OK all my Frugal Friends, I have a question for you.
IS IT REALLY CHEAPER TO BUY IN BULK AT A CLUB LIKE SAM'S?
I am looking at
every way possible to get more for my money concerning our grocery budget. Everything I read says buying in bulk is cheaper. I agree to some extent. The only way it isn't worth it is if you don't use what you buy or it spoils. I think I am to the point now in my ability that I feel confident in making good use of what I buy but.....is it really cheaper to pay the annual fees for the few things I would buy in bulk? There are some things that I know I could get more cheaply at a supermarket or the
mega store because I shop the store brands. Sam's doesn't always carry many house brands. Or they didn't when I last shopped there. Anyone have any tips for me when buying in bulk. I would be most interested in buying produce (that I could use up), Meats, dairy, and toilet paper,
laundry detergent and dish detergent. I know they are good for small appliances, but is it worth the fees? We don't need those things EVERY year. Are their office supplies and clothes worth it? Is it worth it for just those items?
Areas of Change:~I have found a day old bread outlet for our breads, and the milk at
Br@ums is about .50 cheaper than at the
mega store. So I stock up there and freeze it.
~I am also doing more cooking from scratch.
~I am trying to phase out pre-packaged convenience foods and snacks.
~When we aren't traveling so much I do one shopping trip a month and that really helps me save.
~I am trying hard to do more do ahead meal prep like chopping the onions and peppers and freezing, double batches for the freezer....
~Dried beans instead of canned (the convenience of canned beans is hard to let go of)
Tell me your tricks for getting the most bang for your buck at the supermarket. If you are local and know of a farmer's market let me know!
9 comments:
I didn't buy a lot there, but that was a different stage in life, in DC. I've heard the savings in diapers alone are worth it, but I didn't buy diapers there. Oh, at least at Costco, you can go in with another family member and split the cost of the yearly membership. You might try that with your mom or sister. I did it with my mom and only paid $15 for the year.
There is a farmer's market in WF at 8th and Ohio (old downtown)...it's pretty decent. :) For us (with the bulk stores available here), the fee was not worth it for only the things you mentioned, BUT some of that may have been due to my own lack of discipline and planning at the time. We also have access to the commissary (and the coupons they supply), so that made a difference in our assessment too...
Let me know what you find out. I'm in a similar grocery dollar-saving endeavor...
Okay, we definitley saved money at Costco, which I love. I'm still sad that they don't have one here. Not everything is cheaper, though, so you have to look out. The things I always get at Costco are milk, butter, fruits and veggies, pasta, trash bags, scotch-bright scrubbie sponges, coffee, and beans. Oh, that's my solution to the bean issue. I mostly do dried because they just taste better to me and they are TONS cheaper. But at Costco you can get a giant can for about 2 bucks. I use a measuring cup and scoop them into ziplocs and put them in the freezer. You can get the equivalent of about 8 or so cans of beans out of one giant can. That's CHEAP. A bit of a hassle, but cheap. Ziplocs are another thing that I get there. Oh, and toilet paper. And batteries. And books. They have terrific kids books. Ketchup. If you're into canned greenbeans they're cheaper there, too. The list goes on...
The way I figured this out? I actully made a spreadsheet of every grocery item that I buy and compared prices between Costco and Walmart (which I hate). There are a few things that were not cheaper but they weren't more expensive so I just got them there anyway. Then there is some stuff that you have to watch out on. I also get all of our homeschool/office supplies there because it is SO much cheaper.
So, take it or leave it, but that's my thoughts on buying bulk. And I LOVE being able to get it all at once and not having to go back. To us it is absolutely worth the fee. You make up for it in no time.
Good luck, you frugal thing, you. Love you!
Kelli,
I just heard about something that I've started doing. I don't know if your Wal-Mart does it, but I've heard all of them do it, you'll just have to ask. Our Wal-Mart will price match most ad deals (except for % off deals or buy 1 get one) for any store in our area which includes Sherman and McKinney. So I go online and research the ads for that week and find the really great deals on things at Kroger, Brookshire's, Albertsons, etc. Then I print out a little grocery list from each stores sites which will include all the info you need for the price match. Then I take it to Wal-Mart with me and when I check out I just put all my price match items at the end and tell the cashier. As they are checking out my price match items I just tell them the price at the competing store and they give it to me. I saved about $30 last week on items getting all the really great prices. I think every Wal-Mart has their own rules on what stores they will price match and how you do it, but I know a lot of people who do the same thing! It takes a little research and time, but it's worth it in the end. It took me a couple of hours last week to make my list and meal plan and go through coupons and then research online, but if you look at it, it's like making $15 an hour!! I have never been a huge fan of Sam's and Costco, just because I felt like i could find a better deal with sales and non-name brands, but I think sometimes it's worth it! I think we all are in need of a break in the food area lately! Sorry so lengthy!!
Hi Kelli,
I found this link to farmer's markets in your area that could be useful - http://www.picktexas.com/farm_market/wichita.htm.
We find that it's worth doing some shopping at Sam's. We buy tons of milk and get a much better deal at Sam's than at Walmart. We save at least 50 cents a gallon compared to Walmart, about a dollar savings per gallon than if we buy at SuperTarget or a local grocery store. That adds up when you're buying 5+ gallons every other week or so. They have better deals on diapers, tp, paper towels, much better deals on meat like chicken, and for the same price you'd pay at Walmart for fruit, you get twice the amount. Spices are also a great deal there. I definitely think you'd save over the long haul!
As for beef, if you haven't all ready, you might want to consider researching grass-fed cattle VS grain-fed (what you buy at the grocery store). We found a local Christian farmer who sells grass-fed beef. While his prices are higher than what you'll pay at the store, the quality is incredible! This meat is also much leaner and full of flavor. We bought 1/4 cow from him and have our freezer stocked. It's nice to have it all handy for months to come and to know it's healthier than what we were buying. You can do searches online for local farmers who sell other grass-fed livestock, poultry (and eggs), etc. Sometimes you can get set up with co-ops and get fresher goods directly from local people. Just a thought.
Thanks for the helpful ideas! Thanks Andrea for the link. I can't wait to go try out the farmers market!
I didn't read what everyone else posted yet, but we have found that our meat is cheaper and healthier when we get it from the butcher!!! It's also MUCH yummier!!! :) I'm sure I'll think of some other ideas! I'll let you know if I think of more!!! ;)
You can also do online coupons and if there's a Target there and you have more than one coupon for one item they will honor them together!!! :) Fun! They have coupons on their website too! I have a friend who does a blog in my blogger friends! She's The Bargain Shopper Lady!
I have not found that Costco and Sam's are all that amazing of a deal. You could do an average cost estimate of what you buy...how much you save on those items and multiply it out to see if it equals the fees. Sometimes it is. But I've found that often I don't have room to stock the excess stuff you have to buy to get your money's worth on a deal. I almost always overspend in those places, because there are so many convenience foods marketed. Overall, I think if you are frugally minded, you can actually do better without it with the ways you mentioned in this post! Great thoughts you listed. Phasing out prepackaged snacks and such is a big one! I try to avoid those as well. It's funny, for the most part, my kids don't even like them. I stocked up on them for the space-A trip we just took, and nobody wants to eat them! Go figure!
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