Updated: December 7, 2021
The price of items is cheaper when they are sold in bulk. This is a fact in almost every case. Always remember this when shopping, especially at the grocery.
This is a real way to stash away some extra cash in your pocket. And here are some guidelines to help you start with your wholesale experience:
How to buy in bulk in save money
1. List it down.
List down the things that you often buy and determine which ones you can afford to buy in bulk. Usually, these are items that you use every day like tissue paper.
This list doesn’t have to be long, simply start with your necessities.
2. Be a member.
Enroll yourself in a warehouse club. There is a membership fee, but the items are sold cheaper. And those that are usually sold retail in groceries are available in bulk in these stores, such as canned goods.
Besides, these warehouse clubs regularly give away promotional items and freebies to their shoppers.
3. Buy generic.
Always purchase generics whenever you can because these are usually the ones being sold in bulk. Go through your list and determine which ones you can sacrifice on quality and invest in quantity.
Cooking condiments and seasonings such as vinegar, soy sauce, and salt are your best candidates for this category.
4. Mind the shelf life.
Be aware of the shelf life of your items. Avoid buying products that will spoil before you have the chance to use them. Always consider the rate of your consumption to be able to determine the quantity you need.
One strategy I use is to tell my neighbors and friends about my plans to shop and ask them if they’d like to share the expenses for some items.
Not only am I helping them save money on bulk prices but I’m also saving them the time and trouble of going to the grocery.
5. Prepare your space.
Prepare your home for the influx of stocks. This is a good opportunity to organize and clean up your house.
Be sure that you will have enough and appropriate space for storage or else you will be compromising the shelf life of your products.
6. Go big.
If you don’t have the budget to buy in bulk or if you don’t want to stock on a particular product then consider just buying the largest available size for the merchandise.
Personally, I often switch shampoo brands so I prefer not to buy these in bulk but I would always buy the biggest size available whenever I buy one.
Be aware though that because larger sizes would require more expensive packaging, some items are not cheaper in size.
Do some simple math by dividing the price of the item against its weight or volume and see which one is cheaper on a per-unit basis.
7. Do the math.
Lastly, try to compute if the items are really cheaper in bulk. Simply divide the price by the quantity and see if it’s less than the retail price.
You’ll be surprised that some items are actually more expensive (maybe because of the packaging) or they cost the same in retail.
Obviously, you can skip buying these products in bulk. I learned this the hard way when I bought a particular laundry detergent, but I’m much wiser now.
Do you have any more tips when buying in bulk? Please share them below in the comments section. Thanks!
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yeah! nice tips! These are what I usually do also.. buy big. toothpaste, shampoo, etc. Hope more people will visit your site and learn things from you.
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Yes, I like buying out of bulk bins. They save money over buying packaged things. And I like to buy large quantities of toilet paper. My shampoo is a special one, costs more, but lasts a very long time because I use so little. Also, along with buying in bulk, and saving, I believe everyone needs to think about having their own business or second job in this economy, because while “stretching” is a great idea, it really helps to earn that extra income from your own business or second job.
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I usually buy my shampoo and conditioner in big sizes but found out that buying in sachet is actually cheaper and economical since it’s packed for single use already.
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When I still lived in the US, we held membership in one of the popular wholesale clubs. The PROs – discounts on services such as our internet provider more than paid for the club membership. CONs- few items were cheaper than regular supermarkets. Exceptions were items discounted from the wholesale club regular price, #10 size cans of crushed tomatoes for use as a base in making sauces, #10 cans of good quality baked beans (B&M was the one sold at SAM’s club) and genuine all natural maple syrup from Canada was much lower price than any other place. I made my own maple syrup but we did, sometimes, run out before the next syrup season. Extra virgin olive oil could go either way, it depended on the sales. We never made special trips into the city just to visit the club warehouse because, as stated above, the majority of our savings came from the discounts on other services we could harvest as members. When we were near a club and visited, any bargains were icing on the cake. Today, we hold membership at S&R wholesale. Same as Mr Fitz, we like the pizza but with a Shakey’s across the street from our subdivision, no need for a special run to S&R. When a trip in that direction is on the agenda, my dear Mother In Law and other family may tag along. It can be a great day out (WITH PIZZA) and some of the group scoop up a few products not available locally.
[…] Buy in bulk or choose the bigger package. However, be conscious of your available storage at home. Also, double-check and compute the unit price – some items are surprisingly more expensive in their larger sizes (like a certain coffee brand I know). […]
[…] Buying items in bulk or getting the bigger sizes are usually advertised by groceries as a way for you to save money. This is true only if the volume will match your normal consumption and you actually have enough storage at home. […]