Hey Friends! How’s it goin?
For almost a year now I’ve been doing a lot of ‘5 Things’ posts. I don’t even remember the reason I picked the number 5 the first time but I stuck with it nonetheless. But, for most of those topics, there are wayyy more than 5 Things I could talk about. So, for the next little while I’ll be adding to some of those lists, starting with Foods you Should Buy in Bulk to help save on your grocery shopping.
10. Nut Butters
Nut butters are expensive, especially if you eat the natural stuff that’s just nuts. But, when you buy store bought nut butters some of the expense goes towards paying for the brand. I used to try to stock up on jars of nut butters when they were on sale in the grocery. It lasts forever and is easy to store, so buying in bulk works.
But, recently I found another solution. The baking store I go to sells generic natural nut butter. It may not be ‘Skippy’ or some other brand name, but it’s just as good. Plus, it’s a little cheaper since you don’t have to pay for the brand. If that isn’t an option for you, find out if your grocery has a make your own nut butter station. I absolutely recommend that you take advantage of it because it’ll definitely be cheaper in the long run.
9. Maple Syrup/Honey
Maple syrup, honey and other natural liquid sweeteners are expensive. At the grocery store, even the smallest jars of the stuff can bankrupt you. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I always use liquid sweeteners in my recipes so I go through them like water since I bake so much.
A couple places I’ve found that have more reasonable prices for maple syrup and honey are farmers’ markets and bulk food stores. Once every couple of months I stock up on a litre or two of maple syrup and half that of honey. It may not be as convenient as picking some up in the grocery but the savings are worth it, I promise.
8. Flour
This one is iffy as flour can go bad, especially in warmer climates. There’s nothing worse than pulling the flour out of the back of the pantry to finally make those brownies you’ve been craving only to find it overrun with weevils. Not fun. Trust me. It isn’t as bad if you live in a temperate country and bake often. I buy a huge bag of flour every month or so, portion out a few cups at a time into a glass container and store the rest in the pantry. I haven’t had issues with it going bad yet.
Tip: If you bake often but live in a warm climate and are concerned about weevils, I recommend storing the flour you won’t be using right away in the freezer in a ziplock bag or other airtight container.
7. Spices
Spices last forever. At least I think they do. In the grocery, there are a few ways to buy spices. First are the huge bottles like you’d get a Costco, which can be pretty cost effective. Unfortunately, storing them takes up a lot of room that I don’t have in the kitchen. Next are the smaller, usually brand name, bottles that cost a mint. And finally there are the bigger bags of spices that you can use to refill said small bottles.
My money saving tip is to buy the refill bags only. I used to just use the spices right out of the bag, but last year I got small shakers from the dollar store (3 for $1) and started portioning the spices out into those and storing the baggies in the pantry until I needed to refill. It’s a lot less messy looking and still pretty cheap.
6. Frozen Fruit
I use frozen fruit all the time, especially I get smoothie obsessed. I know that some people like using fresh fruit in their smoothies but it’s not always possible. Sometimes the fruit I want isn’t in season, or I just want to eat it, not drink it. But usually, I prefer frozen fruit in my smoothies so I can skip the ice since my blender doesn’t handle it well.
Anyway, I digress. Whatever the reason, I like to stock up on frozen fruit when it’s on sale, because it usually doesn’t go bad. Just remember to make sure that there are no added sugars or other additives and you’re good to go.
Tip: You can also freeze fresh fruit when it goes on sale as that can sometimes work out to be cheaper
Click here for 5 More Foods you should always buy in bulk >>
What about you?
What foods do you buy in bulk? Where do you do your bulk food shopping? Do you think buying in bulk is always cheaper?
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I love almonds, I eat them alone or make a trail mix, sometimes blend into my own almond butter but I’ve found as expensive as they are it is better to buy in bulk. We don’t have a cosco but we do have a sam’s club an it’s where I get mine. 🙂 Great article!
Tricia Vaughn recently posted…Five Things Friday #2
Thanks Tricia! I only recently started making my own nut butter, but I think I’ll save it for the times I want to try weird flavour combos that probably aren’t available in stores. For the generic unflavoured stuff, I’m happy to stick with buying it in bulk as well 🙂
I always buy frozen fruit and vegetables in bulk too, since they last forever and I use them often. I should be better about buying groceries in bulk, but I have limited storage space in my kitchen so that Costco membership will have to wait until I get more space 🙂
Nina Reed recently posted…Pole Championship Series at the Arnold Sports Festival
I so hear you on the limited kitchen space Nina! I share a tiny kitchen with 3 other girls and I have to get creative with where I store my stuff haha
NUTS! That’s what I buy in bulk!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted…Friday Finisher 3/6/15
Yes! I had nuts and seeds on the original list. There’s no way I would buy either in those itty bitty packets they sell in the grocery. So expensive!!
