Spending and Saving

How to Save Money at the Farmer’s Market

I’m often asked insider tips on how to save money while gourmet food shopping. I always recommend Trader Joe’s for pantry basics. An herb garden is a wonderful and inexpensive way to have fresh herbs on hand. A CSA box split between friends can be an affordable way to access fresh, locally grown produce. But for my money (and time), nothing beats a friendly-vendor, -music-filled visit to my local farmers market.

A lot of people think that shopping at a farmer’s market is more expensive than buying at a grocery store. Well, sometimes that might be true. But I’ve found that with just a little bit of thought and planning, you can find great deals on fresh, often organic goods—all while supporting your local community and having quite a bit of fun. Just follow my guidelines:

Bring your own bags. Obviously you do this already (if you don’t, wake up and smell the Envirosax). But beyond reusing big plastic grocery bags or bringing a tote, consider saving and reusing plastic produce bags, too. Many vendors now charge $0.25 and up for new ones.

Show up late. In my experience, showing up at my farmers market during its final hour has many benefits. First of all, the crowd has begun to clear out, so there is less of a wait at vendors’ stalls and it’s easier to cruising the aisles. More importantly, most vendors are eager to get rid of their goods and so will either lower their starting prices or be willing to bargain. I recently bought two generously-filled cartons of figs for $3, down $4 apiece, because I arrived at the fig stand just as they were closing. Obviously, I was psyched. You know how I feel about figs.

Buy meat, fish, eggs and dairy in smaller quantities. If I weren’t on a budget, I would buy 100 percent of my meat, fish, eggs and dairy at the farmers market. But given the name of my blog—BrokeAss Gourmet—obviously, I’m watching my wallet. I still partake in the deliciousness of such products available, I just do so sparingly. A special cheese, a six-pack of farm-fresh eggs, a small package of sausages—it can all be done on limited funds. Just choose wisely.

Go consistently and befriend vendors. I got a huge bag of poblano chilies for free last week. Yes, free. The purveyor at one of my favorite vegetable stands thinks I’m charming—and he appreciates that I show up every week to buy from him. He almost always throws in a little extra something for me when I stop by, and never fails to cut me a great deal. Kindness and loyalty count at the farmers market—and as my grandfather always said, it doesn’t cost anything to be nice.

If farmers market shopping isn’t already a part of your life, I encourage you to incorporate it. If you don’t know where the market closest to you is, look at the USDA’s website. Saving money feels good, especially when you can support your community’s agriculture and local economy at the same time. Plus, you know when Michelle Obama likes something it’s got to be cool.

Gabi Moskowitz is the editor-in-chief of BrokeAss Gourmet and a San Francisco-based food writer, caterer and cooking teacher. A Northern California native, she has been cooking since childhood. Additional writing by Gabi can be found in Primer Magazine and NileGuide.

Tags: advice, deals, eating, shopping, spending