Is bulk really better?
Have you ever wondered if the deal you are getting on that giant box of macaroni and cheese is a good deal? A reader answers the question today of whether buying in bulk will really save you money.
Bigger = Better, right? And bulk = bigger, so bulk = better, right?
Photo by: Matt Hempel. Used under the Creative Commons attribution license.
We live in a world where, for the most part, bigger is better. Many of us have memberships to Sam’s or Costco or BJ’s because we want to buy a lot of stuff at one time. Instead of a can of tuna, we can by 10 cans packaged together. Instead of a pack of gum we get a case of gum. For some things, this is ok, but is it always better? Let’s look at a few issues on both sides of the equation.
When is it better?
Save on gas. If you are making fewer trips to the store in a given week or month, then you will be able to save on your gas bill too.
The Price is right. When the unit price is definitely better than buying smaller items, and especially if you are buying staple items for you family that you know will be used.
Eat in, not out. When you can cook in bulk and have food on hand at a moment’s notice, thus resisting the urge to buy fast food on an off night or when you are out running errands (perfect with Once A Month Cooking!).
But when is it not better to buy in bulk? Ask yourself some questions.
Do you know the shelf life? If you are not going to use a product before it will go bad you should rethink buying it. Do you know the shelf life of the products you are buying? Do you know how long that chicken should last in your freezer, or how long that box of cereal should sit on your shelf? Does the deal you got seem as good if you never get to use or eat it?
No Vacancy. If you do not have the room to store the items, especially things that need to go in the refrigerator or freezer, it is not going to be worth the little bit you might save if you have nowhere to put it. Do you have anywhere to put it?
Unit Pricing. Have you paid attention to the unit prices when you are trying to shop in bulk. I have noticed recently, that the bigger box does not always mean that it is the better deal. Sometimes it may be better to buy more of the smaller version, again, as long as you have room for storage. Do you have a calculator when you shop to check the unit price for yourself?
Portions. Do you have portion control? If you can’t control your eating and you eat more just because you have it, then it isn’t lasting you any longer, you are just eating more between trips (you may need to divide products into portions if this will help you). It can be like going to a buffet and feeling like you have to eat more so you can “get your money’s worth”. If you buy more, does it last longer or do you just use more?
There is a time for everything. Sometimes it is time to go bulk, but sometimes it is not. There are pros and there are cons to everything and it is no different with buying in bulk. Figure out what works best for you, in your hometown, in your financial situation, in your family. Above all, make sure you do your research. When is bulk better for you?
About Angela
I am married to my best friend, I am a mother to a beautiful 4 month old boy, and I have recently become a part time SAHM. I love being a mother, and I love that it has challenged our family to take a hard look at how we live, including what we do with our finances. We are so blessed and it is now my goal to be a blessing to others through the blogs I write, whether it be about my frugal journey or my journey in motherhood. I can be found writing about life with my son at amcarroll.blogspot.com or about learning to live a more frugal life at simplypracticalblog.blogspot.com.
I’ve found, through the years, that stocking up on sales items at my local grocery & drug stores gets better prices than the hassle of driving to the rather distant warehouse store.
If I could be bothered to set up a coupon system (like the $5 Dinners blog), this would work even better, but I can’t. I just stock up when stuff I use is on sale. I don’t worry overmuch about brandnames vs. house brand. It rarely matters.
The last year that I bothered with warehouse stores, there was one on my commute to work. I stopped in regularly, but rarely found prices that I knew couldn’t be improved on if I just waited for sales. The only time it was useful was buying produce/meat in bulk for immedieate use for an event with a short planning period. I had about enough planning time to determine that, in the case of several items, regular grocery wouldn’t have enough in the building for me to get enough at one store. I’d have needed to shop at several stores to get the quantities needed, or else arrange with the store manager(s) to get the quantity special ordered. Heck with it, I went to Costco the day before the event & got it in one trip. The price wasn’t so important, the volume was.
That is what I like so much about Sams – they break down the price by amounts. It might be weight or packages, but it is enough to make it quick & easy for me to calculate if I’m really saving versus the sale price at my grocery store.
Some things I do save & some things I don’t.
One thing to remember about Sams is that their milk & butter are usually less than the grocery because they buy in bulk. Skim milk at my Sam’s runs between $1.44-$1.99 a gallon (it has been jumping around lately) but it is always over $2 at the grocery store (except Aldi’s).
I used to assume that all was better at Costco but now that I’m couponing more efficiently I know that some things are cheaper when I catch them on cycle and with a coupon at Kroger/ CVS, etc. However, meat is almost always cheaper at Costco as is milk [because my Costco has a non-BST milk at non-organic milk prices and that's worth it to me!] and cheese. Gas, too. It pays to look around and do the comparing. If you have an Executive membership at Costco you get money back whether you make the extra purchases in the year or not so – no harm, no foul.
I think this is where having some sort of price book definitely comes in handy! So far I’ve found that milk, flour, PB (a staple in my house) are much cheaper at Sam’s, especially if I don’t have time to run to 5 other grocery stores! But I only buy my toiletries at CVS or somewhere at rock bottom prices with a coupon. I think it’s what works best for you, your family, your budget, your time! But I HEART Sam’s Club! (with four kids, we never have to worry about expiration dates)