Buying in bulk used to be the best way to save a few dollars but I noticed it is no longer the case. Just because something is in bulk packaging, or a large amount doesn't always make it a better deal. What matters is getting the best price possible no matter how it's packaged.
Also, there are different interpretations of "bulk" buying. Basically your buying a large amount of an item to get a better deal. But now there are bulk bins, where you have the luxury of buying any amount.
Considering the price first, why bother with a large amount if it isn't cheaper:? Just remember, if we are just shopping price, then we need to look at the price per pound, the ounce, gallon, quart, or the square foot. Look at toilet paper for example, as it's really easy to be fooled with this. Go by the square foot, then choose your favorites from the packages with the most square feet. Scott used to have the most, they not too long ago changed it, to be better. The square feet might be the same, but they made the actual square a tad smaller. Kind of like what they did with candy bars and ice cream.
I do bulk shopping on quite a few items, with my most recent large purchase a 50 pound bag of sucanat. Now, I know that sounds like a lot of sugar, but we do manage to go through it. If you think about it, it would be equal to 10-five pound bags or five 10 pound bags. If a lot of baking or jam making is happening it can disappear real quick.even if I cut back on the amount of sugar I add to those recipes. If I was to buy it on Amazon it would cost me 116 dollars, where I get it for $65. That's a pretty large price difference.
I made a trip this last week to a store called Winco. I don't buy produce there, but they have a ton of bulk bins carrying a lot of products. If I want organic oatmeal, I can buy a pound, or I can ask one of the sales clerks for a 25 lb bag. It's important when you are buying bulk that you are going to use it up before it expires or gets old. Sometimes it's hard to judge on some items, especially if you are new at using it. When I first tried out spelt flour I only bought a pound or two. We loved it and now buy at least five pounds of it. That is one nice thing about buying from the bulk bins, you can try just a little bit to see if it's something you even like before committing to a large bag.
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Of course, you should always shop with a calculator or the very least a pencil and a scrap of paper. For meat, always buy according to the price per pound, not the total price of the package. If you find a great deal on meat, don't just buy one package, buy as many as your freezer will hold, and still have a variety of other items.
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Now you have to put your bulk purchases away. I have a pantry in my garage, so I keep canned goods there, juice, extra coffee beans, my bucket of coconut oil, and of course, sucanat. I keep all items sealed up in the original package, or I put it in containers. For flour I freeze it for about 48 hours before I seal it up in a container. That ensures that you didn't bring home any bugs, and if you did, they won't spread. I've been doing that for a couple of years now and so far it's working. Another trick with flour is to throw a few bay leaves in the container. You'll have to look at the amount of storage you have, and the containers you have ahead of time so you aren't stuck with a ton of bulk items and no where to put them. I've heard of many different ideas for storage, including inside closets. I keep smaller containers inside the kitchen to refill as needed. My containers for the flours hold about five pounds each and were just over a buck at Walmart. My first choice for containers are jars or glass. I think it's the safest purest form of container to use. I haven't totally built up my collection yet, but I'm working on it a little at a time.
So do consider buying bulk if you find a good deal and you know you'll use it and you have a place to put it.
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