# How to get expired or nearly expired foods?



## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

With 4 teens to feed and grocery prices up, our grocery bill is going through the roof. So I would like advice on how to find expired or nearly expired foods. I know about food shares, but frankly after you pay the share, the gas, and the hours of time waiting in line(which I hate with a passion), they are not my cup of tea. Right now, one can get old bread very easily. Are there other such stores for dairy products or other products? I plan to speak with the manager of the grocery store I visit to see what options they might have. 

Thanks for any tips you can provide.


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## flowergurl (Feb 27, 2007)

How about growing some of your own food? Even in the city you can make a patio garden to raise veggies. Learn to can and dehydrate foods. Cooking from scratch reduces the grocery bill too.


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

Search for salvage or banana box groceries for your area. Our local one is one of my favorite stops, though I have to watch as some things are really outdated and there's a lot of dented cans. Outdated, I don't have much of a problem with, dented, I do.

When I shop at the regular store, I mostly look for their "reduced for quick sale" stickers.

I have a local produce auction that I can get some very good deals at, same with the local produce stand.

I also buy in bulk at Sam's Club. It's where I get my spices, baking stuff, beans, rice, some canned veggies, paper products and meat. I generally buy the meat by the case at a reduced price and can it.


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## Lizza (Nov 30, 2005)

The cost savings from buying in bulk and cooking from scratch can not be overstated. 

Do you have a Costco or Sams Club in your area? 

I belong to 2 active food co-ops and the savings are huge. Between those 2 co-ops and Costco the regular grocery store isn't even really needed. That is where the real savings are, in my opinion. Have no idea if those options are in your area.


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## luvrulz (Feb 3, 2005)

I am in s central Ky too and we have several salvage grocery stores around. I buy my spices and 50 # bags of oats, flour @ the Amish store - cheaper than Sam's or anywhere!! At the salvage store, they have 5 lb bags of flour for $1.45! Just need to watch the dates and stuff... See if there aren't some near you or at least an Amish bulk store!


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## vicki in NW OH (May 10, 2002)

Get the Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn. Set up a price book on the foods you buy from all the sources of food in your area. That way you know when a food is being offered at the lowest price possible in your area. Then buy that food in bulk. After a while, you won't need to take the price book with you. You'll recognize a good deal when you see it. Use all of the other strategies outlined in the book, bulk buying, cooking from scratch using simple ingredients, gardening, scrounging, etc. 

I am underwhelmed by Sam's, Costco, etc. The only food that I can get cheaper at these places is dry beans. I saved a whole penny per pound.

Read through the current and archived Tightwad Tips at the top of Country Families for more suggestions.


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## Jan in CO (May 10, 2002)

I didn't find Sams/Costco a savings for me, but I don't have a large family. I would add coupons to your mix. Involve the teens in clipping, checking deals in the grocery ads, and maybe sign on to some of the online coupon sites like Coupons.com to print off some for things you use. I look for the marked down section at our stores, most have one tucked in the back or on the side near an employee door. 

The Salvage stores usually have some good deals, too. Check your local food banks, maybe you would qualify to get a box or two of staples every month to help stretch. Put an ad on freecycle.org in your area or Craigslist and see if anyone has meat in the freezer they are not going to use, maybe game they hunted. I've known people who just tossed it every year when it gets close to the next hunting season. I never buy beef any more, hubby hunts. Not all options fit all situations or families. Gardening even in pots or containers will help, too. Luckily you have a lot of helpers!


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

vicki in NW OH said:


> I am underwhelmed by Sam's, Costco, etc. The only food that I can get cheaper at these places is dry beans. I saved a whole penny per pound.


I agree. You never buy enough at their "savings" prices to make up for the enrollment costs.

