In just about every town across America, there's a hidden gem of a store. Although its concept might sound a little off-putting at first, this store can save you a ridiculous amount of money on every day pantry staples. We're talking about salvage or reclaimed freight centers. Never heard of such a thing? Well then, you've come to the right place!
Salvage and reclaimed freight centers are a great place to find amazing bargains and try out products you might not otherwise purchase. The products found at such places are either from goods that are discontinued and donated or are from freight trucks that didn't quite make their delivery on time. That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the product at all and the savings are usually passed along to the customers.
The store closest to us is Dirty Don's in Raytown, Missouri. It's one of those places that if you've never been to it, it's best to have someone drive you the first time so you don't get lost, but the journey is worthwhile. The open floor plan warehouse is filled 100% with pallets of snacks, ingredients, and household items just waiting for a home.
We've bought countless items from stores like this, their prices are literally rock bottom and as long as you're on your toes, they're fun to shop and save at! The sugar pictures above was selling for only $0.50 per bag! There are a few things to look for, so check out the tips below:
1. Check The Expiration Dates: Although this seems like common knowledge, it can be easy to forget once you enter and start to become all googley eyed for cheap canned goods. Some things are just fine after their expiration date (take cornstarch for example — when sealed properly, it's good forever). Other things however, particularly liquid based items like salad dressings, soups and sauces should still be in date.
2. Don't Buy Dented Cans: No matter how good the deal is, the chance of botulism just isn't worth the risk. It's just best to stay clear!
3. Restaurant Grade Products Can Be Portioned Out: In many salvage stores you'll find restaurant-sized products or those specially made for a certain store. For instance, the last time we were in this store there was several pallets of grape jelly (pictured above). It was all still in date, but heaven help anyone who needs that much jelly at once. We often find giant bags of drink mixes, cake batters, muffin mixes, gravy mixes... the list is endless. Although they might not be the healthiest items in the store, they fill out a food storage stash quite nicely. Just remember to use a vacuum sealer to portion them down smaller for easier use or share your find with a friend!
4. Don't Buy Anything Refrigerated Or Frozen: No matter how enticing it might be to purchase 20lbs of Taco Bell Shredded Cheese (or in our case 50 pounds of "fresh" goat cheese for $5 last time we were in), or assorted meats in extreme bulk — just stay away. Just because a product is in a refrigerator or freezer now, doesn't mean it was kept in a controlled environment for its entire time spent on trucks, trains or other modes of transportation before ending up at the store.
5. Examine It Before Tossing It In The Cart: Just because an item might still be well within its expiration date, it doesn't mean it's a quality item to take home. Examine the packaging for rips, tears, perforations or excessive moisture build up. Take extra caution with things in wrappers that aren't as easily checked (say chocolate bars), or make sure the price is low enough to be worth the gamble! It's extra important to check cardboard boxed products for mouse holes. It's an icky thing to think about, but having worked in grocery retail establishments for many years, it's a way of life and continual problem, especially in places like these!
If you know of a salvage or reclaimed freight center in your area, please leave the name or address in the comments below so others might be able to experience the joy of this manner of shopping. You can usually find them in the phone books, but more often than not, they're best located by word of mouth!
• Related: How to Save Money by Shopping at Whole Foods
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Comments (35)
This looks really great. I found this listing that might help.
http://www.andersonsmarket.info/directory
These would be great for the Y2K/disaster/conspiracy/survivalist crowd. I can just imagine being secreted in my bunker with my assault rifle and mounds of gallons of grape jelly and Coco Puffs.
I have one of these stores right down the street from my office and just this week I made a vow to start shopping there more until my financial situation stabilizes a bit.
It is great, one building is grocery and household items, then you can go across the street for EVERYTHING else. Sporting goods, hardware, plumbing, electronics, etc...
I have always wondered if this kind of shopping really saves money. For me, the big sizes automatically mean over-buying. The low prices also tempt me to try things I wouldn't normally buy, but that's not really a savings. It's a cheap way to try something new, but if I would normally not buy that item in the first place, I'm spending money I wouldn't spend at all. Coupons can do that, too. Cheap introductory offers on items I don't currently buy are not really bargains.
Seems like a gross way to overbuy a ton of bad for-you junk foods. You get what you pay for, right?
Please note that not everything comes in bulk and you aren't heading home with an entire pallet of Cornstarch or Grape Jelly.... many items are the same foods you find at regular grocers, even health food stores. We quite often pick up a good portion healthy foods and ingredients... not just Cocoa Puffs!
The pictures above are just what I happened to snap in attempt to keep shoppers out of my photos.
When shopping at places like these some items are marked higher or at standard prices and you can obviously find them elsewhere without losing money, but other items are extremely discounted, you just have to pay attention!
I wonder if there are any of these in Canada? All the listings I find are American :( and I'd love to try this kind of shopping.
If you're having trouble finding one in your area, try calling large chain grocers or distributors near you and they should be able to give you a heads up as to where they might be located!
If you are in Spokane WA or Coeur d'Alene ID I recommend looking into the Rainbow Food outlets around the area. Sometime the packages aren't in English, but a bag of green marshmallows is a bag of green marshmallows :)
i shopped at one of these types of stores when i was in college...it was great for good food on a budget. who cares if the cereal box is a little dented, put it in a cute rubbermade container and you are good to go! the store also had tons of other great stuff, name brand shampoo/conditioner. it was great.
