Do you buy in bulk when you go shopping? We frequently try to on our many trips to BJ’s and Target. Paper towels, toilet paper, diapers, wet wipes, frozen pizzas…you name it we’ve bought them in bulk. The theory is if we buy in bulk the cost per unit is cheaper and we don’t have to worry about buying that item for a while. But I’ve been wondering…Can buying in bulk be wasteful?Let’s look at a couple of situations in which buying in bulk might backfire…
Items with an expiration date – We once bought a large bottle of Advil at BJ’s. It was something like 500 pills inside. About a month after it expired in our medicine cabinet it still had about half the pills. The per unit cost was cheaper than a smaller bottle but the bottle really ended up costing us more. Another time we bought a two-pack of Neosporin. The two cost only a little more than one tube would be at a retail store. I work out and we have kids so it seemed logical we would have a lot of boo-boo’s that needed attention. By the time they expired we were maybe half done with the first tube. And I haven’t even mentioned the times we’ve bought too much of a food item that didn’t get used! (Mmm…BJ’s blueberry muffins. Try to eat all of those before they expire!)
Solution – Truly understand the frequency you use a product! Look at the expiration date. Be careful with food and medications. Do you think you will finish it before it expires?
You have so many of the product that you use them with abandon – Ever get that huge container of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish? It a titan’s task to eat them all but I try anyway. Every time I see them in the kitchen I grab another handful. I take them to the couch with me and snack like a king. Why not there’s so many! Within a week they are gone and I sadly wonder where they all went (and why my pants are tighter). Did I really save or did my eyes get too big? How about paper towels? You buy that big package that should last six months. Thing is every spill, instead of one or two paper towels, gets a whole fistful! Gotta make sure you pick everything up! And hey, we have enough for a flood. After two months you check the closet for a refill and realize there’s only one roll left. Ooops!
Solution – Practice self control. Just because you a big supply doesn’t mean you should freely use it. Hmm…that sounds like a money saving tip, doesn’t it? Same psychology. Know what you are using the item for and don’t change you habits because you have a lot of the item.
Overall buying in bulk help us to save money and time. But I’m realizing it’s not always the best to go bigger.
What have you bought in bulk that ended up wasteful?
- Economic Stimulus Check Did It Help And What About A Second?
- We Did It, We Bought A New Car
- Frugal Shopping With BJ's Wholesale - Trial Pass
- Save Time, Money and Space in Over 80 Ways
- Quick Green Reads For The Weekend Volume Seventy Seven.
- Money Saving Tips: 122 Ways To Trim Your Budget
Subscribe to Free From Broke | Follow Free From Broke on Twitter
{ 1 trackback }
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Well that’s sort of the reason why I ultimately left Costco – buying in such huge bulk wasn’t paying off anymore for the reasons you mentioned. Anything that makes me buy more than I ordinarily would is not being frugal.
With six of us food stuff almost never goes to waste!
What I will do is repackage or hide some of the bulk items so they are in more normal sized containers. My kids will plow through those huge Sam’s boxes of cereal in a few days if I don’t hide half of it!
Spices are the only thing I can think of that it has not worked so well in large quantities. Spices I use a lot of like Chili powder are okay, but how many bay leaves can a person really use?!
@ Money Blue Book – I hear you. We still shop at BJ’s since there are items that are cheaper but we have to be real careful not to get sucked into some of their stuff.
@ Stephanie – Six mouths will go through food faster! I like the idea of repackaging. Might have to try that. And watch out for spices – heard somewhere that spices are only good for a year.
I take expired over-the-counter medication all the time. I don’t try to, but in general it doesn’t hurt – it just might not be as effective. I don’t recommend this without consulting a professional. My wife, a pharmacist, gives me a scowl when I do it. I explain my reasoning and she agrees with it. Of course, I wouldn’t do this with prescription medication – just things like Advil where I won’t notice effects of getting 170mg of medication vs. 200mg.
A Foodsaver will help you with your left over muffins. I almost never have anything go bad anymore.
We love Costco, bu just about everything we buy there goes in the freezer or in the pantry. When we get home from a Costco trip, we usually have about 5 things to go in the fridge (stuff like artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes that last forever in the fridge anyway). We shop there once a month and pretty much only buy stuff that will last that long.
you do understand how conservative expiration dates are for medicine, right?
shoot, here the law requires all prescription medication have an “expiration date” a year from the date it was dispensed.
food – repackage (foodsaver) and freeze in a deep freezer – nothing goes bad quickly at the -20F in our chest freezer.
So that’s two votes for using past the expiration date Advil! Funny as my wife just threw the bottle out (May 07 date). Have to admit I’ve been using them but my wife doesn’t.
We’re going to have to look into better re-packaging, freezing, and vacuum sealing.
I must admit I am terrible for throwing things out because in a moment of wisdom I have decided that it is a good idea to buy an item in bulk without thinking whether or not I am actually going to use them all.
nick’s last blog post..Making a No Win No Fee Claim