The Pros And Cons Of Shopping In Bulk
By Rozie37
@Rozie37 (15499)
Turkmenistan
August 15, 2008 10:42am CST
We all know that the price of food and grocery items have shot up sky high. Most people are tempted to buy things in bulk, but are you really saving when you do this. My sister is feeding a family of seven, including teenage triplets and a grandson. She mainly shops at a membership store called Costco, where you'll pay like $35.00 a year.
I was speaking with her last night and she was saying how her grocery bill has gone up to around $500.00 a month. She was also telling me how she use to purchase a huge bag of potatos for $6.00 and now it is $12.99. She has been doing her best to cut back. She was raised by my aunt, so I know she is an expert at catching a bargain, but it is still taking a major chunk from the budget of a two income household.
I found an article that weighs that pros and cons of buying in bulk and I thought it was important to share it with my friend's on Mylot. I know that a lot of you buy in bulk and during this time, there are many things to consider. So check it out and tell me what you think.
http://www.qualityhealth.com/psp/the-pros-and-cons-of-buying-in-bulk/featurearticles/featuredArticle.jspa?rf=29779&mc=MTQ0MjA4NzA.
5 people like this
15 responses
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
15 Aug 08
Buying is bulk is all about knowing your prices. Often what you save is a small amount sometimes you save big. Some of the big savings are usually on meat and produce items. When I buy in bulk I don't buy anything that is over priced or things that will go bad quickly that we will waste.
2 people like this
@Bluepatch (2476)
• Trinidad And Tobago
15 Aug 08
I don't really buy in bulk because its only me that I have to see about.
However the Pricesmart in Trinidad which is about the only commercial bulk buyers' supermarket in the country, does have a few items which are not available elsewhere.
So I buy some of these.
Other than that it is not necessary for me to do this.
2 people like this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
16 Aug 08
We actually don't buy in bulk and am not sure if there is such a store near where we live. I suppose buying certain things in bulk would be cheaper like toilet paper and sorts. Storing it would be a problem for us though as we have limited space in our apartment.
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
16 Aug 08
Nope, we are still here. When Matt spoke with the landlord she wanted us to stay for another year and wasn't going to raise the rent. We just assumed she was going to after our two year lease was up. So it looks like we are staying put for another year. I still think we can find something cheaper though. It does mean Maddy gets to stay at his school, which he is very happy about.
How are things going with you?
1 person likes this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
24 Aug 08
I buy certain things by bulk. I do not buy perishable things by bulk that I know we will not eat or that I cannot split with my friends. When it comes to buying dish washing detergent I wait till Costco has a coupon that is buy one get one free. Now my hubby and I do not run the dishwasher that often so the two canisters lasts us a year. I will not buy bread or things that will go bad before we can eat it because then we are wasting money.
1 person likes this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
1 Sep 08
I buy cat food in 20lb bags. I just bought cat food and I was amazed it all fit into the container that I put it in, which it usually does not. It now is 17lbs and not 20.
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
16 Aug 08
Since it's just my husband and I, we don't shop in bulk because most things don't last long enough for us to use. Now if we had kids or others living with us then yes by all means, we'd be shopping in bulk. Buying in bulk can save a family some or a lot of money but since it's just the two of us, it wouldn't.
1 person likes this
@LouiseKnittel (4764)
• United States
15 Aug 08
I love to buy things in Bulk. I will buy several packs of Meats when they are on sale! Bring them home and break them down into meal sized packages, label, and date them! Then pop them into the freezer. It is a little more Work but the savings are worth it. I do the same things with can goods on sale, Buy up a LOT of them and put them in the Pantry!
Anything on sale I will buy at least 2 of them.
Some sights that are helpful with saving money on shopping are:
www.hillbillyhousewife.com
www.prairiehomemaker.com
Yes they have unique name but they are chocked fill of good information!
Hope this helps!
2 people like this
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
16 Aug 08
When I was taking care of my friend's four sons, I did the same things. I will also stock up on products that I will always need, when they are on sale, whether I need them at the time or not. At any given time, you can find my place looking like a grocery store.
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
15 Aug 08
I am amazed that your sister can feed a family of 7 on $500 a month. She must be a genius and a wizard in the kitchen. I read the article on shopping in bulk. The author makes some good points and so do some of the people who responded to you. The important thing is to know your prices, knowledge of shelf life of different items, and the availability of proper storage. I live by myself but I do buy rice, oatmeal and flour in bulk and store it in glass and plastic containers. I buy 10 pounds of potatoes if I plan to bring a potato salad to a family event. Right now it is blueberry season in Canada, the cultivated blueberries. I buy 2lb containers at a reasonable price $ 3.99 in one market and spread them on cookie sheets to freeze, then put them in bags in the freezer for use later in the year, either to make a pie, some jam or put them on my cereal, or to snack in the evening. When the urge for junk food hits I just nibble on a few frozen berries. Yes, food has become a major item in my budget as well since I am retired on fixed income.
@dexterous21 (1180)
• Philippines
16 Aug 08
I used to shop by bulk because I have no time to go shopping on weekdays. I spend most of my time in the office during weekdays and I have just the weekend to go shopping. Sometimes I feel tired to go shopping every weekend, so I shop every after two weeks (during paydays). I felt excited doing this specially when we just moved in to a bigger apartment where we can freely cook our own meal. But we are just two at home, me and my roommate. She has a different work schedule as mine so we found out that we are wasting some our grocery items that we buy specially vegetables and fruits because we rarely eat together. Once, I invited my friends to eat at home so I can cook a lot just to consume the groceries that we bought. So we got the lesson, we have to buy only what we can consume.
1 person likes this
@annkenline (337)
• United States
16 Aug 08
I think there are pros and cons to buying in bulk BUT it is not always cheaper.
Sometimes though - it is just easier. You don't have to keep going to the store - especially with paper products and cleaning products. With food though - especially snack stuff - I think if it is on hand - you just eat more. Thanks for the article - I'll go read it.
@bowtieguy (5915)
• United States
16 Aug 08
I have tried to buy in bulk before, but since it is just me and my two sons I can't keep anything long enough before it expires. It dose help I guess if you have a larger family or a huge freezer to store all the food in.
1 person likes this
@bhappy2 (327)
• Australia
16 Aug 08
If you have somewhere to store stuff or a few families you can share your bulk buys (an the costs) with you will save a lot of money. Some people where I live go to the fruit and vegetable markets every week and really save a lot of money but because you hve to buy a lot it would not be worth it for one person unless you can freeze most of what you buy. Yep buld buying is a big saving.
@hllywdprncss76 (179)
• United States
16 Aug 08
Its just me and my girls that are 3 & 4 so buying in bulk isnt practical unless i had someone i could go in on and split the stuff. I always scope out the clearance rack in the back. The other day at Ralphs they had hamburger buns for 10 cents & bread for 25 cents a loaf. I grabbed about 5 pack of buns and 5 loaves of bread & put those in the freezer when i got home. I probably spend about $300 a month on food.
1 person likes this
@prettyD (123)
• Philippines
16 Aug 08
Thanks for sharing it..You know I think we shall set our priorities on what to buy and not what to buy. Me? I just buy things i needed, if i think i don't badly need such thing i don't buy it. I always limit my budget and i really stick into it. If i want something i'll make sure that I have some extra's good thing for me is that i am not a passive buyer. I am economical. I go for bargain. And in a way i save...
1 person likes this
@irishidid (8688)
• United States
15 Aug 08
For me and my family it just isn't worth it.
1 person likes this
