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Raw feeding can be expensive, with costs keeping dog owners from transitioning to raw and forcing others back to kibble. I nearly gave up on trying to feed raw when a local raw feeder introduced me to our local raw food co-op. I saved hundreds during my first month of membership. Since then, I've found other sources that have helped me save even more, including local farms, ethnic marketing, and grocery store outlets.
What is an Outlet Grocery Store
An outlet grocery store is a type of retail store that sells discounted or surplus grocery items. These stores typically offer products nearing expiration dates, have packaging defects, or are overstocked by manufacturers or distributors. The items sold in outlet grocery stores are often offered at significantly reduced prices compared to traditional grocery stores.
In my experience, smaller outlet stores, like Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, have many off-brand items and don't consistently carry the same items. I stop by when I'm shopping for canned goods (boiled oysters, pink salmon, mackerel, sardines) and various proteins. Most of the time, I walk out of the store with nothing, but I've scored some great deals on grass-fed beef and ground turkey (which one of my dogs loves).
Our area's larger outlet grocery store contains the most variety, including pig feet, whole fish and mussels, rabbit, lamb, and more. They have great prices on family packages of meat; this is my favorite source for making homemade jerky treats.
How Much Can You Save at an Outlet Grocery Store?
I've compared the prices of our local outlet grocery stores to the raw food co-op, restaurant supply store, ethnic stores, and grocery stores, and while the prices are more affordable than most sources, it takes dedication to get those prices. In my town, the outlet grocery store doesn't yield a lot of items that raw feeders would buy, but it's worth stopping by regularly because the inventory always changes.
Is the Food at Outlet Grocery Stores Safe?
The food at outlet grocery stores is safe. I've been shopping at them for a year and have yet to come across food that is about to expire. Instead, I find limited amounts of items, and what's offered changes regularly.
List of Outlet Grocery Stores Across the US
- Aldi
- Family Fare
- Great Valu Markets
- United Grocery Outlet
- Grocery Outlet
- Hy-Vee
- Market Basket
- Ollie’s
- Price Chopper
- Price Less Foods
- Price Rite
- Save-A-Lot
- SuperValu
- WinCo
My Grocery Store Outlet Shopping List
I buy most of the food I feed to my dogs through a local raw food co-op. But there are several other affordable sources, and I like to hit them up monthly to stock up on the foods I regularly feed my dogs. The most common items I'm looking for include:
- cornish game hens – these are small chickens, and my dogs do well on them; they're easy to cut up and feed as raw meaty bones
- whole duck – I can buy a case of six whole ducks through the co-op, or I can buy one or two because that's all I may need. I look for the smallest ducks and can usually score two on a shipping trip.
- green and blue-lipped mussels – a great source of protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin A, B12, C, iron, zinc, selenium, and manganese. Mussels are low fat and low in mercury.
- canned fish – canned salmon, mackerel, oysters, and sardines are a big score, especially when they're on sale. I use these as side dishes and ingredients in dog treat recipes. I feed my dogs the sardines in tomato sauce for the Omega-3 fatty acids and the lycopene in the tomatoes, which supports eye health.
Other items on my shopping list include:
- lean grass-fed ground beef
- ground lamb
- family packs of pork chops (for treats)
- lean ground turkey (for treats)
- organic vegetables
I maintain a reasonable budget, keeping in mind that I need to buy other foods throughout the month. I've found these stores to be a reasonably priced food source for my meal prep.
