Salvaged Food!

     Ah, the weekend is almost here. What do you find most people doing? Not only are we hitting the beach, playing our sports, and spending time with friends and family, we are shopping! Yes we are shopping for groceries, but have you heard of the alternative ways to do this?


     I was recently reading one of my all time favorite books, The Tightwad Gazette, and stumbled upon some new grocery shopping saving information.  Previously, I have used a price book and bought generics as a way to shrink my food bill.  I had not realized there was a third option to drastically reduce the money I was spending on food per month.


     They are called salvaged foods grocery stores.  Many are scattered around the US, with at least ten right here in my home state of Florida.  These stores are like outlet food stores.  They sell slightly damage products with packaging that cannot be repaired.  They also sell some products that are past their due date.  These supplies are returned by the grocery stores because they are unable or will not pay the fee to have them repacked properly. The best place to find if a store is near you is with this state by state guide at Extreme Bargains.com.


      Now, these stores are not fix alls to your budget. While they may offer deep discounts on food items, there are some things to watch for. They sell canned items past their expiration date.  Although canning items may extend the shelf life of a product, this is no guarantee that the product will still be good. You would not want to purchase any milk that has expired. Use caution. They also sell many products that are past the recommended sell-by date. Many canned foods are there because they have lost their label and some state laws prohibit the grocery stores to sell these items. Collect these items and make a fun game out of "open the surprise meal" can. Before you decide to purchase anything from these stores, make sure it is worth it for your budget. You may find that it saves on canned items for the month, but the junk food you also bought while you were there put you over budget.


     These store are not perfect, but it is always nice to have another weapon in your arsenal of the fight to keep food prices low and within your budget. As always, shop frugally and with a tightwad mentality!