Prices of Veggies, especially Brussels Sprouts

**Darlene** · 11-03-2010, 12:41 PM

I know this is small in the grand scheme of things but I'm really upset about the prices of them. Fresh ones are about $3-$4/lb & frozen $2/lb. Maybe I'm just cheap for thinking this is nuts but I am really missing them since I won't pay those prices. Who would have thought years ago that the adult me would be upset about not being able to eat them?!

Usually I don't/won't pay more than $1 for veggies. Fresh broccoli and cauliflower I have to pay a bit more for.
How much do they cost where you live? You have a set "usual" price you pay for certain veggies? You boycotting any because of prices.

**frugalwarrior2** · 11-03-2010, 12:48 PM

Nope. When I shop the farm market the stuff is generally beautiful and I am so grateful I don't have to buy the junk the supermarket has. It has cost me more this year. I am boycotting one seller though because it took 6 weeks to cash my checks. When i mentioned it he was irratated w/ me?? So the other vendors get my $$$.

**VanVivCam** · 11-03-2010, 12:48 PM

We have a Kroger in our area, and they will put frozen veggies on sale for about 88 cents a bag. They have reduced the sizes of the bags from 16oz to 14 and sometimes 12ozs. I just stock up during those times!!!! I HATE that veggies are so expensive....I think it would help with the obesity issues if they were as affordable as little debbie snack cakes.

**Darlene** · 11-03-2010, 01:03 PM

It was crazy, the frozen sprouts in butter sauce were cheaper per lb than the plain. I don't want butter sauce.

I hear you about the package size. Seems like everyone has those "steamer bags" and they aren't a full lb. I want my full lb veggies back & plain. I don't need gimmicks like steamer bags, I know how to simmer water.

**Pemberleyan** · 11-03-2010, 01:06 PM

Never having priced or bought Brussels sprouts, I couldn't help you there, but I have noticed canned veggies costing more. I keep waiting for them to go down to stock up, but the sale prices are so much higher than they used to be.

**nodmicks** · 11-03-2010, 01:17 PM

Darlene i sure wish you were close! I have enough brussels in the freezer to feed a huge family for a year and more still growing! I'm the only one that eats them and dh grew tons.

I try to buy the bags of frozen at $1 or less a bag. When it is non growing season I usually eat what dh grew and buy what I have too. Usually that is spinach, tomato etc. I refuse to pay over $1 for a tomato or a cucumber. besides they are not tasty out of season

**Darlene** · 11-03-2010, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by nodmicks

Darlene i sure wish you were close! I have enough brussels in the freezer to feed a huge family for a year and more still growing! I'm the only one that eats them and dh grew tons.

I try to buy the bags of frozen at $1 or less a bag. When it is non growing season I usually eat what dh grew and buy what I have too. Usually that is spinach, tomato etc. I refuse to pay over $1 for a tomato or a cucumber. besides they are not tasty out of season

I wish I lived closer too. Seeing how well Durgan did with his sprouts, Jack & I are going to try our hand at growing them again ourselves next year. Just seems sad to me that even when the are the sprouts are in season they are still too expensive. I agree about the cardboard tomatoes. I usually do ok if I stick with plum tomatoes from the store when tomatoes aren't in season here.

**nodmicks** · 11-03-2010, 01:33 PM

They are really easy no care plants to grow. We have had super good luck with them the last 2 years. They do good through the first few frosts too

That is ridiculous they are high in the store in season. Anything we don't grown during the season we usually buy from the Amish farms around our house. They use no pesticides and are down right cheap

MMMMMMM plum tomato. I'll have to remember that!

I just had the last of the mini tomatos we brought in green before the first frost. We pulled the whole vines up. Hung one upside down at a time and wrapped the rest in a dark sheet. As we ate one vine up after ripening we unwrapped another and hung it to ripen

**druthb00** · 11-03-2010, 01:55 PM

I buy the bags of Steamfresh veggies when they're less than $1. I buy mostly fresh, though, being in FL. And I don't have a clue what brusselsprouts go for down here, I'm not fond of them

I won't pay more than $2 for a 4 or 5 lb. bag of potatoes
I won't pay more than $1.19/lb for onion
I *usually* won't pay more than $1.50/lb for tomatoes
I got spoiled over summertime getting 4-6 green peppers for $1, now they're 2-3 small ones for $1 and I've been buying those less and less
I only buy cucumbers if I can get 2/$1 or better
I will only pay more than $1 for an avacado if it's a jumbo one, otherwise they can keep them LOL.
I don't buy basil unless they have it at the produce market, it's $1.39 for a huge bunch there. I won't bother at the supermarket.
I'll only buy mushrooms if they are $1.50 or less

**valerian** · 11-03-2010, 05:31 PM

Our green peppers are $1 here and fresh brussel sprouts are close to $4 for a package. I love asparagus, but hate to pay over $3 for a bundle.

