CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture subscriptions) carry the misconception of being expensive because the entire season is paid upfront. However, with a little saving up, they don’t have to break the bank, and they often end up providing greater value over the season than the initial cost.

Let’s take a look at how a CSA box can fit in the budget.

A small CSA box (5-6 items every week) for the 2024 season (20 weeks: June through mid-October) is $450.

Start now and save up $16 a week in order to put down the $100 deposit by the end of the year. This reserves your spot in the CSA.

Then plan to set aside $27 a week in order to pay the remaining cost by April 1st. You’re all paid up!

Then what? Starting with strawberries in June, and running clear through sweet potatoes in October, you’ll get a box of the freshest produce every week for 20 weeks without paying any more money all season! In a good year, you’ll even end up with more produce than the box was valued at (last year, our CSA members received $125 MORE product throughout the season than they paid for)!

A little saving up in the beginning can result in a lot of saving in the end! Find out more about the CSA here.

This post was originally published in November 2021, and has been updated.