first freebies of the year
By Kelli M
@spiderdust (14741)
San Jose, California
January 2, 2023 4:59pm CST
Hello, all! Today was my first day back to work for the year, and the culls fridge was quite full. There was a lot of oat milk yogurt (which I don't need) and lots of fancy cheeses that I didn't think we'd use up right now, but I did manage to find some useful things.
I found two small bottles of carrot/orange juice, 3 yogurt pouches (2 are strawberry-beet and 1 is just strawberry), a package of pita bread, and a container of chocolate covered strawberries. Other things that I brought home that didn't make it to the photo: 1 package of shrimp-mango summer rolls, a package of inari sushi, a package of California rolls, 2 containers of "corn toasties" (they're like cornbread pancakes), and 2 breakfast burritos.
I'm trying to spend as little as possible on groceries this month, so these will all be handy.
20 people like this
20 responses
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
3 Jan 23
You made a good haul today. 
We started making out our shopping lists for the 4th yesterday. We HAVE to remember to buy dishwashing liquid. There are just dribbles left in the bottle now.
I hope you've had a good day.
We started making out our shopping lists for the 4th yesterday. We HAVE to remember to buy dishwashing liquid. There are just dribbles left in the bottle now.
I hope you've had a good day.2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
3 Jan 23
@spiderdust I woke up not too long ago and am still tired. (I'll probably take a nap after while.) It's storming here right now after we had heavy fog earlier today.
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
3 Jan 23
It's been a decent day, but I feel like I need a nap now. The rain makes me sleepy.
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
3 Jan 23
@DaddyEvil We're supposed to have more storming later in the week. Today is just light rain.
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
4 Jan 23
@LadyDuck They truly are. I was comparing egg prices locally and I'm no longer certain that they're the cheapest protein I can get anymore.
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
4 Jan 23
I was thrilled to get some milk and eggs for free today.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (71666)
• United States
3 Jan 23
@spiderdust yum lots of good stuff in there! Why is it in there to begin with I guess I should ask?!
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
3 Jan 23
These are items that are close to expiration date or overstock and have been pulled from the shelves and removed from inventory. Employees and community members get to take home what they want of these items, provided that they're in the designated donations areas (like the culls fridge in the backroom, or the dry goods culls area upstairs in the breakroom).
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
3 Jan 23
For example, this is what the inside of that fridge looked like on Friday morning. Anything in this fridge was free for us to take home.
2 people like this
.@much2say (53958)
• Los Angeles, California
3 Jan 23
@spiderdust New ownership 
- oh I didn't know that was happening. Have you seen big changes already? Hopefully they continue on with that perk . . . I mean, it makes sense to me so food does not go to waste.
- oh I didn't know that was happening. Have you seen big changes already? Hopefully they continue on with that perk . . . I mean, it makes sense to me so food does not go to waste.1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
3 Jan 23
@much2say Yes, the same people who own Bristol Farms bought us last year, so it's been changing for a while. The big official change is this month though, and our store name will change.
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
3 Jan 23
We officially change to the new company in the middle of the month, so I hope these perks don't go away. I suspect that they won't disappear, but you never know what's going to change with new ownership. Technically they've owned us for a while, but we've been going through months of transition.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (86764)
• United States
2 Jan 23
Where is this from Kelli?
It is a nice little haul.
Yes, I understand, every little bit helps.
2 people like this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
2 Jan 23
My store puts all of its expired/discarded items in the back for employees to go through. I make a point of looking through those items every day during my break.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (86764)
• United States
2 Jan 23
@spiderdust Oh I see Kelli. I gotcha.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (86764)
• United States
2 Jan 23
@spiderdust Oh I see thanks Kelli
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
21 Jan 23
They truly are! I'm glad I'm able to get creative with the groceries.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (170018)
• United States
3 Jan 23
Hey, free is always the right price!
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
4 Jan 23
One of the kids joked the other day that half of our food comes from what the store throws away, and he probably wasn't wrong.
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
6 Jan 23
Thanks! I sometimes feel like I've won the lottery when I look in that fridge.
@just4him (306386)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
4 Jan 23
@spiderdust I think I would be suspicious of it too. Good idea to use it in a smoothie.
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
4 Jan 23
The kids are a little suspicious of the carrot-orange juice, so I might have to use it in a smoothie tomorrow. The yogurt got devoured pretty quickly!
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (58140)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
4 Jan 23
I found a new survey site which pays out at ten dollars. To Venmo, so I am hoping that I can use that to my advantage with the grocery budget. Because they still have our food stamps messed up.
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
4 Jan 23
What's the site called?
I've also been doing Swagbucks and Mistplay a lot. I've cashed out on Mistplay 3 times now.
@thislittlepennyearns (58140)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
7 Jan 23
@spiderdust it's surveys on the go.
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
3 Jan 23
And they're full sized items too!
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
4 Jan 23
Thank you! It is pretty good luck, isn't it?
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
4 Jan 23
They really do help a lot. Like I mentioned to someone else in this thread, the kids have joked that half of our food comes from what the store throws away. 
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203452)
• Nashville, Tennessee
4 Jan 23
@spiderdust Good you can use it instead of it getting tossed.
@rebelann (111194)
• El Paso, Texas
3 Jan 23
Ohhhh, pleeeeze send me the cheese ..... I just ran out and now I'm hungry for cheese 
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
4 Jan 23
There's still a lot left! Mostly goat cheese with kalamata olives and some very ripe Brie.
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
4 Jan 23
@rebelann Ooh, I did see some spicy things in there the other day.
1 person likes this
@GreatMartin (23676)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
3 Jan 23
I love food shopping--even if I don't buy something (which is rare!)
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
4 Jan 23
You'd love this kind, because you wouldn't have to pay for any of it! 
@RasmaSandra (73473)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
2 Jan 23
Good for you. Great that you can get these things for free,
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
2 Jan 23
I haven't tried this particular juice before, as our fresh juices are rather pricey. I hope it's enjoyed here.
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
8 Jan 23
Every day, the different department managers go through and pull the items that are close to the expiration date, out of season, etc., and they "cull" or remove those items from inventory. Those culled items are then available for employees, vendors, and community members to take home for free.
@noni1959 (9886)
• United States
4 Jan 23
@spiderdust Thank you. I understand now. A lot of businesses out here make the employees toss away. It's sad to see a lot of waste.
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
4 Jan 23
@noni1959 This is the first company I've worked for that regularly lets employees take home "waste" without considering it theft. Of course, there are still protocols to follow, but it's part of their mission to keep these things from adding to the landfill.
They do donate to the local food banks as well, specific things are set aside for that, but employees get to select items from that stuff as well if the food banks don't come and pick them up. There are also community members that regularly come by and pick up produce waste to feed their chickens and livestock.
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
3 Jan 23
Items that are close to the expiration date or are overstocked are pulled from the shelves and removed from inventory, or "culled out". We're allowed to take home these items, provided that they're in the designated donation areas (like the culls fridge in the backroom, or the dry goods culls area upstairs in the breakroom). I don't think every company that does this calls it a "culls fridge", so I understand the confusion.
This is the area in the breakroom for the non-refrigerated culled items. In a comment to ShannyBananny somewhere in this thread, I had a photo of our culls fridge.
1 person likes this
@Michellekidwell (29260)
• Sonora, California
3 Jan 23
That's awesome that you were able to score some useful things...
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
3 Jan 23
I just realized that the pint cartons that I got a few days ago of what I thought were just egg whites are complete eggs! I wish I had grabbed more now.
This job offers so much free food to the employees. I don't think I'll ever leave!
