Buying Discounted Fruits and Vegetables

You can go to the fruit markets in your area and get cases of discounted fruits and vegetables for next to nothing. I got a huge orange box that holds 72 oranges, but it was full of onions and had to weigh at least 50 lbs. I thought at the price being $1.00 a lb. right now and the weather being cold I can't afford not to get them. I got the whole case for $1.50, beleive it or not!

You can hang them in the basement, garage, or coldest room in the house and they will keep longer. I tie the onions in old pantyhose and seperate them with a twisty tie so they are aired well and I can reuse the hose for next time or to filter oil or something. I hang them with metal hangers by nails, poles, or wherever I can (they look like a funny old horror film but hey, they wasted nothing in the old days either).

I also use the onion peels (all onions, purple is the best) to dye my eggs at Easter and save on using dyes or food coloring. I store the peels in a 10 lb. old onion bag that is made of a mesh material so they can breath and dry out better just incase I get a little onion in there. I boil the eggs in the water with the peels in there and I also use a coffee can to do so.

The rest of the onion trash goes to the neighbors mulch for the garden.

As expensive as things are getting lately, we need to save everywhere we can. If I can feed a family of seven on a $200.00 a month shopping budget (if you could call it a budget), there are ways you can cut back I'm sure. I thank God I was raised down south or I don't think I would be able to stretch so much out of nothing. I hope this helps someone. P.S. A half bad onion is only half bad and you can get rid of that and keep the rest.

By Mary A. Melnyk from Roseville, Michigan

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samaree

January 23, 20060 found this helpful

I save my yellow onion peels and add to the water when I boil bones for stock. They provide a lovely golden hue.

Our farmers market doesn't discount stuff like you said, Mary, but I buy discounted vegetables from the supermarket and go right home and prep, blanch, and freeze them.

By (Guest Post)

January 23, 20060 found this helpful

Good for you! Have you ever heard of couponclippers.com - it is a wonderful source for the same coup we cut from the sunday paper. I have to be careful with grocery money also. I saved so much using them it enabled me to buy a freezer and now I use them to get lots of really good sale stuff discounted even more with my coupons. One time they had 2.00 coups of one Perdue chicken roaster. I bought six (.10) on speculation. The chickens went on sale for .69 cent a pound for the big roaster, so I got 6 roasters usually $11.00 to $12.00 each which I never buy cause of the cost for between $2 and $3 each. They have many $.75 cent coups. I admit I do have to toss away some, however, the savings more than makes it up for me. I go through my grocery ads as soon as I get them and then know which coups I really want and I buy on speculation.

I actually received back $.05 on one order and only paid $.79 cents for another.
I do save at least $2,000.00 a year on stuff I probably couldn't have purchased at regular price.
The site is now being written up in magazines and newspapers. This months Womans Day has an article on it. I inventory what I get and if they very occasionally short me they fix it real quick. Once the post office just never delivered the order so they gave me a credit. They do not quabble, but them I am not constantly claiming lost order or short coups either. Last week at our local A & P which tripples 3 coups and doubles all the rest every week I saved $62.05 and spent 34.09. Shopping wisely is a challenge I love to take on. I wish you all the best luck. Spunky

By mary melnyk (Guest Post)

January 23, 20060 found this helpful

I need to start doing that, alot less work than dehydrators, etc.. Although I'll stick to it for camping and fishing trips.

By Mary Melnyk (Guest Post)

January 23, 20060 found this helpful

I think that is a great idea, thanks. Do the peels add an extra onion flavor to the broth or any taste difference that you notice?

By jmz2005 (Guest Post)

January 24, 20060 found this helpful

I use onions in a lot of my recipes, so I buy them, chop and put in freezer, great for soups and casseroles. Of course some recipes taste better with freshly chopped onion and this does not work for that, but for other recipes it is great to have frozen on hand.

By Cassie. (Guest Post)

January 24, 20060 found this helpful

I was wondering where you are able to buy these veggies? I live in Iowa and have called 3 stores and none claim to do this? Just wondering :) Thanks!

samaree

January 28, 20060 found this helpful

I actually save all my vegetable leftovers (potato peels, carrot tops, celery leaves and roots, onion tops, etc) in my freezer and add to my stock. Even wilted vegetables from the crisper like lettuce and cabbage go in.

Alot of stores, especially chain stores will say they do not sell anything other than the freshest fruits and vegetables. I always look around the produce area. Usually there is a cart or rack near an employee entrance or tucked in a dark corner. Kroger, Meijer and Save-a-lot discount their produce. I never see this at Walmart.

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