Is there any such store in Connecticut ? (Near Bridgeport/New Haven ?)
There are many of these kinds of stores in the southCentral part of PA, but sometimes they are so popular, that their prices are quite a steal (the sugar at my store runs 2.00/ 5lb bag). I have found that writing down a price list of my common items that I would pick up at a "bent and dent" I can really tell if it's a bargain or not. I do love trying new and regional items that I don't normally get a chance to buy!
This is the way we go to. In Mesa, Az
http://www.americandiscountfoods.com/
The only ones I know of in Canada are called "MTF" and one is in Chilliwack, BC and the other in Langley, BC.
They are fantastic.
Mmm, imitation grape jelly!
Not everything is junk food at these places, but a lot of it is. You have to hunt a bit. I only eat non-processed foods, so I found little there to buy. I go once in a while though.
Last time I went I did score some very cheap canned Alaska salmon, canned tomatoes, and some pasta. The pasta was not great - gummy and I wouldn't buy it again (I learned my lesson about no-name pasta...stick with TJ's!), but the salmon and tomatoes were quite good, and very inexpensive.
anyone know of any stores like this in Australia? Cheers
Wow, 3 comments in 20 are spam. We all need Gucci shoes apparently.
i found this list by state
http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/discount-stores/97055-salvage-grocery-list-state.html
The one I went to in college (and always stop by when I visit) is in Harrisonburg Va...but is part of a small chain in VA and PA. Sharp Shopper (http://www.sharpshopper.net/) not only has all those discounted goods, but also carries bulk staples like dried fruits, a boggling collection of flours, nuts and other items.
A good tip for using this kind of store is to use a grocery list & go there first. You never know what you'll find, but if you can knock off some items on your list at 50-80% less than you expected it's usually worth the trip!
Does anyone know of any places in Chicago the google is really turning up nothing in this category.
@PAErin, I consider the scratch and dent groceries a benefit of living in SoCentralPa!
Feeling guilty though for feeding my family the questionable refrigerated and frozen foods (for years now!). This had never occurred to me and I was actually eating a Kashi frozen meal-- from Amelia's-- when I clicked this post!
Smirkhouse - If it's from a trusted source that you've been using for years, then you're probably ok. Some places have great relationships with the truck drivers and things truly are taken care of well. So if your place is like that, then awesome, but if you're new to the store, there's no way to be certain!
Way out west, there's Grocery Outlet.
Rampras, check out Ocean State Job Lot. There are several locations across New England. It's a great store, and good for useful items not mentioned in this post, such as office supplies and picture frames.
@ysabella beat me to it - Grocery Outlet is fantastic! Although counter to this advice, I buy tons of frozen stuff there - no problems yet!
I admit, we have one of these sorts of places in my town--I usually find pretty good deals on cookies and candy..... terrible, I know. But they are usually the kinds of things I would find in my local co-op, but for a around $1... I like treats, what can I say! :) That's why I don't go over there very often.
So, the thing about dented cans and botulism...just b/c it's dented doesn't really mean it's poisoned, does it? I thought swollen cans meant botulism, not dents. A dents a dent, right?
learnbydesign - You're right, swollen cans are a true sign to stay away, but with dented cans, things can be a bit trickier. What you might not see is a separation of metal and air actually having tainted the product. If there's undented cans, for sure pick those up first, but if you're comfortable with purchasing one and they look safe... then a dent really can just be a dent.
Haha....I live in Raytown. I've been to Dirty Don's twice....its OK to me. I've never bought food there...can't get past the possible ick factor to me.
For salvaged freight goods we usually head over to Independence to Cargo Large.
There you can find everything! We get household stuff often there...heck my engagement ring is from there! It was from Helzberg and half price!
Good article though!
I love Grocery Outlet! I have never had a problem with buying anything I didn't want or need. If you are focused and have discipline, it's not a problem. Why wouldn't you want to buy organic sugar for 50c if you ordinarily would use it? I used to get perfect Rachel Perry moisturizer and other health food store beauty products that had a year to go before they expired.
PS Thanks to everyone who posted lists.
Are the prices of the food similar to what you would find at Big Lots? This sounds really similar to how Big Lots operates, at least in terms of buying out a store that's overstocked or a label change.
Yes, a dented can should be fine, if it's just a dent. Botulism makes cans swollen and/or bulging not dented (because the contents expand like whoa as bacteria grow and produce gases). If the dent is at a seam, obviously, there could be some separation of metal that's hard to see, so I'd avoid it. As long as it's a dent and not a piercing or a busted seam, I say go for it!
I live near Raytown - we go to the Bargain Factory in Grandview, and one of my favorite finds was quality air filters for $.25. I bought 15. Last time I was there, I saw a pack of hundreds of parchment paper cupcake liners for like $2 and I'm still kicking myself for not getting it. My friend got a Kitchen Aid Artisan Mixer for $35.
My favorites in Chicago are Continental Sales and Salvage, near Midway, and the Jehovah Jireh Food Warehouse in Little Village, on 21st and Rockwell. Sounds like a food pantry. Looks like a food pantry since it's attached to a church. But it's not. It's AMAZING (I bought 5 gallons of organic red wine vinegar for 2 bucks once)