If you have a sunny yard, either back or front, you can grow a lot of the expensive fruit yourself. We have a small urban yard (1/5 acre lot) and I grow strawberries, currants, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, and figs. Just planted some pears, and it will take a few years to see if that works out or not. But we don't need to buy fruit now from spring to summer, aside from the apples my husband loves and the melons we get from the CSA. My son loves the berries and figs and can go graze on them. I spray nothing. We have apple trees, too, but they don't produce edible fruit without spraying, so they are a waste of space, I think. Easy and cheap, as long as you have some space and sun.

Agree with posters who limit fruit, buy in season and on sale. Just bought $35 (all except bananas on special at whole paychecks) of organic fruit that will last the 3 of us for one week in addition to the half melon that's in the fridge. We spend about $250 weekly on food, its crazy, the prices seem to go up frequently.

We spend a ton on produce and have a CSA, but we eat very little meat as a family, so I don't mind if more than half my shopping budget is produce. We also eat out very little. To keep costs down, I try to buy in season/on sale where possible and rotate grocery stores to stock up on items that are the best price at each place. I stock the freezer with frozen fruit and vegetables. We don't use Costco for produce. It often goes bad faster or seems to be of worse quality. The quantities don't work for us as a family.

To me, it seems like meat is so crazy expensive that we spend less overall now than we did when we ate meat for most lunches and dinners.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We joined Costco just for the berries!

I go to Costco weekly for berries too. They have 2 lbs (I believe) right now for $6

A big carton of strawberries was $3 or $4.

I do organic for berries so I guess this wouldn't help. Do they have organic berries there ?

No they do not.



(at least not in the DC metro Costcos, which is where this forum is based so I don't want to hear from that poster alleging that yes, they do sell organic blueberries! ((in California)). That's what happens every time this question comes up. Here's an idea: post on the San Diego moms listserv in your city! )

Anonymous wrote:I shop at an Asian market for my produce. $30 a week and I cook all my meals fresh for the whole week. Only feeding 2 adults and a toddler so if I had three older kids I'd expect $50 a week. I love TJ And farmers markets but those produce prices are not a bargain. If you can consume the Costco sized produce in a week without wasting, go for it. Otherwise find a good Asian market (mine is at the corner of Rt 50 and centerville road in Chantilly). Only thing I get at the farmers market is corn because their fresh grilled corn is amazing.

I read somewhere that smaller scale markets are better for produces because bigger stores have to buy more in bulk and accept more loss when stuff goes bad, while smaller stores buy less and have less stuff go to rot so they can afford to sell cheaper producer.

Anonymous wrote:We don't buy fresh berries because they are too expensive...

Giant usually does a bogo on fresh fruit although it's almost never organic.

I shop at an Asian market for my produce. $30 a week and I cook all my meals fresh for the whole week. Only feeding 2 adults and a toddler so if I had three older kids I'd expect $50 a week. I love TJ And farmers markets but those produce prices are not a bargain. If you can consume the Costco sized produce in a week without wasting, go for it. Otherwise find a good Asian market (mine is at the corner of Rt 50 and centerville road in Chantilly). Only thing I get at the farmers market is corn because their fresh grilled corn is amazing.

We like the farmers market in old-town Manassas. It's cheaper than all the others. Some of the produce is cheaper than grocery stores, and definitely fresher.

We have a lot of Asian grocery stores nearby, and the produce is insanely cheap. The one we go to makes a point of labeling which things were grown in China.

I also grow the easier vegetables myself.

Farmers markets are really overpriced in our area so I rarely buy from them. I can get a better deal at Whole Foods most times.

Try shopping at farmers markets - talk about sticker shock! I WANT to support local agriculture so badly but good lord, it's ridiculous!

I agree that Wegmans has some of the best non-Costco prices for produce. Go to the one in PG Co next to Costco and they are often lower than other Wegmans because that shop competes with the Costco next door!

Anonymous wrote:Costco for us too. The variety and quality is great. I usually hate shopping in bulk for perishables, but fruit is the one thing that never goes to waste in our house.

Something else I buy a lot of is frozen mango chunks from Trader Joe's. It is probably the only fruit that barely changes texture once it's defrosted, so I feel like it is a great deal, and a decent substitute for fresh mango. I do a lot of smoothies with them too.

TJ mango chunks? I'm adding that to my grocery list. Brilliant!