We're excited to announce our Go Green Bag Contest on Instagram!  You see, we think the Earth is pretty fantastic and we bet you do too.  In honor of Earth Month, we're inviting you to submit your designs for the front of the bag on Instagram using the hash tag #GoGreenBag.  Every entry will be entered to win a $100 Grocery Outlet Gift Card.

Please read below for the official rules.  We can't wait to see your designs!

With our wine sale earlier this month, you probably have a bunch of bottles stocked up.  Inevitably, there’s half a bottle lying around after dinner that you cork back up and then forget about, and before you realize it, it’s turned to vinegar.  Such a waste!

The great news is that there’s a simple way to use up leftover wine—cooking! You can up the Wow Factor of any dish by adding a little bit of wine to the recipe, which saves you money and cuts down on waste.

Here are some ideas on how to add wine to your cooking:

• Add wine to your marinade.  The acid in the marinade will help the meat absorb the flavor of the wine.
• Replace some of the water, vinegar, broth, or fruit juice in a recipe with wine for a richer, fuller flavor.
• Use a little bit to add flavor to soups, stews, gravy, and hearty dishes.
• Make sangria!  Add chopped fruit and a little sugar and you have the perfect summer beverage.
• Mix with oil and spices to baste turkey, roasts, or braise vegetables.
• Make a pan sauce using the juices from the meat, some wine, and some spices.  Perfect for sautéed or browned meats.
• Create a classic French dish like Coq au Vin.  Julia Child’s classic recipe is worth a try: Coq au Vin Recipe

The rule of thumb is to pair red wine with heartier fare, and white wine with lighter dishes.  But we say experiment!  Your palate is what’s most important.  Try a bunch of things and find out what works best for you.  Always consult the recipe if you’re cooking with wine—the author may have had a specific flavor profile in mind and has done the legwork ahead of time.

What do you like to drink with different foods?  

Enter to win a $15 Grocery Outlet Gift Card!  Watch the below video on early holiday deals at Grocery Outlet and follow the assignment for your chance to win!

Good luck!

Has buying all those new school supplies put a cramp in your wallet? With fuel and food costs rising and the economy slumping, it's a good idea to figure out how to cut back on back-to-school purchases this year.

Check out these 10 tips for back to school saving, from this article via MSN Money:

1) Begin by shopping at home. Avoid buying everything new. Take a look around the house and see what your family already owns. I bet you have more extra pens, pencils, folders and rulers than you think.
2) Start searching for bargains early! Now is a great time to keep an eye out for clearance sales in your area. Keep an eye out for coupons and make a special box to store them in. When you find a good deal, stock up for the entire year. Also, be aware that most of the great sales come in late September after school has already started, so we advise you wait to shop.
3) Hit the dollar store! You’d be surprised at the large selections of paper, markers, and other school supplies you’re likely to find. Dollar stores are great places to find everyday craft items!  (Grocery Outlet also stocks basic school supplies like paper, pens, notebooks, binders, and crayons, all at great prices.)
4) Scour garage sales, thrift stores, & consignment shops. This might require some get out and go motivation, but the deals are better than ever. Why not give it a try? (This is great for clothes, backpacks and sports equipment.)
5) Remember eBay & Craigslist. Great deals and steals are usually found on these websites. Savings could be substantial on back-to-school clothes, and this internet process is always less time consuming than bargain hunting at thrift stores or yard sales.
6) Set ground rules for clothes shopping. Make sure to buy clothes that will give your children room to grow. Pick up extra pairs of shoes in larger sizes when you find a great sale. Classic styles and solid colors are always good buys because they are easy to mix & match and less likely to look dated over time.
7) Buy the right backpack. Kids shouldn’t carry more than 20 percent of their own weight on their backs. If you know that your child is likely to stuff his or her backpack, opt for a smaller one.
8) Don’t overspend on technology. In today’s world, homework can be almost impossible to do these days without a computer and access to the Internet. If you are looking to buy a computer this summer, be sure to look for deals. Again, check out eBay and Craigslist and remember that refurbished computers are another option.
9) Track down the right calculator. If your child needs that fancy calculator for Trigonometry, bite the bullet and invest in a good one because it will last for years to come!
10) Teach important money lessons. Back-to-school season allows you as a parent to have discussions with your children about money, budgeting, and needs vs. wants. You can negotiate back-to-school budgets with your kids and allow them to manage those budgets. If they want anything above and beyond the dollar amount that you’ve agreed on, let them use their allowance money to pay for it by themselves.

