Grocery Auctions and Overstocks: Helping Survive in Middle Class America

We make just enough money not to qualify for any government program. I don't like hand outs. I think it sends the wrong message to our kids. Nothing is ever truly free. Somebody, somewhere eventually will have to pay the tab. It may be this generation or several generations to come, but a freebie is never what it appears.

That's a good thing. That's a bad thing. I am a firm believer that the government wants a substantial portion of its citizens to be dependent on it developing Job security for a faceless entity, so to speak. I am also confident that my family will continue to climb the income ladder to a level that will at the very least, be comfortable. And this to me that means having the ability to buy quality clothing, nutritious food, quality health care, and a reasonable dwelling to live in without government assistance.

Every day we look for deals. Frugal sounds a little better than cheap, but cheap is what we have become. Necessity forces creativity in the practical sense.

The harsh reality is that we can't afford Wal-Mart. When I first realized this, I was scared. Very scared. I imagined a life of cutoffs as formal wear and macaroni and cheese eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I needed answers fast. I have always been aware of a secondary market. Most of our clothes come from garage sales and Goodwill stores. Sometimes we splurge and go to consignment shops for special occasions. My three kids can be dressed for one year for three hundred dollars total and that includes a couple of sets of dress clothes and all of their shoes. I have been doing this for years.

But what about that nutritious food I spoke of earlier? Where does the overstock or damaged items go? Sometimes items wind up at grocery auctions. Items that are close to expiration or overstock are sold for pennies on the dollar. Name brand candy is ten for a buck. Big watermelons sell for two dollars a piece. Everything from orange juice and cereal to salmon and beef are sold at these auctions. Sometimes a box or can is slightly crushed but we don't eat the boxes and cans at our house.