Concerning my previous “Bargain Hunter” review of Habitat for Humanity’s “ReStore,” Tess, at least, said I should “keep it coming,” so I will. Hopefully, more than one of you will care to read on…

United Grocery Outlet (UGO) out of Athens operates in four southern states, buying the overstock and closeout products of other major grocery chains and passing on to their customers savings of “up to 50%,” their site says. In my experience, that’s true.

UGO carries generic brands, “house” brands (especially from Food City, Aldi, Dollar General, and Dollar Tree, I note), and national name brands in equal shares.

A few of UGO’s products are available only by the case or in institutional-size cans, but the vast majority of their stock is packaged in sizes you are accustomed to buying in major grocery chains.

The UGO I frequent in Halls, which is the larger of two Knoxville-area stores, is a full-size, “full-service” grocery store with both pre-packaged and “butcher case” meats (and a butcher on duty), dairy products, produce, and a frozen food department.

Although UGO is careful to pull expired items from their shelves, because they buy overstocks and closeouts you will note that many of their meats, dairy products, and breads bear expiration dates within the upcoming week and certainly within the upcoming next two weeks. You will therefore want to weigh whether your household can consume or freeze items of this sort before their expiration date, which may be difficult because items of this sort are also those bearing the deepest discounts.

This larger, newer Halls store I frequent is at 6818 Maynardville Highway (on the right, headed north toward Halls, in the shopping center with Fred’s Buy for Less--which you must also check out while you’re there) and the smaller, older Knoxville store is at 6021 Chapman Highway. UGO also has stores in Alcoa, Lenoir City, Oak Ridge, LaFollette, Harriman and several other ET communities.

In the way of examples, here are some bargains I snapped up today at UGO’s EVERYDAY, not “sale,” prices:

Hormel “Always Tender” marinated pork tenderloin filets, retail $5.99/lb., just $2.99/lb. at UGO. (Expiration date December 7.)

Hillshire Farms 8 oz. tubs Deli Selects lunchmeats, retail $3.99/pkg., just $1.79/ pkg. at UGO. (Expiration date December 17.)

Hillshire Farms 16 oz. Kielbasa Sausage and 14 oz. Beer Brats, retail $3.99/pkg., also just $1.79 at UGO. (Expiration dates December 8 and December 1.)

Healthy Choice, Lean Cusine, and Smart Ones frozen entrees and/or complete meals, retail up to $3.29, just $1.79 at UGO (Note that only three or four varieties were available in each brand.)

Some other frozen food prices I jotted down for your information were multiple Michelina entrees (retail up to $1.29), just 69 cents, multiple Kid Cuisine meal combos (retail up to $2.19), just $1.49, a couple of Bertolli bagged dinners-for-two (retail up to $6.99), just $4.99, and a single variety of Green Giant bagged dinners-for-two (retail $3.99), just $1.59.

Among convenience foods I picked up for my dormitory-bound college student were Old El Paso Tortilla Stuffers at $1.39 and Healthy Choice Mixers (the dry, not frozen, product) at two for $3.00, both of which were about half price relative to major grocers’ prices.

I also picked up the same aluminum foil, wax paper, plastic wrap, and plastic zipper bags I used to buy at Dollar Tree for $1.00, as UGO apparently buys Dollar Tree’s overstock and resells the items for 79 cents.

A few last “regular prices” at UGO include 2 liter Coca Cola products, of which they have many types, 5 for $6.00 (or $1.20 each), Campbell’s soups, $1.09 (ditto as to variety), and all breads, $1.19 or $1.29 (including many products by Earth Grains, Nature’s Own, and Sara Lee).

Because UGO isn’t convenient to me, because I have to freeze so many of the bargains I find there, and because I have limited space in my 7 cubic foot chest freezer, I tend to visit UGO just once monthly or so.

For all those reasons, you may also choose to just “round out” your grocery shopping with an infrequent visit there—but you won’t be sorry you visited.