It’s not a secret that coupons for fruits or vegetables are very few and far between. However, there are ways to save money on your grocery budget while still keeping a healthy diet that includes fresh produce. Rely on the following common sense tips to save money:
- Only buy what you need. Go on and take a look at the produce bin inside your refrigerator and see how many items are near the brink of decomposing. How about half eaten apples? Got any of those in there? You will make a big reduction on your grocery bill by buying only what you need and making sure everything you buy gets eaten. Reduce waste!
- Buy what’s on season: Love blueberries in the winter? So does my husband but at $4.99 a pint the cost is prohibitive. But he knows that in July he can enjoy them to his heart content. Fill your menu with mostly fruits and vegetables that are in season. These are most likely to be on sale and therefore provide you the most savings.
- Buy in bulk: If you have a fruit or vegetable that your family consumes a lot, you will save a lot by buying the big bags of eat. For example, in my home we go through 5 lbs of apples in five days easily. It is cheaper to buy the five pound bag of apples than buy apples by the pound.
- Buy price reduced items. Some grocery stores have a section where they have discounted fruits or vegetables that don’t look their best. I often stop by this area to pick up browned bananas to make banana bread. Why pay top dollar for them when I need them brown anyway?
When warmer weather comes around consider the following to save even more:
* Consider having a garden (even if it is is just one pot of tomatoes or herbs that’s money in your pocket.
* Become friends with someone who gardens. Summer gardens produce an overabundance of produce. Make sure your friends are aware that you would be happy to take some of their garden excess off their hands.
* Shop at a Farmer’s Market at the end of the day. Most farmer’s market vendors are willing to discount the produce they sell at the end of the day to help them move the product.
What other tips do you have for saving money buying produce?
