Anyone else do their fresh food shopping mainly at local markets? I've noticed that local markets are much, much cheaper than supermarkets, particularly if you are buying bulk, so I tend to get meat and fresh local produce there. Potatoes I get from a local farm, as well as eggs. They're much fresher, last longer and a lot cheaper. You also tend to build a relationship with the market stall holder, so you get extra discounts etc. I've found that sticking to the local markets and local food sellers gets me a lot more food for the money. Very important for feeding the family. Even for some speciality items I go to the market. There's a Thai stall in my local one and you can get bulk rice, spices, sauces etc there that are imported directly from Thailand and are 1/2 to 1/3 cheaper than the equivalent in the supermarkets.
In our area, the farmer's markets have gotten so trendy that it is no longer cheaper to go there. We do have one large fruit and vegetable stand that sets up shop in the summer months and they always have cheaper prices on the produce. I do still go there when I can. We also buy our meats from a loccal buthcer. All of his meats come from local farms and if I buy one of his package deals, it is a lot cheaper than it would have been to buy all of those items from any store.
I agree. I find local markets are much cheaper than the supermarkets for things like vegetables and fruit. Our markets also sell locally grown products so it is good to know that buying from them is helping to support local farmers and growers. We had a new market open up near us a little while ago and it's always busy and always cheaper than anywhere else. It is good to get to know the stallholders and the shopping experience is always more personal. It's shame more people don't shop at local markets but I suppose they often go for the convenience of going to one store and buying from there.
I wish that we had a local market in our area. The closest one worth going to is an hour's drive away. I despise shopping at Wal-Mart, but we are very limited on where we can go while on a strict grocery budget.
I split my shopping between the 2. The chain stores tend to double coupons and have some good sales. I do find the local stores overall to be cleaner and friendlier. They also have the best produce and baked goods.
I've noticed that local markets tend to have a completely different selection from supermarkets. There are things I can only find at the local market, but other than that, the supermarket is generally cheaper.
I don't buy our food supplies, my dad is the one that does that, but he buys both from supermarkets and local markets. He only buys meat products from the local market, and for everything else, he buys them at our local supermarket. He also gets discounts at our local market too.
I work at my local grocery store and it happens to be an Asian specialty market and everything is super cheap there. We sell so many items that are not available at the big supermarkets so that I have many customers who drive up to 7 hours one way just to come shop for a certain brand of fish sauce, spice or exotic kind of tea. The vegetables are beautiful and the oranges are the sweetest in the whole city. I'm not kidding! I bought oranges from two other stores and my son wouldn't eat them because they were bitter. I ended up having to eat them and I went back to buying oranges from my store. Not only is it close to where I live and cheaper to buy from, but so convenient for the fact that I can pick up whatever I need after my shift ends. Who can ask for any better than that?
I definitely like the local markets better. The ones around where I live get almost all their products locally so it's a lot cheaper and also organic. I like the fact that you are helping to support the local economy also which is always good! With the way so many foods are being mass produced now and changed genetically, or sprayed with pesticides etc, it's healthier to buy locally grown. I usually buy my meat from Costco though, because I've found that to be the best value. Honestly, I wish we could go back to having every town be wholly self sufficient, as in a local grocery store, local butcher etc, instead of big chain stores, but I know that probably won't happen with how much the demand is for everything now.
I try and use local shops and markets as much as possible, and am very lucky to have a local organic box scheme which often works out the same price or cheaper than fruit and veg at the supermarket! Seen as those items make up most of my shopping, it makes local shopping viable for me. I use the supermarket for special offers, particularly on frozen foods and non-food items, but they don't happen very often as the bulk of special offers are always on processed and ready-made foods which I don't buy. It's frustrating how often things like bread are on offer, but never bread flour!
