Dirty Don’s Bargain Center

Absolutely insane deals on expired, or almost expired food. A hybrid of a thrift store, Sams Club, and food museum. Some stuff (cans and bottles) is still fine, but I’d avoid anything dry, like cereal or cookies. You can walk out with a heaping cartload of food for $ 40-​$ 50. There is some sketchiness, so keep an eye on the dates.
Huge warehouse full of craziness. 24 pk La Croix for $ 4. Institutional size of Jimmy John’s red peppers for $ 3.50. Gatorade dry mix (makes 3.5 gallons) $ 1.50. Celestial Seasonings tea $ 1.
The non consumables, which seem pretty random (I saw everything from old school desks, heaters, One Direction posters, travel mugs, and YugiOh cards, also have good prices, but not much better than Cargo Largo.
It is what it is. My favorite new store. They even take credit cards!

From the staff to the product selection, this place is perfect. It is a warehouse type building, so don’t expect to walk in to a department store. I think the layout is perfect, and you can always find something you need/​want. This is, by far, the best bargain center I have been to in many years, and still frequent it today!

Ok, so I HAD to check this place out. A great deal on TVs was finally the push I needed although I didn’t talk myself into needing the TV.
I don’t really know how to describe Don’s. They have a lot of different items. Some that will make me come back on occasion to stock up, others that scare me for public safety.
Bags of Kingsford charcoal for $ 6, yes. 75 foot rolls of aluminum foil for $ 1, yes. Crest toothpaste for $ 2, yes. A lot of various home type things and some name brand items with really great prices.
The food is quite sketchy though. Be diligent in looking it over. A lot of it is expired items. This isn’t always a bad thing. As a single person, my fridge is full of expired products that still get used. Some things though I just can’t bring myself to buying like the unmarked bags of presumably chicken and dog food and treats.
Although hesitant, I am guessing most of the stuff is legit, although maybe a little stale. Don’s has been there for a while and if they were selling contaminated foods they probably would have closed by now. Still not sure I can bring myself to buying 2013 frozen pizzas though…
There is a smell that you never quite get used to no matter how long you wonder around. The carts are in a really odd spot in the middleish of the store. Everyone is friendly.

Moving here as a broke graduate student, I extensively researched places where I can get discount groceries. Back in the Philadelphia area, there were places that had deeply discounted groceries that were past expiration or due to expire soon. I saved A LOT of money by shopping at these kinds of places. When I moved away to a more rural area, I could not find such places. I am happy to say Dirty Don’s will be my place!
I came here on a Friday afternoon around 2pm, and it was pretty busy in there. The parking lot has limited space (probably around 8 actual spots) but everyone parked off to the side, so there wasn’t a problem if you’re willing to get creative.
I walked into a huge warehouse filled with stacked boxes and lots to look at. I made a plan to zig-​zag the whole place, the only real way to see everything. I was thrilled to find name-​brand face wash for $ 0.75 and hand soap for $ 0.50. I opted not to pick up one of the individually priced toothbrushes in a scary looking box o’ toothbrushes (and not packaged, might I add).
Next I arrived at a section of snacks — lots of different brands of chips. It took a lot of will-​power for me not to buy everything! Most chips were $ 1 or less of brands I know to be at least $ 4 – 5 in grocery stores.
It was difficult for me to see everything and I lost track of which rows I already walked down. Grocery items included cereal, granola bars, canned goods, condiments, juice, and frozen things. Other non-​food items included gardening accessories, personal care items, books, and random do-​dads. Most cereal & granola bars are priced from $ 0.50-$ 2, retail price would be $ 4 – 5. I found organic and gluten free cereals for $ 2 each and snatched them up. Most canned goods are around $ 0.50. You get the idea.
I thought I was done when I arrived at another full room with pet supplies, cleaning supplies, paper products, and other things. There goes another half hour wandering the aisles!
My rule of thumb is to buy things that have not yet expired, or expired a few months ago. I have never gotten sick, or even had anything that has tasted funny from places like this. Well, except one time I bought a 24-​pack of soda for $ 2 and it was completely flat! So, I advise, check all expiration dates at Dirty Don’s! I did see some things that expired back in 2012. That is a little too old for me. There are plenty of articles informing the consumer about «past due» «best by» etc. dates — Google it!
I generally stay away from produce, meat, cheese, and things that expired a long time ago at places like this. I love purchasing canned goods and dried foods. My total was under $ 20, and would have probably been around $ 40 retail price (at least). So happy I found Dirty Don’s, and I will definitely be back regularly!

How did I grow up in Raytown and never know this place existed?!?
It’s a sketchy place, for sure, but fantastic all at the same time.
Imagine a Wal-​Mart, combined with a Costco, combined with a thrift store and you have something close to Dirty Don’s.
Everything here is in bulk, super cheap, and expired. Tread with caution and if you’re lucky, you’ll find some steals. Lately, my friends and I have gotten very lucky. We have walked away with cheese, mushrooms, soup, etc. that actually hasn’t expired yet!
Bring some hand sanitizer and a sense of adventure and you’ll love Dirty Dons!

