Money Saving Tip Tuesday!

Happy Spring to all! At least I think. 

With warmer weather finally making its presence in Rochester, my Money Saving Tip this Tuesday involves getting outdoors.

And eating more fruits and vegetables, for a cheap price. It's a win-win.

Because let's face it ... fruits and vegetables are good for you and tasty, but unfortunately expensive.

So to solve your "lack-of-fruits-and-veggies-because-they're-too-costly" problem, I give you the Rochester Public Market.  

Photo via www.plumdeluxe.com

The first time I visited the Rochester Public Market was during the Spring of my freshmen year of college. A friend, who often visited the market in her hometown, dragged me along with her. 

It was awesome.

I brought $20 cash with me and walked away with a ton of stuff. 

• Carrots to last two weeks: $2
• Apples to last a month: $3.50
• Oranges to last a month: $3.50
• Homemade granola that would most likely last two months: $4.00
• Two cantaloupes to last two weeks: $3

I spent $2 on a coffee from Java's (there's one located within the market!) and walked away from my first trip with change. Imagine that.

Do you know how much all of those delicious foods would have cost from Wegmans? Probably close to $50 - if not more.

After that visit, I made a conscious effort to visit the market at least twice a month. I told my mother to stop buying fruits and veggies at Wegmans. She was often happy to hand me $20 to purchase what I wanted from the public market. I also didn't mind spending my own money - the market was too cool.

Once the weather starts getting nice each Spring, I think of it as time to return to the market. Three years later, I'm still visiting constantly. The market is open year-round, but hello - it's freaking cold in Rochester during the winter.

So ... I advise you to do the same! Visit the public market. Save money on good-for-you foods. Enjoy walking around and interacting with those who sell produce and many other products. Like these guys:

Photo via www.albanykid.com

 

 Photo via www.miyakephoto.com

 

 Photo via www.interactive.wxxi.org

Photo via www.minernews.com

Also, one the really cool things I found about the market was the fact that many of the sellers will give you discounts if you come back and buy from them. For example, if I were to bring the empty granola jar back to the seller - they'd fill it up for me for a lower cost. 

So visit the market, take your friends, and save money.

The market is open:

• Tuesdays/Thursdays from 6am-1pm, year round
• Saturdays from 5am-3pm, year round

You can hop on bus to the city or make the relatively short drive if you're coming from campus. Buses also run directly from campus to the public market on Saturdays.

Enjoy!

Oh, and by the way - the market has a lot more for sale than produce.