What Do You Think of Them Apples?

This past weekend, we took our annual apple picking trip to Russell Orchards. We've gone every September for the last few years. To me, it's the perfect kick off for the fall season, my favorite time of year. I enjoy the hay-covered wagon ride out to the orchards, the apple-laden trees close to the ground for easy picking, visiting the farm animals, and, most of all, the yummy cider donuts.

Even though I enjoy the apple picking trip and look forward to it, I always think of one of my first apple picking trips and how absurd my future brother-in-law, Bernd, found the apple picking experience to be. I ventured out to Honey Pot Hill with my roommate, my sister Carrie, and her new boyfriend at the time, Bernd. This was in the early 90s when Honey Pot Hill only offered apple picking and a quaint farm stand that sold cider, cider donuts, and already-picked apples. It was before Honey Pot Hill became the Disney World of New England apple picking spots with a hedge maze, petting zoo, and hayrides. Bernd was a good sport about the whole apple picking experience until he went into the farm stand and realized that they were selling the apples for less than what we had paid to pick them ourselves. He pointed this out to us and then added, "Also, apples are on sale this week at Star Market for less than they cost in the store. It would have been much easier to go to Star Market." Bernd had a point. We were paying a premium to be Honey Pot Hill's farm hands. A Slate article from a few years ago also points out that apple picking is a wasteful scam.

Yes, I know that we pay a premium for this apple picking experience and it may be a bit of a scam. It's obviously not the most efficient and cost effective way to get apples. When apples are in season, they are undoubtedly less expensive than they are at any of the pick-your-own orchards. We go because we enjoy it. As with most things about saving money, it's about priorities. I choose to save money in other areas so that I can splurge on things like this once-a-year and enjoy a pre-autumn day picking apples and eating cider donuts.