Do you shop at discount food stores?
By Modestah
@Modestah (11179)
United States
March 12, 2007 9:16pm CST
We have a mennonite run discount food store about 30 miles from our home, it is so worth the drive. This singular thing has helped us tremendously with our finances. Mostly the food is expired or the box may be damaged (crushed) or there may be overstocks from other stores, or misordered items, surplus restraunt supplies etc. For the most part I do not purchase canned goods if they are outdated, as the taste has a tendancy to take on a tinny flavor if very old. But I have had no problem with glass jarred items or boxed items, dry goods. They've never tasted stale at all.
At this store i am able to get bulk deli meats for less than 1.50 a pound - I have a slicer and just slice up into packages and freeze for a later date.
I get gallon glass jars of jalepeno peppers for $2.79
Block cheese for $1.29 a pound - baby swiss for $1.99 a pound
the list goes on and on. Last month they had Life Cereal with yogurt clusters for 99cents a box (not yet expired!) the regular store price is $3.59 a box. I asked that they pack me up 4 cases and the owner sold them to me at 75 cents a box. I was able to provide these boxes to a boys school and not go broke doing so!I get all my stone ground wheat flour and other grains there as well, I can get 50 pound bags for $15!
Frozen goods are also very inexpensive - frozen potatoes (hasbrowns, fries, wedges etc) go for 49cents a pound.
This store also provides an outlet for local farmers goods, organic dairy and produce, and home canned items.
If you have been leary of trying out a discount grocery near you, give it a go! it is helping me to pay down our bills by not having to spend so much on feeding our family.
1 person likes this
4 responses
@easy888 (10405)
• Australia
19 Mar 07
There is not any discount food stores in Australia, but in the supermarket, there are always some food on discount, They may be something that are going to be expired soon or there are some minor damage at the package. The prices are marked down so asd to attract customers to buy them before they actually expired.
I do not mind buying those food and I will even store them fter they expired. It is actually no problem to store the meat after expiry date as long as it does not deterioate.
I do not mind doing this if I ca nsave money...
@gourmetproducts (2)
• Sydney, Australia
20 Jul 15
I rarely shop at discount food stores. The only discount food I buy is The Gourmet Grocer's "Best Before Box". You should check it out!
@cjthedog64 (1552)
• United States
13 Mar 07
I shop at discount stores for food, but I'd never buy anything expired (dangerous!) or dented cans (again - botulosim!). There's a difference between saving a few cents and making my family sick. I shop at places like Aldi and Save-a-Lot though. Decent quality stuff there.
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
13 Mar 07
oh, I do not think dried goods (cereal, rice,)
condiments (ketchup, mustard, bbq sauce) and frozen things are dangerous if they are a few weeks past their expiration date. For the most part I really think expiration dates are a means to make the consumer buy more and to not store foods.
Even in canned foods they may loose a little nutrition value, but not dangerous unless like you said they are dented there is the possibility of letting dangerous microbes in, and they did not necessarily buldge the can out yet. A lot of the items at this store might have an opened or crushed box - but the inner packaging is perfectly fine, and a $3 item becomes 29-59 cents.
@bicklelady (1404)
• United States
19 Mar 07
We have a place where I live just like it. As like you I have to drive about 30min to get there. If I shop at a regular store I can get about half a buggy full of grocerys for 100 dollars. If I go to the discount store, I can get almost 2 buggies full for the same price.
@myworld_and_you (1223)
• Philippines
19 Mar 07
We do shop at discount food stores also but not really when it comes to meat because we choose to shop at a store where we know it is safe. Some discount food stores here don't really sell good meat. And i'm not even sure if it's that safe. What we usually buy are the canned goods because they are a lot cheaper in discount food stores, and we always see to it that it's not yet expired. :)
