By Request: A Big Lots Primer

Nicole left a comment on the last post inquiring about my fascination with Big Lots:

"I don't shop regularly at Big Lots. Is there something you know that I don't?"

How do I feel about Big Lots? I've mentioned it before in this post. There is no place on Earth quite like Big Lots. This pretty much sums up the Big Lots experience - about a year ago I bought a big package of authentic Chinese stir fry noodles for 90 cents. We loved them. I'd never seen noodles quite like them in any of the grocery stores I usually shop - they were flat like fettuccine but thin and cooked up in 3-5 minutes. Perfect texture, just the right taste. I've never found them there again.

You see, Big Lots sells close outs. There are some things you can almost always find there, like cereal and chips, but there are other things you'll only find there once. You just never know. Regardless, they have brands and products you will definitely not find at your generic grocery stores, especially ethnic food and beverages. The other thing to know is that no two stores are identical. I find different products at the I-55 store than I find in Clinton, which is different from the one in Vicksburg. Yes, I like to visit them all. Pearl, too.

What do you need to know to shop at Big Lots? Here are some tips:

1. For food, check the expiration dates. I've found that the more an item's been marked down, the closer it probably is to expiring. I bought a box of Heart Smart cereal there last summer for $1, with an expiration date only two months away. It certainly didn't last 2 months at my house, I'd eaten it all in two weeks!

2. Most stores aren't as organized as they like to think they are. If you're looking at pasta on one aisle and can't find what you want, check the other aisles carefully. There may be more stuck off somewhere else.

3. Know your grocery store prices. A lot of times Big Lots will be cheaper, but not always. And sometimes not enough to warrant buying something a little different from what you'd normally prefer. I keep a small notebook in my purse that has a list of my normal Kroger purchases. If I find something like Hunt's ketchup at Big Lots I'll pull out my notebook and see how much I pay for it at Kroger. I always put the size on my list so I can convert the per unit price if I need to. The last time I went I did find ketchup, but the price was almost the same as Kroger. Since I didn't particularly need any that day, I didn't buy it. They did have crushed tomatoes for about 30 cents a can less than Kroger, so I picked up a few. I also bought a bottle of sesame oil for $2.30, which is closer to $4 for a smaller bottle at Kroger.

4. Want to try something new? Check for it at Big Lots. I've found the single-serve boxes of cereal there for 25 cents each. It was a cereal I'd never tried before, so I picked up one to see if I'd like it. I've done the same with different ethnic foods and sauces/marinades.

5. Don't overlook the rest of the store. We bought our Sealy mattresses at Big Lots for a couple of hundred bucks less than we found them anywhere else. They were the prior year model, but otherwise the same product you'd find at a furniture store. I always hit the toy department at Christmas to buy for my friends' kids. The toy selection explodes at Christmas and, as with the groceries, you'll find a lot of the name brand toys as well as unique things you'll never see at Walmart! They always have good seasonal stuff and even a good home decor department! I also usually price their paper products and some of the pharmacy stuff I usually buy generic anyway. I've gotten great deals on things like toilet paper and ibuprofen. I like the kitchen section, too.

6. Finally, got to biglots.com and sign up for their emails. You get the weekly flyer over email and every now and then they send out 20% off coupons. That's when I usually make a big trip for all the random things I normally put off!

Big Lots will never replace my regular grocery stores or eliminate Walmart from my life (I wish!), but I do like to stop by before I go to either of those to see how much of my list I can knock out at better prices.

And don't just take my word for it. Ask Stacey. She's the real Big Lots master!