Found a $15 farmers market hack that saves me $50 a week on veggies

I stopped by the Saturday farmers market in Oak Park last weekend and noticed they had a 'seconds' bin for produce that was slightly bruised or weird shaped. The vendor told me chefs buy these all the time for like half the price. I grabbed a whole box of tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini for $12 that would've been $30 at the store. Has anyone else tried hitting up the end of day sales at their local market for the ugly stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona_lewis371d ago

And what nobody's mentioned is that you can actually talk to the vendors about what they're planning to toss, like if you ask nicely they might set aside a box for you before they even open the ugly bin. I do this with the mushroom guy at my market and he saves me the broken caps and stems that he'd normally compost, which are perfect for soups and stocks (and way cheaper than even the seconds bin). The key is building that relationship over a few weeks so they know you're serious about using the stuff and not just looking for a bargain to resell on Facebook Marketplace or whatever. It's a whole different level of savings plus you get the inside scoop on what's about to be in season.

josephb351d ago

Hit up the end of day deals all the time at my local market. The vendors practically give away the ugly stuff just to clear their tables before they pack up.