Although juicing requires equipment and large volumes of pricey fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens, there are sensible things that you can do to save time and money.

Equipment

The biggest and most obvious expense for most people is the juice extractor, or electric juicer. Because the quality of the juicer plays a big role in how efficient your juicing efforts will be, this is not a place to skimp.

That said, there are places you can find a reasonable deal on the juicer you prefer. A used juicer that has been well-cared for may be the perfect entre into juicing for you.

• Craigslist. [Be careful when giving personal information or when meeting someone in person. That’s always been the rule, even in the days of local classified newspaper ads.] Tip: use Google alerts to notify you of new Craigslist posts for juicers.
• Local home or department stores may have weekend sales or coupons.
• Amazon.com may have your brand, or a close competitor, on sale.
• Ask around. A co-worker may have received a duplicate as a wedding gift, or someone at the gym may be upgrading and willing to sell their old one.

Produce

Seasonal fruits and vegetables are typically lower-priced, especially if they are locally grown.

• Area newspapers often report on what’s fresh and in good supply, usually in the Thursday food section.
• If you have a farmers’ market nearby, get to know the farmers. They can tell you what’s a good price, what’s coming up next, and may offer you a deal on unsold produce at noon.
• Membership warehouses, like Costco or Sam’s, sell vegetables in large quantities. If you ever wondered “who would buy such large quantities,” now you know. Juicers do.
• Although most veggies and greens are great for juicing, go slow on items you may not be crazy about. For example, if you have never tried collard greens, start out with a small bunch, even if the price-per-pound is higher.

Time

Planning and preparation, though not glamorous, will save you huge amounts of time in juicing. And they will help you enjoy the adventure.

It’s a good idea to have your juicer and accessories set up and ready to use each time. That means, if you plan to juice first thing in the morning, you should have a clean, assembled juicer ready to go before you go to bed the night before.

• If your juicer has a container that collects pulp, line it with a plastic grocery bag to save you from cleaning it. You’ll be able to simply throw the bag into your trash or dump the contents into your compost pile.
• Have your travel mug clean and ready to fill for your trip out the door. (Yes, go retrieve it from the car while you are thinking about it!)
• Have your glass jars (pickle jars or Mason jars) clean and on the counter, ready to fill with juice for the day. Make sure the tops are nearby.
• Fill the kitchen sink with hot, sudsy water so you can wash out your juicer as soon as you finish with it. You will be glad you did when you get home after a long day at work.

And oh, if you really want to save time, wash and prepare your fruits and veggies the night before!