Update: Here are 5 more foods you should buy in bulk
Hey Friends! How’s it goin?
A couple weeks ago, I was working on my budget and made a not so startling discovery: Recipe testing isn’t exactly cheap – I’ve had 3 failed recipes and counting this week alone – and I’m not exactly rolling in dough #unemployedstudent.
Because of that, I was forced to developed a system for grocery shopping that works to my advantage cost wise. I touched on it a little in this post on grocery shopping mistakes but I wanted to get a little more in depth on what foods I buy in bulk to save money in the long run.
5. Oatmeal
Unless you need certified gluten free oats, I highly recommend buying your oatmeal in bulk, especially if you eat it as often as I do. I get my oats at bulk barn or at the baking goods store in my neighbourhood. I buy huge bags of rolled oats every month and store it in my pantry. It works out to be cheaper than buying smaller bags on every grocery run, and frees up room for other things in my grocery bag on my bi-weekly trips. I do have to say, that the big bags can be a bit cumbersome, so I usually portion out about 4 cups at a time into a glass container for everyday use. But other than that, I’ve had no issues with oats going old or anything like that.
Tip: If you have even a halfway decent blender or food processor, you can save even more money by making your own oat flour from oatmeal instead of buying oat flour.
4. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is expensive. There’s no getting away from that fact. I used to buy small containers of it at the grocery store, but they only last for about a month and those repeated 10+ dollars add up quickly month after month. But, I recently found a tub of organic coconut oil, bigger than my head (not an exaggeration) for about 28 bucks and I snapped it up. I’ve had it for more than a month now and I’ve only used about a quarter of it so it’s already cheaper. Sure, it might seem like a hefty upfront investment, but it’s worth it, I promise.
3. Bananas
This one may seem a little weird because fresh produce is something that you usually don’t want to buy in bulk since it spoils quickly. But here’s my reasoning:
At least once a week, over rips bananas go on sale at my grocery for insanely discounted prices. It’s something like a couple dollars for bag of like 20+ bananas. These bananas are past their prime and a bit beat up, but they’re perfect for freezing or immediate baking. At first I only used the frozen bananas in smoothies, or to make banana ‘ice cream’. But now, I know they can be defrosted and used in baked goods like banana bread or cookies- probably the best discovery I’ve made all year.
2. Chocolate Chips
Not everyone may need to do this one, but I go through chocolate chips at an alarming rate. I used to buy them at bulk barn, then switched to the Enjoy Life brand when I went dairy free. That got expensive really quickly so I’ve been on the lookout for a solution. Then, last month, I found dairy free chocolate chips at the bulk baking goods store and I grabbed the biggest bag they have. Like with oatmeal, I keep some of the chocolate chips in a glass jar for easy access, and the rest goes to the back of the cupboard. I haven’t reached the bottom of the bag yet, which is a pretty novel experience.
1. Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are two more expensive foods I use a lot. But, these days I buy multiple pounds of almonds, walnuts, peanuts and chia, pumpkin, sunflower and flax seeds relatively cheaply at Bulk Barn and then don’t think about them again for months. I store the nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds in mason jars in the cupboard and the chia and flax seeds go into the freezer. I also grind up some chia seeds and flax seeds at the beginning of the week and keep that in the fridge in small mason jars to throw in smoothies or vegan baked goods. Simple, relatively cheap and the abundance of mason jars makes me feel fancy. That’s a win-win situation right there.
Click here for 5 More foods you should buy in bulk >>
What about you?
What foods do you buy in bulk? Any to add? If you’re a food blogger, how to you stay within your food budget?
Share in the comments below!
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I tend to buy all of my staple items in bulk like oil, flour, sugar, etc. They last forever so I know they won’t get wasted!
Émilie recently posted…5 Ramdom Food You Should Always Have On Hand
I’m used to not buying flour in bulk because in tropical climates it actually can spoil, but I guess that’s a habit that I should break myself of now that I like in Canada! Thanks for the reminder 😀
I store my flours in the fridge for this very reason 🙂
I like to buy my oatmeal, rice, grains, beans all in bulk. Bulk barn is amazing for that!
Jen @ Pretty Little Grub recently posted…FYI Friday – Favourite fitness & health apps
Bulk Barn was absolutely my favourite place to buy baking stuff in bulk until I found the baking supplies store down the street from me! I still get some things from there though and it’s always budget friendly 🙂
Oatmeal, brown rice, nuts, frozen veggies + fruits! :]
I do most (if not all) my grocery shopping at Kroger, which has this “fuel rewards” point system where every dollar I spend counts as a point. When I reach 100 points, that’s 10 cents off per gallon of gas. I usually spend somewhere around $50-100/month on groceries and fill out their surveys so I can get extra 50-point bonuses so gas will be cheaper. 😛 Almost-exclusively shopping the manager’s specials/sales also helps! :]
Farrah recently posted…Life In Pictures | # Meals / # Days = ?
I don’t drive so fuel rewards isn’t an issue for me yet, but it’s definitely something to remember. Thanks Farrah!
Too bad I am not a fan of oatmeal. Ive tried eating it in the past, but I just dont like the taste. Love your post.
Kimchi Cakes recently posted…The King’s HeartBeat CD Review
Aww I’m always sad when someone doesn’t like oatmeal. I feel like it gets such a bad rep sometimes haha but to each his own! I am not a fan of chia seeds even though everyone seems to get it, so I feel ya 😉
I go through chocolate chips like no ones business, too 🙂 They go in so many different things. Here in Asia, bulk buying isn’t really a thing. Sometimes you do find larger bottles or bags or items, but it’s never at a discount from the smaller options. Strange, huh?
I wish I could– because nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruits- all big expenses on my grocery bill!
Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine recently posted…Have a Healthy Halloween!
That is strange, and it sucks big time, cuz I know how expensive those things can get. Hope you can find a solution soon!
I buy staples in bulk, oats, chia, and a few different flours.
jill conyers recently posted…Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Bites
Yes, yes and yes! I buy all of those in bulk, bananas included but that’s because we eat a lot of them in our household!
I thought I’d be the only person who bought bananas in bulk haha. Glad I’m not alone 😀
I get everything on this list – except for coconut oil – I’m not a fan of the taste or smell – I know I’m weird, but I do love the benefits so I will buy a container every now and then. I also buy whole wheat flour and organic brown rice syrup in bulk because I use those A LOT! Visiting from #fitnessfriday!
Serena @ Simple Holistic Girl recently posted…I love…Earth Friendly Products
It took a while for me to get used to coconut oil as well, and I still only use it in baking. Not sure I could ever sautee veggies or something in it lol
Thanks for stopping by Serena!
yes, yes, yes! couldn’t agree more! i also buy dried beans in bulk, make them in large batches, and freeze small portions. waaaaaay cheaper (and healthier!) than buying canned!
Linz @ Itz Linz recently posted…Halloween Workout
I know it’s cheaper to get beans in bulk but I still buy the canned stuff. I had a friend get violently ill from eating undercooked kidney beans over summer and I’ve been a bit gun shy about dried beans since then!
I also love to get my chia and quinoa in bulk!
Kayla recently posted…How NOT to foam roll correctly
Yes! I probably shouldn’t buy chocolate chips in bulk any longer because they are wayyy too tempting to eat as a treat 🙂
I buy flour bulk, too!
Amy @ Life to the Full recently posted…Week 8 Update: Baby #2
The BULK SECTION at the grocery store is really my new best friend 🙂 Come to me COCONUT FLOUR for $3 a pound! 😉
GiGi Eats recently posted…Water You Drinking?
I should do more in bulk – thanks for the tips!
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