Make a trip to the Marc's closeout aisle once in awhile

After proudly serving my time (5 years) as a Marc's cashier I was ready to move on to bigger and better things. However, if anything my love for the Northeastern Ohio grocery chain has only heightened since my quitting. Their prices are pretty good, somewhere between Giant Eagle and Walmart I'd say, and personally I think it's great to support a local business started by a nice man with a white mustache and a good sense of humor.

In particular, Marc's closeouts section is great for a lot of things, and each store's section differs. But some of my favs around me are:

Skintimate shaving lotion and other beauty products (Skintimate $1.99)
Packs of panties ($1.99-$2.99)
Purses ($1.99-$9.99)
Bras (up to size C I think $1.99, though only some locations have these)
Seasonal items (I just bought a tent for $16!)
Ear buds ($2.88-$5.00)
Shower curtains: (about $3-$5)
Loofahs ($.25)
Hair stuff (many headbands, clips, and bobby pins are 2/$1)
There's also hardware, rugs, kitchenware, baby stuff, kids' toys, photo frames and albums, rugs, baskets and boxes, furniture, sheets and so much more!

Literally every time I run in to buy some groceries I am sucked in to the closeout section "just take a quick peak," only to finally get to the rest of my shopping 20 minutes later. People used to hand me a pile of closeout items at my register in addition to the milk and bread they bought saying, "I always end up getting so much more than I came in for!"

However, the closeout section at Marc's can actually be very beneficial to your budget as long as you follow a few simple guidelines.

1. Try to keep to buying things that you need. I'm not just talking shaving cream and shelving units here, though those are def needed at times. Marc's has recently started getting a lot of old clothes and shoes from Target (the Xhilaration brand of junior's clothing) I recently bought a pair of grey heels and a pink sundress each for $3. Since my heel collection isn't what it used to be and it's hard to find a sundress that actually fits me, these were things I was in the market for and it's a lot cheaper to buy them at Marc's than anywhere else. So I took advantage of the steal!

2. Keep your treats under a certain amount. Mine is $10 bucks. If you do see a few items you want but don't really need (a new car air freshener, nail polish, a cute purse) try to keep it under a certain amount. If you're going to treat yourself it's a lot more affordable to do it at Marc's than a lot of other places.

The drawbacks:
1. Marc's only takes cash, check, or Discover card so plan ahead!
2. Marc's accepts coupons on everything else, except the closeout stuff :-(

I always try to make an effort to check Marc's before I go buy anything. And if you see something you want you better get it fast, because it may not be there when you come back!

Use the store locator at the left of the homepage to find the Marc's nearest you! Happy shopping!