Summer’s Biggest Money Saver

Want to know one of the biggest “deals” of the summer?

Fresh produce.

Plain and simple, buying produce in season and freezing or canning it is one of the best ways to save yourself money in the long run. With the Farmer’s Market, roadside stands and even the produce at the grocery store you are certain to find good deals on tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, berries…the list goes on and on.

The process of freezing and canning sounds really daunting when you’ve never done it before, but it can be very simply. Resources like PickYourOwn.org and Ball’s Blue Book Guide to Preserving make it very simple to understand, step by step. Having your produce on hand to use in the winter months when their prices skyrocket is well worth the effort and up front expenses now.

Still not convinced to give canning or freezing a try? Why not find recipes you enjoy that use up your favorite produce and make up freezer meals? Not as economical as saving the produce, but it will save you time as well as money in the long run. Taking a freezer meal full of fresher produce out in the middle of the cold months sounds mighty fine to me (plus the added benefits of no cooking mess)!

Take a few extra minutes to look at see what is growing around you, then make a plan that is reasonable for you. Just like every other step you take to save money, planning ahead and setting some resources aside for later will save you money in the long run.