Most grocery stores have a place where discounted foods are sold that are near expiration. You just have to find that area. The best savings plan is to keep a well stocked pantry, and only shop for food when it reaches your price point. It takes time to stock a pantry, but if you can do it, your food prices will drop drastically. If mac/cheese is on sale for .25, then buy $15-$25 worth and store it. Same when spaghetti, sauces, ketchup, tuna, or whatever else is on sale. Buy in bulk of that one product and then do not buy it again until it reaches your price point. 
Fall sales are usually the best for pantry items. I can pork, stock up on corn, gr beans, peas, carrots, and all sorts of meats then. Cake mixes are usually under a dollar near the holidays, so stock up. I still have 2 dozen or more cake mixes from about 5 years ago that I bought at .59 cents a piece. They store. I could never buy a cake mix for that price on a normal basis today. But if they go on sale cheap, I will stock some more.
Shop places like Save a Lot or Aldis to get lower prices too. And when you find lower prices stock up on that item in bulk. I know it is harder to do that at first, especially when you are on a budget, but it will pay for itself over and over.

Since it is summer you will find things like hamburger and hot dogs on sale now as well as fresh corn, some fresh fruits like strawberries, and buns. Chips might be on sale now and then if you buy them for the kids. I would buy the meat on sale and then preserve it by freezing or canning. Strawberries freeze well too. Don't buy corn unless it is a quarter an ear or less, but when it is, stock up. You can either can or freeze sweet corn. You get the idea. That is how you really save money on groceries. Create a stockpile at low prices and refuse to buy at high prices.


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## soulsurvivor (Jul 4, 2004)

I'd give the teens a summer project of growing vegetables. There are plenty of instructional youtube videos to inspire them.

I'd also try not to buy cleaning/household supplies at the grocery. You can get those much cheaper at the dollar stores. Same goes for personal care items such as shampoo/soap/etc. 

If you have pick it yourself farms ask if they have a gleaning list you can sign up for.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

I tried to buy a large container of expired sunflower seeds (for my salads!) at the grocery store. Pointed out to them the seeds were out of date, would they take something off the price? They called the manager, he told me they couldn't sell expired food AT ALL and took ALL the sunflower seeds off the shelves! *they were all expired)

Don't assume they'll take the price down, they may just take the item away!

Mon


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## TnMtngirl (Jun 30, 2002)

Look in local stores for shopping carts filled with bent or near expiring items they can be found near the start & finish of the shopping round.There is usually a markdown area in the dairy section.


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

Thanks for the tips everyone!


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## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

frogmammy said:


> I tried to buy a large container of expired sunflower seeds (for my salads!) at the grocery store. Pointed out to them the seeds were out of date, would they take something off the price? They called the manager, he told me they couldn't sell expired food AT ALL and took ALL the sunflower seeds off the shelves! *they were all expired)
> 
> Don't assume they'll take the price down, they may just take the item away!
> 
> Mon



Yup, human food safety isn't an area you can get past the rules. I would never buy from a store that allowed expired food to be sold willy nilly. 

Grow your own food, many veggies are very easy. Potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, leafy greens all grew without me even batting an eye!


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## CathyGo (Apr 26, 2013)

If you have a Winco nearby I've saved a lot buying from their bulk section. No enrollment required and credit cards aren't accepted.

I've probably saved about $30 in their spice section alone. I laughed when I bought a few tablespoons of a spice and it rung up for 13 cents. A package of it would have cost me a few dollars. 

They have decent prices on food-grade 2 and 5 gallon buckets too.


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

Learn what days your local grocery store puts it's meat on discount.... here it's Thursdays, because they get in a big shipment Thursday night for the weekend. That's when you get the "expires today" meat at lower prices  Use immediately or freeze, of course.


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

My sister has seven children. She shops at Aldi's. We cook from scratch, shop at Sam's and WalMart, and have a garden. Have you tried saving in other areas? My sister buys nearly all clothing at second hand shops. 

We don't have any salvage stores around her and, frankly, there's no way I'd buy anything there. Risking my family's health is not something I'm willing to do. If you purchase nearly expired goods you have to use them up right away. Would a reputable business sell products that could harm their customers? 

