Have you ever bought in BULK???

I remember I had just moved out on my own for the first time way back. I figured why not buy a big thing of liquid dish soap cuz it could last me a while. So this is weird but it's kinda interesting. I think it was a 5L jug or something like that. It wasn't even that expensive. But that thing lasted well over 10 years!!! I know I saved a bit on that. Plus the time of rebuying all the time. I know you can't do that with everything as some things go bad, but some things if you had a house, you could buy a bigger amount and it could last you an awfully long time.

So I started going to this bulk goods store recently. It's not bad. Like I estimated compared to buying from the regular super market you'd save about 50% off the food you buy from the bulk store. And a lot of it isn't processed and ruined with a bunch of chemicals. Your often buying just the raw ingredience, and therefor it's cheap and fresh. Like I think you could go shopping a lot less often by buying in bulk. Plus you save time as you don't have to rebuy all the time. Then also in the event of a zombie apocalypse you'd be a bit better stocked than the average dude.

I don't do tons of this as I'm not any sort of prepper, I think those people are a bit nuts actually, but I think for some things, like basics that you're gonna use up anyway, why not just buy in bulk and save some money.

What do you think?

this is the store I like: (this girl is the crazy cat lady)

reply to post by spartacus699

Have you ever bought in BULK???

Well, 'bulk' is a little subjective in this case because the word can describe anything from a case of something to an entire pallet (or more), lol. But, that said...

We've indeed found that buying in... well, say... quantity, saves money and by doing so, we don't have to use as much gas to shop as often as we would when stocking in smaller amounts. Locally, we have several options including the standard Sam's Club and Costco, both within easy travel distance. Things we buy in bulk include flour, sugar, rice, beans, pasta and various canned goods.

Oh, and right next door is a major university that has a history agriculture so we have what they call a 'meat lab' with an excellent stock of fresh meats that can be purchased in the standard sizes or in bulk size. From there, we have a meat grinder/sausage packer which produces ground meats as well as things like link sausages.

NOTE: Being football season, I would add beer to the list but our boy has his own little home-based micro-brewery and what he makes is just wayyyy better than anything on any store shelf.

My better half is an excellent cook as well as a baker and a canner so things like homemade bread are oft found as well as canned veggies from our spring/summer garden stock our five-tier, Sam's-bought set of steel shelving in the back bedroom.

Is it an effort to survive the end of the world? No, not really... I don't think I would want to be around for that anyway. But it is, in our view, just a good way to operate... to always be ready for what may come down the poop chute of existence.

I bought 11 fish last week from the commercial Indian fisherman at the lakeshore last week. It was a lot of work cleaning and freezing the fish but the price was right. I got two trout, three salmon, and six whitefish for 56 bucks. I also have to pick up my quarter of beef next month. I buy my potatoes a bushel at a time from a local farm source too, keeping a full bushel in stock at all times. Been doing that for years now too.

I don't even consider this practice bulk buying since I have been doing that for many years. It is our way of life.

I

Lol! Crazy cat lady that buys in bulk?!?

You just described my girlfriend. We have nearly 1000 rolls of toilet paper, 8 bottles of maple syrup at any given time, enough ketchup to last her kids through the apocalypse, just to name a few...
...and FOUR CATS!

I'm not really a "Prepper", but yes, I buy in bulk. I love to can, and will can anything. Meat, veggies, soups, stews, even homemade spicy mustard.
So yes, it makes sense for me to buy in bulk. I really enjoy having one or two days of hard kitchen labor, for a months worth of home cooked, healthy meals, where I only have to open a jar and heat it up.
And I am happier when my shelves are full!

the owlbear
Lol! Crazy cat lady that buys in bulk?!?

You just described my girlfriend. We have nearly 1000 rolls of toilet paper, 8 bottles of maple syrup at any given time, enough ketchup to last her kids through the apocalypse, just to name a few...
...and FOUR CATS!

If the SHTF it is very important to have toilet paper, it's main use is for cleaning up s**t

rickymouse

the owlbear
Lol! Crazy cat lady that buys in bulk?!?

You just described my girlfriend. We have nearly 1000 rolls of toilet paper, 8 bottles of maple syrup at any given time, enough ketchup to last her kids through the apocalypse, just to name a few...
...and FOUR CATS!

If the SHTF it is very important to have toilet paper, it's main use is for cleaning up s**t

That's what SHE said when I questioned her about "her stash" which takes up an entire crawlspace area...

But yeah, we would be prepared.

Sometimes. I look for good prices, and bulk or oversized is often good price. But rarely do caselots. Don't have storage set up in the garage or basement yet, too many kids in the basement for that.

And also, with X number of dollars, needing a large variety of items, bulk in one item has to be managed very carefully.

reply to post by chiefsmom


I only buy in bulk whenever there is a great sale on...for example tomato soup (wich we use it in dozens of recepies) when they go for 5 for 1$, I buy like 50 or more depending on the current budget obviously... other than that, I don't really as money is limited.

But I would like to start canning since I do have storage room for extras (crawl space). Would anyone know of a good site/or book to start from?

thanks.

the owlbear
Lol! Crazy cat lady that buys in bulk?!?

You just described my girlfriend. We have nearly 1000 rolls of toilet paper, 8 bottles of maple syrup at any given time, enough ketchup to last her kids through the apocalypse, just to name a few...
...and FOUR CATS!

pour the syrupe on the cats, then wrap them in toilet paper and they'll be mummies for halloween, then you can use the ketchup as fake blood and smear that all over the cats as well, then give them cat nip and make them go crazy and run all over the house.

reply to post by spartacus699


TP !
Second ply.

the owlbear

rickymouse

the owlbear
Lol! Crazy cat lady that buys in bulk?!?

