The tips and tricks to getting bargains when buying in bulk no matter how large or small your household is.
Warehouse stores that sell in bulk have become very popular in recent years. People flock to them in the hopes of getting great bargains. There are bargains to be had but just shopping at a warehouse store does not guarantee that you are getting a bargain.
Warehouse shopping is not for everyone. Obviously it makes sense for someone with a large family but what about couples and people who live alone? Warehouse shopping can actually be more expensive if you are not careful. If you are considering joining one of these clubs make sure you go first and take a look around. If you pay to join and only wind up going once you certainly aren't getting any deals. What you are looking for is whether or not they have things that you regularly buy there. If the club passes this test then you will be able to get bargains there. However, bargain shopping is not particularly convenient. Usually you cannot do all the shopping at a warehouse store so you will have to shop at a regular store as well. Bulk shopping does not need to be done on a weekly basis but it is probably best to go about once a month. Also, most times the warehouse store is not nearly as close as the local grocery store. You've got to gauge how much of a nuisance those extra trips to the store are and the extra distance. If you think that you would often decide not to go the extra distance or make the extra trip then you're better off not spending your money on a membership.
The first rule of bulk shopping is: only buy things that you would regularly buy. If you are trying to cut down your spending buy shopping in bulk but you go to the store and buy a bunch of things you never intended to buy then you are not saving any money. The safest bet is to buy household goods that you always keep in stock. Things that you use on a regular basis like toilet paper, soap, trash bags, and paper towels are all a good choice. These are things that even a person living alone will eventually use up. Not only will you save money on these items but you'll be less likely to run out of them. One caution is that you have to keep in mind how much space you have to store these items. Buying in bulk means storing in bulk so be sure that you have a place to keep everything.
The next safest items to stock up on are daily cooking supplies. Things like salt and sugar keep for a very long time. If you cook on a regular basis it saves a lot of money to buy all types of ingredients in bulk from olive oil and spices to flour and sauces. No matter what you are buying you can't just assume you are getting a deal. Look at the size of each item and the cost and compare it to how much it would cost at a regular store. If it's twice as much as you usually buy but it's also twice as expensive then you're not getting a deal.
Another strategy when shopping is to think of the things that you buy every week or two. If your household uses up peanut butter like it's going out of style then you know it will be a good item to buy. As long as you stick with things that don't spoil you should be in good shape. Canned vegetables, soups and pasta mixes are all things that can sit on the shelf for a long time and still be used. Perhaps the biggest pitfall is the possibility of buying something that will spoil before you can use it all. Unless you are feeding a large household avoid fresh fruits and vegetables or dairy products that can spoil within weeks. Baked goods can also be difficult. However, using the refrigerator can get you around a lot of problems. For instance, many places sell two loaves of bread together. You can freeze one loaf while you eat the other. Buying meats is also a good idea because you can freeze them and keep them a long time. However, it is best to separate the meat into dinner portions before you freeze it. Otherwise you will have to struggle whenever you only want to use some of the frozen meat. Before you buy anything that could spoil or get moldy try to decide if you will be able to use it all before it goes bad. Buying a lot of something and then having to throw half of it away will cost you more. Beware of things like large bags of chips which may go stale or big bottles of soda that go flat. If you normally wind up throwing some of these things away then be sure to avoid them in bulk.
Another thing to watch for is whether buying in bulk is causing you to eat in bulk. For instance, individually wrapped baked goods will keep for a long time but maybe they disappear quickly at your house. A lot of times the availability of snacks and treats just means they get eaten faster. If you find that twice as many cookies still only lasts the same amount of time then you'll have to stop buying that item in bulk. One trick is to only keep a week's worth of the item on the kitchen shelves and store the rest somewhere else to be brought out the next week.
Remember that buying bulk is not always as convenient as shopping from week to week but if you follow a few simple rules you can save a lot of money. It can also mean an end to running to the store for something that you just ran out of. Bulk shopping is different depending on who's doing it but as long as you keep in mind the specific needs of your household there are plenty of bargains to be had.
