Save-A-Lot

There are lots of great deals to be had within these walls… Yes, it is a little dingy inside, but honey, you get what you pay for. The price is right for my current budget, and I am certain that I will shop here again.
I am definitely selective in what I buy here. Mainly dry goods, canned goods, teas, spices, tissues, candles, etc. I have bought some produce here, but not much. You really can’t beat the prices on a lot of these items, but you do have to tolerate the fact that the store is crowded and not that clean. It is what it is. I’ve accepted it, because for me the money saved is worth it.
The one thing that did surprise me was that they dont use shopping bags. Luckily I had a couple of spare bags in the car, but next time I’ll remember to bring them into the store.

I’ve been to this Save-​A-​Lot many times over the past few years and think it’s great. It may not sparkle, but I don’t feel that it’s dirty or grimy. I do save by selectively buying there. Note that it is definitely a down-​scale store. Nothing trendy, no attempt at design, no eye candy, just crowds of people and quite a few bargains.
Many of their house brands are excellent. I always have the beef stew on hand for cold days or late nights; their parmesan cheese is on a par with Kraft’s for much less; their spaghetti sauce lends itself well to my creative additions; their spices (powdered garlic, lemon pepper, Italian blend, seasoned salt, etc.) are fine; the canned mushrooms are fine; and all this is much cheaper than name brands. I don’t like their house brands of chips, although they sometimes have special buys on others that are quite good. Their fresh produce is okay but not something I would go out of my way for. Some products are hit-​or-​miss, like crackers and bread. I save significantly on sour cream, cottage cheese, and butter. Save-​A-​Lot stocks name-​brand products too, some regularly and some when they get a special deal, always at low prices. They always have frozen green chile from Hatch, which is one reason I go there. It’s definitely not the place I do all my grocery shopping, yet I do find their prices on many good items rival or beat the best sale prices at other groceries.
Know your prices for the sake of comparison; try each item before buying a ton; and you may find as I do that there are things worth coming back for. Also note that some items are cheaper because they have higher fat content, more salt, more calories, or some other drawback. Caveat emptor.

This place is so, so scary. I don’t care how much Lot I’m A-​Saving, I will never, ever step foot in this fright-​fest again.
Just because you’re a discount grocery store doesn’t mean you have to LOOK it. I mean, you sell cleaning products there, right? Don’t be afraid to use them!
I’ve only been to Save-​A-​Lot once… and that was enough. I don’t remember what exactly it was I needed there, but I know I left without it. It was one of those, «oh… since I’m already right here at the post office, I’ll just save myself a trip and get (whatever the single item I needed was) and hit the Save-​A-​Lot! After all, I’m sure they have (this totally easy-​to-​find and basic-​type supermarket item)!» Um… no. I didn’t dare touch anything in there for fear I’d catch scabies. And this is coming from a girl who shops at (and loves) places like Little Saigon, so you know I’m preaching truth here.
The Save-​A-​Lot is to normal grocery stores what The Great Clowns Inn is to normal bars. That is to say, downright frightening and nightmare-​inducing. Steer clear.