Buying in Bulk: Part 3

Sunday, April 20, 2008

OK so today I am ready to finish my pre-store preparations for bulk shopping. I have taken the time to narrow down what we use often enough to buy in bulk.

Now it's time to see how much each item is per size and unit, my receipts and memory to help me do this. I write the item name, the standard unit price and the price I pay per unit, as I often buy enough items on sale to last me to the next sale.

A brief example of what my list would look like:

Turkey Breast - 7eur / Kilo; 6eur / Kilo
Onions - .70 eur / Kilo; .65 eur / kilo
Juice - 1 eur / ltr; .90 eur / ltr

The reason I go threw this step is simple, just because it's bulk doesn't always mean it's a savings. If it is a savings, it still may not be worth to buy in bulk.

For example, every week or two soda goes on sale in the local stores. The sales and or coupon deals will bring the price down to about 90 cents. Where as buying in bulk only brings the units down to 1.10 euros. If I hadn't taken the time to see what I normally pay for soda over what the sticker price is, i would have lost 20 cents per bottle.

On the other hand they once had onions in a 10kilo bag for about 50 cents per kilo. this is a clear savings over what I normally pay. The thing is I can't use, store, or save 10 kilos of onions! If half of it goes to waist the price goes up to 1 euro per kilo, and thats more then I pay normally, so it's no bargain to me.

Now that I am armed with an accurate pricing for all the items I would like to get, it's time to prioritize them. What do I still have a lot of, and what can I fit. After I make all these arrangements I am ready to go to the store. I will compare my prices and consider price and the size and waist factor.

I will bring you storage posts on how I manage my space and how I save both meats and produce in the future. Please leave any tips or information you may have to add to these posts, as it's all still a learning process for me.