Saving Money On Groceries Without Coupons: Shopping for In Season Produce

If you are new to this series you may want to start at the beginning HERE.  While each tip is separate and you can do just one, when you combine all the tips, you will save the most.

This is probably one of the easiest changes to make and the one that will make the biggest difference to your families budget and health!  But it is at times also really challenging to stick to.

When we first made this change it was hard for me to continue it.  I craved certain things for dinners and I couldn’t make them because of the produce that was in season.  But once I focused and realized that I will get those things in time, I was able to overcome it.  The basic concept of this is to Purchase items when they are in season.  This makes things cheaper and fresher.

The best part is what it does to your pocket book.  You start purchasing things only when they are on sale.  This makes the cost of produce so much cheaper!  They are also healthier for your family.  Because they are in season the are left on the tree, or bush, or whatever later.  This means there are more vitamins and healthy stuff in them.  They aren’t picked early and shipped across countries to get to you.  They put them on sale because they require less shipping and packaging.  A lot of times the price is 50-75% cheaper then regular price as well.  So you end up paying much less then if you had bought that orange in the middle of summer.

Lets go with that orange example.  It can cost up to $3-$4 a pound when you purchase oranges off season.  But if you wait until they are in season (mid winter) you can sometimes get up to 8 lbs for $1.00!  That is a difference of $23 if it is $3 a pound!  That is a lot of money that you are saving just buy buying in season only.

A little tip for you, you may want to learn how to freeze produce or can produce so you can shop when items are in season and store it for later in the year so you can make certain meals at certain times of year.  I often freeze colored peppers int he summer for winter use, and can peaches and pears to eat later.

Another huge benefit is the quality of the produce is usually better.  The items are fresh and have been growing the longest they can.  This means your food tastes better and it is crunchier when it needs to be.  I LOVE cooking with things that are fresh.  The smells are wonderful and the colors are even better.  It makes cooking so much more fun.  and when you can make the meal and feed your family on less the $5, it makes it even nicer!

What tips do you have for picking in season produce?

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