Grocery Haul: Mike's Discount Foods
Casey from Two City Vegans and I recently hit up Mike’s Discount Foods for the first time. We had heard it was possible to score some sweet deals on plant-based noms. And we did! You’ll find low product prices, for the most part because what they have is close to or at its “best by” date. So if you buy a little bit here and there, or if you’re not squeamish about those dates, make sure to check out Mike’s!We were there on October 21, 2017, which I’m noting so you can compare with the dates I share throughout the post. My total was $12.97 and I’ll walk through what I found. Starting with the Larabars above, a 10 pack typically retails for at least $10 anywhere else you’ll find them. The best by date on these is October 6, 2017. So they’re not even a month past that; they’re maybe a little harder than I expected but barely. Larabars are great because of all those labels you see on the packaging: gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan, dairy free, and Kosher, so they cater to a nice variety of dietary needs. These Bean Stalks were pretty tasty! The crunch is great, but I wouldn’t mind more BBQ flavor. One bag is typically $2.65, and as you can see on the front of the bag, these were best by May 27, 2017. They’re gluten-free and Halal.
I’m currently not drinking caffeine, so I snagged a bag of Papa Nicholas Hazelnut decaf. It smells amazing and now I can have my coffee fix sans caffeine. The best by date is May 27, 2016 but I wouldn’t ever guess that. The 11 ounce bag was $1 and typically retails for at least $7.I’m also on a three week gluten-free trial, and Casey said Schar’s Gluten-free Hamburger Buns weren’t bad, so I bought a 4-pack for $1 with a best by date of October 26, 2017. They retail for $4.59. My final purchase was an 8 ounce bottle of Nuco Coconut Cider Vinegar (Balsamic) for $2.99. The cheapest one I found online is over $18, and this one doesn’t even expire until September 2019. So I’m not sure why Mike’s would have ended up with this. Maybe it wasn’t selling at the store where it was originally purchased? It’s labeled vegan, organic, Kosher, and non-GMO.
What follows are a few other products we found but didn’t purchase, to give you a few more examples. I’m not sure about best by dates on anything that follows. These Silk 12 packs retail for $16 or more.
Annie’s Cookie Bites were around half off retail cost. They’re certified organic and non-GMO verified.
From what I can tell, Pumpkin Fig may be a discontinued flavor of Purely Elizabeth’s single serving Granola and Puffs Cereal which retails for $2.49. They’re vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO. I would have purchased some of these, but I’m currently obsessed with the hot cereal from The Soulfull Project. 
The last thing I’ll highlight is the produce. Most of the produce that Mike’s sells is food that you will have to consume within a couple days of purchase, so keep that in mind as you make your selections. They post updates on their website frequently about what’s available. After doing some math, I saved over $30 on the products I bought. I really love that there are places that help eliminate food waste, and I’m happy to support them. Mike’s Discount Foods has a few locations in the north metro, so make sure to check them out!Do you have any tips to share about how you save on plant-based food? Please share in the comments!