Where Do You Buy Produce?

There are two independent greengrocers close to my house so I always shop there. This way, i can buy the exact amounts I need and not have to worry about having leftovers. They are also a great deal cheaper.

 

I always buy it at the big name stores: Valli, Walmart, etc. I often just pick up whatever foods I've been craving and then some usual produce; the benefit of shopping at big stores is that I can buy the other things I need without going somewhere else. I don't really care that much about organic vs inorganic for most produce so I can buy most of what I want anywhere.

 

I am a Trader Joes person. Produce, dairy, frozen food, etc. Sprouts and Fresh & easy are close runners up but the former has fewer surprises and a happier atmosphere. I'm trying to do the Farmers Market thing but I don't see the same vendors every week.

 

We do have a farmer's market about two blocks from where I live, which sells fresh fruit and vegetables but unfortunately its only open in the summer and early fall. I do shop there when it is open and during the winter I generally get my produce from one of the grocery stores.

 

We do all of ours at our local supermarket, sadly I realise it's very expensive, more expensive than farmer's markets. But we really have no choice as our budget doesn't allow us at the moment. We have a fantastic farmer's market every Sunday, but it's quite a distance away from where we live, and we don't drive. So until we have a car, we'll have to go with the supermarket; more expensive, inferior quality

 

I try to avoid buying it at our grocery chains since the quality is usually worse and it's over priced, but in the winter months, that's usually my only option. But when the weather is warmer, there is no reason to buy produce that's been shipped across the country and pay an arm and a leg for it, when there are often local produce farmers that can sell you fresher stuff at a much better price.

One of our local farms is also known for their home made apple cider and blueberry donuts, which are absolutely amazing.

The only drawback is sometimes they don't carry a lot of the more exotic stuff, like various hot peppers that I like to use in chili.

 

Ironically, this goes along with another thread - but I buy most of my produce at Aldi. My store tries to buy local whenever possible, so much of our seasonal produce comes from my state. They now have an entire line of organic stuff, and everything else is often the freshest and the cheapest around.

In the summer I grow a pretty extensive garden, as does my mother in law. We try to eat that all summer and then I often have lots of frozen and canned fruit to last through the winter. I also like to buy in bulk in peak season when things are freshest and cheapest and freeze or can.

 

Right now I'm buying mine from the grocery store. It's so gross lol. I'm in a new city and still getting used to the price hike and quality.. it's terrible. Once the winter passes, I'll be back to the farmers buying real, fresh foods that still have their nutrients! I hate winter for selection :/

 

I buy produce at Walmart and sometimes at a grocery store called Food Lion. I'm very happy buying my produce at these places. I do most of my shopping at Walmart though but sometimes I'll go to Food Lion.

 

When I was growing up, my grandfather used to take some of the grandchildren - me included - to the market, and buy a lot of produce from there. I always thought that him buying produce from there was kind of iffy?? Just because there were always people coughing close by, but at the same time the same thing could happen at a supermarket, which is where we get ours from these days. I like produce that has packaging.

 

Since I started trying to save money, I have been attempting to live in the way that people would have done in the past - by buying things as and when I needed them. So I will go to the produce shop in my village, and then to the butcher's and then to the bakery every couple of days, and I will then make meals and freeze portions of them for the future, which is great. I find that I save a lot of money by doing this, rather than going to a supermarket and spending a lot of money on things that I might not even have enough time to eat before they go out of date.

 

We have a produce stand down my road, but it's only open in the summer. I don't shop there though, because all of their produce is insanely expensive. (Most of the wealthy people going into the resort town stop there, so.) I mostly get my produce at Whole Foods, but sometimes I get some at the local Acme.

 

Currently, I buy produce from my local supermarket. Produce markets and farmer's markets are about 20-30 minutes away from my home. If I had a farmer's market closer to my home I would definitely prefer to purchase my produce there. I try to buy organic items to avoid exposing my family to any harmful chemicals that some of these places spray on food.

 

I get them on supermarkets. My mom loves to go to special produce stores to buy them fresh. However, to me not only they are more expensive in those, but I don't have the time to go to different stores just to buy them. I work all day and to me going to a supermarket and getting all I need there is more convenient.

 

Places I do my produce shopping varies on the season. During the less and non raining seasons of the year where I live, I go to outdoors flea and farmer's markets to buy most (sometimes all) of my fresh produce. When it's more convenient and too much weathering outside, I opt to shop at indoor produce stores that range from local to outside of my city supermarkets. I go to various types of stores ranging from Asian, Middle-Eastern, Indian, Mexican, Filipino, Russian, U.S. American, European, etc., because I like trying out new foods whenever I can. However, usually I shop at Winco, Save Maxx, or Walmart for my produce shopping.