(WZZM) - How do you save on groceries? Coupons, discount cards, on-sale items, generic and store brand? Well, there's another way to save that many in West Michigan swear by - Food Auctions.
Blair Auction has been doing this once a month in Muskegon for more than five years now and due to its popularity has added another one each month in Allegan County's Dorr. "My son has seen our food auction in Muskegon and thought it was something people down here could use so he runs this one," said Wayne Blair the auctioneer and owner.
Wayne Blair says he's able to save customers money because he buys in bulk. "By buying in large quantities from suppliers, they're able to give us a good discount and we're able to pass that on to the community and the people in the area. I'm here because I want people to save money."
How much you pay depends on how high the people around you are willing to go on their bid. Similar to a typical auction, participants hold up their numbered sign to accept a price and once the price reaches its highest point, the high bidder can buy the quantity of his or her choice on that particular item. The back-up high bidder gets whatever is left.
"They're able to buy good quality name brand stuff at reduced prices. If you're buying things and wait for things to go on sale, you can end up buying it on the sale price or less than what the sale price is," says Blair. Rodger Staudacher of Portage says he saves nearly 50%. "Last time I spent $200 something and probably took home $400 worth of stuff." Staudacher has been shopping at the Auction in Muskegon for at-least five years but recently decided to attend the new one in Dorr.
The auction starts with dry goods and staples and ends with the refrigerated and frozen food, like large quantities of meat. "There's smoked ham, chicken, last-time we had fish and hamburger," according to Blair. Whatever doesn't sell at the auction, goes on sale on miauctions.com for the following 48 hours at a slightly higher price. Blair Auction takes the auction price on each item and adds 10% to it for the online sale. "And the reason we do that is because we want people to come to the auction. If you're buying something for $1.50, you end up paying $1.65 online so 10% really isn't a whole lot," says Blair.
We sampled six items that Rodger Staudacher and rookie auction shopper April Bisonet of Jenison each purchased, to see just how much they were really saving. We compared the prices to Meijer on Alpine Avenue in Walker. Our auction shoppers paid $1.50 for an 8.8 ounce bag of Uncle Bens Ready Rice. At Meijer it was selling for $2.09, our shoppers saved 59 cents at the auction per bag. A regular sized jar of Prego Spaghetti Sauce was $1.92 at Meijer, at the auction it sold for $1.50, saving our shoppers 42 cents per jar. A 16.3 ounce jar of Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter sold for $2.65 at Meijer, compared to $1.25 at the auction saving our shoppers $1.40 each. A 24 ounce bottle of Kraft Ranch Dressing sells at Meijer right now for $3.00. At the auction it sold for $1.50 saving that same $1.50 per bottle. A 10 ounce bottle of A-1 steak sauce costs $3.14 at Meijer, at the auction it was $1.50 saving our shoppers $1.64. We couldn't find a 16 ounce can of Planters Cashews at Meijer so we got our regular price at D&W Fresh Market in Grandville. It was $6.79 compared to $4.00 at the auction, so our shoppers saved $2.79 per can.
Spending three or four hours at an auction isn't the fastest way to shop, but it is one of the faster ways to see your savings add up. Just ask April Bisonet, "I think it's good. I think I need to slow down though, otherwise I'm not going to get it all home."
For a link to the dates and locations of these auctions go to www.blairauction.com. To take advantage of the food on sale online, go to www.miauctions.com.
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