ARVADA, Colo. -- More and more people are finding ways to be save money at so-called "salvage" grocery stores.

There are now hundreds of salvage grocery stores across the United States, places where you can get big discounts on all kinds of groceries as long as you don't mind a few scratches and dents.

Salvage grocery stores don't look like grocery stores you're used to but inside, you won't find the prices you're used to either.

"We have people of all walks of life come in here for the sole purpose of saving money," said Martin Palumbo, owner of Palumbo's Friday Store in Arvada.

Palumbo's salvage grocery store is a warehouse the size of two large garages with cement floors and bare white walls.

Palumbo takes in damaged, dented or discontinued products that grocery stores won't sell and then offers them at huge discounts. Salvage grocers' prices are often more than 50 percent less than traditional grocers'.

"Refried beans, which sell for up to $1.79 at your conventional supermarket -- it's got a dent right here, I'm selling it for 75 cents," Palumbo said. "Cake mixes can sell for $2 to $3 apiece. Our price -- 99 cents ... Juices, they normally sell for $3, $4, apiece. Once again, $1.99."

There are deals on organic vegetables, dog biscuits, even bug spray. Since last year, business is up as much as 50 percent.

"I automatically know I'm going to save money on my whole wheat pasta and the cheese is about 75 percent less," said Angela Wheaton, a salvage grocery shopper.

You can find almost anything in the store -- a can of pork and beans for $1, a box of cereal for $2. Some are good deals as long as you don't mind how the packaging looks.

Salvage grocers insist the food in crushed boxes and dented cans is safe.

"If it's not something I wouldn't eat myself, I wouldn't put it on my shelf," Palumbo said.

When it comes to expired products, health experts say buyer beware.

"You can probably buy it and use it safely past those expiration dates. If it's something that requires refrigeration, you may want to exercise more caution before you buy and consume something like that," said Susan Parachini, with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

She said dates placed by manufacturers don't imply when something is safe to eat but rather when the quality is best.

Food safety experts say you should be OK with what they call "shelf stable" items like canned goods and boxed items such as cereal.

But avoid things that spoil quickly such expired meat or milk.

And two things the experts warn should always be avoided after the expiration date -- baby formula and over-the-counter medications.

Customers don't seem to mind the dents, especially by the time they reach the cash register.

Like mainstream grocery stores, salvage stores are subject to the same inspections and regulations. Inspectors check that the facilities and the products on the shelves are clean and that cans are not severely dented or punctured, said Patti Klocker, assistant director for the Consumer Protection Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

But unlike other stores, salvage grocery stores are only open on select days.

Groceries eat up 12.5 percent of American families' budgets, on average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

People who frequent salvage stores do the bulk of their food shopping at traditional grocers, where dairy and produce are more plentiful and there is lots of variety for everything else. A trip to the salvage grocer, they say, is more like a treasure hunt -- what's available one week may not be the next time around.

There are hundreds of salvage grocers operating in more than three dozen states.

Most salvage grocers rely on word-of-mouth advertising.

And some salvage grocery store prices aren't much cheaper than Wal-Mart's.

For example, cereal can cost anywhere from $1.50 to $2 a box at Friday's store, and a 16-ounce bottle of Kraft salad dressing can go for $1.99. At a nearby Wal-Mart, the cheapest cereals sold for $1.84 a box, the most expensive at $4.72. A 16-ounce Great Value salad dressing cost less at $1.50.

As salvage stores seek more product to meet rising demand, some items have become more expensive, said Evangeline Anderson, who opened Anderson's Country Market last year. Palumbo said he has had to raise prices, but tries to keep them lower than bigger grocery stores by monitoring their weekly newspaper specials.

Salvage Grocery Stores In Colorado:

Arvada
Palumbo's Friday Store, 5636 Newland Way, 303-422-8562
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Colorado Springs
WestSide BargainMart, 3135 W Colorado Ave., Ph 719-685-4500
Extreme Bargains, 2727 Palmer Park Boulevard, Ph 719-448-0757
Extreme Bargains, 3190 N. Stone Avenue, Ph 719-471-8506
Extreme Bargains, 3112 East Platte, Ph 719-473-6974
The Open Box, LLC Discount Electronics, 2727 Palmer Park, Ph 719-448-0759

Dacono
Dacona Discount Grocery, 913 Carbondale Drive, Ph 303-833-5005
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Closed Thursday and Sunday.

Fort Lupton
Robb's Inc., 511 McKinley Avenue, Ph 303-857-1459
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday

Greeley
12th Street Pantry, 716 12th Street, Ph 970-356-7747
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Closed Thursday and Sunday.

Loveland

Esh Discount Grocery, 4221 West Eisenhower, Ph 970-663-1883
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Closed Thursday and Sunday.

Monte Vista
Sunshine Salvage LLC, 10978 S County Rd 5E, Ph 719-589-9069