I think you'd probably save more money by making sure you cook from scratch. Be sure to keep all the basics on hand. Do you use beans? They are a low cost source of protein and fill you up. 

Sam's meat is marked down on a certain day of the week. I'm sure every store does the same. Learn when the shelves get restocked. Make a grocery list and stick to it. If you get the paper, use coupons. Make up meal plans in advance and shop for that. It's awfully easy to get a lot of unneeded things so have a plan before you shop and stick to that plan. Oh, don't shop when hungry. 

Saving money needn't take a lot of time or travel but it does require planning.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Joshie said:


> We don't have any salvage stores around her and, frankly, there's no way I'd buy anything there. Risking my family's health is not something I'm willing to do. If you purchase nearly expired goods you have to use them up right away.


I'm not sure what a salvage store is?
I can tell you that expired products don't go bad on the day printed on the product. I never go by the date on the product if it is a dry good. It means nothing.
Milk and meats can be frozen on the exp date or canned. Butter can be canned. Eggs can be frozen if you worry about the date. But dry goods like spaghetti, cake mixes, or other things last for years beyond the date. If it is a quick bread product, like a cake, you just add a bit of baking soda when you make it. I have cake mixes that are several years old, and use them regularly. And most pastas last to eternity as does rice, honey, sugar, etc.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

bluemoonluck said:


> Learn what days your local grocery store puts it's meat on discount.... here it's Thursdays,


There is a grocery store 15m from me that puts milk on sale on Sun night because new shipments come in on Monday. I buy several of the 99cent gallons and can them on Sunday nights. You can't use your own goat's milk or cow's milk for that price. I only use the whole milk (lower carbs), but there is always some skim milk and 2% too. Sometimes I can even find some creme cheap that I freeze. It doesn't hold up as well as canned milk, but it is usable, and for 99c a quart, I buy it.


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## Immaculate Sublimity (Apr 30, 2003)

find a food auction in your area.


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## backtocolo (May 1, 2012)

Cooking from scratch is the way to go. When I need to tighten down the grocery budget we:
eat oatmeal bought in bulk
use homemade chili to top baked potatos
Veggie burgers with grilled veggies
multigrain salad with grilled chicken.
Buy whole chickens and roast them.
make your own refried beans. Use these to make bean and cheese quesidillas. Add leftover grilled veggies.

Check pick your own veggie places. 

It might be summer but casseroles esp if you can do them in the crockpot.

Check zaycons. 

Porkbutts have been being on sale around here. 1.00 a lb. Cook for 12 hours on low to render out the fat. Shred and use with bbq sauce for sandwiches, chop and season for texmex, shred stir into gravy and serve over rice.

Using brown rice make homemade fried rice with veggies, a bit of chicken and an egg. If you have time make homemade egg rolls with veggies.

Sloppy joes made with half ground beef and half lentils.

Big bowls of pasta salad made with whatever the cheapest per pound pasta is. You can make the dressing from scratch. Put in some fresh veggies.

Most people in the US eat too much protein. Cut back on the serving size of protein and increase veggies, fruits and whole grains.

Make your own seasoning mixes. I have been using one for taco seasoning. I have most of my extended family converted over. It's so much easier and cheaper.


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## Wolfy-hound (May 5, 2013)

Here there's a few booths at the local flea market that sell "near expired" goods. I agree, there's a TON that are perfectly safe to eat well past the "use by" dates, and many have a "sell by" date, not a "use by" date anyway.

I bought boxes of store brand dry pasta on sale, rice in large bags(I store them in recycled plastic jars), chicken leg quarters on sale for $0.39/lb(in 10 lb bags), dry beans in large bags(stored in plastic jars), and bulk oatmeal. If you use a lot of those, you cut a lot of cost in your food budget. 

Making food from scratch cuts major cost. At least one day a week, I have breakast-for-dinner, like having waffles for dinner. Pancakes made from scratch batter(or a mix if it's on super sale) don't cost much at all.


