Buying the "good" bread for less....

Yesterday my children didn’t have school due to a “Professional Development Day”….and you know what?  They ate through the brand new loaf of bread that I had purchased the day before!!

I love bread.  I love the things you can do with it…including snacking.  My children obviously love bread too!  However, the price of bread at the grocery store is CRAZY!  I don’t know how anyone can stomach it.  That is probably why I generally make my own homemade bread….although I have learned it is very difficult to make it during the summer with the kids running about and to activities at varying times during the day.  It seems to be much easier to make homemade bread during the school year because the kids are away at school for a LONG specific time period that I can work around.  HOWEVER, life does NOT always go smoothly, even during the school year and bread just doesn’t always get made.  Soooo…..when I have to buy, I prefer to buy the bread that isn’t “air” (aka. Cheap wonder bread) that doesn’t fill anyone’s tummy.  I prefer to buy the bread that is what we term “the good stuff”.  And believe me….the “good stuff” isn’t cheap, especially at the grocery store.

When I am just OUT OF TIME….but need bread, I go to the Wonder Thrift Outlet.  Yes.  You heard that right, the place that sells the “air”.  But there is a little secret you need to know about this store: It sells ALL kinds of breads!!  

Hamburger buns for cheaper...

Less expensive donuts on the left--"Air bread" on the right....

The "good stuff" on the right....

I can buy “the good stuff” (of all kinds of breads) at half of the cost of a grocery store.  They also sell English muffins, hamburger buns, hot dog buns at a fraction of the cost of other grocery stores.  Plus, if you like the hostess type snacks they are also half or more off the cost of grocery store prices.  If I buy donuts, it is at the Wonder Thrift Store. Many times, they have things for an amazing price, such as the last time I was there they had a big box of mini donuts for $1….which my family thought was a real treat—mainly because it is so unusual for me to buy them.

There are varying prices for varying types of bread....

When you want a Hostess snack...this is the cheapest in town!

My children call this store either “the bread store” or “the Twinkie store”.  I have been going to this outlet store since we moved here 9 years ago, and the clerks know us well…we chat about what is going on in our lives, etc.  Our store has a policy where they give an individually wrapped hostess snack to each child.  My children BEG to go buy bread, and can hop in the car faster than I can get my keys when they know I am going to buy bread--they know they will be getting some sort of goody—for FREE!

My kids can't WAIT to get their FREE Hostess Snack when we go buy bread!

Happy Stretching Pennies…

P.S.  When I was in college, the town we lived in had 2 different kinds of bread outlet stores.  Wonder Hostess AND Old Home Bakery—each selling bread and other items at a discount.  See if you live near one…you won’t be sorry!!