Buying Food in Bulk

Buying certain foods in bulk has a lot of advantages, but it can be an overwhelming way to shop if you're used to buying "normal" amounts of food every week. It can also be frustrating to start buying bulk foods since you do have to shell out more money up front in order to do so. The truth is, I have shopped both ways and bulk shopping is really the way to go for a couple of reasons. I'd like to share a bit about my experience as well as some tips you might find handy if this is something you would like to undertake!

Benefits of Buying Food in Bulk

The only benefit I considered when I first started buying our food staples in bulk was cost, but I've found that there are a few more, too:

• Save money in the long run. For example, regular (non-organic) whole wheat flout is 78 cents per pound at my local grocery store. That is the best price I have been able to find in my area. But when I buy organic whole wheat flout from in bulk from Azure Standard, I only pay 50 cents per pound for a higher quality, healthier product. 
• Shop less. I actually enjoy grocery shopping, but since adding another member to our family it is much more of a chore than it used to be. Buying bulk foods allows me to shop much less often.
• Feed impromptu company. Having a lot of food on hand at home means you're always ready to whip something up if family or friends stop by.
• Be ready for emergencies. A good supply of food at home comes in handy when you face a financial or other type of emergency. It's good to be prepared!

How to Afford Bulk Food

Affording bulk food can be a problem at first. In our case, we saved up to be able to start making a few bulk purchases and kept doing so as things evened out. I've thought up a couple of other ways that families can afford bulk purchases on a limited starting budget.

• Eat really cheap food for a few weeks. It's not a very fun plan of action, but eating frugal meals while you save up the money to start buying bulk foods is one option. You don't really have to save either, you can just jump in and make your first bulk purchases with your normal grocery budget and then eat a lot of whatever you buy until you have more money to spend on other foods.
• Split the cost with other families. You won't have as much food on hand, but you'll all be paying a much lower unit price for the food you buy!
• Don't spend "leftover" money. When you get rolling with buying food in bulk, you'll find that your monthly food budget fluctuates. The first couple of months, you'll likely spend more than usual if you don't use either of the other tips above. But there will also be months where you spend much less than usual. In those cases, don't go out and spend all the "extra" money (I love calling money "extra" - hahaha!) on treats and snacks! Just put it aside for when it's time to restock your staple foods. It can be helpful to look at the big picture and try to set a yearly food budget rather than a monthly one.

What to Buy in Bulk

Any food that you use a lot of, that keeps well, and that is significantly cheaper in bulk is a good buy. Here are a few examples of what I like to buy in bulk.

• Flour
• Rice
• Beans
• Oats
• Quinoa
• Baking supplies - vanilla, yeast, cocoa, sugar
• Honey
• Almonds or other nuts
• Meat
• Spices
• Berries
• Other household items like toilet paper, feminine stuff, razors, diapers, etc.

I'd love to hear what you guys would add to this list!

Where to Buy Bulk Food

I shop for bulk items in a few different places. I have favorite places to shop for specific items depending on where I find the best price. It sounds kind of odd, but there are even a few places to buy food in bulk online that are well worth it!

• Azure Standard - I like to buy organic flour and some baking stuff like cocoa and arrowroot powder from Azure, and I usually get a couple of produce items with my order as well. If you live near a drop point I highly recommend checking them out! I also buy olive oil through Azure.
• Sam's Club - They have awesome deals on baking stuff like yeast and vanilla.
• Costco - We don't have a Costco in our area (yet) but I hear they have really good prices on a lot of healthy foods and even some organic options.
• Vitacost - You guys know I loooooove Vitacost! I buy honey, whey powder and supplements through them. If you check them out, signing up through my link scores us both a $10 credit. :)
• Local farmers and gardeners - We buy our meat in bulk locally and I also sometimes find deals on produce which I then preserve.
• Mountain Rose Herbs - Can't recommend them enough for bulk spices, teas, and supplies to make personal care items. The quality of everything I've gotten from Mountain Rose Herbs is unmatched.
• Amazon - They have just about everything you could think of, including storage options, all in one place. Be sure to look for "free super saver shipping" items to score free shipping when you spend over $25! (Easy to do when you're buying bulk food.)  
• Abe's Market - Known for all things green and natural, there are some goodies here - look for the "splurge" items like chocolate, coffee, and snacks more than the basic bulk items, though.

Storing Bulk Food

It's so important to think about how you're going to store your food when you buy in bulk. If you're buying meat and produce in bulk, you'll need to have plenty of freezer space. If you're buying grains and baking supplies, you'll want some large, airtight containers to keep everything in. I really love glass jars, but you can also buy large plastic food storage containers as well. If you do use plastic containers, be sure that they are specifically made to store food because some types of plastic will break down and leech nasty chemicals into your food over time. I do recycle all of our old whey protein containers and use them for bulk dry storage. If your family eats pickles, you can also score some pretty sweet jars if you buy the big ones. :)

I would love to hear your thoughts on buying food in bulk. What do you like to buy? How do you store things? Is there anything you'd never buy in bulk again? Have you ever tried buying food in bulk online? Please share your stories in the comments!