Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Fruit costs, Part 2

Blessings, Darlings!

It occurred to me - while shopping - that I left out some fruits yesterday.  They are fruits I rarely buy, and then only at local fruit stands or directly from farmers when in season.  They are peaches and nectarines.

I can't afford them in stores. 

But ... seconds from local farmers, or getting a full bushel at once for canning, I CAN kinda afford.  Huge, if blemished, peaches are about a dollar a pound.  One peach is at least two servings.  So they come to around 50 cents a serving. 

This price lasts about a month.  Which is why I can them.

Frondly, Fern

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Fruit Costs

Blessings Darlings!

As I once again start trying to eat better (notice that I don't announce when I'm NOT eating well?), I've been looking at the costs per serving of what I eat.  So I'm going to start posting about it, starting with the fruits.

Oh - at this point I'm just going to talk about price type costs.   Not environmental.  That's a different conversation.

Bananas:  They are some inexpensive fruit!  At the stores I shop at, at 49 cents per pound, that comes to around 21 cents per banana, which is a good serving. 

Apples:  I buy these in three pound bags, because the price per pound is a bit lower, and the apples are smaller.  And you can bet your bippy that I buy bags with smaller, but unblemished, apples.  This way each apple, one serving, is about 45 cents each (less when on sale).  Red ones apparently have more antioxidants than green/yellow ones, but if the green/yellows are on sale, I'll get those, since that usually drives the price down to 33 cents each.

Pineapple: They are usually a bargain in price per serving (define a serving as 6 ounces).  One pineapple, NOT on sale, is about $4.00.  Eight servings (at least) each, so 50 cents a serving.  On sale, at $2 each, or even $1.50 each - bonus!

Strawberries: When they are $2 a pound I buy them a lot, since that's about 50 cents a serving for 6 'fluid' oz, rather than by weight.  At $3 a pound ... sigh.  I buy then more rarely.  This, BTW, is the 'regular' price of whole frozen unsweetened strawberries.  Sigh.

Blackberries: I love them.  I only buy them when they are like $3.50 for 18 oz at Costco.  That's like 70 cents a serving.

Raspberries: I really don't buy them.  Pricier than blackberries. 

Oranges/tangerines:  Love the seedless tangerines.  And they are small.  If they are on sale for a dollar a pound (like 3 lb bag of seedless tangerines for $3) they are very affordable, at about 35 cents each.  More often I get bags of 'juice oranges' that come out to about 50 cents each.  Red grapefruit I get when they are about 35 cents each at Aldi's, and get two servings from each.

Grapes:  On sale at $1.50, I eat a lot of them.  That's about 30 cents per 6 fluid oz serving.  I don't buy them when they are over $2 per pound.

Cherries:  Love them, can't afford them.

Blueberries: I pick my own, and freeze them.  Only way I can afford them.

Kiwi Fruit: on sale, 25 to 50 cents each, I get them.  They are 3 for $1.00 right now!

Melons: I buy them on sale, then they are a bargain.  I wish I could afford the amazing musk melons at road side stands, but I usually can't.  Right now Cantaloupes are $3 each, that's about 40 cent a serving.

Mangos, Papayas, etc: Only if I find them marked down, or ... mangos are likely to be on sale right now for 50 cents each for Cinco de Mayo.  If so, I'm grabbing them.  Each one is two servings.

Pears:  Usually about 40 cents each, if $1.60 a pound and you grab the smaller rather than big ones. 

Of course, I do most of my shopping at Aldi and selected loss leaders at other stores close to home or work.  YMMV.

Frondly, Fern