Farmer’s Market – Redux

I was telling a friend last night that I went to the Farmer’s Market that morning, and she replied that she did her best to avoid that particular market because everything was so expensive.

I actually did a bit of cost comparison yesterday when I went to the Farmer’s Market. Mainly because after I went to the market, I went on a planned trip to Whole Foods to pick up a few odds and ends I can’t get anywhere else. I decided to price out some of the items that I had seen at the Farmer’s Market as well. I was surprised to see that a lot of the fruits and veggies priced out exactly when looking at cost per pound. A few things were a cent off ($2.49 at Whole Foods, $2.50 at the market). Of course, with taxes, that makes it a few more cents off, but overall the prices were the same. I didn’t price everything at my regular grocery store, but I do know that apples were exactly the same price.

So what makes the Farmer’s Market worth it? Well, number one, I enjoy the experience. I look forward to walking up to the market on Saturday mornings and seeing what they have to offer. I frequently pick up fruits or veggies I wouldn’t normally buy, just to try something different that week. But more importantly, I like supporting local growers. For the most part, I feel like I’m buying better quality products as well. The products are fresh and the people are passionate about what they’re selling.

So maybe it’s not the most frugal choice. But I’m not really spending any more money than I would be, and I enjoy it. Can’t complain. I’m eating an apple I bought yesterday as I type, and it is absolutely delicious.