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How to Save Money on Groceries at PCC Community Markets

In today's world, where the cost of living seems to be ever-increasing, finding ways to save money on your groceries has become a top priority for many. While we love shopping locally and discovering new products on each trip to PCC Community Markets, who hasn't left the store at least once and been surprised by their bill? It happens to the best of us, especially at a store like PCC where the shelves are filled with so many amazing foods, beverages, and household items.


We've heard it before: "Why is PCC so expensive?" We've got a list of practical tips, tricks, and strategies that can help you save money on your groceries at PCC Community Markets. From smart planning to leveraging seasonal produce and taking advantage of special offers, we'll help you discover how you can make every dollar count without compromising on quality or your values.


Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, and more vegetables on a marble countertop

1. Become a Member

Is PCC membership worth it? Yes! Consider becoming a PCC member to unlock mounds of savings and freebies, including the PCC member deals. This isn't like a normal grocery store loyalty program... yes, PCC offers exclusive savings, but the best part about membership is that you'll receive free products throughout the year! Some of the free things we've received just in the past few weeks have been organic strawberries, cold-pressed juice, mangoes, and soap. Members also get perks at local businesses, including free tastings at local wineries and discounts at local restaurants.


You can join PCC Community Markets' membership for a one-time fee of $60, and enjoy a lifetime of benefits with no annual member dues (similar to REI's membership). You'll easily recoup the $60 within the first few months of becoming a member.


2. Shop the Bulk Department

Buying in bulk is a smart strategy to save money in the long run, especially because the bulk department lets you buy just what you need. On average, unit prices in the bulk department are about 15% cheaper than comparable packaged products. PCC Community Markets has arguably the best and highest quality bulk section in Seattle, so definitely buy your grains, nuts, spices, and other pantry staples in bulk to save.


3. Buy a Case of (Almost) Anything and Save 10%

If you know you're going to use a lot of anything on your shopping list, ask an employee if the product is available as a case. This scares some people because they don't think they can store a whole case of a product at their house, but in reality the "case" version of many products at PCC is no different than what you'd buy at Costco. You'll save 10% on the price of the product for purchasing the case quantity.


4. Buy Four Bottles of Wine at a Time and Save 10%

Similar to the tip above, PCC will give you a 10% discount on wine if you buy four or more bottles, even if you mix and match different wines.


5. Save on Bacon

This one isn't always available and even varies from one location to the next, but you should always buy bacon from the breakfast hot bar if available. The PCC hot bar is priced by the pound, and cooked bacon is incredibly lightweight compared to its raw version, equating to major savings.


6. Skip the Salad Bar Dressing

This tip is a bit inconvenient, but it will save you a few dollars on your salad bar purchase. Liquids are quite heavy by weight, and since the salad bar is priced by weight, the lighter you go on dressing the more you'll save. We take this one to the extreme and never put dressing on our salad, instead adding dressing when we get home with a bottle we keep in the refrigerator. Sure, you'll buy the bottle once, but the savings on each salad bar trip will more than make up for it.


7. Ask for a Smaller Quantity

Don't need a whole head of cabbage, or any full size fruit for vegetable? You can ask the employees to cut items in half, and they'll put the other half back on the shelf for someone else (who also likely has no use for a massive head of cabbage).


8. Shop the Seasons

We've found that the fruits and vegetables at PCC are actually cheapest during the times of the year when they're in season. You'll benefit in two ways, the first being the savings, but also that the fruits and vegetables will be at their very freshest and best.


9. Shop the Sales

This may seem like a no-brainer, but we're serious, you need to check what's on sale. For example, we just saved $20 per pound on Copper River Salmon with a sale that PCC was running at the time of this story. A few weeks ago we saved $12 off a bottle of wine. PCC keeps their sales updated here, and we glance at the page before each trip to see what deep discounts they're offering each week.

Discover new snacks.

We email you new snack recommendations each week to help you discover your next favorite snack.

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