Thrifty Thursday- Buying in Bulk

One of the things I love most about being a homemaker, other than the family, is balancing the budget. We run a pretty tight budget around our house when it comes to material things and supplies. I have found that we save a lot of money by buying in bulk.


The last time I went to Costco, I saved money on bread, cereal, light bulbs, coffee, and milk. We have found that if you go to Costco and buy their generic brand you save the most money. Costco also puts out coupons about once a month for special deals. Here is my bulk buying, money saving techniques:


Bread is bought in double loaves. We freeze one loaf and use one loaf.


Milk is $1.00 cheaper per gallon than at our grocery store. We buy all that we will need in a 2 week time period. Some people freeze milk, but we do not.


Meat is bought in large trays, so we bring it home and repack it using our food saver.


Chicken- Fresh chicken is usually not cheaper. This is more of a convience item for us. The grocery store sales are much better. Frozen chicken is cheaper or about the same price as the grocery store.


Salmon is a great deal if you buy a large tray and repack it in portion sizes.


Cereal is cheaper unless you go to the grocery store with a handful of coupons.


#10 gallon cans of tomato sauce, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes are much cheaper. I make my own spaghetti sauce with these and freeze it.


Oatmeal is usually cheaper in bulk.


Baking goods are usually cheaper- powdered sugar, brown sugar, flour, and chocolate chips. These are all easy to store and great if you buy them just before the holiday season. Then, you can use some and store some.


Spices are cheaper in bulk.


When you shop wholesale you will usually get a good deal. The best thing to do is compare prices and sale prices at your grocery to your wholesale store. You will probably find that some things are cheaper and some things are not worth the addition space that is needed to store your items. What items do you find are cheaper in wholesale stores?


-Robin

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