Tip: Save 30% on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

With the holidays—and holiday spending—upon us, I thought I’d share my favorite new way to save on produce. I learned about it from my friend Marco, who tipped me off in response to my post 8 Ways to Save Money on Vegetables.

Specifically, he mentioned that international markets and grocery stores often sell produce at rock-bottom prices—sometimes half the price of regular supermarkets.
That I had to see for myself, so I headed on over to my local Bestway, a Latin supermercado, to do a little price checking. And wow, was Marco ever right—deep discounts on produce! Better yet, Bestway had fresh peeled garlic cloves for a song. (That’s a time and money saver right there.)

Of course, seeing is believing, so here are the numbers from back on October 16th:

Price Comparison

*Per kiwi (sold in a multi-pack)

At more than a 30% savings, Bestway = win! Not that I have anything against Giant; I’m just not a fan of spending more on produce than I have to. (And comparing to Whole Foods prices? Fuhgettaboutit!) Oh, and did I mention that Bestway also had great prices on dried beans, grains, and spices? Needless to say, I’ve since checked out another international grocery store, H Mart, and found similar savings.

However, it’s not just about getting a deal—you’re also likely to find fruits and veggies you’ve never tried before. So if you’re an adventurous eater, you’ll not only save money, but delight your palate, too.

Fuyu persimmons, Shanghai Cabbage, and a Korean Melon from H Mart

As wonderful as they are, though, if your local international markets are like the ones I visited, you aren’t likely to find organics.

So now my shopping routine goes like this: buy organic and specialty items (especially produce on the “Dirty Dozen” list) at my regular grocery store, then head to Bestway for all the rest. As a result, Jeff’s and my weekly grocery bill has dropped by about $15 (mostly on produce, since that’s generally what we buy at Bestway), a savings of $780 per year.

Want to give an international supermarket a try? Check these links for a store near you:
Bestway
H Mart (nationwide)

Be sure to report back once you go; I’d love to hear what you think. (And what kinds of deals you got!)