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## CathyGo (Apr 26, 2013)

I have breakfast for dinner quite frequently. A big mess of skillet potatoes and some cheap sausage tastes good and is filling. Scotch eggs can be fairly economical and taste great with mustard. They are also high in protein.


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## Wolfy-hound (May 5, 2013)

Oh I forgot potatoes. 

If you include eggs, you can also make your own quiche!


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

mekasmom said:


> I'm not sure what a salvage store is?
> I can tell you that expired products don't go bad on the day printed on the product. I never go by the date on the product if it is a dry good. It means nothing.
> Milk and meats can be frozen on the exp date or canned. Butter can be canned. Eggs can be frozen if you worry about the date. But dry goods like spaghetti, cake mixes, or other things last for years beyond the date. If it is a quick bread product, like a cake, you just add a bit of baking soda when you make it. I have cake mixes that are several years old, and use them regularly. And most pastas last to eternity as does rice, honey, sugar, etc.


I've no idea what a salvage store is either. Terri in WV mentioned it above as a way to save money on groceries.

I would freeze milk, butter, eggs and meats before expiration date. If you don't you'll have only days to consume them. Most milk products are good for about a week after the sell date printed on the package.

I've never frozen eggs. Does that change the texture? As a college student I knew a girl who had a child. She got food stamps and made those things stretch so far it's amazing they didn't break. (This was in the days when they looked like funny money and had no expiration date.) She figured she would be able to eat off them for two or three years after she started working. She got milk and cheese via WIC, froze it and kept it in her parents' freezer. 

I've found that opened milk products tend to spoil/sour earlier than unopened ones. Sometimes opened milk has gone bad even a day or two before the date. Open heavy cream cartons go bad/moldy way before the expiration date.

I wasn't trying to say that many items aren't perfectly safe to use for a while after the sell date on the can. I just don't think reputable stores would sell them.



mekasmom said:


> There is a grocery store 15m from me that puts milk on sale on Sun night because new shipments come in on Monday. I buy several of the 99cent gallons and can them on Sunday nights. You can't use your own goat's milk or cow's milk for that price. I only use the whole milk (lower carbs), but there is always some skim milk and 2% too. Sometimes I can even find some creme cheap that I freeze. It doesn't hold up as well as canned milk, but it is usable, and for 99c a quart, I buy it.


Doesn't canning change the texture and taste of milk and butter? Why would you can instead of freezing it? Does canned heavy cream whip up?

As an aside, I've never understood the whole carb thing, especially with milk. With milk, you're exchanging carbs for fat in an equivalent volume. Whole milk certainly does taste better.



Immaculate Sublimity said:


> find a food auction in your area.


What is a food auction? A friend of mine tells me about how people sell vegetables at some of her local animal auctions. They don't do anything like that around here. She's gotten some amazing deals out of these auctions. Does yours sell canned goods? 



backtocolo said:


> Check pick your own veggie places.
> 
> Check zaycons.
> Big bowls of pasta salad made with whatever the cheapest per pound pasta is. You can make the dressing from scratch. Put in some fresh veggies.
> ...


What is check picking from veggie places? Heck, what are veggie places?

I agree that the American diet is way too high in protein. We eat far more than we did when I was a child.



Wolfy-hound said:


> Here there's a few booths at the local flea market that sell "near expired" goods. I agree, there's a TON that are perfectly safe to eat well past the "use by" dates, and many have a "sell by" date, not a "use by" date anyway.
> 
> At least one day a week, I have breakast-for-dinner, like having waffles for dinner. Pancakes made from scratch batter(or a mix if it's on super sale) don't cost much at all.


It is amazing how different things are across the country. I've never seen canned goods at a flea market.

We also have breakfast for dinner from time to time. It is cheap and kids tend to love it. A friend of mine had to live on a very limited budget for several years. She worked part time and her hubby worked full time. Their younger child was very ill and she lost a lot of work. After he died, she told me that they ate a lot of spaghetti during that time.

