The cheapskate's ultimate guide to supermarket savings

Would you buy dented cans, crushed boxes, and expired products to drastically cut your grocery bills? Apparently, quite a few Americans fed up with the high-price of food are determined to take frugal living to another level.

According to a recent article in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, StarTribune, there's a growing trend among financially  strapped consumers to shop at so-called salvage or surplus stores that sell imperfect packaged goods for as little as half their original price. Some of the salvage sites I visited claimed savings of as much as 90 percent off of everyday prices.

The imperfections vary from dings, dents, and superficial cuts in a carton from to items with wrong, outdated, or misspelled labels. Salvage stores also feature overstocks and seasonal goods that consumers didn't buy, along with  products approaching the end of their shelf life. You might find Halloween candy in November, say, or  Valentine's Day treats in March.

Don't expect to find these castoffs at big supermarkets like Safeway, Kroger, or Publix. Salvage, or discount, grocers are generally community-based independent or  chain stores. One such operator, Anderson's Country Market  in Madison Heights, Va., links to a nationwide directory of salvage and discount grocers on its Web site. Click here for the list. 

Like other salvage grocers, Anderson's doesn't know exactly what will end up on its shelves from one day to the next. Part of the mix depends on the misfortune of others. "Accidents happen, even in the grocery business," Anderson's explains in an FAQ. "If a case of green beans gets dropped, and a couple of cans get bent, those cans (and sometimes the whole case) don't make it to the grocery store shelves. Instead, they are sold to stores, like ours, where we salvage usable products and pass the savings on to you." 

"Our groceries arrive packed in boxes, wrapped and stacked on pallets. We don't know what's in the boxes until we unpack them. It's like a big surprise package! There are some items we get on a regular basis, and we will almost always have in stock (i.e., green beans, Hamburger Helper, BBQ sauce, pasta, etc.). Items that are unusual or somewhat exotic we may see only once or occasionally (i.e., specialty salad dressings, high-end sauces, On The Border Salsa, etc.)."

Salvage groceries must meet the same Federal health and safety regulations as goods sold by major chains, according to Stephanie Kwisnek, a spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration, and operators say they inspect all salvage goods before they go on sale. Still, consumers should carefully check damaged cans, for instance, to make sure they not swollen, which could signal a botulism risk, Kwisnek said.

As for date codes, they're only required by the federal government for baby food and infant formula, and most products should be perfectly safe to consume, even after the "sell by" or "use by" date has passed. The codes usually refer to the date the product is likely to be at peak flavor and quality. Milk , for example, ought to be OK for around seven days after the sell-by date. By contrast, dating for baby food and formula is important for both quality and nutrient retention.

As a rough rule of thumb, the USDA says that high-acid canned  canned foods such as tomatoes, grapefruit, and pineapple can be stored on the shelf for 12 to 18 months; low-acid canned foods -- meat, poultry, fish, and most vegetables -- will keep 2 to 5 years -- if the can remains in good condition and has been stored in a cool, dry place.

 

Comments

[brodie7838]

There are a few very small family owned stores around N. Colorado where I live that get smashed/dented/crushed products from the large chain grocery stores in the area, and sell it for super cheap. I can buy the equivalent of $60 worth of groceries from one of these little stores for $25-$30; definitely worth it.

[Butterscotch Baggins]

I'd like to know where Aldi's fits in with stores such as these.

[Michael]

Aldi manufactures most of its products themselves and does very little advertising, so that's where the discount comes in. Likewise, the setup of their stores - where the storeroom IS the floor - also contributes.

[Butterscotch Baggins]

Thanks, Michael.

BB

[Anne G.]

I have a friend who works for a food bank. If they get in any dented cans or past date packaged foods, they throw them away because of state laws. Instead, she gathers them up and gives them out to friends she knows are struggling financially. I've gotten eight boxes of foods from her this year alone that the food shelf couldn't take but that to anyone else was completely acceptable.