I’ll add more latter probably, but the truth is the bargains are good, if you have any cognisance of what these things normally cost to buy wholesale or even on sale, you know that a lot of this is a great deal. Also, FYI to naysayers, the date on the label often says «Best used by» many things are useable and even good-​tasting long after their «expiration.» There are also lots of things that aren’t food, and generally don’t expire, regardless of their labeling. In many cases expiration dates server as a disclaimer on the quality/​usability of the good to cover the corporations rear, not as an indicator of it’s true usability. We spent $ 80 on the last trip there but easily attained $ 250+ worth of goods.

I have to say, this place can be a gold mine if you are patient enough to take the time to walk down every isle and check dates on perishable things, if those are the things you are interested in. Non-​perishables are often a steal. Do what the employees do and take some gloves with you if you’re going to dig through bins. Don’t bring small children inside.

This place has already been on a bargain hunting reality show so, it has expanded and they have raised their prices.
Its still pretty gross and the food is still mostly expired but I find the best deals on gourmet cheeses, coffees and condiments. Get there before it turns into Big Lots.

I do recommend reviewing expiration dates, but there are truly some outstanding values here includind Depends adult diapers @ $ 6 less than walmart, 4 snack pack pudding cups (in date) for 50cents, Walgreens 3 bottle packs of 81mg flavored asprin (in date) for $ 1.50, upscale national brands of organic shampoos (again in date) For about ¹⁄₃ of whole foods price, plus a large selection of vintage (Not in date) food stuffs. Store is open 7 days a week, but not open in the evening. As qouted elsewhere, happy bargain hunting!

After the apocalypse most large companies and big box stores had collapsed. The monetary system was almost obsolete and the survivors resorted to bartering and trade. One store remained and carried relics of the past. Items from a greater time when waste was a luxury and lust was a fantasy. I’ve found Bratz fishing poles alongside hello kitty themed kit kat bars. Funny what we considered important enough to make then. Things we coveted before the fires came seem so arbitrary now. Dirty Don’s have survived the apocalypse and still takes credit cards;) The building is a gutting out warehouse with aisles of misc hodge podge junk food and rare imports. When you walk in you have the option to pull a bent shopping cart out of a line and roll it through the pockmark lot out front. The war has been over for years but repairs and redevelopment haven’t caught on.
I found authentic african spice imports next to an expired gramcracker box. I smelled something funny in the air and checked each of the 10 freezers scattered about for what might have gone bad. Some of the freezers had frozen over creating the Hoth scene from Empire Strikes back.
I stood with my back against the wall to give way to some Quaker women. Quakers seem unaffected by the apocalypse because they were already living as if society had crumbled. I admired them and dreamed of a simpler life on their plantation.
I found my rations and supplies and checked out. The women counted aloud the prices of each item and totalled them up for me. I handed her my cash and exited society and stepped back into the harsh world of reality.

Dirty Dons is what it is. Yes is it dirty but the prices are low. If you’re a bargain hunter it’s certainly worth checking out. If you’re not you should stay out of this place. Make sure you check the dates on the food and enjoy your savings.

It is true that Dirty Don’s is not the cleanest store you’ll ever shop in. After all, it’s not Clean Don’s…
When shopping at Don’s you may have to put a few of your grocery store ideals aside. True, much of the food is past expiration. Some of it is dented or dusty. But that’s why it’s so cheap!
This place often has fantastic deals. For instance, starbucks frappucino 12 pack for 4 bucks. My mom found brush heads for my soniccare toothbrush for 5 bucks and they are 30 at wal-​mart. One time we found a bag of taco bell ranchero sauce.
Don’s is a place you have to drop in once in a while to catch the good deals.

As an avid reader of AT, I saw the note that Elisabeth posted and was super excited before I went. Bargains galore! I couldn’t wait.
Which left me wondering, how did this place get five stars? It’s absolutely disgusting. Now before you go off on me for being a prissy yuppie who expects only the best, you should know I am far from it. I love looking for a bargain. Hell, it’s in my genes! Flea markets, garage sales, bargain outlets, I love them all. Dirty Don’s? I do not love.
A good bargain outlet should have useful things, things that are close to expiration, things that are in decent condition but overstock or off-​the-​truck. Dirty Don’s has none of that. Food items were waaaaaaaay past expiration dates. I would not even go near any toiletries that would touch my skin for fear of breakouts, and I don’t really get breakouts. That’s how bad it was. As far as other random stuff, there really wasn’t much useful stuff in there and the very few good things they had were no bargain.
I suppose it would be ok if you just finished college and are looking to add a few things to your apt quickly but other than that, there really is just junk.

If ever you find yourself in Kansas City, MO, and are in need of setting up a new apartment or just stocking up on (random) basics, this is your place.
For a better idea of what this place is like, see this article:
Happy bargain hunting!