You just described my girlfriend. We have nearly 1000 rolls of toilet paper, 8 bottles of maple syrup at any given time, enough ketchup to last her kids through the apocalypse, just to name a few...
...and FOUR CATS!

If the SHTF it is very important to have toilet paper, it's main use is for cleaning up s**t

That's what SHE said when I questioned her about "her stash" which takes up an entire crawlspace area...

But yeah, we would be prepared.

But say the shtf, then you can't use the toilet inside your house for very long most likely so then you'll be forced to poop outside, at which time you can just use leaves. lol

the owlbear
Lol! Crazy cat lady that buys in bulk?!?

You just described my girlfriend. We have nearly 1000 rolls of toilet paper, 8 bottles of maple syrup at any given time, enough ketchup to last her kids through the apocalypse, just to name a few...
...and FOUR CATS!

I think you have enough toilet paper, but only 4 cats?Personally id have more than 4 if the shtf, with the right potatoes and sauce I could eat a whole cat in one sitting.

Not talking about the apocalypse but if i I see something on offer I will often buy tons of it, chocolate, crisps (chips in the US), there is the space issue with where to put it all though, if you only have a small home hoarding it with toilet roll isn't that practical.

yes i love to buy in bulk. there was only two problems for me.

1. i had to have a pocket full of cash. i'm like a kid in a candy store. seen so much and wanted it right now.
and depending on the goods they can and do last a long time.

2. but, i can't bring myself to go to the wholesale store in my area any more, haven't been there in 10 years or more.
there's only one here, and i refuse to support sams/walmart. they hurt to many people, by their business practices.

latly i've been thinking about using my green dot visa to order on line, it's just that shipping might eat up the savings.

reply to post by spartacus699


There is a weird little house down the road just off of a fairly rural highway that has a five gallon bucket upside down and baggies on top with a sign that says "Catnip"...the way they look and are rolled reminds me more of something from my college days...I figure it might be a trap. Besides, the cats are crazy enough without it. I miss my dogs...

spartacus699

the owlbear

rickymouse

the owlbear
Lol! Crazy cat lady that buys in bulk?!?

You just described my girlfriend. We have nearly 1000 rolls of toilet paper, 8 bottles of maple syrup at any given time, enough ketchup to last her kids through the apocalypse, just to name a few...
...and FOUR CATS!

If the SHTF it is very important to have toilet paper, it's main use is for cleaning up s**t

But say the shtf, then you can't use the toilet inside your house for very long most likely so then you'll be forced to poop outside, at which time you can just use leaves. lol

Most leaves aren't two-ply and cottony soft.
And I would find a way to keep the well and septic system going...

reply to post by Teye22


Teye22 and everyone,

There's a moderate amount of nutrient loss from the canning process itself. I finally got a good food dehydrator and am saving a great deal of money by doing my own produce drying. For example, I dry my own burdock root ... the dried item at a natural foods store goes for $22 dollars a pound ... ridiculous price.

Things to be aware of when considering buying in bulk:

a. Yes, purchase budget must be considered carefully.
b. Storage life (shelf life) varies ... many people are unfamiliar with the relatively shorter shelf life of brown rice over other grains. That's why people who have followed macrobiotic or other natural living philosophies have their own home-sized brown rice husking machines. Unhusked brown rice (often called paddy rice) has an excellent shelf life. Oftentimes the Kushi Institute in Massachusetts (they are also online) sells bulk amounts of paddy rice.
c. Figure out how much storage space you have. Starting after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster began, I bought some sacks of grains, and bought 3-liter "Fido" brand glass storage jars to store it all, but ran out of "cool dark" storage space and have had to occupy my closet floor as well! It's always something.
d. There are 2 very big advantages of buying by the sack: 1) 10% discount for such purchases, at least at my co-op membership independent natural foods store. 2) Finding out where your bulk item was grown is priceless, folks, and there are always "location grown" labels on bulk sacks, yet I have never seen that type of information posted on the bulk bins in any market, because that information changes constantly and would be too difficult (and expensive) for any store to keep updated. Example: There was a sack of garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas) that I bought without checking the label first ... turns out that that sack was filled with garbanzo beans grown in Turkey. What's wrong with Turkey, you say? One word -- Chernobyl. Turkey has been hammered with radioactive cesium from Chernobyl ... that's a 300 year total radioactive life, mind you. That left me with a problem ... don't want to donate it to a homeless shelter ... finally decided to fill small bags to toss into the trash ... great, so now it will go to a landfill!

reply to post by spartacus699


I think the first problem you will have is that you say the food isn't processed? Processed food is going to last longer. I have noticed that most bulk food no longer comes with a bulk price, and even if you are paying a only a few cents more per ounce, you have a greater risk of spoiling, especially after you open the container. I am not a prep per, but I like to keep my staples over stocked, and often times by shopping sales at the local grocery stores I can by regular serving packages in bulk considerably cheaper than buying bulk packages. A lot of foods have seasonal sale prices, so if you know the season, you can stock up on these foods once or twice a year.

onthedownlow
reply to post by spartacus699

 

I think the first problem you will have is that you say the food isn't processed? Processed food is going to last longer. I have noticed that most bulk food no longer comes with a bulk price, and even if you are paying a only a few cents more per ounce, you have a greater risk of spoiling, especially after you open the container. I am not a prep per, but I like to keep my staples over stocked, and often times by shopping sales at the local grocery stores I can by regular serving packages in bulk considerably cheaper than buying bulk packages. A lot of foods have seasonal sale prices, so if you know the season, you can stock up on these foods once or twice a year.

I agree you have to watch what you buy. Some stuff is PRICY ahhh.