Buying in bulk can be a great way to save money and stock up on essential items. Warehouse stores like Costco and Sam’s Club offer much lower prices per unit by charging membership fees and selling much larger quantities of certain products. You can save a great deal of cash in the long run, if you’re willing to buy in bulk. You can also buy in bulk at your local grocery store or discount store when there’s a great sale with coupons to go along with it.
But, what should you buy in bulk? Here’s a little list of some things to look out for to buy in bulk…
What to Buy in Bulk
Paper Products
There’s not many things more frustrating than realizing you’re out of toilet paper – right when you need it. To prevent this personal disaster, it’s best to stock up and buy in bulk when it comes to paper products like toilet paper and paper towels. Provided you have to room to store it out of the way, that is.
Personal Hygiene Products
Items like soap, shampoo, razors, toothpaste, and deodorant rarely go bad. Okay, they really don’t go bad, so it’s a good idea to buy in bulk when it comes to personal hygiene products. You can often find smokin’ deal on these items at grocery stores and drug stores during sales, if you have coupons to go with them. You can sometimes even snag some freebies!
Non-perishable Food
If you get the chance to stock up on canned goods, pasta, or white rice for cheap, do it! These pantry staples can be used for weekly meals or stockpiles for later. They also have an extremely long shelf life. If properly stored, they can last for several years.
Seasonal Produce
Yep, you read that right! When the price of certain seasonal vegetables plummets, you should consider picking up a large quantity of certain items. However, only buy produce in bulk if you can freeze or can most of it, otherwise it will go bad before you can use it.
Meat
Meat can be one of the most expensive parts of a family’s food budget. To save money on meat, you have a few different options. You can raise your own meat, or cut down on eating meat. Or, you could just buy in bulk. You can buy bulk meat in many supermarkets; just look for large bags of chicken parts, huge packages of hamburg, or large beef or pork loins. Buying bulk meat is a little different than buying other items in bulk, though, and it requires a little more work. If you buy meat in bulk, you’ll most likely have to separate, repackage, or even cut it. Another option is to buy a whole, half, or quarter cow or pig from your local butcher or farmer. You won’t have to spend time cutting up your own meat, and you’ll still save a bundle.
Batteries
As a general rule, it’s always cheaper to buy batteries in bulk. If you have a lot of battery operated gadgets, this is definitely one of those items you should buy in bulk. Just pay attention to the expiration dates, since batteries do lose power over time.
Gift Cards
There are lots of different ways to save money on gift cards, and buying them in bulk is one of them. Most warehouse and club stores offer packs of gift cards for discounted prices. you might also be able to snag some discount bulk gift cards directly from a company. However, you may have to buy several of them, which means a hefty investment up front.