Learning doesn't always have to be expensive.  You can prepare your kids for school while staying on your budget, and teach them the value of a dollar while you're at it.  Good luck!

Christopher's latest vlog is all about organics at Grocery Outlet.  Did you know you can get your favorite organic brands at Grocery Outlet for up to 50-60% off?  Check it out!

What's the best organic deal you've found at Grocery Outlet? We'd love to know.

Grocery Outlet's greatest passion is to save you money.  Something else we like to do, however, is help save our planet.  In a previous post, we counted the ways that Grocery Outlet HQ has become more eco-friendly.  In honor of Earth Day, which is coming up April 22nd, we'd like to focus on how we've taken on sustainability, environmental responsibility and cost-saving measures in our stores.

 

 

1. In our newest stores, we meet the EPA 2012 standards for energy efficiency in all installed appliances. 

2. We have state-of-the-art hand dryers in our newer stores' restrooms to cut down on paper waste.

3. When we remodel older stores, we will be implementing these measures there too, and swapping out older, less efficient appliances with energy efficient appliances.

4. Swapping out older bulbs for CFLs and LEDs where we can.

5. Splitting distribution loads, which cuts down on gas consumption. This saves fossil fuels and maximizes efficiency.

6. We recycle glass, metal, plastics and paper.

7. We sell eco-friendly bags made out of recycled materials to bag your groceries.  We give them away for free at grand openings for new stores.

8. We source as many eco-friendly and organic products we can, all at tremendous savings.

We want to help save the earth—and your wallet.

Tell us: what eco-friendly products have you found at Grocery Outlet?  What would you like to see more of? 

We've all noticed that the price of gas has gone up lately.  Unless you live close to public transportation, you probably drive a fair bit and you're feeling the pinch.  I know I am. 

 

 

Today I looked for some advice on how to avoid being gouged by gas prices, and I found this great article, 29 Tips on Saving Gas.  Here are some of the most useful and universal trips from the article (because not all of us can afford a hybrid!):

1. Stop and start correctly.  A car consumes the most gas when you accelerate and brake abruptly.  Try to coast as much as you can and only use your accelerator to control the car while in slower traffic, braking slowly when you need to.  
2. Use your air conditioner as little as possible.  Obviously, this doesn't apply to our Arizona and Southern California residents during the summer, but when you can, park your car in the shade and roll your windows down.  It takes a lot of energy to run your AC.
3. Reduce weight.  It takes more energy to accelerate the more weight you are carrying.  Keep all necessaries (spare tire, jack, etc.) in your trunk, but don't carry around unnecessarily larger items if you don't have to.
4. Turn your car off.   If you think you will be idling for 30 seconds or more, turn off your car.  Idling, especially with your AC on, wastes gas.
5. Drive slower.  Not fun, but it reduces drag on the car and maximizes fuel economy.
6. Roll up your windows.  So we just told you not to run your AC, but you have to roll up your windows too?  On hot days, do what you need to do to be comfortable, but on a normal day, having your windows down adds drag to the car, causing it to use more energy to speed up.  Opening your windows at low speeds and using the air conditioner at high speeds gives you better fuel economy.
7. Pick a better route. I don't know why I always forget to do this.  Maximize your route so you can run multiple errands efficiently or hit stop-and-go-traffic less often.  The longer you can go without having to stop or accelerate, the better.  Not having to retrace your steps is always good.  Make a list of what you have to do and pick the most efficient way to get it done.   A little planning goes a long way.

Stay eco-friendly, eco-frugal!

Grocery Outlet has great gifts for your family and friends, even if your budget is a little tighter than you'd hoped. Check out these fantastic gifts and more at your local Grocery Outlet:

- Mens and Ladies slippers in assorted colors and styles are only $7.99 a pair. You save up to $7. Keep those toes toasty!
- Mens or Ladies lounge sets are the perfect thing for Christmas morning or weekends around the house. A 2 piece set is only $9.99; you save up to $5.
- Ceramic double-wall travel mugs are eco-frugal and super useful for nearly anyone on your list. Best of all, they're only $3.99! You save up to $4.

 

Holiday Hosting
Stumped on what to bring to your holiday party? We have a wide selection of Ferrero Rocher holiday chocolates at $2.99-$6.99 for 12-24 pieces. Wild smoked salmon is perfect for holiday party platters. You can find an 8 oz package for $4.99 at Grocery Outlet, and save up to $5! Olivos organic extra virgin olive oil is an attractive and classic gift, and it's only $7.99 for a 17 oz bottle. You save up to $17! Wow!

