Veggie shopping

How much do you think all of these veggies cost?

6 Bananas
400g Rhubarb
1 Soup Pack
400g Baby Carrots
1 Bunch Shallots
8 Apples
1 Cauliflower
3 Capsicum
Large pre cut fruit salad


$20? More?

I got the whole lot for $15.50!!! Yep .. that's right!

My husband and I are going to be living off my wage for a while. Due to this i am looking at ways that i can cut down our budget a bit. I figure if i save money on groceries then we may have a bit more leftover so we can save AND still have a life.

I needed to grab some fruit and veg as we were running very low. I remembered that one of the fruit and Veg shops at my local shopping centre often has a mark down section, so i went to check it out.

As i had a look at the veg there i was really surprised at the variety that was there, and also the quality. Most of it still looked very fresh, with very little of it looking wilted or mouldy. There was a huge variety. Here are a few of the other items on offer

- Corn
- Pineapple
- Mushrooms
- Beans
- Squash
- Pumpkin

None of these items were over $2 for a tray. I loaded up my basket until it was too heavy to keep going and skipped off to the counter. I had worked out in my head that it may come to about $20, so i was very pleased when i realised it was $15!

I know some people don't like to buy fruit or veg that is even sightly bruised or wilted. However i figure that particularly in winter this isn't a bad idea. Given that many dishes are slow cooked stews, curries or roasts, the less than perfect appearance maters less. Plus, there is a huge variety of reasons why stock is reduced, and it doesn't always mean that they are no longer any good.

So next time you head out fruit and veg shopping, have a look at the markdown section. You may be surprised!