Shopping the Bargain Bins at Giant Food

People who never did before are now becoming bargain shoppers because of the bad economy, frequent layoffs, mandatory furloughs, etc. Many of us have already been working at economizing and stretching our dollars to their limits. I am no exception and have been pretty much trained to go for the sales and clearance racks as the starting point to finding whatever it is I'm in need of at that time.

When shopping for just a few groceries I used to look at the circulars to see which store had what on sale and who had the best price. I rarely purchase meat so I'm mainly looking at staples, produce, and non-perishables.

The grocery store I shop at most frequently is Giant Food. Giant's happens to be the most convenient in allowing me to quickly stop by and pick up what I need after work and continue on home without going out of my way.

Giant Food has a couple of bargain bins I check at every visit. The first is in the bakery section. They have the 'Oops, We've Over baked' rack with freshly made breads and rolls, whole cakes and pies, and other pastries. These normally have a coupon attached to the item for as low as .50 cents off to as much as $2.50 off. This is a great deal if you're getting an entire or ½ cake or pie that they've just made fresh.

Next, there is normally a rack near the pet food or freezer aisle. This rack may hold a variety of things. At our Giants these items normally have a yellow price label attached. Sometimes this label may say that the item is a special of the day or week, thus the reduced pricing. Sometimes the item is marked as 'discontinued', or sometimes there has just been a change in the packaging and items with the old packaging is marked down in price. There may also be some dented canned goods on the rack-those I stay away from as I've read that dented cans can have bacteria. Still, I often find reduced pricing on dog and cat food, both canned and dry. Baking mixes, kosher products, cleaning products, soda and water bottles and cans, coffee, etc. There may also be a rack or two at either end of the frozen food aisle that may have similar products, but in addition, there are discounted hair and makeup products, skin care products, cleaning and cooking utensils, pet toys and accessories.

Somewhere at the front of the store there may be several carts or tables with lots of reduced items such as those listed above. I've found these carts near the checkout aisles as well as near the store's entrance.

The produce or floral department may have a similar cart during the warmer part of the year that has reduced potted plants. I've gotten small house plants for as little as $.50 to young new 18" rose bushes for $1-$3 dollars! Just check the plants over very good before deciding to purchase. I've never had a problem, but there could be bugs or disease present.

Lastly, my favorite area at the local Giants store that I like to shop for deals is in the middle of the store. These are not all reduced priced items; some are just lower priced items. This section is where seasonal candy can be found. Leftover Halloween, Christmas, and Easter candy are usually here with other post-holiday products such as candles and decorations. This section also has books, videos, clothing articles, etc. There may not always be something I need in this particular aisle, but it is still fun to have a look.