Food Auctions: What’s the Deal? **UPDATED**

**GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED! The winner is Chelsea, at $57. I spent $67.50. Reading the comments, I started feeling like I didn’t do so good, haha. I do wish I could have paid those prices but at that point I think it would probably be too good to be true.  Just an FYI, the green beans were in REALLY bad shape. I actually didn’t end up even sorting through them. The crate they came in was actually something I really wanted and completely worth the $1. I added prices for everything I can remember below – my receipt is MIA .

I mentioned yesterday that I was going to a food auction. This wasn’t the first time. We have gone 4-6 times over the last 2 years.  That is a dead giveaway on what I think, right?

So here are questions I get –

Do you really save? Yes. Even with the gas it takes me to get there and the time I spend it is worth it for us.

Is it old food? Really, it is a variety. There is a mix of stuff you may not want to buy and things you definitely want. I have seen strawberries that need A LOT of help go for $3 for 6 packs and I have seen cream of the crop organic broccoli go for $5. Oh wait, I bought the case of broccoli (approximately 16 lb.).  Odds are that if you eat in a restaurant near a food auction you have probably eaten food FROM a food auction. The one we go to is half restauranteurs, half senior citizens and a mish mash of in-betweeners.

Can anyone buy from a food auction? Call to make sure before you go but usually yes. You can’t pick the sizes you want but you can choose what to bid on.

How much food do you get? They sell anything from individual heads of celery and carrots to 50 lb. bags of potatoes and onions.

What kind of food can you get? You can get produce that’s about to go bad or the freshest stuff out there. You just be choosy about what  you want and only buy what you can re-sell to friends or freeze/use for yourself.

Some other things to keep in mind –

* Sometimes items are past their expiration date. Don’t be afraid to go up and check it out before bidding.
* Bidding is fast and crazy. Don’t spend more than you would spend elsewhere for the same product.
* If you take kids make sure to have plenty of snacks and things to occupy their time.
*Remember, no matter how long you stay there will ALWAYS “be something better” if you just wait a little longer.
   Sometimes you just have to call it quits.

I went to Roots Market in Manheim, PA. I try to get there a little early if I am not taking another adult so I can check out produce prices in the market itself before buying in the auction so I don’t overspend.

I also grab bacon ends from one of the butchers in the market since they are usually around $2 a pound. I don’t care if my bacon looks perfect or not but the flavor of slab bacon is quite superior to what you get in the grocery store.

What did I get?

7 dozen free range brown eggs (large) – 1.50-1.65
3 dozen white eggs ( small – jumbo) –  $1 each
63 lb. (appr.) organic yellow onions in 3# bags – $8.50
50 lb. organic potatoes – $10
4 bunches organic celery – 1.25 each
4# clementines – $4 (not phenomenal but a splurge since they were in excellent condition)
5 – 1lb. bunches asparagus (the perfect young asparagus) – (3)2.00 (2) 1.25 – they sold osme more and htey went cheaper so I grabbed them too
4 – 3# bags – gala apples (baking) –
2 – 3# bags – small snacking apples –
3 – 3# bags – golden delicious apples –
2 – 3# bags oranges –
1 large crate green beans (15#?) – need MAJOR sorting but they were only $1
1 case of wasabi potato chips (YUM!- exp. date was end of January but still perfect shape) – 2.50

How much do you think I spent?

Whoever is the closest to the actual amount I spent will receive a packet of coupons from me(worth at least $10), some of them your favorite brands.  Contest ends 3/10/12.