quality (like apples that fell from the tree, rather than were picked off) and can get them a bit cheaper. I've done that for making/canning applesauce in the fall and got them at half price.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    The politically correct thing to say ALWAYS is Farmers Market, but the truth is it depends when it comes to quality but never price.
    I get much better quality and value at Walmart superstore, but the food Nazi would argue against that.

    I am not out to make any social statements - just give me the best deal for my money.
    Walmart!:drinker:
  • janet0513
    janet0513 Posts: 564 Member
    I find that if I shop the sales and the manager's specials, I can get better prices at the supermarket for most things.
  • Ali_TSO
    Ali_TSO Posts: 1,172 Member
    Okay..just a question, dude.

    I don't think her response was rude..... :huh:
  • Ali_TSO
    Ali_TSO Posts: 1,172 Member
    I love farmer's market produce, but here it's more expensive. :cry: I usually shop the sales at my local grocery store. :happy:
  • emnk5308
    emnk5308 Posts: 736
    My boyfriend works in the produce dpt. So we get LOTS of mark-downs. The store he works at, takes care of the 'rich, snooty' people.. so perfectly good fruits and veggies that may have a spot, get marked down! =) So I get not so pretty, but SO yummy fresh produce CHEAP. I also LOVE going to farmers markets! You can really stock up if you know how to freeze your own veggies =) Fresh is cheaper..
  • Telugammayi87
    Telugammayi87 Posts: 170 Member
    At the Farmer's Market here I bought

    1 bunch asparagus (big and thick)
    1.3lbs Rainer Cherries
    1 Lemon Drop Melon
    3 Mangoes
    1lb Green Chillies
    1lb Okra
    2 Sweet Potatoes
    2 Taro Root
    4 tomatoes
    3 onions
    3 Cucumbers
    1 Bunch Coriander
    1lb Baby Spinach
    1/2lb blueberries
    1 bag Bok Choy
    4 bananas

    Total Price........... $17.92
  • Renae_Nae
    Renae_Nae Posts: 935 Member
    Our farmers market is a lot cheaper...but the gas to get there doesn't make it worth it unless I need a TON of stuff.
  • swisspea
    swisspea Posts: 327 Member
    It really depends on what's in season- check out what's in season in your area, and it should be the best value at the farmer's market.
    beThe best bet for eating fresh veggies and fruits on a budget is to buy frozen- they are often flash frozen straight after picking, so have even more nurtients than what you can get at the shops. BEst way to prepare frozen veggies is to steam and eat soon after steaming. As for frozen fruits- I love them still frozen!
  • kitchensync
    kitchensync Posts: 22 Member
    Depends on what kind of veggies and fruit you are looking for.

    If you buy seasonal, it doesn't have to be shipped in, so it costs less. I don't know where you live, but for me in Vancouver, I use this guide.

    http://localfoods.about.com/od/searchbyregion/a/PacNWFruitsVegs.htm

    Right now, it's strawberry season and there is so much lettuce, I get them both really inexpensive at the farmers market. If you are buying out of season you will be paying more.
  • kitchensync
    kitchensync Posts: 22 Member
    :happy:
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I wanna stock up on some fresh, yummy, fruits & veggies.but I wanna get my moneys worth on a budget. Do you feel you get more deals at farmers markets in your area or stores?

    Frozen is actually the best value and also the best nutritionally (flash-freezing maintains nutrients they lose on the shelf). And they won't go bad before you can use them.

    But for fresh, at least here, farmer's market all the way. One example is at Walmart (cheapest store) a zucchini that is the size of most zucchinis in most grocery stores was .72 on Saturday. I bought a zucchini three times the size for a quarter at a farmer's market a few weeks ago.
  • bloodbank
    bloodbank Posts: 468 Member
    Our farmers market here is way more expensive than the stores, but the stores are horribly overpriced too haha.

    Same here - I'm in central Canada. The goods are very nice at the farmers markets and I think it's often worth it to 'splurge' on them, but for the same money I only get about 1/4 of the things at them that I can get at ye olde grocery store.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    You gotta do both. Farmer's Markets are locally grown -- stuff there will most likely last longer in your home. Look for markets that don't use fancy building and have smaller overhead -- stands along the road will have the best prices.

    Somethings though, you aren't going to find at your local farmer's market and super markets have sales you should take advantage of. Things like peppers freeze really, really well if you cut them off their core -- so do berries, string beans, corn and asparagus. If you find those things on sale -- load up and freeze them for fall/winter.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    I wanna stock up on some fresh, yummy, fruits & veggies.but I wanna get my moneys worth on a budget. Do you feel you get more deals at farmers markets in your area or stores?

    I generally find that the farmer's market is cheaper, but you have to shop around a bit. There's also a lot of what I call "yuppy chow" at farmer's markets, like really expensive olive oils and in a lot of cases really overpriced packaged items that you can actually get far cheaper at the supermarket. There are also people who buy things at the supermarket and take them out of the packaging and try to sell them as "organic" at really high prices.

    If you stick with looking for the pickup trucks with the tattered tent hanging off the back, you can often find some really good deals on freshly-harvested vegetables. The farmer's going to sell it to a wholesaler who will get a 200% markup by the time it gets to your supermarket anyway, so they'll sell it to you for merely double what they would have gotten from the wholesaler, which can be REALLY cheap.

    Get to know pricing at your local grocery store, then hit the farmer's market. Buy stuff there you can get cheap (be flexible about what you buy, because at a farmer's market the real bargains are whatever happens to be in season - at the supermarket they ship stuff in from long distances anyway, so everything's pretty much always in season). Then go to the supermarket and stock up on what you can't buy from the farmer's market.
  • chelledawg14
    chelledawg14 Posts: 509 Member
    I love to support local farmers so I'm willing to pay more at a farmers market. Unfortunately, they're usually held during the afternoons when so many of us are at work so that leaves me first heading to Aldi's where you cannot beat the prices, especially if you go the day they get their stock. You do really have to watch sales when shopping at grocery stores, but if you have a local fruit/veggie stand, you can get some great deals - at least that's what I've notice around my area. There is a great place on my way home that has been around forever - open year round. I can buy veggies and fruit for a week and only spend $15 - as long as you buy the specials for the week.
  • emnk5308
    emnk5308 Posts: 736
    The politically correct thing to say ALWAYS is Farmers Market, but the truth is it depends when it comes to quality but never price.
    I get much better quality and value at Walmart superstore, but the food Nazi would argue against that.

    I am not out to make any social statements - just give me the best deal for my money.
    Walmart!:drinker:

    I HATE shopping at Wal Mart.. I mean Hate. I love going to Farmers Markets.. Ours where I'm at are SO MUCH CHEAPER!! I'm glad they are too =) I guess it depends on where you live.
  • simonek91
    simonek91 Posts: 18
    When I have time, I really prefer to buy my produce at farmers' markets. I just find that it looks fresher and tastes better. 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.
  • amandalfn
    amandalfn Posts: 24
    Market for sure!!!
  • Leslietheriot
    Leslietheriot Posts: 303 Member
    I find that my local supermarket is cheaper than our local farmers market...and honestly, the quality is about the same.
  • vettle
    vettle Posts: 621 Member
    I find farmers markets a bit expensive and if something isn't in season they get their stuff imported too.
  • wyldling
    wyldling Posts: 35
    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.

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