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One way to save money at the grocery store is to ensure that produce is bought at the optimal time in relation to when you want to use it. Not only is it important to know how to determine ripeness for different types of produce but it is also necessary to know which types of produce will continue to ripen once picked.

Below is a summary including advice on evaluating 20 different types of produce, so you can learn how to pick the perfect produce.

1) Cantaloupe should feel heavier than it looks when it is ripe. The smell will be sweet and musky but not overly sweet. If it smells too sweet, it is probably over ripe. Lastly take a look at the stem to be sure that there is no lip present. If you do purchase a cantaloupe that is not ripe, you can leave it on the counter to ripen over time.

2) Pineapple will be firm to the touch when ripe and will smell sweet. If the pineapple smells like vinegar it is over ripe and if it smells like nothing, it needs to ripen more. The entire pineapple will be a golden brown color without any lingering green color at the base. Lastly if you try to pluck a leaf from the top and it comes out easily, the pineapple is ripe.

3) Strawberries should be completely red. If the green color is present at the top/stem, it means that the strawberry is not fully ripe. Ripe strawberries will smell distinctly sweet. Always look at the bottom of the container for any signs of mold or fermentation.

4) Mangos have different varieties so you should be familiar with the kind you want in order to determine if it is ripe. A ripe mango will always smell sweet especially near the stem where the smell will be the strongest. A mango will be soft when it is ripe and it will feel heavier. Mango will continue to ripen after being picked but do not refrigerate if the mango needs to ripen further.

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One of the most important things that you have to learn financially is how to save money. Saving money on emergencies is particularly important. Most people are savvy enough to put away money for college, a new car or possibly a great vacation. Emergencies are not quite as easy because they are unpredictable.

When you lay out your budget every month, how much do you set aside for the unknown? Would you be prepared in an emergency?

5 Tips for Saving Money on Emergencies:

1. Never get too comfortable to save – Emergencies are totally unpredictable and they tend to come in batches. Some folks will go for a bit and start to feel as though their fund is big enough. They stop saving and suddenly they will have four or five emergencies in a row. This lull in saving is common and should always be avoided if you want to truly be prepared.

2. Set aside a set amount each month – Saving money on emergencies requires discipline when things are going well. As a regular part of your budget, set aside money every month for emergencies and the unexpected expenses that will no doubt show up. This amount varies depending on your budget.  You should aim to build an account that could cover you for at least a year in the event of your being unable to work.

3. Be disciplined once that savings builds – It is very easy to look at that money sitting in the account and start to think of things that you could do with it. A vacation, a trip to the salon and even a new wardrobe can be very tempting when the money is not currently needed. Don’t give in to these feelings and stick to the budget.

4. Remove temptation by putting in a bank – Saving money for emergencies is not going to work if you keep the money under your mattress. Money that is in front of you tends to “find” emergencies on a regular basis. You would be amazed at the things that can become emergencies when you have the cash in reach. Put the money in a bank and never look at it other than to make sure it is accurate each month. Savings are meant to stay hidden until you need them.

5. Put leftover budget money into the emergency fund – When you set a budget each month and then end up not spending all of it in a particular category, go ahead and move that extra money into emergency savings. If you are purposefully holding onto money so that you can buy something that costs more, that is different. An extra twenty bucks in your entertainment budget this month could be easily fed into the emergency fund though.

Saving money on emergencies is really all about discipline and a commitment to preparing for the future. The comfort you will feel having that money set aside will give you confidence in your daily life. Things are not so scary out there when you have some savings set aside.

What are your tips for Saving Money on Emergencies?

Looking to start saving money with coupons?  Download my FREE Simple Savings Coupon Workbook!

You might also like this inexpensive ebook for more tips: Emergency Fund 101: How to Save Money for Unexpected Expenses (Money Matters).

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There are many different ways to start money saving jars and all of them have merit. Each of them seem to work on a slight variation of saving a specific amount of money per week, month or year and doing so in regular increments.

Money saving jars are particularly effective for kids or people starting to learn about savings. Having the money there accumulating in front of you is a pretty good motivational tool as long as you can resist diving into it when times get tough.

Several ideas for money saving jars:

The Year Long Mason Jar – This is a rather simple money saving jar that you build on incrementally throughout the year. Starting on a specific date, add one dollar per day into the jar. The amounts can vary depending on what you can afford. Each day that follows, add a specific increment. For example, on day one you do a dollar, on day two you do $1.25, day three $1.50 and so on. At the end of a year’s time, the money really adds up.

The idea behind this particular savings strategy is to not feel the increases as badly. Doing it a little at a time makes it a good bit easier.

My Weekly Paycheck Jar – This is one that I particularly love because it teaches a great habit while boosting your self esteem as well. Every week, paycheck after paycheck, we pay our bills. We pay our mortgages, we pay our car payments and so on. Why not pay ourselves with each check?

Simply dress up a nice jar or piggy bank and pay yourself a weekly salary that is not for bills, etc. This fund can be earmarked for vacation, a new pair of shoes, or whatever as long as it is for you. Money saving jars are a great way to remind yourself that you are worth investing in!

Automatic coin counters – These are the coolest things ever created in the world of money saving jars. Essentially, every time you add money into the jar, the jar itself digitally counts the funds. This way, you see how far you have come every single time you add to the jar. It counts coins automatically and you can add dollars manually. This makes saving not only fun, but highly effective. You can find these ranging from $5.00 for the cheap ones to upwards of $100 if you want to get a really nice one. They all work wonderfully.

Decorative savings jars – These are some of the most creative jars out there because they are also fairly subtle. If you decorate your own money saving jar you can make it so that it looks like anything at all. I have seen baskets with a coin holder inside, mason jars that are painted to hide what is inside, flower vases that are holding coins but fake flowers as well, and countless other ideas. The key is to make it fun and if you can help make things tougher for potential thieves in the process, then that is a bonus!

Money saving jars are a wonderful way to put back money and to learn how saving works. For this reason, it is a great project to start with your kids or the young adult in your life. Give it a try and you might be surprised at the results!

Check out some of the great variations and purchase Money Saving Jars HERE.