Spring means it is time to round up the family, grab your shopping bags, and make a trip to your local farmers market! Farmers markets are a great place to buy produce grown by local farmers, as well as fresh baked breads, plants, and other handmade or homegrown products. While you might think natural products such as these come at a cost, the truth is there are ways to save when shopping your local farmers market. Take a look below for some helpful tips on how to save money at a farmers market no matter where you live or what you buy.
5 Ways to Save Money at a Farmers’ Market
1. Cash talks.
Always pay the vendors in cash when you can. They are often charged a surcharge when they need to run a credit card, so by paying in cash you help them avoid this. This allows them to keep prices lower and possibly offer a discount for cash. For larger purchases, you may be able to get a better deal when paying with cash as well.
2. Don’t be afraid of day old items.
Many vendors will carry day old products such as breads, or soon to expire products such as produce. Don’t be afraid of these items. You can typically buy them at drastically reduced prices and always take them home and freeze them.
3. Make friends.
If there is a vendor you like and frequent often, don’t be afraid to get to know them. By being friendly and introducing yourself, they may be more likely to hold your favorites back for you in the future as well as offer you a price break for being a loyal customer.
4. Make two rounds.
Make two rounds around the market so you can compare prices. You don’t want to buy apples at $1.50 a pound when the vendor down the way has them for $1.25. Always walk through the market two times, the first time to look and compare prices and the second time to do your actual buying. This method will also help you avoid impulse purchases.
5. Avoid common, prepackaged grocery items.
Don’t buy items that you can typically buy at your local grocer. This includes prepackaged items such as granola bars and trail mixes. These items are purchased and marked up and you are paying a convenience on them. Instead, make your market purchases all about the items you can’t find elsewhere.
See how simple it can be to save money at your local farmers market? Give these tips a try!
De says
$1.50 per pound? LOL! Everything in the produce area at my market is cash only and $2 to$4 a pound.