Saving Money on Produce

Since produce it always the bulk of our grocery budget (and we prefer to buy organic whenever possible), I made a decision a long time ago that I had to figure out a way to save money here.  Produce coupons are rare -- but a super nice treat when they do come out!

One of my favorite places to get our produce is our local Farmer's market.  It's a fun experience for my family, the produce is grown locally, and most of the produce is organic although the farmers don't have it listed as "USDA Organic" (it's a pricey process to get certified - just ask the farmer).  To find a Farmer's Market near you, check here!

When we can't hit up the Farmer's Market, I definitely scope out the weekly store fliers to see what produce is on sale.  We buy whatever is a good buy that week and build our menu around that.  It also makes sense to buy produce when it's in season since it's way cheaper.

There are some great Co-ops available where you can get baskets full of fresh produce for a very reasonable price.  Again, it's usually locally grown and there are even organic options available.  For instance, I know in Arizona we have Bountiful Baskets -- you can pre-order your produce basket for the week and pick it up.  We, personally, don't participate in a food co-op just because we go through a lot of produce and we like the option of choosing our own varieties.  However, my friend Candice picks up from them weekly and loves the assortment.  You can search food co-ops here.

My all-time FAVORITE way of saving money on produce is by growing our own!!!  We love tending to our vegetable garden, and it's a great learning experience if you have kiddos.  Even if you don't have much space, there are plenty of vegetables that you can grow in a pot and even on a vine (beans and tomatoes are great for this!).

Currently, we are working on growing beans, zucchini, peppers, lettuce, green onions, radishes, basil, carrots, collard greens, brussel sprouts and tomatoes.  Of course, some will make it better than others but having  produce to pick for dinner is a handy (and cheap) option. My toddler loves playing outside and picking her own snack.  (My favorite part is knowing that we aren't using any pesticides.)


I highly recommend  checking out this Planting Zone Map to find out what your "zoning" area is.  Then, you can use these planting schedules to see what would work best in your area.

	Zones 1-2 Planting Schedule
	Zones 3-4 Planting Schedule
	Zones 5-6 Planting Schedule
	Zones 7-8 Planting Schedule
	Zones 9-10 Planting Schedule

Are you growing your own food, too? If so, let us know so we can see pictures!