Using the Market Skills I Learned in Jordan to get Groceries on a Grad School Budget

My latest trip to Boston's Haymarket.

Hope you guys had a lovely weekend! I had a really good time this weekend chilling with S, plus some family and friends. I also did a bit of prep work for grad school living, including going grocery shopping, and I figured I would talk a bit about how I've used my market shopping skills that I learned in Jordan to get healthy and tasty groceries on a budget. 

As an amateur foodie, I decided to kick the students-only-eat-ramen trope to the side (though do I love Korean ramen)! I decided instead to focus on cooking all my food at home and getting healthy ingredients to fuel my grad school days. It's tough to get by on a grad school budget, but I'm finding that with a little effort and planning I can eat well on less than $50 a week. 

A big part of such thrifty eating comes from going to the most cost effective food sources, including surplus produce markets like Haymarket in downtown Boston. 

If you've ever been to Haymarket or any market like it, you might feel like you're stepping into a different country, where vendors are calling out specials, customers are haggling over prices, and a few special carts will give you a good deal if they like you. It's this relationship-first mentality to shopping that I learned to love in Jordan. 

In Jordan, there were more little grocery shops where the veggie guy would personally get to me, ask how my studies were going, and give me an extra banana as a treat. I missed these interactions a lot when I returned to the U.S., where all I got was seemingly overpriced food that I paid an often bored and unhappy cashier for. 

So, at Haymarket, I get to prioritize people over capitalism, even though the market is an example of capitalism at its finest. It's also conveniently the cheapest way to get all my fruits and vegetables! I pay less than $20 for all the fresh produce I need to make two weeks worth of meals. It may take a bit more time than going to the grocery store and getting all the groceries I need in one place, but for the maybe half hour of extra time I'm essentially paying myself in all the savings I'm keeping. 

I'm talking about a gritty, no-frills surplus food market, not an organic farmers market, as much as I love those too. While farmers market are equally as pleasant and often reasonably priced, you will probably not get the overall discount that you're looking for. 

So here are a few tips for going to the market:

1.) Bring cash. Probably few people will have debit card machines.

2.) Don't be afraid to ask for a lower price. The worst thing they could do is say no. But remember to ask with a smile.

3.) Return regularly to build relationships - and maybe even get a few "preferred customer" discounts!

4.) Walk around the whole market before you buy anything. A lot of vendors sell similar products, so taking a quick walk around will give you a better idea of what produce is the best quality for the best price. 

5.) Keep a record of the prices to get an understanding of how they fluctuate through the season. I'm not good at mental notes, so I have a little note on my phone where I write the lowest price I've paid for each fruit or veggie. It's really helpful to get an idea of whether something is getting a little too pricey and I maybe need to change my eating habits slightly, if only for a few months!

Good luck and enjoy!