Frugal Fridays - Apple Picking for Squash?

My Frugal Friday Tip: Look for produce at unusual local places. Not only will you get it fresher, but you'll be supporting local businesses and probably saving some money.

We popped over to the apple orchard this morning. (Don't you just love the smell of apple orchards in the fall?) I picked up apple "seconds," which are always nicer than what we can find first quality at the grocery store. I paid $15 for 2 pecks. It seems a bit pricey, but is it?

I popped online and found that a peck of apples is between 10 and 14 pounds. If I use 12 as the median, that means I got about 24 pounds of apples for 62¢ a pound. To pick up similar quality apples in the supermarket, I would have to pay somewhere between 89¢-$1.55 a pound, even this time of the year. That could be substantial savings depending on your favorite variety.

My prize though, is the squash. We love butternut squash and a lot of other varieties you can't find at the grocery store. At this time of year, it runs about 99¢ a pound. Last winter, I saw it over $2 a pound. The same apple orchard grows squash and right now it's 49¢ a pound. I picked up a few. I got 6 types this morning, 3 of which you can't find anywhere else. (They have a several types of pumpkins too, but I didn't buy any.)

Now, starting some time after Thanksgiving, the orchard starts trying to empty its coolers. Both the squash and apples will go half price. Then of course, I try to buy enough squash and apples (to store in a cool place) to last for a couple months. By Christmas everything is gone.

So, don't forget to look in ususual places for a bargin!