Spaghetti noodles are cheap and last just about forever. Canned spaghetti sauce can be purchased very inexpensively (~$1). Eating spaghetti at least once a week and breakfast for dinner every now and then would greatly reduce food bills.

Stretch food. Chuck roasts are an inexpensive cut of beef. I can stretch one for a good week so it doesn't even matter if I paid full price. You can eat it as roast (with potatoes and carrots) at least two nights, use some for beef and noodles (use the leftover broth and just use a little bit of beef--it doesn't take much to make it taste good), make shredded BBQ sandwiches (use half roast and half hamburger) and/or Italian beef (cook either the whole roast from the beginning or leftovers with an envelope of Italian dressing), make stew, and just eat plain beef sandwiches. 

You can also stretch pork roasts. Eat a roast for a few days then use the leftover for BBQ shredded pork. I make a mean BBQ sauce for pork but you could use a cheap bottle of sauce if desired. 

Even though the upfront cost of roasts can seem expensive if you stretch them out over a week then they are a very inexpensive way to eat.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

vicki in NW OH said:


> I am underwhelmed by Sam's, Costco, etc. The only food that I can get cheaper at these places is dry beans. I saved a whole penny per pound.


I agree, if all you buy are name brands while they're not on sale, then Sams or Costco would save you money.

Our family shops sales -- if we find something at a good price, we'll buy a few months worth and put them in our pantry.

I can always save more money doing this at the regular grocery store than by shopping at Sams or Costco.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

You can try googling 'your state + salvage grocery' and see what you get.
I am lucky to have one here that gets great stuff. 
Not just only near expiration, but discontinued, extra stock etc..
I have gotten some great deals.. 25 lbs of organic rice for $10, organic foods etc... and they have Pepperidge Farm breads for $.75 a loaf etc..
but on some of their stuff, Aldi's is cheaper.


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## Lizza (Nov 30, 2005)

mnn2501 said:


> I agree, if all you buy are name brands while they're not on sale, then Sams or Costco would save you money.
> 
> Our family shops sales -- if we find something at a good price, we'll buy a few months worth and put them in our pantry.
> 
> I can always save more money doing this at the regular grocery store than by shopping at Sams or Costco.


It depends on the food you eat, Costco use to have a free day pass to see if you like it, I'm assuming they still do that. We wouldn't eat things like the lowest grade cheese or meat with nitrates from the regular store, so for me the quality and price is important from Costco. I've never been to a Sam's. 

Costco is the cheapest place I have ever found things like organic short grain brown rice (about $1. a pound), organic cane sugar (use to be about .80 lb but is on now around $1.0 or a little more), all the cheese and butter I have never found better prices anywhere even at deep sales (I just paid $15 for a 5lb block of cheddar and $8 for a 4 pack of butter-I like specialty cheese too and pay $5-$6lb for good cheese), also things like their organic tortilla chips are like $4.50 for the biggest bag I've ever seen, and same with the organic salsa, I have been buying walnuts and organic raisins with my co-op but they are also great prices at Costco (Costco has their own nut orchards). 

Then there are things like their kitty litter which I have never found cheaper or better anywhere and things like their allergy medicine (I just bought 365 generic Claritins for $11.50). 

For us I buy all my organic veggies/fruit from one co-op at wholesale prices (when I don't have fresh at home) every week, I buy bulk dry goods and things like organic almond butter at another co-op once a month, and things like butter and cheese at Costco. Actually my main co-op we buy everything from bra's, biokleen dishwasher soap, and kitchen sponges. I don't have a baby but they do a lot of cloth diapers and baby shoes too. Saves an amazing amount of money. 

Buy everything in bulk, that is my motto. It is hard to beat, money wise, making dinner from a 25lb bag of rice and black beans or making a big stew. Having a well stocked pantry of bulk goods I can't imagine your food bill wouldn't drop.


