This week’s Tuesday Tip, buy in bulk, reduce packaging. Cashier’s may look at me strangely when I tell them to skip the bags, especially when large, bulk items can easily be carried to my car via a cart. Yet, I don’t mind because I’m saving money and reducing my waste.
Tip #17: Buy in bulk to save money and reduce the amount of packaging!
Buying in bulk saves money
- Bulk items often cost less per ounce or per item unit. The best way to gauge if purchasing a larger quantity will save you money is to look at the item per ounce or per unit price. It’s usually the very tiny print in the left corner of the price tag, convenient, no? For instance, larger boxes of cereal may cost 12 cents per ounce versus a smaller box of the exact same cereal at 22 cents per ounce. That’s a 10 cent difference per ounce! Be sure to bring your magnifying glass when shopping for the best deal. 😉
Bulk items are often wrapped in less packaging
- Less packaging means less waste. Not all bulk items come with less packaging. My cereal example above is one example where the packaging is equivalent. However, paper goods like toilet paper, or cleaning supplies, like sponges and cloths, often are packaged using less material when purchased in large quantities versus individually wrapped items. Less trash is good for the environment.
What items do you purchase in bulk? Do you have space for bulk purchases?
6 Comments
I buy in bulk when I can — mostly non-perishable items. Our supermarkets show the ‘unit price’ so it’s quite easy to compare the cost by weight of that small box to that of the bigger boxes! Unless there’s some crazy sale going on, the larger packages are almost always cheaper overall.
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@RainyDaySaver – Boxed items are great for buying in bulk, especially cereal. I’m a huge cereal lover (I’ve been known to eat it for dinner!) and the larger boxes usually equate to a better price. Our grocery stores also list the unit or item price, so I don’t have to calculate it very often on my own, thank goodness.
@Jacq – Being a walking calculator can come in handy! Luckily, I have a calculator on my phone that I use if I need to. 😉
I usually buy in bulk for things, especially non-perishable items.
I bought in bulk for my dog’s raw dog food, but that kind of backfired on me a bit. My dog became allergic and I couldn’t use the foods I bought him already. =) So I have prime freezer space used up for raw meat. =)
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I buy some things in bulk, it all depends. Bulk is not always cheapest, I have been shocked when I read the per ounce price on certain items and found that smaller was actually cheaper. I think stores are just assuming everyone will just grab the largest item and think they have a deal and walk off. Not me. I scrutinize everything.
One thing I hate about some bulk packages is when they ‘double wrap’. For instance, the wrap each individual four pack of toilet paper and then rewrap it in a 24 pack or whatever.
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@Everyday Tips – Thanks for mentioning the per item price. Sometimes the larger items aren’t the best deal, that per item price in really small print is a much better indicator of value. I’ve also noticed some bulk items have way too much packaging. I try to select items with one large wrapper on the outside and no internal wrappers. Too much waste!