Each week, Columbia SC Moms Blog features ways for you to save money in our Sunday Saver series.
One of the best purchases I ever made was our upright freezer. It has paid for itself with the amount of items I’ve been able to buy in mass quantity at a great price and store for later use. It is an awesome resource on those nights when I’m just too tired to cook, and need to pull together a great dinner without much prep work.
I’m a meal planner. With a family of five (soon to be six), it’s almost a necessity. When I plan our meals, I rely on the fact that our upright freezer is always stocked with ground beef and chicken (which are staples and can be used in lots of different dishes). I buy these items (along with many others) in bulk when I know I’m getting a great deal, which helps save money (and time). Below are my top five tips for buying items in bulk.
1. Join a Warehouse Club
Sam’s Club has no competitors in our area, and membership for families is $45 a year. Sam’s Club is a great place to pick up items in bulk; including ground beef and chicken, canned goods and cleaning supplies. However, it’s worth noting that unless you have the space to store your items it may not be the best place for your family to shop. It’s also worth checking out the unit price on items that regularly go on sale at local grocery stores to see if the warehouse club is really giving you the best deal — sometimes yes, sometimes no. Regardless, it’s still worth the membership price.
2. Join a Produce Co-op
There are many different co-op options. A typical co-op is run by a couple of individuals who make purchases in bulk and then divide their bounty up among their members. Co-ops are generally mentioned by word of mouth; so ask around and chances are someone knows someone who is a member of a co-op.
The co-op that I am a member of has been in operation for almost 20 years. The organizer makes a weekly run to the South Carolina State Farmers Market and then returns to divide up her purchases. The purchases are accurately divided by weight. You are saving money because the organizer is buying in bulk.
If you cannot find a local co-op, there’s Brown Box Veggies which was started by two local women who were interested in forming a reliable source of produce for people in the Columbia area. Pickups are at various locations around the city on the first and third Saturdays of the month. They offer three types of boxes: their standard box ($24) which contains a variety of fruit and vegetables, an all fruit box ($16) or a salad box ($20). They also have additional items you can add to your purchase like honey ($7), jam ($6.99) and sauces ($6-$7). I’ve purchased a regular box and a fruit box and have been pleased with both.
3. Stock Up During Sales on the Items You Use the Most
If you’ve been meal planning and following the local sales, then stock up when an item you purchase regularly is a good price. A common item in my pantry is canned tomatoes; so many recipes call for them, it’s a necessity for me to keep several cans on hand! When Publix puts their tomatoes on sale at buy one get one free, I stock up. I keep a dry erase board on the back of my pantry door and it’s labeled “Immediate Need” and “Forecast,” so that I never have to worry about running out of something.
4. Sign up for Amazon Subscribe and Save
Try Amazon Subscribe and Save for items that your family normally uses and keeps on hand. This program has several advantages: shipping is free on your items, you pay only when your item is shipped, and if you maintain five or more subscriptions at any given time, you will receive 15 percent off your entire order. The downside to Subscribe and Save is that if you need it now, you are out of luck. Amazon will not send your first shipment immediately; they bundle your subscriptions into a single monthly date
5. Try Zaycon Foods for Your Meat Purchases
I don’t know how I discovered Zaycon Foods, but I’m glad I did. This company is based in the northwestern part of the United States. They hold “events” around the country where consumers can purchase high quality meat items in bulk. I have purchased chicken, ground beef and breaded chicken tenders from them, and have been pleased with the quality. Not to mention, these items last our family of five a long time.
If you have a smaller family, or not as much storage space, consider polling your close friends and relatives to determine if they might be interested in splitting some of your bulk purchases. This way you are still getting the savings, but you don’t have to be concerned with storing 50 packages of Charmin, or 20 pounds of ground beef!
What kinds of items do you purchase in bulk? Does it spread out your savings? Share your thoughts in the comments!