For more merriment, head to our special holiday website for savings tips, holiday menus and recipes. Click here to check it out.

We wish you the happiest of holidays and the merriest of savings!

Today I toured our organic and specialty foods aisle to see what we've got in stock.  It's been on my mind as I work on edible press kits at Grocery Outlet HQ.  We send out these kits to the media to alert them to our current news and extreme bargain products.  Think of this post as your personal edible press kit—except you can't eat it, unless you hit the store and pick up some of these great products.

 

I'd like to introduce a new series of posts—Friday Frugal Finds.  Every Friday, I'm going to check out our Berkeley store (it's downstairs from Grocery Outlet HQ) and tell you about my favorite finds.  These may not always be the best finds in the store at the moment, and they may not be in every single store, but I want you to get an informal glimpse each week of what's going on at Grocery Outlet.

This week, I found myself totally taken in by the Health and Beauty Care aisle, largely due to this product:

This is Tavist, and it's awesome.  It's one of the only allergy medications that clears up my husband's bad sinuses.  Unfortunately, the drugstores around us don't carry it (my husband jokes that is because it actually works).  I was so beyond thrilled to find it downstairs, I can't even tell you.  And at only $2.99, this is a bargain you can't afford to miss.

 

I really love organic beauty care.  I dig the other stuff too, but I like the idea that I'm doing something good for the environment, and saving money by buying my beauty products at Grocery Outlet.  Shikai is one of the brands I love because my skin is always super soft, and their products smell really yummy.  I especially like the Yuzu scent.  Yuzu is an Asian citrus fruit that's a lot like a cross between a mandarin orange and a grapefruit.  It smells delicious: kind of citrusy and sweet at the same time.

 

 

This product retails for $2.99, which is a great deal for an organic product.  I've found the Shikai elsewhere for $7.99, sometimes $8.99, so I can testify that you do save $5 when you buy it with us. The goat's milk lotion is supposed to be great.  I haven't tried it personally, but it gets rave reviews in the office.

 

 

This is the best deal I saw: Olay Definity 14 Day Rehabilitation kit for $12.99.  How cool—you can reverse the signs of aging for less than $1 a day!  Plus, you save $17—you save more than you spend on this product. I love it when that happens!

Have a fantastic weekend everyone.  See you next week!

It may surprise you to know that Grocery Outlet is on a mission to become eco-friendly.  Even though our primary goal is to bring you quality products at extremely low prices, we also include sustainability and eco-responsibility in our overall strategy.  Here are some things that Grocery Outlet has done in our corporate offices to reduce waste, save energy, and make our planet a better place:

1. We used to provide free bottled water for employees. We've now switched to filtered drinking water coolers and drinking glasses. We recycle the paper cups we do use.
2. We bought Duplex Printers—we encourage printing on both sides of the paper.
3. We switched to energy saving smart power strips
4. We bought energy saving dishwashers. We switched to motion lights in offices to save energy.
6. We made the change to organic, fair trade coffee and biodegradable coffee filters.
7. We provide incentives for employees to ride their bike or carpool to cut down on emissions.
8. We recycle cardboard, plastic, cans, bottles, paper, bubble wrap, and Styrofoam, as well as cartridges, staplers, and other difficult items to recycle.
9. We buy recycled copy paper and office products.
10. We switched our janitorial supplies and paper towels to more sustainable, eco-friendly products.
11. We try to make electronic copies more than paper copies.

Also, we've made sourcing organic, sustainable, and eco-friendly products for you a priority.  You'll regularly see brands like Amy's Organic, Kashi, Annie's, Nature's Gate, and many more in our stores.  The eco-friendly product that I'm most excited about is Bear River Valley Cereals.  We're featuring these cereals in our July ad (consider this a sneak peek!).  Bear River Valley cereals use 75% less packaging than other brands, and the manufacturer supports renewable wind energy.  Also, all shipping cartons are made from 100% recycled product.  You can learn more about Bear River Valley here.

Best of all, each cereal is only 99 cents!  You save up to $2 on this cereal.  That's something to cheer about!

This is just one of many examples of how Grocery Outlet can help you save money and the planet.  We'll keep our eyes out for more fantastic eco-bargains.  Stay tuned!