A few weeks ago, Samuel bought 5 apples from his local farmers' market. Today, the number of apples Samuel bought was 40% lower. How many apples did he buy today?
If the number of apples Samuel bought today was 40% lower than the number he bought a few weeks ago, it means he bought 40/100*5 = <<40/100*5=2>>2 apples less.
The number of apples Samuel bought today is 5-2 = <<5-2=3>>3 apples. Answer: \boxed{3}.