If you want to save money on groceries, you clip coupons, watch for specials or buy in bulk from a place like Costco.

But there's another way to stretch your food dollar. It's a best-kept secret that many people pass by every day.

You might call them specialty grocery stores. And thanks to escalating food costs, the secret's getting out.

The actual name is Grocery Outlet, a chain of independently-owned discount grocers that have been around for more than a decade.

For the most part, they're just like other grocery stores with produce, dairy products, all sorts of canned goods, health and beauty products, even beer and wine.

The main difference is what you pay. I found a 16-ounce bottle of Wishbone salad dressing for $1.49 which was priced at $3.25 at a regular grocery store. A 12-ounce box of Kellogg Rice Krispies was priced at $2.49 compared to $4.25.

The parent company buys directly from the manufacturer at a discount. The items include overstock items, labeling goofs, the end of a product line when one company buys out another and changes the brand name.

"Delmonte or one of the companies might make too much ketchup and they need to get rid of it before it expires, so they'll sell it to our company at a pretty good discount," said co-owner Scott Iverson, whose parents opened the Burien store 13 years ago.

I found a heat and serve macaroni and cheese side dish, which in a regular grocery store was priced at $4.49.

For the same money on the same day, I found the mac' n cheese, a 36-ounce bottle of salad dressing, a 64-ounce bottle of Hawaiian Punch and a huge box of cereal -- all name brands, with 3 cents left over.

Iverson says the staff at his store follows manufacturers guidelines regarding sell-by dates. Some require products to be pulled immediately once the date expires, others allow the products like cereal, packaged dry foods and canned goods to safely stay on the shelves beyond the expiration date, at the store owner's discretion, as long as they're still good.

But one local viewer says she’s purchased cheese where the price sticker covers up sell by dates. The dates turn out to be near or past expiration. So, be sure to check the dates carefully when buying perishables, especially in large quantities that might go bad before you use the entire product.

For many local shoppers, the Grocery Outlets are nothing new. Karen Sisson's been saving money at the store in Burien for years. She buys ingredients to make meals at a local senior center.

"I save $20 to $30 each time I come here." she said.

The tight economy is bring in more consumers like Chante Cole who until 3 months ago would simply drive on by. Now, she makes a trip once a week to save on her grocery bill.

"I save roughly somewhere between 50 and 75 bucks a week," she said.

The best kept secret is rapidly becoming some of the hottest news in town but it's not immune to inflation. Even with discounts, the price of produce, milk and rice are creeping up.

As with other outlet stores grocery inventory changes and you will find off brands you as well as famous labels.

Since the stores are independently owned, some stores are more esthetically inviting than others. Consumers report some locations are hit and miss in terms of what's available, depending on where you go.

But if you plan your trips right, you can hit an outlet store then finish your shopping a regular grocery store, and make it worth the extra miles you might have to drive.

Grocery Outlet has 20 locations across Oregon.