Sold! Bargain-hunters buying groceries at auction

[meegbear]

Out of toilet paper? Need to pick up a few things for dinner? Take a number and start bidding.

Many bargain hunters these days are trading supermarket aisles for the auction circuit in search of deep discounts on everything from cereal to spare ribs. Past the sell-by date? Bidders are happy to ignore that detail if they're getting a good deal.

As consumers seek relief from the recession and spiraling food prices, grocery auctions are gaining in popularity as an easy way to cut costs. The sales operate like regular auctions, but with bidders vying for dry goods and frozen foods instead of antiques and collectibles. Some auctioneers even accept food stamps.

When Kirk Williams held his first grocery auction in rural Pennsylvania last month, nearly 300 people showed up. Astonished by the turnout, he's scheduling auctions at locations throughout northeastern Pennsylvania.

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The popularity of the auctions — which sell leftover or damaged goods from supermarkets, distribution centers and restaurant suppliers — comes at a time when people are stretching their grocery budgets by using more coupons, buying inferior cuts of meat, and choosing store brands over national brands.

The economic downturn, paired with the worst food inflation in nearly 20 years (grocery prices spiked in 2008 before easing in January and February), has caused a "seismic shift" in consumer behavior, said Brian Todd, president of The Food Institute, an industry information service.

"Food is one area where they can save," he said.

The increased interest has fueled growth in the auctions, which can be found in at least nine states from Oklahoma to New York.

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http://www.comcast.net/articles/finance/20090324/New.Frugality.Auctioning.Groceries/

I like the idea!

[CoffeeCat]

1. I like the idea too...

...but I wish more people knew about the magic of couponing and refunding.

Last week, I got Dove deodorant and Venus raisers free at Walgreen's--just by using the coupons in the Sunday paper (and combining
those coupons with Walgreen's sale prices and coupons).

I also got free broccoli, cauliflower and carrots from Target and 40 free boxes of Quaker rice snacks. I also got 20 free boxes of
Kellogg's cereal and 6 free gallons of milk from the grocery store.

This week, I'll get lots of free stuff because Kmart is doubling coupons--everything from cereal, tuna fish, toothpaste,
shampoo, cat food, cat litter, aspirin, etc.

All you have to do is get multiple copies of the Sunday coupons---then combine them with sales and specials at the stores.

It's so easy and it costs nothing.

I get so much stuff for free, I end up donating lots to our local food pantry, and also selling my surplus for cheap in my
garage sales. I make enough money at the sales--that it works out that I pay nothing for groceries.

[meegbear]

3. I've been clipping coupons since the 90s ...

I goto a neighborhood bar on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and some of the regulars bring me the coupon suppliments from the papers (after they go thru first, they caught on as well).

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. This makes me very, very sad

Has the richest nation on the planet really come to this?