Do you frequent Sam’s Club or Costco? There’s actually another reason to go besides the free samples! (Even though that’s usually the best part.) 🙂
Buying in bulk is a great way to save some money. It’s a little more expensive initially, but when you purchase bulk non-perishable items and things you use regularly, it is beneficial to your budget in the long run. My usual bulk purchases include coffee, chicken breasts, vitamins, toilet paper, and protein bars. Here are some things you should buy in bulk:
Paper towels and toilet paper.
These obviously don’t expire, so when you find a great deal on them, buy in bulk!
Cereal.
If your family’s go-to breakfast is cereal, you can certainly save money buying in bulk.
Plastic wrap, aluminum foil, plastic snack bags.
These are great to buy in bulk to have handy for a long time, especially if you have a convenient place to store them.
Hygiene products.
Toothbrushes, toothpaste, and other hygiene products are great to stock up on when you find a great deal.
Bottled drinks.
If you regularly drink bottled water, Vitamin Water, Fuze, etc., you can definitely get some savings buying in bulk instead of each bottle individually.
Detergent and cleaning supplies.
Again, when you find a great deal it’s a really good idea to stock up. But then again, you can’t say you ran out of supplies as an excuse not to clean 🙂 Another way to save even more is to make your own cleaners. Some of my favorites are homemade dusting spray and furniture polish and homemade carpet freshener.
Meat.
Meat is expensive, but you can save money by purchasing family packs of chicken breasts, or large packages of ground beef. To make sure the meat doesn’t spoil, freeze it if you are not going to use it immediately.
Another option I’m looking into is Amazon Subscribe & Save. Still doing the math on this one, but I have heard great things about it. I’d love to hear if you have any experience with it!
Overall, the real key to saving money by buying in bulk is this: Do the Math! Figure out the cost per ounce, item, etc.
Here are some examples…
(These are completely made up off the top of my head, they only serve to show an example of how this can play out.)
Scenario #1:
Breakfast cereal – 10 oz box at Wal-Mart – $2.58
Cost per ounce: about 26 cents
Same cereal – 40oz bulk box at Sam’s Club – $7.50
Cost per ounce: about 19 cents
That’s a 7-cent difference per ounce – every little bit adds up! In this scenario I’d buy in bulk – as long as I make sure it stay fresh by always sealing the bag and closing the box! If you end up tossing half of it, you’re not saving money 🙂
Scenario #2:
Toothpaste: 6oz tube at Wal-Mart – $2.97 + $0.50 coupon = $1.47 (41 cents per ounce)
Toothpaste: Box of 4 6oz tubes at Sam’s Club – $10.50 (44 cents per ounce)
In this case I’d go with buying at Wal-Mart with coupons!
To sum it all up, as long as you check for coupons and do the math, buying in bulk can save you some money!
What items do you purchase in bulk?
Want to save even more money?? Amazon Subscribe and Save is a GREAT way to save on househould items, food, and more. There’s usually some coupons available that make things even better prices! You have to be a Prime member to get these benefits but it’s totally worth it! Check it out here. (affiliate link)
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I buy pasta in bulk as well when it’s on sale and I have coupons. 🙂 It keeps for a while. Also, paper and hygiene products are great to stock up on. When paper goes on sale, I buy that too, to print coupons.
Pasta is a great idea to buy in bulk! So is paper, we have to have that to keep up our stash of coupons!
This list brings attention to a smart way to keep your bills down. I love shopping at Costco and freezing a ton of stuff into small proportions. A little bit of prep work goes a long way!
Yes, that’s a great way to save money! What things do you buy and freeze?
Thanks for stopping by!
I buy Marie Callendars 8 pack of pot pies for $10.98. Also the Eggo Waffles box has 6 bags of 10 waffles in each bag for $8.98. So you’re getting 60 waffles for less than $10.00.
Love these ideas! When we go to Sam’s Club, we also buy meat. Another thing on our list is broccoli (I think it’s $9 for 4 large steamable bags that are usually about $3 a piece at the grocery store) and you can get a HUGE savings on breakfast sandwiches! Jimmy Dean Delights are sold at grocery stores for about $6 for 4 sandwiches. You can get a box of 12 for $11 or so at Sam’s. Such a huge savings!
I always try to buy meat there too! There are so many things that end up being much cheaper from Sam’s Club.
Thanks for visiting!
Great tips! I have a storage room in my basement of things that I buy in bulk. Saves tons of money!
That’s great! I should try to set up a specific area in my basement too. Thanks for visiting!
I buy toothpaste,tooth brush, body wash in bulk at Bj’s .As I don’t find right coupon at the right time,I think going bulk is best . Great tips though. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, I agree that when a coupon can’t be found when something’s needed then bulk is usually better. Thanks for stopping by!
Love reading this! I’m usually pretty cautious when I walk into Costco because everything.looks.amazing! This is a good list to keep in my head and to keep my from being swayed by all the samples=)
Haha I know there are so many tempting things there! Glad you stopped by!
So many great ideas! I would love if you would drop by and share this at my blog party, Celebrate It! It is all about sharing how you celebrate the big and small moments of your everyday life!
http://thefreshmancook.blogspot.com/2015/02/celebrate-it-blog-party.html
I no longer have memberships to Sam’s or Costco due to where I live, but I do order from both Amazon and Azure Standard. I also shop at Cash & Carry when I am in the ‘big city’.
Items I purchase in bulk are: oats, flour/wheat berries, sugar, beans, rice, pasta, canned tomatoes. I’m sure there are others, but this is all I can think of right now.
As long as nothing goes to waste, buying in bulk really does save in the long run. Thanks for the post, Laura!
Laura,
Thank you for the wonderful share and information! As a daycare in Coquitlam, we recognize the importance of not only buying snacks and food in bulk for the daycare, however for new young families. Every penny DOES count, and we will be happy to share this information on our site for our daycare parents!
Two great take aways were the buying meat in bulk and cosmetics. Really, cosmetics are not something that are going to “go off” very quickly when you think about it, so that was a great tip! Thank you!
Jen
Rainforest Learning Centre Daycare Coquitlam
I use Amazon Subscribe & Save. It has saved me a ton on diapers, baby wipes, Epsom salt, and other items I use all the time. I also have Amazon Mom Prime membership, which is totally worth it for the extra savings and free two-day shipping. I usually get all my bulk item through Amazon, though you can’t get perishables, it has still saved us tons. I agree, you just need to do the math.
Your tips on money saving are just mind blowing! Not only the article on “things to Buy in Bulk”, but the others too.. I was highly disappointed when I could not comment on one of my favourites, “Financial Habits to start right now”. Take this chance to appreciate your effort in that too. People often take savings plans as granted, so am I. Becoming more serious on “Financial Planning” these days and also consulted a Fee Only CFP for a personalised Financial Plan. Good Luck for your future endeavours!