Five tips for saving money at the farmers market this summer

Summer is here. With Memorial Day passing the unofficial start of summer has begun. In my community, that means the local farmer's market is open for business.

Your local farmer's market is a wonderful place to find fresh produce. It is also a great way to save money and support your community. 

But how do you save money at the farmer's market? Well, here are a few ways. 

1. Buy in bulk.

Ask your farmer if they sell in bulk and then freeze what you won't eat immediately. Many farmer's don't want to return home with all of the produce they brought with them and will often sell multiple pounds of items at a discounted rate. 

2. Go at the end of the day.

Again, a lot of vendors aren't looking to return home with a carload of what they brought and will discount produce toward the end of the day. 

3. Shop the clean 15.

Yes, in a perfect world we would all eat nothing but organic produce, however, since your produce is local you can almost guarantee that it is not loaded down with extra pesticides to make it shelf stable. 

4. Buy "damaged goods."

Often produce that is slightly bruised or misshapen will be sold at a discounted rate, don't be ashamed to load up on these discount goods, they usually taste the same. 

5. Look for unique finds.

 Does your farmer's market sell stuff your supermarket doesn't? Choose to spend money on items you can't buy at your local grocery store and save the extra money for everyday produce. 

What about you? What tips do you offer for saving $$ at the farmer's market?