Frugal Force Visit to Grocery Outlet

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Partnering with Grocery Outlet (GO) has been such a rewarding experience and I can’t wait to tell you all about it! I’ve been a fan of Grocery Outlet for quite some time. I mean, hello … great prices and selection, often times a ton of organic options, what isn’t to love?

Some of my favorite finds from the past have been packs of Earth’s Best diapers for only $5 (perfect for when we are out of town for a weekend) and Fontina cheese from GO’s amazing cheese selection. My favorite mac ‘n cheese recipe calls for Fontina and that stuff can be expensive … but not at Grocery Outlet!

When I was invited to be a part of Grocery Outlet’s Frugal Force I couldn’t wait to take you all on a tour of my local Grocery Outlet. But first, here’s a bit about Grocery Outlet for those that aren’t familiar …

Grocery Outlet has been a tradition for bargain-seeking customers since 1946. The company’s reputation as a deep-discount store began when the late Jim Read began purchasing military surplus back in the 1940s and sold it at huge discounts.

The premise is simple: We offer brand name products at 40% to 60% below traditional retailers. Our offering is wide: groceries, frozen, deli & refrigerated, produce, fresh meat (selected stores), general merchandise — seasonal products, housewares, toys, and gifts — health & beauty, and a most impressive inventory of beer & wine. Our buyers shop the nation and the world by traveling thousands of miles each year just so we can offer the best brand-named products for less than you would pay conventionally. We love to save you money.

But how do they offer such great savings, you ask? Well …

Here’s a true life example: a major cereal manufacturer partnered with the producers of Shrek and created promotional packaging for the movie’s release. After a great first run, Shrek went to DVD, however the manufacturer still had a lot of Shrek cereal boxes. So they filled them up with brand new product and sold it to us at a fraction of the original cost. Then we sold it to you at less than half of what you would have paid for the same product when the movie was in theaters. Same fantastic and fresh product; half the price.

Are you beginning to sense why Grocery Outlet is such a fabulous find for frugal shoppers? Search here to find the nearest GO outlet to you.

And now, a peek into my grocery trip …

When Jemma and I arrived one of the store attendants was organizing carts out front and offered to pull one out of the line for me so I didn’t have to juggle Jem and my purse while pulling on a cart – love that :)

Grocery Outlet has everything a regular grocery store offers. It’s divided into healthcare, frozen foods, produce, meats, cheeses, dairy, pantry items, housewares, etc. When Jemma and I explore GO we usually take it aisle by aisle so we don’t miss out on any great deals. GO is always featuring new products, so when I see something we love I don’t hesitate to stock up.

The fabulous cheese selection! Today we opted for some Havarti to make open-faced grilled cheese with Havarti and apple.

Shopping GO is a little bit of a science. I always go with a list of what I need (today it was butter, cereal, foil, pasta, black beans, and lemons and I found everything I needed), but kind of like thrifting, you’re always in for a surprise.

Over the years many enthusiasts have shared tips on how to make the most of being a Grocery Outlet Bargain Market shopper, and we want to share them here with you:

• Stop by often.
  Our inventory changes constantly. Find out when your store receives product and plan a trip on those days.
• When you find something you like, stock up.
  Many of our bargains are a one-time deal.
• Sign up for email notifications (plus Facebook and Twitter).
  Sometimes we have special deals or in-store sales events, when the savings get really crazy. We always notify our email and social networking friends first when we do this. You can sign up on our homepage.
• Look for what you’re not looking for.
  Using a list is helpful for staying on budget, but many expert shoppers tell us they get some of their best deals by staying flexible and ready to act when they see a great bargain.

Today’s unplanned bargain was all about Jemma’s breakfast. I found Earth’s Best Organic Baby Yogurt packs for $1 (elsewhere … $2.99) and packs of Better Oats RAW oatmeal for $0.50 (elsewhere … $3.29)! Lately, I’ve been making my own yogurt and you all saw my recipe for crockpot oatmeal, but that’s not 100% of the time. I love to keep convenient on-the-go options available too and at this price, I stocked up!

I’ve heard some folks are weary of shopping outlet stores like GO because of food dating. In some cases, products like milk and meat might be expiring in a week or so, but in my mind the savings is worth meal planning around those items. Plus, I like to keep a stocked freezer and meats like the Jennie-O breakfast turkey links I snatched up are perfect for that. Learn more about food dating and the difference between expiration dates, use by dates, sell by dates, etc. here.

We rounded out our trip with a walk through the beauty, pantry, and produce sections. I was able to stock up on ingredients I needed for our Easter meal and Easter baskets.

The beauty aisle is probably my favorite indulgence at GO – today I found Kiss My Face products!

Beautiful lemons for Easter lemon bars and fresh veggies for quiche and a pasta dish I have on our meal plan

I LOVE seeing the savings on each and every item I pick up

11 am is a good time to shop at my local GO – a handful of shoppers, but no lines or clogged aisles

Yummy Kettle chips didn’t make our basket this time, but they have in the past :) Jemma was quite the helper during our trip – she chose to keep the frozen fruit right next to her, silly girl!

My cart was brimming full as we approached checkout and I thought I was going to be a bit over my $50 budget, but alas … I was right on my mark at $51.21 for 38 items!

Bananas, Jennie-O turkey links, 2 coffee creams, Kiss My Face Castile soap, black beans, 2 Hunt’s roasted garlic diced tomoatoes, fruit cocktail/pudding (for Easter fruit salad), bagged cereal that I’ve seen at natural food stores, Mother’s cookies (this mama’s favorite treat!), 2 lbs of butter, pasta, foil, pie crust/zucchini/mushrooms (for quiche), sparkling cider for Easter, lemons, Havarti cheese, oatmeal stock up, frozen fruit for smoothies, butterscotch chips, and Easter candy for baskets!

Best of all … can you see my total savings?

I spent $51.21, but saved a whopping $61.99!!! And, I got a coupon for my next shopping trip!

To cap off my shopping trip, the fine folks at Grocery Outlet wanted to share the Grocery Outlet savings with one of you — A $50 GIFT CARD! To enter, complete the form below!
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