According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of food (at home) is up 10.8% as of April 2022, and with overall prices up over 8%, it’s no wonder many of us are looking for ways to pinch those pennies. Done correctly, buying in bulk can save the average consumer about 25% and can be a great option for even small households with the following tips.
Make a Plan
Don’t just head over to Costco and throw the largest items you can find into your cart! You have to have a plan. A plan will ensure you get the best deal, not blowing your budget, and save you from throwing away hundreds of dollars worth of expired items.
Budget
Plan to put aside a portion of your grocery and household goods budget monthly. For our family, this is about 20-25%. You won’t need to shop in bulk every month, but you also don’t want shopping in bulk to be an added expense when it should be helping to lower your overall expenses. Pick up a budget template today and see where all your money goes.
Stick to the budget. You don’t need to buy every bulk item all at once. As you run out of goods, prioritize them on your bulk shopping budget. Spread your expenses out to fit your budget and also help ensure you don’t have all your goods set to expire at the same time.
Don’t buy too much
Just because they sell it in bulk doesn’t mean you should buy it in bulk. There are three common sulk shopping traps.
- Fresh Food
- No matter how good the price, it is going to be rare that you have the storage method, space, or appetite to really capitalize on the savings of fresh produce or meat. Read on for tips to make that assessment for yourself.
- Food You Don’t Eat or Don’t Eat Enough Of
- You probably don’t need five dozen eggs for your family of three or the 50lb bag of peanuts when you have an allergy. Again, a good deal is not a good deal for all.
- Overestimating how much you need.
- We do not waste food here at Habitual Heart. Not only would you be wasting food and the cost associated if you overbuy, but you’re also letting that food take up valuable real estate in your pantry and mind. Don’t underestimate that cost. If a deal is too good, but the quantity is too much, reach out to a friend or family member to see if they will split the haul.
Know how to store your bulk buys
Two keys to being able to buy in bulk are knowing how to store items properly as well as having the space to store them correctly.
Let’s take meat, for example. Meat is highly perishable and is primarily stored in limited quantities because of limited cold storage. In the refrigerator, you are looking at a week, and the deep freezer will get you 4-12 months. Also, keep in mind that this storage is not free. There is a real cost to running large appliances like these. There are options to can, dehydrate, or freeze-dry certain meats, but this requires skills, time, and equipment. Keep this in mind as you make your purchases, and do not buy what you do not have the space or skills to store.
Taking the extra steps to ensure proper storage means less food loss or waste. A good example here is flour. My family of three uses about five pounds of flour a month, but I bulk buy it in two 10-pound bags. If I were to leave it in the original packaging, I’m risking pest infestation and exposure to air and moisture(=spoilage). Within a few days of purchase, I refill the airtight container in my pantry and divide the rest into Mylar bags. Both my pantry container and the Mylar bags perfectly fit five pounds so working my way through the flour without running a high risk of food loss is easy.
Storing dry goods in Mylar also extends the shelf life. Flour can last 10-15 years, well past the best-by dates on original packaging (Who decided that a paper bag was good enough for storing flour?…sus if you ask me). This extra step reduces the risk of food waste and loss but also sets our home up for emergency preparedness in that we have extra, shelf-stable food on hand in sufficient quantities for something unexpected.
There are tons of products out there that help store food for longer, from simple methods like airtight containers and Mylar bags to canning, dehydrating, freezing, and freeze-drying. Each takes its own mastery and cost investment. I will go into this further in another article but just know these products and skills can significantly increase the shelf life of most foods and therefore make bulk purchases even more cost-effective.
How to get a good deal
Now that you have navigated the pitfalls of buying in bulk let’s make sure you get a good deal. If you learn nothing else from this article, please learn how to compare costs properly. Sticker price alone is not the way to go. You need to be looking at COST PER UNIT.
You probably already do this in reverse when you shop for meat. You take a look at two packages of chicken breast, and you see that one is $7.43 and one is $6.89. If you compare by price, you might think that the less expensive one is the better deal when, in fact, they are priced at $3.99 per pound and the exact same deal.
Most stores make this easy if you take the time to look at the price tag on the shelf. Get in close and look at the unit cost and compare. Also, ensure the units are the same, ounces to ounces, pounds to pounds, packages to packages, etc. If the cost per unit is not displayed, whip out your calculator and divide the price of the item by the units measured, which should be on the front packaging or on the nutritional label. The more you practice price comparison, the quicker you will be able to find good deals. I personally don’t buy canned tomatoes unless it is better than $.68 a can in my area.
Here is a quick list of categories where you can usually find the best bulk shopping deals.
Grocery
- Cereal
- Oatmeal
- Canned vegetables and fruit
- Soup
- Rice, grains, and pasta
- Beans (canned and dried)
- Frozen food (veggies, fruit, meat, prepared foods) *limited by storage space
- Crackers, cookies, chips
- Nuts
- Sweeteners (Sugar, Honey, Maple)
- Flours
- Spices and extracts
- Coffee & Tea
Household Consumables
- Toilet paper (not shown to have significant savings)
- Paper goods (Paper towels, napkins, paper plates, and bowls)
- Coffee filters
- Laundry or dish detergent
- Cleaning supplies
- Sponges
- Trash bags
- Foil, plastic wrap, parchment paper, plastic storage bags
- Lightbulbs
- Batteries
- Tape
Beauty and Self-Care Products
- Soap
- Shampoo & conditioner
- Lotion
- Toothpaste, toothbrushes, and floss
- Cotton balls, rounds, or swabs
- Contraception (check expiration dates)
- Feminine hygiene Items
- Pain medicine
- Vitamins (check shelf life)
- Over-the-counter allergy medicine
- Bandaids and wound care
- Hand sanitizer or Rubbing alcohol
- Antibacterial wipes
Baby Goods
- Baby food and snacks
- Baby formula (dry is best)
- Powdered Milk
- Baby wipes
- Diapers
Pet Products
- Pet food
- Dog waste bags
- Cat litter
