Tuesday Tip

Check out the discount rack in your grocery store. If you're like me, you probably head right for the clearance rack in your favorite clothing store, so why not check if your grocery store has one? At Giant, this rack is at the end of the store by the frozen foods, and I never go to this store without checking it out.

The discount rack often includes seasonal items, discontinued items, items nearing the sell-by date, and items with damaged containters. It will never contain items that are not safe to eat, because by law grocery stores are not allowed to sell such items.

Some people may not be comfortable buying a dented can, but it's hard to object to a box of ceral or pasta that's a little crushed. Be sure to check this rack every time you shop. Weeks can go by with nothing good, and then one day you'll hit the jackpot.

You can get even better deals by combining items on the discount rack with coupons. Just realize that the cashier will have to run the coupon through manually, since the item is probably just marked as "discount grocery." However, that is no reason why you can't use a coupon.

Some of my recent finds on Giant's discount rack include boxes of pasta for $.60/box, cans of Del Monte pasta sauce for $.50/can, and jars of yeast for half price. So next time you're at your favorite store, see what you can find!