bent and dent stores

[julieb]

Again I don't know if this has ever been posted but (again) thought I would throw this out here.

Whenever we visit my aunt we stop at a bent and dent store. This store never advertises and is run by an amish couple and their family. The inventory is always different but I have found some very good deals.
crystal light lemonade containers for .25 each I bought 10
cereal for .50 a box I bought 5.
bags of miniature candies for 1.50 a bag we don't need to talk about how many I bought.

The package is damaged slightly but the product is perfectly fine.

After going to this store I started looking closer to home and found another in an amish community as well as a bulk store.

At the bulk store I bought yeast for 2.69 a pound. Yes a pound, they only sell it in pound packages. I split it with my mom. They also had bread mix in fifty pound bags......I passed no one to split it with and no way I could use that much.

I guess my point is these stores don't advertise but by word of mouth. Might be worth it to ask around. You never know it might be a great find.

Just a thought.

Julie

[quiltergirl]

We had one of those in Colorado. It was started by someone who lost everything when he first relocated and wanted to help others who might be in the same situation. Anyone could shop there but it was a lifesaver for us. In addition to the bent and dent stuff he had really good produce at very good prices. I don't know what we would have done without that store. Joe was a good guy and if he liked you he would sneak little "extras" into your bag.

He also had bags of steak trimmings he got from a local restaurant that cut their own. He sold that as stew meat really cheap.

I haven't found anything like that here -- but we aren't even close to being that desperate here, so maybe I'm just not looking that hard.

[sdrjeolsen]

We had one of those in Colorado. It was started by someone who lost everything when he first relocated and wanted to help others who might be in the same situation. Anyone could shop there but it was a lifesaver for us. In addition to the bent and dent stuff he had really good produce at very good prices. I don't know what we would have done without that store. Joe was a good guy and if he liked you he would sneak little "extras" into your bag.

He also had bags of steak trimmings he got from a local restaurant that cut their own. He sold that as stew meat really cheap.

Quiltergirl, I'm in Colorado and have been looking for one. Where was that one located? Hoping maybe its by me..fingers crossed. I googled salvage grocery store and found one about 50 miles from me, but its not really convenient to go that far. TIA

[HisDaisy]

Before I moved, I loved our local Amish grocery store. I buy many of my staples in bulk there. They also have a scratch and dent down the street that I can get some great deal.
The stores are too far to go to a on a regular basis now, but when I am in the area, I take my list.
If have a grocery like this near by, you should grab your price book and check it out.

[quiltergirl]

That was over ten years ago and the owner was elderly and in poor health back then, so I doubt it is still in business. But it was called the Betterway Produce Market and was in Colorado Springs.

[lwlynch]

wish we had one around here.. anything helps, cost of groceries.. holding my budget at hostige..lol

[suki]

Ours isn't Amish, but we have a store like that in my town. I just went there this morning.

Some of my finds were:
Gourmet Pretzel Mix - .25 each
Terra Chips - .25/bag
Tomato sauce - .19/can
Stewed tomatoes - .50/can
5 lb bag of meatballs - $6.50
Organic graham cracker snacks, 6 individual bags - .50/box
Organic Chocolate Mint Cookies - 1.49/box
Brent & Sam's Chocolate Chocolate cookies - 1.49
Pasta Sauce (with capers, artichoke hearts) - 2.49
Sparkling Grape Juice (for dinner tonight) - 1.49

The selection is always different, but I shop there before I go anywhere else. I've saved a ton of money on snacks for my swim team kids by buying them here.

[qtkitty]

In my home town there are is an almish bulk store and a bent and dent almish store. Both of them are awsome, however the almish bulk food store does break down large amounts of food into smaller amounts there.

They get food in Huge amounts and then put them into simple plastic baggies with a twist tie or plastic take out containers ( or what i think look like them ). The amounts are still large the bag of yeast my mom got filled my yeast jar 4 times and it was in a small plastic baggie. Flour is 10lbs in plastic bags. Cereal is larger then malto meal bagged cereal size by almost 2. Spices in plastic containers like cream of tartar is 8 times the small size you get in the grocery stores. The sizes they get in are like 50gallon barrels!! The prices on the items are WAY lower then at the regular store, expecially on spices and yeast.

