A Beginner’s Guide To Buying In Bulk

There are plenty of reasons why people are buying in bulk. For starters, bulk shopping helps to minimize your environmental impact as you get to reduce the use of single-use packaging and plastic bags. Bulk shopping also lets you enjoy massive savings and reduce the need for you to make repeated visits to the store. For those who are new, buying in bulk may be intimidating. However, we have put together a fool-proof beginner’s guide to bulk shopping so you can learn the best of this practice.

First Rule of Bulk Shopping

The first rule is to only shop for products that you make use of in large quantities. It may be tempting to make the most of any bulk savings you can find, but it is best to reserve your budget for products that you do use regularly. Bulk shopping unnecessarily will just create more waste and take up valuable space in your home which will eventually incur more costs in the long run. Ask yourself the following questions before going bulk shopping:

·         Am I going to use this in the future?

·         Have I used this in the past?

·         Do I consume a lot of this item?

·         Is it something that I need to replenish frequently?

Things to Buy in Bulk

The best bulk purchases are products that you actually use frequently and need to be replenished. Some of the categories of such products include the following:

·         Toilet paper

·         Kitchen towels

·         Toothpaste

·         Soap/Shampoo

·         Pasta

·         Cooking oils

·         Nuts

·         Rice

There are many stores that offer sections with bulk bins with these said items. Bulk bins are large-sized canisters that contain unpackaged foods. Customers are allowed to measure the amount of food that they need and place it inside their own packaging. This makes bulk shopping a really eco-friendly alternative. Always remember to bring your own reusable containers to remain environmentally friendly when bulk shopping.

Things Not to Buy in Bulk

Not all bulk items are created the same. When you plan your bulk purchases, you can prevent waste and reap even greater savings. However, purchasing the wrong items in bulk may eventually cost you even more and have a negative environmental impact. Some of the items that you should avoid buying in bulk include perishable foods like fish, poultry, produce, and fruits. They have a limited shelf life and cannot be stored for long. You should only buy them in bulk if you are looking to cook a large meal and can use them before they go bad.

How to Tell if You Are Getting a Good Deal

Always remember the term: price per unit. This is how much you pay for a specific amount of items. Some other common terms may also include price per ounce or price per pound. To find the price per unit, make use of the formula below:

·         price per unit = total price of item/quantity or weight of purchased items

For the best bulk shopping deals, the price per unit should be much lower than buying in individual quantities.