A LOT of people have never heard of these, and I have people going bananas that I claim to have cheap food in my area--but it is NOT just my area. These are all over the US. Discount Grocery Stores are Magical beasts that keep your budget in check and can be the single best way to save money on your grocery bill.
So, here's a simple guide to get started on these wonderful places. (DGS = Discount grocery store/stores, RGS = regular grocery stores... talking about aldi, walmart, whole foods, any of them.)
- What DGS are: They sell the near expired, expired, overstock, and unwanted items from grocery stores. RGS are making you pay for an experience... meticulously manicured and set up in a way make your shopping experience as spendy and lofty as possible. DGS do NOT do this nearly the same way. They may be somewhat disorganized, make you dig through boxes to find what you want, read the labels or ask questions on what's in mysterious cardboard box x, check expiration dates, etc. These make you do a bit of the work yourself. The pay off is massive though. Think of them as the thrift stores of food.
These are pictures I took literally yesterday at my DGS. I have several in my area. This is just one aspect of my DGS, this particular one sells dried goods and frozen items, but others in my area sell produce and fridge products like cheese and milk.
Examples of prices in my area:
Green bell peppers - 4 for $1
Cucumbers, seedless English - $0.50
Frozen pizzas - $1.50 each
Cereal - $1.50 a box for name brand
Protein bars - 5 for $1
Marion Kung Pao box dinner helpers - $0.98
Oatmeal, instant - $1 a box
- Okay, Kyu, so DGS save massive money. What's the catch?
First, these do not all look the same at all. One can be an open table at a flea market. Another could be a legitimate grocery-store-looking chain. Some are just operated in small areas of town in shopping strips. It really just depends. So identifying them is not so easy.
You need to be educated about what foods are, and how expiration dates work, on your own. This store is NOT going to work to tell you what is good to eat or not. You got to experiment yourself. Sometimes something a year expired is awful, sometimes a year expired is fine. You can research online what others are comfortable eating and using outside of expiration dates, but ultimately what your store sells will mean it's up to you to make that judgment call. This means sometimes (rarely for me now) you'll buy a product and it won't be edible like you hoped. Honestly, though, this has happened to me just as many times at a RGS. This also means that they'll be selling items you cannot imagine people buying, and they are mixed into items that are very valuable. You have to also be ready to buy in bulk sometimes. Frozen chicken breast at mine yesterday were available--but only in giant boxes worth to get rid of them all at once. Since I eat these often I don't mind it, but having space to store these is important.
Also, keep in mind: These are the unwanted and overstock items. The good things go fast, so you need to be consistent in your hunts. You also need to be ready to scoop up rarer items. The consistency of these is not the same as in RGS, so use RGS to fill in the gaps where they may be. You likely have to shop at several DGS to save money on your entire grocery budget. I am able to buy 98% of my needs at DGS, but you might only have one near you that only provides 10-30% of your needs. They change a lot.
Not all of these take food stamps or even cards. Many do though! My parents' takes food stamps, but the one in the flea market is cash only. So keep this in mind.
Lastly, RARELY these things will offer something that is NOT worth the price. For example, GO grocery oulet sells cereal for nearly the same price as an RGS. I never buy cereal from them as a result.
- So, we know what they are, and why they're so cheap. How do I even know if one is in my area?
You can start with the easiest thing to do -- Google search "Discount grocery stores near me". If you see one that is not familiar sounding at all, you probably found one.
Youtube video showing my results: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELNX5Yq0a7c
TLDW: It isn't always accurate, but can be a good launching point.
From there, you can ask DGS you find where they know of others in your area. The shop owners likely know of others in your area.
Some are not listed as readily--like the one I took pictures of is just something you spot on the side of the road, but they DO have a facebook page so you can do a facebook search as well. Two of the ones I go to locally have facebook posts updating you on items they get in. Some definitely are easy to find though -- GO grocery outlet is a very famous chain of DGS that are nation wide and you can usually find them in major cities in the US. They have a legit website and everything.
Even if you do not find one very close to you, but within 1-2 hours of driving, it is still totally worth it to check it out once in a while. You can really save a ton of money on items that won't go bad fast at all. My parents make the commute to several once a month in the Houston area because they live outside of Houston but most of the DGS are within it. The finds are totally worth the drive.
You can try to check out flea markets in and around your area as well, many smaller vendors have stands at your flea market selling produce or dry goods like hot sauces, cereals, etc. My flea market is quite lively and lots of money to be saved at it with several consistent vendors including a discount bakery guy.
Video showing a produce stand at my flea market: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXqbyvAj95s
- Finally, how to use them in your grocery budget:
Get familiar with what they seem to have regularly or not. For example, mine has cereal all the time no problem, but what flavors they carry change often. Treat these as 'seasonal' items, and/or bulk buys. Stock up when something you love is in, and see what's cheap and affordable at them first. Then you can create a meal plan and grocery budget around your finds. As an example, I usually make 'breakfast' out of items I find at my DGS. I know they consistently have cereal, and oatmeal, but not always do I know the flavors they'll have. I switch between the two depending on what they're offering, and stock up when I find something I super like. There have been 1-2 weeks where I have eaten plain oatmeal flavored myself vs pre-flavored oatmeal because I didn't like what they were offering. You have to be more adaptable if you want to really rely on these to save you money.
- How you can help others find them:
When you get to a DGS and find it unlisted, ask the owner if you can help them list it on google maps or if they have a facebook page people can find them. Liking their page or addin them to google maps will help others in your area searching for them.
I hope this helps everyone learn a bit more about DGS. Good luck looking for ones in your area and shopping!
If you happen to live near the Asheville, NC area, here are the ones I use:
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The Price is Right
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Everything Imaginable located in Smiley's Flea Market which is where much of the produce is as well as no-name vendors on tables
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GO Grocery Outlet
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Dickie's
June 08, 2018 at 12:32PM
