Shopping Advice

I love estate sales and garage sales. Sometimes the estate sales can be especially fun just to admire the houses. Those are generally the sales where I couldn't afford to purchase anything, anyway, so I might as well enjoy the tour.

Other times I find great deals on vintage fabrics, books, or a dish that matches what I have. But sometimes I find wonderful deals on groceries. I get to try something for a quarter that I know costs $3-4 in the store--and if my family doesn't like it, I know not to waste the money in the future. And if they do like it, we've discovered a new taste treat with little risk.

But, speaking of risk, there are some rules to grocery shopping at dead people's houses:

• To begin with, check to make sure the item has never been opened. I am amazed at the large number of open boxes and bags of food stuffs that have prices similar to what you can buy new and unopened at the grocery store.
• Check the date, if the item has one.
  
• Check to make sure the item on the shelf does not read, "keep refrigerated."
• Check for damage to the packaging. Just because the previous owner never opened it does not mean no one has been inside for a munch. And maybe they and a colony of relatives are still there.

Now, using these rules, I passed up the following items at a sale just this past weekend:

• The bulging can of tomatoes. In fact, I handed it over to the woman running the sale. Carefully. It looked ready to explode at any second.
• The two boxes of "Tofu Classic" (not really a rule--I just can't imagine my family happily chowing down on the vegetarian equivalent of hamburger helper.
• The large bag of dried cranberries with the 2003 expiration date.
• The bag of cornmeal that appeared to have a corner nibbled off. It was sitting directly next to the pellets left by a rodent.
• The large can of sweet potato pie filling with the 2006 expiration date.

I have been known to bring home pudding mix, spices, canned veggies and fruits, ant killer powder for the yard, and Comet. And these were at reasonable prices--like $.25 each.

You just never know what you will find. It is like a treasure hunt.