How to Shop at a Food Thrift Store

Want to know How to Shop at a Food Thrift Store? Do you have a local food thrift store in your hometown? If you happen to have one but have never shopped with them, you’d be surprised what kind of quality food you can pick up at a low price. Before you check it out, here are a few tips and things that you need to look for when shopping at your local food thrift store.

How to Shop at a Food Thrift Store

You may be thinking this means you can only get outdated or bad foods. You are so wrong!! Thrift stores or discount food shops are great places to buy groceries that are well within their safe usable dates. Even some food pantries offer a place where you can purchase groceries to help support their ministry while also saving money.

You Might Qualify for Free Food

There’s no shame in receiving help when you’re doing your best and you’re still struggling to make ends meet. Food thrift stores help out families in a big way. Depending on the number in your household and your monthly income, you might qualify for free food.

Many thrift stores have fresh produce, frozen food, canned and other pantry goods for your family. Even if your family doesn’t qualify, you can still get some really good deals.

Look for the Best Deals

I love hunting high and low and finding the best deals, don’t you? You can even hunt around for great bargains at food thrift shops. It gives you something to look forward to the next time you stop in.

Shop on the Right Days

Just like a normal grocery store, food thrift stores receive big donations from companies and farmers. Stores also have special sales running on certain days of the week. Try and pick a day that correlates the two to have an even better experience. Not only are you getting the freshest product, but you can also get it at a huge, discounted cost.

Examine the Quality of the Food

Obviously, a food thrift store is not the first place most families go to purchase their groceries. Certain food at the thrift store might sit there for some time. While you might be getting a good deal on a head of lettuce, is the quality there? After all, you do want the best for your family. There’s nothing wrong with examining the quality of your next meal.

Stick to a Budget

While it can be exciting to find really good deals in food and clothing at your local thrift store, choose to stick to a budget. Before you head into the store, set aside an amount of cash, or an amount in your head that you won’t go over. While buying good deals will save you money, an empty wallet isn’t a smart way to end up.

Don’t Overbuy

You also don’t want to overbuy. This might cause your pantry to be stuffed with food that you never intend to eat. That great deal on tomatoes at the time seemed great, but now you have an abundance of rotting tomatoes that will never get eaten.

Just remember, every week you head into your food thrift store, you’re going to find other great deals to pounce on.

These are a few tips for shopping at your local food thrift store. Do you have a food thrift store in your area? If so, tell us what kinds of food you buy and what kind of deal you got on them.

More Ways to Save on Groceries

• How the Average Shopper Can Save the Most at Aldi
• How to Understand the Grocery Sales Cycle
• The Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Saving Money at Aldi
• 10 Creative Ways to Save More Money
• How to Eat Well on a Budget
• How to organize a resale booth

Check out Melissa’s thrifting adventures on Instagram and Facebook. Her booth is – Booth 26A located at Chestnut St Mini Mall in Berea, KY (404 Chestnut St. Berea, KY 40403).