Do you eat food that has been reduced because it is close to its use by date? Are you there in the crowd when they are reducing the prices at the supermarket? I eat the foods but I can not be doing with being pushed and shoved in the crowd. Do you get right in there? Or hang back until everyone else has gone?
I do visit the "Reduced to Clear" section every time I go to the supermarket but it's always a bit hit and miss. The reductions aren't always that great and neither is the selection. I've had some good buys in the past though, it's a lot like charity shops really - you just have to keep looking.
Yes, especially when my budget it tight. There is no sense in paying full price for meats when you can usually snap up several packs of whatever cut that's been marked down a buck or two (or more) per pack. Heck, you can easily save like $7-$10 right there if you're buying like 5 packs of meat. Plus not all marked down meats are necessarily near their expiration dates, sometimes the store may just have too much of a given item and is trying to move it. I look at it this way, I end up putting most of that meat in my freezer where it may be weeks before I use it anyhow, so no sense in paying a premium for the freshest meat, when it's still going to sit around in my freezer anyhow, indefinitely.
I glance every now and then, but my parents do this as a past time (retired) and they know where to look and what time to go. In some stores like Morrisons they put them in the same area so you don't really have to look far. I do see people waiting though and I can't do that, but I don't really need much so things are a bargain for me. If I had a family on a budget then it would be different and I can see that it would save a lot of money.
I always find it the same, sometimes you find very little or nothing, but last week I found 2 sirloin steaks that still looked good for £1.80! Yes it is, I tend to have my "go to" charity shops that I know normally have good stuff. That is a very good point, I never buy fresh as like you say it gets frozen anyway so what is the point really? You can get some great savings when you find good stuff but they are not always great around here, plus I think the hardcore bargain hunters get there before me and are willing to get pushy! I did once get some meat for my cats though for 3p a pack! Yes they do put it in the same place and at the same times which is handy to know but like you, I can't wait around. I would do the same if I had a family as it makes sense but right now, I don't need the hassle because people can get pretty aggressive!
I usually don't buy food that has been reduced. I am always concerned about fungi and other free radicals in food, so I prefer to buy the freshest fruit and vegetables that I can find. And the same goes for groceries. I don't like to purchase packaged food that will be out of date in a day or that is already past its use by date.
I always cruise the produce sections for manager's specials. I don't always find something I want, but quite often I do. I love fresh fruits and veggies but find that a lot of them (fruits especially) are priced out of my budget unless I find something marked down. There's never anything wrong with what I find. It just needs to be sold and used quickly is all. Which is no problem for me.
Yes, I buy the reduced baked goods at Walmart, the manager's specials at Kmart like the family sized Cap'n Crunch cereal for $2.49, the clearance foods at the supermarket, and the big bags of bruised fruit for $1 at the farmer's market. I don't buy stuff that it is unsafe or disgusting, but I do my best to stretch my dollars.
