This morning I stopped by my local farmers market for my bi-weekly fruit and veggie shopping spree.
I started shopping at the farmers market more often a few weeks back and I thought I might share the amount of money that can be saved by ditching the supermarket.
When you eat local, you get a better selection, as well as better prices on most foods.
First off, here is what I spent on the items in the photo above: 1 seedless watermelon: $3 2 kiwi: $.
25 each, $.
50 total 12 banana peppers: $1 2 large avocados: $1 3 yellow squash: $1 1 lb.
bag of spinach: $2 1 lb.
strawberries: $1.
75 1 lb.
purple potatoes: $2 1 lb.
green beans: $1.
80 3 bunches kale: $.
50 each, $1.
50 total Total amount saved by deciding to eat local: $15.
55 This is all from shopping on a Thursday, where I would estimate that 1/4 of the farms have their stands open.
When you go on a Saturday morning, there are people everywhere yelling all kinds of deals and you actually get better prices.
Last Saturday morning I got a cantaloupe the size of a medium pumpkin for $2, as well as 2 large pineapples for $1 total.
As I was leaving last week, one man working a stand yelled "Hey man! Cherries! $1.
50 a lb.
" I would have bitten on that sales pitch if it weren't for the fact that I had so many bags in my hands that I couldn't hold anymore.
When I got home today, I decided to go to the supermarket and see just how much money I actually saved by deciding to eat local.
Here are the prices at the supermarket chain for the same items I purchased, along with my total savings: Seedless watermelon: $3.
99 each, similar size: Savings = $.
99 Kiwi: $.
50 each: Savings = $.
50 Banana peppers: Not sold at the supermarket except for in jars cut up.
Savings = N/A Avocados (smaller than the ones I purchased) 4 for$5= $1.
25 each: Savings = $1.
50 Yellow squash: $1.
49 per lb.
(Three weighed 1.
4 lbs) = $2.
22 for 3: Savings = $1.
22 Spinach: $1.
99 per lb.
(This spinach looked much less fresh, but was cheaper): Loss = $.
01 Strawberries: $2.
99 per lb.
: Savings = $1.
24 Purple Potatoes: Not sold at the supermarket: Savings = N/A Green beans: $1.
99 per lb.
: Savings = $.
19 Kale: $.
99 per bunch: Savings = $1.
47 My total savings today was $7.
10.
To put these savings in other words, that is almost 50% of the amount that I spent on all of my fruits and veggies.
That's $738.
40 saved a year! Remember above when I mentioned getting 2 pineapples for $1 last Saturday? Well, as I was leaving the produce area at the large supermarket, I noticed this: $3.
99 pineapples! Now that is an 800% increase in price over what I paid.
I am not sure why the cost is so high, but it is clearly a total ripoff.
I hope I have convinced you to at least go check out your local farmers market and see what kind of prices and selection they have.
If I were paying the exact same price and not saving any money, I would still rather eat local from the farmers market.
You are supporting small business by shopping there, and if you are a people watcher like me, there may be no place better to go.
If you are not sure where you nearest farmers market is, I found a great resource over at http://www.
localharvest.
org/ which shows where to go in your area, along with reviews so that you know what you are getting when you make the trip.
Happy shopping!