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

A salvage/banana box store usually has near to outdated foods and other things that come from a variety of places-stores closing, warehouses, refused shipments, etc. There's a lot of dented cans or creased boxes. You can get some really good deals at one if you just watch. I've gotten Carnation canned milk that was outdated by 2 months BOGO, regularly .75 a can there. I bought every un-dented can they had as I use quite a bit. Bush's baked beans BOGO @ $1.25 a can, black beans .69#, Progresso soups BOGO @ $1.25 a can. My local one also has restaurant bags of frozen chicken, 10# bags for $11.50. I can't beat that price anywhere.

As far as Sam's, the area I live in has a very limited choice when it comes to grocery stores. IGA is local, but very high in their prices and very low in their food handling and customer service. We also have a Save-A-Lot that has okay prices. I can go 17-25 miles out for a PriceLess, Kroger or Aldi's. So, I go to Sam's about once a month to stock up, as their prices are cheaper and their meat is better quality then anything I can get locally. I "cherry pick" for the best deals at any store I frequent.


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## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

I'll be the be that differs on savings at Sam's/Costco....
As a baker of bread just to get started....

I can get a 2 lb package of yeast at Sams...for 4.86
standard jars sold in local markets are 4 oz....they range from 3.5 to around $4
this is a simple HUGE saving

Bread flour...another that I use frequently....Sams here sells a 25lb bag for 7.78
local markets anywhere from 2.5 to 3.00 for a 5lb bag

I buy EVOO ( extra virgin olive oil ) in a 3 litre bottle for 15.98
locally on sale you may find a 16 oz bottle for around 5.00

Saving money on shopping is all about knowing prices...cooking from scratch....shopping seasonally.
We eat rather well....nice dishes...almost everything from scratch...I'm not a hardcore seasoning mix form scratch person I buy them cheap...
I spend appx $ 500 a month for grocery and cleaning/personal care items to care for a family of 5......2 adults and very soon to be 3 teenage kids.
We eat meat...quite a bit of it...we are working toward raising more of our own...I plan our menu after checking sale papers to base things around. Walmart price matches...but unfortunately I cannot match what they do not carry...so my bi-monthly shopping trip takes me around 50 miles roundtrip to make...but it still is worth the trip when I know exactly what I'm looking for in each store I stop in.


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## elliemaeg (May 1, 2005)

Didn't read all the posts but we have a dents and bents store near us. There is a wholesale bents and dents in Belmont MS. Might call and ask.


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## Wolfy-hound (May 5, 2013)

"You Pick" places are like the "U Pick Blueberries" where someone has fields of blueberries(or strawberries or various vegetables, etc) and you go out and pick your own stuff and then pay the farmer per pound(usually) for what you are taking.

Sometimes it's much cheaper, because the farmer doesn't have to use equipment or pay workers to harvest it, pay for transport to market, pay for packaging it up, etc.

But many I see now are not cheaper at all, since it's become a trend to go pick your own.

Sam's has been cheaper to me when I'm buying large packets of something. A 25 lb bag of sugar for instance. But for most things, it hasn't been much in savings. Just make sure that whatever you buy in bulk, you can store safely.

If you freeze eggs, you crack them into a baggies(or container) and freeze them without the shells. They've always tasted the same to me. Frozen milk keeps a LONG LONG time past expiration dates, I've thawed out milk 3 months later without a single problem. Just make sure you're freezing good milk! LOL. If you freeze milk that's gone sour, it's not going to be any sweeter when you thaw it out later.


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## laurafergie (May 5, 2010)

I wanted to mention if you are in an area that has Latino and Asian groceries, the savings there can be significant. Especially on staples.


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## Classof66 (Jul 9, 2011)

Just Google "salvage groceries in Wisconsin" and your computer will pull several up. Many times they are run by Amish. There are several on the WI/Il line, and many others further north.
I have shopped at the state line stores and have been very happy with price and quality. 
another great place is Jones Dairy Farm Country store in Ft Atkinson, WI, Great buys on quality pork products. I love to go there too. Wisconsin is full of cheese factories too, often times one can get good prices on cheese items too.


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