Buying in bulk typically boils down to just following simple, yet sensible guidelines.
Depending on your goal, if it’s to at the very least save money, read and apply these steps and tips to help save you a significant amount of money, buying in bulk doesn’t have to be stressful.
These tips may also apply to plenty of other grains, or pseudo-cereals. You can use the following tips to safely make your foods last longer.
1. How buying in bulk can save money
Buying in bulk makes sense when you’re going for foods that you’ll have an ongoing need for. With the cost of food on the rise, a trip to your local grocery store can leave you with an expensive bill to pay.
At one point or another, people normally turn to making purchases in bulk. However, buying in bulk does not mean you’ll be spending less, and that it’ll be cheaper.
As mentioned, there are several guidelines that you should follow, they’ll help to understand a few important factors to consider before spending on a wholesale store membership for example.
The price per unit, or cost per unit (or ounce) is almost always the most important factor when buying in bulk, because more often than not you’re saving money per unit, which does adds up to your total savings over time.
The primary goal is to minimize the long term cost per unit, and not to buy in large quantities for as little as possible.
Just about all stores have this information available on the corner of the label of the product shelf, however if the price tag isn’t there, you can run the calculation yourself.
How to calculate the price per unit
Grab your phone, or pen and paper. Find out how many units you’re planning to buy, and divide the total price of the product by the number of units being purchased.
This is the most important step, and tip to making sure that you’re actually saving money with your bulk purchases.
summary
The goal of buying in bulk, is to buying a ton when the price per unit is at it’s lowest.
2. When to avoid buying in bulk
Just because the price per unit might be lower when buying in bulk, doesn’t mean that it’s the best choice for that specific item.
Don’t waste time, and money buying something you’ve never personally used or tried it before.
Products might not be working as intended, or depending if it’s food it can easily go bad if not properly stored.
On a side note, avoid buying perishable foods in bulk unless it’ll be consumed within the first couple of days. From time to time, you’ll find great deals on fresh items, however more often than not you’ll be throwing most of it out.
3. Stacking coupons
There isn’t a better time to buy items in bulk then when you can stack coupons along with the products being purchased.
Remember that the goal, first and foremost is to minimize the price per unit (or cost per unit), but when you add coupons on top of it, you can save a stupendous amount of money.
Regardless if it’s an item you haven’t tried it before, if you see a coupon that looks interesting then hold onto it until there’s a sale going on at your local store.
There’s coupons for so many variety of products, especially food items, as we all should try new foods every once in a while.
4. Avoid the buying in bulk frenzy
When someone starts buying a lot of items in bulk they tend to go on a bulk buying frenzy.
It often gets so out of control, to the point where budgeting becomes impossible, overly spending money when buying per unit instead of making bulk purchases would save more money, and the only outcome is debt.
Planning what you’re going to buy ahead of time is a must, especially for people who top purchases with coupons to maximize their savings.
Write down and stick to your weekly, or monthly bulk purchasing plan, and never buy more than you need. Over-buying can lead to many problems.
Buying in bulk online, or for resale
Another great way to save money, and time is purchasing all these bulk items online from trusted stores.
You can apply, search and even use apps to keep track of coupons you can use, track your total savings on each items that you’ve previously purchased to better understand how to save more.
5. Properly storing bulk foods
Just about all bulk foods needs to be stored in an airtight container.
Dairy
If you have dairy products, it’s very important to place them on the back of the fridge, so they stay near the coldest part of the fridge as to not spoil faster.
Keep an eye out in case there isn’t any space for more dairy items in the back, if the milk isn’t properly stored the most obvious clue if it’s gone bad is when there’s an unpleasant odor.
Quinoa
Cooked quinoa doesn’t last as long as raw quinoa, so it’s important to only cook as much as you’ll be eating within a 7 day period.
Raw quinoa can last up to 3-4 years when stored in airtight containers in a dry, and cool area.
As mentioned, cooked quinoa should only stay on the fridge in an airtight container up till 7 days, but in the freezer it can last up till a year and 6 months.
When you buy quinoa, picking the one of the best quinoa brands is going to save you money in the long run, especially the brands who maintain the same quality in their bulk items as they do in the smaller sized items.
Grains and seeds
Air, moisture and head are the enemies of grains and seeds. All grains should be stored in airtight containers, with lids that are tight-fitting.
Zip-top plastic bags glass and aluminium containers are the most preferable to be used, as long as they are airtight which will help flavors, and moisture from nearby foods while keeping them freshly contained.
