Saving on Groceries 2024

Next to gardening, this has to be my top money-saving tip! Shopping at my local grocery banana box distributor saves me a load of money. On average, I purchase between *$66-$84 per trip and bring home over $300 of retail groceries. *not a promise that you will save that much. Savings vary also based on geographic location.

Amish Run Grocery Outlet

Nearly anywhere the Amish live, there is a local bent and dent or grocery outlet. They also usually operate a bulk foods grocery. I live 10 minutes from both types run by the local Amish community. They sell normal-priced eggs, honey, and items from their community. They also buy a truckload of banana boxes with random dented cans, groceries, and other goods. Their inventory varies by the truckload. Some months bring great deals on candy and vitamins, and other months I score 3 for $1 on cake mix and bags of cereal. On average, prices are about half to 75% off of retail pricing at the grocery store.

Frozen Goods and Refrigerated Goods

Lately, they added to their store by purchasing several solar panels, and now they have massive chest freezers with items like chicken, cheese, and other packages of frozen products. I’ve shopped at other grocery outlets that invested in refrigerated sections with goods that are not past the best-by dates. Their prices reflect normal everyday prices for these convenient products.

Their store resells these products that are past the best-by date stamped on the product. Best-by dates are required by law and indicate when the item is guaranteed to be usable or best tasting. These dates also help grocers maintain inventory that hasn’t been sitting around.

I haven’t noticed that any of the products have tasted any different. I do use my best judgment when buying dented canned goods. I use the same judgment on anything I purchase from any store and each time I take things out of my refrigerator. Does it look safe to eat? If it doesn’t or has a bad smell, is growing mold, or is questionable. I toss those items out.

I do LOVE the randomness of the inventory. I never know what deals I will find and it is much like a treasure hunt for me. This is from my Facebook post on March 1, 2023. We save any candy for my son who needs to have sugar on hand for low blood sugar. It’s funny how life sometimes hands you a different perspective. I no longer see candy as junk but as a lifesaving medication since my son’s type 1 diabetes diagnosis.
~~A quick trip to my favorite Bent N Dent in Albany, Wisconsin yielded a cost of $100.25 for $377.50 current price at Woodmans/Target/Walmart for the pictured groceries.

One Trip March 2023

Thoughts About Organic

Don’t be too quick to judge what we eat based on the photo. We eat salad each day and fruits and veggies account for a large percentage of our diet. During the summer months, we can harvest our own from my garden but our diet requires food products that come in boxes and cans too. Additionally, I make my dog’s food homemade too.

The other thought I have when certain groups of people begin to point out blame for our American diets is that we are trying to do the best we can. The reason junk foods and canned foods are low-cost is for several reasons. A lot of the food in the USA comes from other countries where the labor market is poorly paid. The cost of living here is so high that the majority of Americans fall into the poverty bracket. Government assistance and a person’s job or jobs aren’t enough for individuals to afford to eat only from the high-priced section of the supermarket and load up on organic foods. I heard people say they prioritize their health when buying groceries, which is great when you have the income to afford that lifestyle.

Finding a Bent n Dent Near You

Do a web search for banana box distributors, bent n dent, Amish grocery, grocery outlet to try to locate a place near you. I do hope you can find one that helps you save some cash.

If you read this please comment below with the location of the nearest bent and dent near you. I’d like to have a national listing of places in the USA, and other countries.