I’ve never bought nut butters/honey or syrups in bulk before.
I tend to buy things like spices, grains, beans, flours, etc in bulk all the time though. I definitely save money on those things
Jen @ Pretty Little Grub recently posted…FYI Friday – My quest for the perfect cleanser
Yes, to grains and beans! I’ll have to add that to the next update of the list 😀
And about the honey/maple syrup: it saves sooo much in the long run so you should def look into buying them in bulk if you use them often!
I hear you on the spices! A lot of times with Costco, I split an item with eithe rmy parents or friends or somebody. That way, we split the cost of an already cost-effective way of buying the things we need, and we don’t worry about wasting anything due to expiration!
Chris recently posted…2015 CrossFit Open WOD 15.1 Recap
Such a good idea! I do this with my roommates sometimes with those gigantic bags of produce (like potatoes, onions etc.) they sell at the supermarket. They always contain way too much of whatever for one person :/
Totally with you on all of these, especially the frozen fruits/vegetables! The fresh ones aren’t always all that lovely (especially in the winter :[ )!
Farrah recently posted…Foodie Friday: Sriracha Slaw
Yes! The only fruits that are even remotely fresh right now are apples and some citrus and sometimes I just want a regular old berry smoothie. That’s when my mountains of frozen fruit come in handy haha
I recently just started buying frozen fruit in bula. It lasts so much longer than fresh food. Definitely a money saver.
It totally blows my mind that weevils are a thing. Just. Ew.
Ange @ Cowgirl Runs recently posted…The Post About My Health
I feel ya. I remember the first time I saw one when I was like 11 or 12…so gross. I refused to touch the flour for months haha
I wish I could buy more things in bulk, but I really have to be careful with those bins because of my peanut allergies 😕 Frozen fruits are something I ALWAYS buy in mass quantities, though. And dried fruits too. I wish I could spend more time browsing Costco, but the crowds in that place intimidate the heck out of me, and it’s hard to buy a tonne of things bulk when you live alone!
Amanda @ .running with spoons. recently posted…. baked cinnamon sugar sweet potato tots .
I totally get that. Thankfully avoiding dairy in those places isn’t as hard, but when I was doing my elimination diet I couldn’t even think of setting foot into Bulk Barn.
The bulk baking goods store I go to sells their stuff already portioned out though so cross contamination isn’t as likely…too bad they’re all the way over here in Waterloo lol
oh this list is awesome. I always buy nuts in bulk and make my own nut butter, rap the really fancy stuff like cashew or pecan butter. I make coconut butter the same way! Love maple syrup too!!
I buy chia and gf oats in bulk. When I shopped at Costco more often the bulk buying list was longer. Now that I think about it I wonder why we stopped.
Thanks for linking up with Fitness Friday and have a wonderful weekend!
jill conyers recently posted…Hot Yoga Tips for Beginners
These are spot on! I was SHOCKED how much money I saved when I started buying the spices in bulk. Great post!
Renee @ Bendiful Blog recently posted…One Pan Fish Dinner {Recipe} Gluten Free
I wish it were possible to buy nut butter or maple syrup in bulk in the UK. Peanut butter is the only nut butter that is generally available and maple syrup comes in tiny jars that are extortionately expensive 🙁
I once bought a massive sack of rice from the international store that I lived near to. A month later my entire kitchen was over-run with weevils from that sack of rice, so it didn’t save me any money in the end… nowadays, I don’t think I would have that problem as I eat more rice! 🙂
i buy chicken frozen in bulk from costco. and paper goods as well – as much as we have storage for, really!
Courtney @ Eat Pray Run DC recently posted…March Coffee Date
great stuff, thanks for sharing
I’m not sure why, but I’ve usually opted away from buying bulk honey or nut butter. I guess I’ve just thought that making your own nut butter or getting quality honey from a dispenser would be more expensive, even though those options looked tastier. However, if you’re right about bulk nut butter and honey being cheaper than other options, I will definitely be opting for bulk next time I buy them. Thanks for the information!