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Are you looking for ways to save on produce? In this post, I’m sharing my best tips to help you buy healthy fruit and vegetables and also save some money.
Why is it so expensive to eat healthy? Ah, I mean fruits and vegetables can get pretty expensive with packaged, processed foods are so so cheap.
There are ways to save on produce, so you can still get the good foods and save some money, too.
These are my best ways to save on produce.
8 Ways to Save on Produce
Produce prices seem to keep going up and up, making it harder to feed our families good food on a budget.
Use these ways to save on produce to feed your family good foods, without blowing your budget.
Real quick – one of my favorite ways to get healthy, homemade meals on the table every night is by doing a little freezer cooking.
Having meals in the freezer ready to go is such a life saver on busy nights, when we might be tempted to get fast food.
I’ve created a free Beginner’s Guide to Freezer Cooking with my best freezer cooking tips and a beginner freezer cooking plan. You can get your free copy here!
I hope you enjoy that freebie and learn more about freezer cooking!
8 Ways to Save on Produce
1. Shop at Aldi
Aldi has really great prices on produce. Check the sale ad (comes out every Wednesday) to see what sales they have that week.
I love to buy as much produce there as I can to save money. They have bags of salad for less than $1, great prices on big bags of potatoes, and great prices on almost all the produce.
I would always double check to make sure another store doesn’t have a better deal that week, but most of the time Aldi is going to have the best price.
2. Check Kroger markdown bags
Kroger and Kroger affiliate stores (and probably other grocery stores) have markdown produce bags for just $0.99!
In our Kroger store, there is a section for these markdown bags. Look for the red produce bags of mix matched fruits and vegetables. Each bag should be just $0.99!
This is a great way to get assorted produce for a really great price!
You may be able to try fruits you don’t normally buy, or get an assortment of things for less than $1!
These bags usually contain produce that is slightly damaged or nearing its expiration. If you can eat or freeze the produce within a few days, it should be just fine.
3. Buy only the produce on sale
Instead of writing down whatever produce on your grocery list, first look at the sale ad and choose what produce to buy based on the sales.
Make your menu around what produce you can find on sale to save more money.
Look on the first page of the grocery ads for the best deals.
4. Compare store prices
If you have the time to shop more than one store, compare prices on produce for each store and buy the best deals from each store.
This won’t work for everyone, but if you have a couple of stores close together, you can try this.
5. Buy in season produce
Out of season produce will always be more expensive than the produce that is in season.
The sale ads will clue you in on what is in season and what is a good price.
Eating in season produce will also be fresher, and help you eat a larger variety of fruits and vegetables.
6. Get frozen fruits and vegetables instead
Frozen fruit and vegetables are usually cheaper than what’s in the produce section.
I’ve read many reports on frozen produce being just as fresh and healthy as what is in the produce department, if not fresher.
Since the fruits and vegetables are frozen at their peak freshness, they contain all the good nutrients and taste. Produce in the fresh produce department could have been picked early, so it could ripen while it sat on trucks to be delivered.
Grocery stores will often have great sales on frozen fruit and vegetables, too. So, look for deals on frozen produce to save money.
7. Grow your own produce
Growing your own fruits and vegetables can save you money, but I know it’s not for everyone.
You will need to have a space for a garden (or a few containers), and the time to devote to tending to the garden.
I love to grow vegetables I know we will eat. This year, we grew green beans, okra, tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, peppers, and lettuce.
I try to use, freeze, or can everything we grow, so we don’t waste much. The fresh from the garden produce can’t be beat!
We save money, but it is quite a bit of work. If gardening is a hobby for you, and you have the time, I would consider growing a few vegetables or fruit that your family loves to eat.
Start small, with just one or two plants, and work your way to a larger garden.
8. Buy in bulk
Buying produce in bulk can save you money if your family will eat everything before it goes bad.
We eat quite a few potatoes, so I usually get the larger bag that costs less per pound.
If you know you will eat it all, get the larger pack to save money.
Just make sure to include those foods when you make your menu, so you don’t waste any.
Related Post: 31 Ways to Get Your Grocery Budget Under Control
Alright, those are my 8 ways to save on produce! I really like to cook and eat healthier foods, but still save money on our groceries.
Using the tips above, you can buy healthy produce, feed your family well, and still stay in budget.
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