$100 minimum per week on only fresh produce

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should start a garden this spring/summer--you'll save money on lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini.

This is funny. Gardening is an expensive hobby.

It can be but doesn’t have to be.

I’m 11:38, and agree that it can be, but it’s an initial investment and is less expensive each year. Plant from seeds instead of purchasing starter plants. We bought raised beds, so we do have to buy some soil each year, but most of it is reused from previous years. The beds were expensive but we only had to buy them once.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should start a garden this spring/summer--you'll save money on lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini.

This is funny. Gardening is an expensive hobby.

It can be but doesn’t have to be.

Yes, doesn't have to be expensive, but like a DP mentioned, there is an initial startup cost, but you don't need to purchase the $100 metal raised beds. I started my first "garden" with the food grade buckets from HD/Lowes, a few bags of Outdoor potting mix and seeds. I've expanded over time, but you can start small. Grow what you enjoy eating and is a big cost item. You can save even more money if you save your seeds at the end of the season. Currently, I save garlic, potatoes, beans, herbs, onions, winter squash and melons.

[Anonymous]

You don’t need to drop thousands of dollars to buy those Vego garden beds, Earthtainers or Greenstalks though they do look cool.
For many years I had a very productive vegetable garden using the orange 5-gallon paint buckets from Home Depot. I drilled holes on the bottom, filled them with potting soil from Costco and used Osmocote to fertilize. I had huge harvests of peppers, eggplants, bush beans, basil, thyme, oregano, parsley and cucumbers. I grew tomatoes in the ground. I always sprinkled in some flowers to help with pollinators and also to eat (like nasturtiums).

[Anonymous]

By the time the florets are steamed, I find it hard to differentiate between fresh and frozen broccoli. Fresh has more waste.
Same for peas.

[Anonymous]

I shop at Giant but I shop the sales. When grapes are 3.98/ pd we do not have grapes. Sam's club is cheaper (and often better) but not too close to me. Aldi is a mixed bag.

[Anonymous]

What grows locally between November and February?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I shop at Giant but I shop the sales. When grapes are 3.98/ pd we do not have grapes. Sam's club is cheaper (and often better) but not too close to me. Aldi is a mixed bag.

This is so helpful. Can everyone post their cost per lb thresholds here? I'm pretty good about them for meat and cheese and want to get better for produce!

[Anonymous]

I could easily spend $30 on cherries a week, but I don't. I buy them on sale. Very easy to go through a few containers of strawberries and blueberries a week. It is what it is. It used to bother me, but I'd rather eat fresh fruit than junk. I won't spend $30 on cherries though.

[Anonymous]

2 lbs for $7 on grapes.
$4 for strawberries
$6 for blueberries
bananas are so cheap.
I won't pay $4/lb for apples.

[Anonymous]

I only shop at Whole Foods, MOMs and selectively from TJs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should start a garden this spring/summer--you'll save money on lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini.

This is funny. Gardening is an expensive hobby.

Only if you buy into all that Instagram nonsense.

I started gardening many years before I joined instagram. It’s expensive. Fertilizer, soils, prepping the site, materials to build beds, pest protection, on and on. Especially if you’re growing tomatoes and other picky crops. It’s worth it to me, but if you’re looking to save money - no. It’s not cheaper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I could easily spend $30 on cherries a week, but I don't. I buy them on sale. Very easy to go through a few containers of strawberries and blueberries a week. It is what it is. It used to bother me, but I'd rather eat fresh fruit than junk. I won't spend $30 on cherries though.

We only have cherries when they are less than $3'a pound...and then it's a small bag. DH loves them but so pricey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are spending minimum $100-$120 per week only on fruits and vegetables per week. Does not include packaged snacks, meat or other items. Just fresh produce aisle at the grocery stores. We are not an organic-only family. We shop at miscellaneous places - Costco, Whole Foods, Safeway being the primary ones.

Where do you shop if you are spending less than this on a family of 4 only on fresh produce?

do you buy out of season fruit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are spending minimum $100-$120 per week only on fruits and vegetables per week. Does not include packaged snacks, meat or other items. Just fresh produce aisle at the grocery stores. We are not an organic-only family. We shop at miscellaneous places - Costco, Whole Foods, Safeway being the primary ones.

Where do you shop if you are spending less than this on a family of 4 only on fresh produce?

do you buy out of season fruit?

Fruits I buy - strawberries, blueberries, bananas, kiwis, apples, pears, everything depending on price.
If I see a small box of blueberries for $6, I don't buy them. If I see $3.99/lb of apples, I don't buy them. I remember just a couple years ago I used to get apples for $1.99/lb - not honeycrisp ones but at least red delicious ones. Now nothing is under $2.99/lb. We love grapes and pineapples but they are unaffordable currently and I won't buy them. I get frozen blueberries for smoothies.

Anyway, thanks for making me feel tht I am not alone and things are going through the roof. I will look at Lidl, never tried it.

Btw, what fruits are considered seasonal and locally grown in DC area in this season?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are spending minimum $100-$120 per week only on fruits and vegetables per week. Does not include packaged snacks, meat or other items. Just fresh produce aisle at the grocery stores. We are not an organic-only family. We shop at miscellaneous places - Costco, Whole Foods, Safeway being the primary ones.

Where do you shop if you are spending less than this on a family of 4 only on fresh produce?

1. Don’t shop at Safeway. Even the sales are bad. They will raise prices and then do a sale which is more expensive than another store but seems like a great deal because they acclimated you to a higher price.
2. You can use the store apps/websites to price compare. For Costco, keep in mind the delivery price you see is more expensive as it adds in delivery expense across items.
3. Alternate frozen and fresh depending on season and sales.
4. Consider Asian markets for vegetables.
5. Pick a price point per lb that you won’t go over. Make a list for the following week.
6. This really depends on your family but you can reduce variety or reduce portions.