The dented store has all sorts of items, but it also carries a HUGE stock in animal food with ripped open bags that are still good but some of the food has leaked out. Which is awsome!!

[AprilP]

Love those stores! We have two in my area. One is Capital Sales and the other is called (love this one) Stuff-O-Rama. Tiny little dark holes in the wall, but oh boy, the prices!

I got some of the tastiest chinese frozen dinners I've ever had for 25 cents a piece! I only bought 10, but should have cleaned them out. At Christmas, I bought 4 large boxes of Andes mints (for my candy dish) for a dollar. These are normally 2.99 each at Walgreens.

They have everything from frozen dinners, meat, produce, dry goods, hair and beauty items, pet foods, EVERYTHING and it's dirt cheap.

Just don't go expecting to find anything in particular, it's a crap shoot every time. And don't ever expect them to have the same thing you JUST bought, even if you go back later the same day.

[POOTERSMOMMY]

I have an Amish place I visit about 4 times a year. It's about 60 miles from here, so I only go when going south to visit family. But I always stock up. They too buy everything in bulk and repackage. Herbs and spices are unbelievably cheap, as well as diff. flours, and baking products. They also have beef, ham, and chicken bouillion (granulated) VERY cheaply.
They have a section in the store for scratch and dent groceries. Always have great prices. Plus I can always get farm fresh brown eggs, and home churned butter.
I usually spend $60 - $70 when I go through.
I love this place. Also the abiance is wonderful. They are so friendly, and there's nothing neater than seeing cars parked next to horse & buggies.
We also have a farm market here in town (5 min. away) that sells lots of produce CHEAPLY all year long. Plus they buy out groceries that are going under. Lot's of good deals, but you really need to look at things.

[Missy]

Gah! There's a Betterway Nursery here, but i can't locate the Betterway Market. Shoot, lol, i was all kind of excited.

[SammeyG]

I used to live near a Amish town when I was a kid. What I do remember that they would have road side stands to make money. I never remember them really having a store. There would be one place that alot of amish would take there stuff to for them to help them sell it. Still to this day some of the amish will have there children run there road side stande. My aunt will some times buy stuff off the amish.There is a amish store here where I live. But how true it is to an actuall amish store I am not for sure.Because I have never known for any amish to live in this town. mabey 40 to 50 miles to the north east of here.

[Laurie in Bradenton]

I have shopped at my local dented can store for over ten years. I love it. My DS who moved to Orlando comes home to shop there because the prices are so much better. I know the owners Rusian Immigrants on a frist name bases and they know me and my family.
Some of the deals we get:
5 boxes of namebrand cerals for $6.00
Campbells soups 4 for $1.00
Name Brand Salad dressings .49 cents each
Betty Crocker Cake Mixes .49 each
Oscar Myers Hot Dogs Jumbo Package of 32 for $2.59
Big Can of Maxwell House Coffee 3.99
Canned fruits 4/1.00
Canned cat food 5 for 1.00 9-lives
30 lbs bags of Purenia Dog Chow 3.99

Laurie in Bradenton

[Lady_V]

I wish I could find one in my area (northeastern MA/southern NH).

I tried to google salvage grocery and got hits (for Colorado no less) When I type in MA, I get salvage yards.

Is there a website listing them or anything?

[Mamaof2rugrats]

There's a store like that about an hr from me so I drive there once a month or so. Just went the other day.
Some of my finds-
.10 cent mystery cans ( labels missing)
.50cent dented can name brand pasta sauce
.30 cent packages of pasta
.35cent 3 lb. bag grits
.99 cent 5 lb Flour
.40 cent 3 lb cornmeal
.10 cent shrimp and crab boil
.35 cent Rice a roni
.20 cent Hot Sauce
.70 ketchup
.80 creole mustard
.50 zatarans dirty rice/jambalya