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Want to fight the heat of rising grocery prices this summer? Here are some ways to save:

Join a food co-op: Co-ops are my personal favorite way to save on the freshest organic foods during the summer and a great way to stretch your taste buds to try new things! A food co-op is a service which you pay for in a weekly fee from $10-$20 week, you can get two laundry baskets full of 50% fruit and 50% vegetables.

Farmers Market: Farmers markets, usually held once per week, has long been known for having the best quality, organic produce, but did you know that sometimes you can even save money by shopping here? Last weekend I purchased one bunch of beautiful lettuce for $2 at farmers market and later that afternoon saw the same variety of lettuce selling for $2.48 at grocery store. The head of lettuce from farmers market was nearly double the size for less price!

Farmers Market for non-fruits and veggies: Don’t forget the other foods sold at Farmers market. My personal favorites are raw honey, which may even cure seasonal allergies! (Honey at the farmer’s market is cheaper than grocery store honey + cost of allergy medicine, ha!)
I also love buying lavender in the summer! It comes in big bunches for a couple bucks, makes my kitchen smell great and is key ingredient in my signature lavender lemonade – such a summer treat!

4 cups water, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh lavender leaves
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
Lavender stems

Buy in-season: Summer makes this one easy! There’s no time of year when produce is sweeter, jucier and cheaper! Vegetables too, as summer comes, you’ll find more vegetables at the peak of their season, including carrots, spinach and rhubarb. You know summer is in full bloom when, fruits like cherries, strawberries and peaches start showing up on street corner fruit stands!

Try these great ways to stretch out the season –

Freeze: When strawberries go on sale for $0.98/lb, it’s time to stock-up! Pluck and freeze strawberries for use in smoothies for the next 3-5 months! The secret is to spread them out on a cookie sheet, place in the freezer, and once frozen, dump into a gallon freezer bag.

Jam: The other great thing to do with strawberries (as well as apricots, plums and more) is make jam! Grocery stores and coupons for fruit pectin can make jam-making economical and delicious. You can make a year’s worth of jam in on sunny summer morning and that will save you an easy $50 throughout the year!

Canning: Canning wasn’t just for the pioneers. It’s still a wonderful option for storing produce year round! My favorite things to can: pears, peaches, apple sauce, diced tomatoes and fresh salsa! There is nothing better than opening up a fresh jar of pears in cold February to remind you of the summer! 

TheKrazyCouponLady was started by young, savvy moms on a mission to slash grocery bills. Visit their website for more great tips and tricks for ways to save money!