The Frugal Banana

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

01 Apr 2008 10:41 AM

Bananas are a great frugal food, but make sure that you watch banana prices carefully. Like other foods, bananas prices will rise, due mostly from the cost of shipping them to your store.

The average banana price here in my little corner of Pennsylvania is about 79 cents a pound, currently. About two weeks ago, the average price seemed to be 49 cents a pound. There are still two places where I can find the bananas for less here. The first is Trader Joes, a health/gourmet food store. At Trader Joes, bananas are selling for 29 cents pound. The second place is at Produce junction, where four pounds of bananas sells for $1.25. Just two years ago, you could get five pounds for $1.

Bananas are great frugal food. Here are some reason, why.

• They are a great healthy and inexpensive snack for kids. Since they are self contained, there is no extra packaging to buy or waste.
• Bananas, unlike many other fruits, can still be used after they "go bad." Some examples are banana bread, banana muffins, banana cake, smoothies, etc. You can also freeze bananas out of their peels for a great frozen treat. Try dipping them in chocolate.
• Bananas retain very little, if any pesticides. Therefore, you don't have to worry about choosing between expensive organic produce and cheaper regular produce. You can pick up cheap bananas and not worry.
• Overripe bananas will often be given way for free by the stores, just for asking. Seek out the produce manager and simply ask. Brown or black bananas are best for recipes, and how often do you have a free source of food?
• Bananas are very filling. A snack of a banana will fill you up for pennies.

What are your favorite ways to use bananas?

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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jonesx6 (1606) 01 Apr 2008 01:49 PM

Our family is big on banana bread. In fact I have some going bad. I guess its time to make the bread. lol Laura

Mary Ann Romans (26886) 02 Apr 2008 04:01 AM

Good potassium!