Discounted Groceries

[WinnieTheKhwai]

With food prices still rising fast, more than ever it pays to seek out product that's closer to the sell-by date and heavily discounted.

When I say 'heavily' discounted, that very much varies from place to place. Quite often it's really not worth it: a tiny discount for product that looks more like it's 'well past' the sell by date than 'approaching it'.

Does anyone have any good tips on which places typically offer good deals? And then, at which times would you be most likely to find the discounted product?

In what I found so far, Rim Ping is very hit and miss: It's usually not worth it, though sometimes there are reasonable sausages with an okay discount. By far the best, believe it or not, is the Tesco Express near where I live. They discount meat a whopping 50%, and it's still very good, perhaps better than regular priced meat at a normal Tesco or Big C, which I find will sometimes go bad rather quickly, and that at premium prices!

So it's a blessing to find 64 baht worth of pork for 32.. Which other places manage that reliably, and at which times?

[beano2274]

Oishi used to do buy one get one free packs of sushi after 8pm.

Tops is usually very good, I got a box of Tetley Tea bags reduced from 425baht to around 70baht.

Both around Nonthaburi, sorry not CM. But if Tops is there well worth looking into.

[jackr]

If you can handle the checkout lines, wouldn't Makro be best for cheap meat? Think I'll stick with Rimping whatever the price rather than risk rubbing shoulders with the masses in the commoner stores.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Excellent suggestions above! Thanks; I forgot all about Tops.

If you can handle the checkout lines, wouldn't Makro be best for cheap meat? Think I'll stick with Rimping whatever the price rather than risk rubbing shoulders with the masses in the commoner stores.

I think meat at Makro is only marginally cheaper? It is definitely fresher of course.

However they don't accept credit cards other than Citibank-Visa, and have since learned that Citibank Thailand is absolutely hopeless as a company.

And of course no plastic shopping bags, meaning that A: I have to plan ahead and bring bags, and B: I don't get a supply of free garbage bags.

So, yeah, I shop at Makro sometimes at the beginning of the month when I still have cash.

Edited August 4, 2011 by WinnieTheKhwai

[hellodolly]

Now let me get this rite The OP wants us to tell him where he can go to buy discounted food.

In the same post he tells us where he goes to get discounted meat but wont tell us where it is.

I don't suppose he would be interested in Save on foods in Langley BC.

[Mestizo]

Plenty of soi dogs around. I'm sure nobody would miss one or two going missing every month. Meat would be super fresh and I don't think you would find any cheaper alternative..

-Mestizo

[shepsel]

I usually stock up on groceries when there are two for one specials at Tops, Rimping etc.

[venturalaw]

OP, which Tesco Express is near you?

[Fishenough]

um, Market...

[Konini]

Agree that the market is best for fish, pork and chicken (as well as fruit and veggies) but I go to Tops Central Plaza once in a while about an hour after they open hunting for bargains on imported beef. I've had eye fillet steaks marked down from 650 baht to 50. Seriously - 650 for one steak, a big one, but still a lot of money and I would never dream of being so extravagant. 600 baht off does me very nicely. That is the exception rather than the rule, but I've done it more than once with the ultra expensive steaks (over 500 baht) on the date it's due to be used by and put it straight into the freezer. More often you get cheaper cuts such as sirloin down from 150-200 bah to 50. They seem to like 50. It's hit and miss, but if I'm going supermarket shopping anyway it may as well be that time of day as any.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Now let me get this rite The OP wants us to tell him where he can go to buy discounted food.

In the same post he tells us where he goes to get discounted meat but wont tell us where it is.

I DID mention where: Tesco Express! Clearly you aren't driving all across town to find a particular one, I assume they all have the same policy. If you must know though, it's the Mae Hia market one.

Edited August 4, 2011 by WinnieTheKhwai

[rebo]

Exactly here (Look in Google Earth): 18°45’46.95”N; 99°02’02.73”E.

Very good quality, very fresh, very low prices. Go early in the morning, about 07:00 AM.

Give it a try, you'll not disappointed.

[venturalaw]

Now let me get this rite The OP wants us to tell him where he can go to buy discounted food.

In the same post he tells us where he goes to get discounted meat but wont tell us where it is.

I DID mention where: Tesco Express! Clearly you aren't driving all across town to find a particular one, I assume they all have the same policy. If you must know though, it's the Mae Hia market one.

Why would you assume he'd be "driving all across town"? Perhaps the Mae Hia market one is close to where he lives too.

[llp]

Saw the New York Cheese Cakes marked down at Tops, pick up 5 of them for 269 baht per box. Regular price around 480. Quite a deal.Anyone know of a bakery can supply cheesecake at less than 300 baht let me know? For personal weekly consumption.

[venturalaw]

Saw the New York Cheese Cakes marked down at Tops, pick up 5 of them for 269 baht per box. Regular price around 480. Quite a deal.Anyone know of a bakery can supply cheesecake at less than 300 baht let me know? For personal weekly consumption.

That does it. I am definitely going to start bargain shopping!

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Exactly here (Look in Google Earth): 18°45'46.95"N; 99°02'02.73"E.

Very good quality, very fresh, very low prices. Go early in the morning, about 07:00 AM.

Give it a try, you'll not disappointed.

If I plug that in Google maps then I get the loction as being down the soi. I think the place is on the main road (New Sankamphaeng Road)? Called Moo Dee or something like it?

(I think its just to the North of the green arrow, on the main road?

Edited August 4, 2011 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Yelly]

My husband went to the produce market by our house today. Got potatoes, eggs, and mushrooms for 50 baht. I'd say that's cheap.

Otherwise, yeah....I buy sweets on clearance as Tesco Express every now and then. Can't pass up a dozen blueberry donuts for ten baht!

[Semper]

WinnieTheKhwai

Roadkill is free.

[NancyL]

We buy most of our fresh produce at the Thai markets. Yes, the quality isn't as good as Rim Ping, but if we buy just one or two days of produce at a time, we can get good prices. In the U.S., I used to do grocery shopping once a week and would have been very disappointed if the carrots, bell peppers, etc went bad within a week. Here, I wouldn't dream of trying to store fresh produce from the Thai market for more than a day or two.

I buy meat mostly at Rim Ping or Tops. I always look around for packages of salmon scraps and chicken bones. They put these out on an irregular basis and I can get a lot of mileage from 50 baht of salmon scraps (head, tail and other bits). I put the pieces in the steamer tray of the rice cooker, fill up the rice cooker with water, plug it in and return 45 minutes later to find cooked salmon and great salmon fish-water that is wonderful for making rice. Let the salmon pieces cool and pick out the good parts. I can get1/2 kilo of edible salmon (in little bits) for 50 baht of salmon parts plus 1.5 liters of salmon water to create some wonderfully flavored rice.

[rebo]

Exactly here (Look in Google Earth): 18°45'46.95"N; 99°02'02.73"E.

Very good quality, very fresh, very low prices. Go early in the morning, about 07:00 AM.

Give it a try, you'll not disappointed.

If I plug that in Google maps then I get the loction as being down the soi. I think the place is on the main road (New Sankamphaeng Road)? Called Moo Dee or something like it?

(I think its just to the North of the green arrow, on the main road?

I'm very sorry, Winnie, for my typo. You are absolutely right. Here the right coordinates: 18°45'56.95"N; 99°02'02.73"E. Sorry again for the confusion!