Okay, y’all, let’s talk about buying in bulk.
I personally love buying things in bulk if it will save me money. In the past, I have had some trouble with this because (a) I lived in a small apartment with no pantry and limited cupboard space and (b) our grocery budget was really tight. Now that we’re out of debt and we have a bigger kitchen, we have been buying things in bulk more and I wanted to share some of my bulk tips with you.
Since moving to Guatemala, we found that there were tons of foods that were so much cheaper (basically all the fruits and vegetables, and tortillas of course), but also a lot of foods that we were used to that were more expensive or harder to find.
For example, we like to bake with chocolate chips (impossible to find in Antigua), eat tortilla chips (surprisingly expensive), snack on almonds and put walnuts in certain recipes (crazy expensive), and use oats to make our own granola. Once we realized we were either not buying these things because they were too expensive, or feeling incredulous after we did buy them, we decided to start shopping at a warehouse store. This was a new experience for us, because in Canada, we never got a Costco membership or shopped in bulk!
Here are some things I have learned about buying in bulk:
1. You need to factor in the cost of the membership.
If you will only go to a warehouse store every once in while, it’s probably not worth the membership. If you have a friend or family member who has a membership, I would recommend going on a date with them to use their card, and buying them some ice cream or a hot dog as a thank you.
We signed up for a family plan with a friend (you know who you are!) which allowed us to split the cost, making it a little more affordable for us. Now, we go all the time, and we bring friends along with us to use our membership (you all know who you are too!).
2. Some things aren’t cheaper.
When in these warehouse stores, it seems like everything is such a good deal. Sometimes it’s not.
You need to remember that everything in the store is a name brand, and that sometimes it’s cheaper to buy something in a smaller quantity in an off-brand in a ‘normal’ store. Make sure you know how much you spend on certain grocery items so you can do a cost-comparison before you decide to buy something. Also, sometimes the price tags have the cost per unit or ounce – I always look at that to see if I’m really getting a good deal.
3. Temptations abound.
Oh. My. Goodness. There are always so many delicious things that are available in these stores! (For me, it’s the big tubs of candy that always seem like such a good buy. Maybe just because I love candy.)
Keep in mind that everything you throw into your cart could be between $10-$20 per item, so even if you only have a few things in your cart, your total can add up quickly. As with any grocery shopping trip, I recommend going in with a list and only buying things on that list.
4. Know which items to buy in bulk.
If you need ketchup, you probably only want to buy one little bottle, rather than a pack of 12. Know which groceries or household items your family uses a lot of or can store, and only buy those things in bulk. For us, those things are:
- Rice (it has a long shelf life)
- Oats (we make our own granola, so we use a lot of oats!)
- Toilet paper (can be stored, and is cheaper in bulk)
- Soy sauce (we make a lot of stir-frys)
- Eggs (can be stored for a long time)
- Flour
- Sugar
- Chicken breasts and ground beef (we freeze these items and then use them for the next few months)
- Cheese (this can be frozen – did you know that? We buy a huge block, cut it in half, and freeze part of it!)
- Butter (can also be frozen, and is cheaper in bulk)
- Nuts
- Peanut Butter
- Juice
- Tortilla chips (I really like nachos, okay???)
- Olive oil
- Powdered milk (for baking, granola)
Having the items that we use a lot of in our house helps us as we meal plan and as we stretch our grocery budget. We try to be sensible with what we buy, while also allowing ourselves some treats every once in a while so that eating and cooking stays fun for us!
I hope this helps you as you consider whether or not to start shopping in bulk. Keep in mind too that in ‘normal’ grocery stores you can also buy things in bulk. This is easier to do a cost-comparison for since the smaller items are usually right there on the shelf. This makes it simple to see if you’re really saving money or not.
Happy bulk buying!
Do you have any tips for buying in bulk? Feel free to leave a comment below!