**HappyMama** · 11-03-2010, 05:49 PM

I have been so lucky that my garden produced so much this yr, and I have been going to the produce auction until it ended this past week. I have been able to get a bushel of peppers for 5.00, 40 pounds of cabbage 7.00, and literally tons of Brussels sprouts for 4.00. So I have processed as much as I can , froze , dehydrated, made sauerkraut, fermented salsa, froze sauce and salsa and have freezers full. But if I didn't have those sources it would get costly for as much produce as I use. I literally processed about 1,000 pounds or more this yr alone.

**Contrary Housewife** · 11-03-2010, 05:56 PM

Brussel sprouts were 2 for $4 last week, I got about 2lbs per package, so I guess that was $1 per pound.

I bought cauliflower Friday at $1.48 a head.

Broccoli kills me. DH loves it, but I won't pay more than $2.50 per pound and that is usually the most expensive veg I buy.

Peppers, cukes, green onions, and avocados are generally cheap and I don't pay too much attention to the price.

Tomatoes and potatoes we grow ourselves; out of season I suck it up on the prices. But I can usually get my little red potatoes under $1 per lb. Our local Hyvee is advertising 5lbs of russets for 99c this weekend.

Onions and garlic I use so much of I don't track the prices, I need it every week, regardless.

Asparagus has to be under $3 per lb. When it is in season we eat it every week.

Frozen peas and corn I stock up on when it is less than $1 per bag. I only buy the premium brands, Birdseye or Green Giant or C&W. With coupons earlier this summer I got Birdseye for 65c per bag.

**nodmicks** · 11-03-2010, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by HappyMama

I have been so lucky that my garden produced so much this yr, and I have been going to the produce auction until it ended this past week. I have been able to get a bushel of peppers for 5.00, 40 pounds of cabbage 7.00, and literally tons of Brussels sprouts for 4.00. So I have processed as much as I can , froze , dehydrated, made sauerkraut, fermented salsa, froze sauce and salsa and have freezers full. But if I didn't have those sources it would get costly for as much produce as I use. I literally processed about 1,000 pounds or more this yr alone.

WOW

**dcompton** · 11-03-2010, 06:00 PM

I generally use frozen because with just me, I can't use up a lot of produce, and it also cuts out a lot of prep time. I agree about the small Kroger bags - it really annoyed me when they did that. I usually will not buy them at all. I get a comparable price to their sale price at another store and the veggies are in the "right" size bags.

I can generally get tomatoes for 1.25 a lb, and very rarely will pay more. Cukes and green bell peppers have been consistently 2/$1 on sale, and all through the summer, lettuce (all the standard types) could usually be found somewhere for .99 a head/bunch. I won't pay more than 1.25 for squash, but it's usually almost $2 a pound. I haven't seen the sales on winter squash we usually have. Potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes remain around $1 a pound. Sometimes sales are better. I'm hoping for a big sweet potato sale at Thanksgiving. I'll buy a bunch to bake and freeze.

Our farmers markets are as high or higher than the stores, and nowhere close to me, so I stick with grocery store produce.

**craftypam** · 11-03-2010, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by Darlene

I know this is small in the grand scheme of things but I'm really upset about the prices of them. Fresh ones are about $3-$4/lb & frozen $2/lb. Maybe I'm just cheap for thinking this is nuts but I am really missing them since I won't pay those prices. Who would have thought years ago that the adult me would be upset about not being able to eat them?!

Usually I don't/won't pay more than $1 for veggies. Fresh broccoli and cauliflower I have to pay a bit more for.
How much do they cost where you live? You have a set "usual" price you pay for certain veggies? You boycotting any because of prices.

I wish I could send you some. I just bought a whole "tree" of them for $1.99. Also do you have Aldi's where you live. Their vegetables are 16 oz unlike Kroger's "new size." They have broccoli, cauliflower and carrots for $.95