PREP HACK: 6 tips for a successful (and cost effective) farmers' market shop
As a serial supermarket shopper, I remember the first time I went to do my food shop at the farmers market. I was so overwhelmed by it all. How do you know what’s a good price? How many of each thing do I need? Why is everyone SHOUTING?
It definitely took me a few market trips to get into the swing of things and get a handle on what I needed to do in order to make it successful. There were a few things I wish I’d known to start with to make sure I didn’t over buy and waste food. Or even just freak out entirely and buy a load of stuff I didn’t need.
So, for the market virgins among you, check out my top six tips for a successful market shop!
1. Take a friend
My weekly market trip is one of my favourite parts of my week. And it’s not just because I’m about to stock my fridge full of delicious, fresh food. I go with my friend Amelia (and sometimes little Maxey the dogue) and it gives us the perfect time to catch up. The two of us are pretty busy gals as it is, and especially during this prep my life has been more busy than usual. So, I cherish this little bit of time we always make to hang out once a week. Plus, there’s always coffee involved!
On the practical side, taking a friend enables you to cash in on any good deals vendors are offering. For example, one of the poultry vendors at the markets I visit always has an offer of 2kg of chicken breast for $20 – otherwise it’s $12 a kg. If I don’t think I’m going to get through that much chicken, my friend and I can go halves on the deal, ask them to split it into two bags and save $2 each. It might not seem like a lot, but at the market (especially at the veggie stalls) $2 goes a long, long way.
2. Make a list
Some people like to go in blind. I call these people psychos. Especially if you’re working with a specific meal plan, the last thing you want to do is not get enough food and have to go top up at the (expensive) supermarket. It also helps mitigate any confusion when it’s busy and vendors are shouting random (often unintelligible) prices at you.
Once you become a market pro, the need for a list becomes less, as you now know what you need and where to get it. But if my meal plan has changed up I will always write a new list, just to make sure I don’t forget anything.
3. Take reusable bags
Unfortunately, a lot of market vendors still use plastic bags to package things up for you so I highly recommend taking a few reusable shopping bags with you. Not only are you helping the environment by saying no to plastic, if you’re doing your weekly shop you don’t really want to end up juggling 20 small plastic bags as you navigate the aisles.
I usually have one for meat and soft veggies/fruit like avocados, bananas and another for the heavier items like sweet potato, cauliflowers etc.
4. Know your prices
Now, this part took me a few trips to figure out. For the first few times this meme is probably the only accurate way to describe how I felt about counting quantities and price checking on the spot….
If you’ve never been to the markets before, it can be difficult to you know what a good deal is. It will get easier as the more trips you do. But, as a good starting point I recommend scouting out Coles/Woolworths prices before you head to the market. If it helps, make a small list on your phone of what you need and mark up how much they cost at the supermarket. Not only will this give you a frame of reference to work with, but you may find some things are cheaper there. For example, I always get my salmon and chicken at Coles because it’s cheaper per kg!
When you’re at the market, do a few rounds of stalls before committing to buying anything. This way you can check out where the best prices are and, as I mentioned before, 50c saved here and there will go a long way!
Before long, you will be an expert on what’s a good price for what and you’ll be able to do your shop in half the time! And don’t be afraid to haggle, especially if you’re buying large quantities from the same vendor. See if they will round down the price for you. The worst they can say is no!
5. Eat seasonally
The more you go to the market, the more you will notice the effect that seasons have on the size, quality and abundance of different types of fruit and vegetables. If your diet plan allows a little flexibility then I highly recommend eating in-line with the seasons.
Not only are you going to get the best quality vegetables, but you will also get them at the best prices too! Check out this handy guide for when different types of produce are in season.
6. Time it right
Once you’ve made a few trips, you will notice that prices and quality also fluctuate depending on the time of day you go. The earlier you go, the better the quality of the produce. You will get the best cuts of the meat, the best-looking fruit and vegetables. However, if you go a bit later, towards the end of the day you will get all the best deals and the vendors try to shift the last of their produce for the day. But you have to be willing to compromise a little on the quality of what you’re buying. Meat and fish vendors will have tray of various cuts for discounted prices and many of the fruit and veg stalls with have large boxes of slightly spoiled or ‘ugly’ looking produce for cheap. If you’re looking to cook up a big batch of one particular dish to freeze and store, then this is the time for you!
I love my weekly market shop ritual. Not only am I able to save money, eat fresher food and choose from a larger variety of produce but I’m also supporting local farmers and reducing my impact on the environment too.
Hopefully these six tips help set you up for a successful market shop. Leave a comment below and let me know how you go!