big lots

[denham]

Now I have never thought big lots had that many great deals. But I took mom the other day and they had a big plastic bin full of all kinds of different seeds. Marked down to 10 cents per packet. I got 24 varieties of greens/herbs/veggies and 3 varieties of flowers. Who knows how good the seeds are, but I figure if I get just one good plant out of em it's worth the <$3 investment.

What was weird to me was the people in front of me in line also bought a bunch of seed packets and 24 jugs of water. Wonder if they were prepping!

[Shamrock1121]

I shop Big Lots once every two weeks or so and generally find something that's a good buy. The fun thing - you have an opportunity to get something you'll never find at "regular" stores.

I like to get some oddball kind of tea, or a box of Swedish cookies as a cheap indulgance. I stocked up on Croc-type shoes this summer ($5/pair). I get most of the toothpaste and shampoo we use at Big Lots.

I purchased a beautiful swag for the double window in our bedroom from the discount shelf for $5. I couldn't buy the material or the beautiful lace on it for that price.

For seeds, I usually stock up on them from one of the two farm stores at the end of the season, but I've also found them at Big Lots.

We bought the paint for the interior of our garage there - dirt cheap.

Found two retractable clothes lines for $5 each - $20 at other stores in town - and put those up in an unfinished room in the basement.

In the Hispanic area, I get lentils and small bags of macaroni/noodles (35-cents each). I've stocked up on canned fruit/vegetables at half-the-price of the grocery store.

Big Lots is also where I got my large stock of inexpensive ZOTE soap. I slice it into 3/4-inch slices and we use it in the shower. It's the cheapest soap you can use in homemade laundry detergent concoctions.

-Karen

[leera]

I browse through Big Lot quite a bit,but rarely do I find anything worth buying.

I did manage to stock up on canning lids this year,the store here got them in March,then not again until September.

I get all my toothpaste,deodorant,etc free or almost free with double coupons at the grocery store,I haven't paid more than the sales tax on them in years.

For canned goods I tend to shop at Aldi,which if I go into Lansing is right across the road from the Sam's Club I go to as well.I do most of my shopping once a month in just a few stops that way.

The chain grocery store I go to doubles $1.00 coupons,and I stop there on my way home from work,so it's not out of the way.This is where I stock up on meats and breads too.

On Sundays they mark down my favorite bread to $0.69,it's normally $2.39,during the week it's hit or miss with which ones will be marked down.But there is always some marked down.

[MNMOM]

I'm not impressed with the Big Lot's store closest to where we live. I've gone there several times and it just doesn't have anything worth while.

[Cil]

Like GoodDaughter said, Big Lots is a hit or miss kind of store. I usually get my toothbrushes, toothpaste, laundry soap, and maybe some snack items there, because it is so much cheaper than the regular grocery store. Bath soap, it depends on where I am when I need. I love my .99 cent store. ;)

[JENNIFER_IN_AL]

The big lots here used to be a great place to find deals. Now they don't lower the prices enough for me. I have found a few good deals. A 24 pack of bar soap for $8 and the canning jars were a dollar or two lower than other stores.

Its a good place to find ethinc foods!

[RocketMan]

I picked up a rebuilt/remanufactured shop vac at big lot's last week for $25 bucks. I thought that was a pretty good deal. But I agree with the hit or miss. A lot of their stuff doesn't seem any cheaper than most stores anymore.

[TheUnboundOne]

Dear Forum Members,

While Big Lots is not an end-all, be-all, I never rule out any possibility for good deals.

Thanks to Big Lots, I got a super deal on Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce--only $.33 a can!!! and for the Ocean Spray Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce--only $.79 a can!!!

;D

This is a vast contrast with Food Lion's price for the same items, which was $1.79 a can!!!

:o *::) *:-[ *

I also got some jars of Heinz Fat Free Turkey Gravy for $.90 a jar that cost at least 50% more at Wal-Mart.

For some really great deals I also go to the Discount Grocery in Denver, NC that offer scratch-and-dent and expired/discontinued brands for up to 80% less than grocery stores. *I got some Libby's Canned Pumpkin for $1.00 a can which sells for twice as much at Wal-Mart. *I also get lots of canned vegetables and fruit juices for cheap there as well.

Between these and some of my other stockpile provisions, all I need now are two turkeys and two hams and my dinners for Thanksgiving and Christmas are complete.

8) *;D

[alaskaboy]

We don't have a Big Lots near me, but there's a Wal Mart and they sometimes have stuff I want for really cheap and I shop their every two weeks. I went to a Big Lots once, and found it was a lot like Marshalls. If you catch them on a day when there's really, really good clearance and a lot of sales going on, it's great. But if you catch it on a day when not much of anything is going on - it's not going to be the greatest savings you ever had!

[crunchycon]

I sometimes find some good deals in their grocery section, and good deals in their drugstore section in the clearance area.

[denham]

I tried planting some of the chive seeds and have not been able to get them to sprout. Of course I am trying to do it indoors with my south facing window which doesn't get much light due to the trees. So I don't know if my Big Lots seeds are bad or I just need to try again under a lamp.

[GoodDaughter]

Denham, chive seeds are like onions and other alluims---they do not last a long time on the shelf. After 1 year, their germination rate goes way, way down. Maybe you could check the date on the back of the pack and see how old they are. Also, when sowing chives, just barely cover them with fine soil and keep the seed flat covered to prevent evaporation and the soil surface from drying out. Chives don't like to be planted too deep, and they don't like to dry out. Hope you have some luck!

[Funkhouser]

The old Rose's Discount Store in our town is kind of like a cross between Family Dollar and Big Lots. They have some cheaply made items and some really sweet closeout deals too. Solid wood furniture (assembly required) priced to move. Breads that cost $2-3 in Walmart sell for a dollar there. I hope they never close down! :)

[denham]

Well I checked the date and it said 12/08. So I tried it again, just sprinkled a light layer of soil over the seeds and kept it moist and covered with a plastic produce bag from the grocery store. They sure enough sprouted this time around. Thanks GoodDaughter, I probably had them too deep last time (package says 1/4 inch).

[GoodDaughter]

Wonderful! Glad to hear the seeds came up. I generally dont' put too much stock in what the packages say, because it seems like the directions are all kind of generic regardless of what kinds of seeds are actually in the packet. 1/4" would be a bit deep. Ditto for carrot seeds or really any tiny seed. Just barely cover and keep them just damp.

Be sure to remove the plastic once they come up and give them good strong light and keep them just damp but not soaking wet or they'll damp off.

It's great to get a good deal on seeds!