Buying in bulk / stockpiling ....is it really worth it?

jcr16

hope u enjoy your first bulk buying shopping today.

please lets us know how u got on.

belfastgirl23

There are only two of us and I try to do a bulk shop once a month with Tesco online. This is all the basics, tins, flour, longlife milk, oj, frozen stuff, toilet rolls, toothpaste etc. If you use vouchers from the voucher board you can get free delivery which would save your £5 taxi fare. I find this is good, partly because DH insists on coming shopping with me and I don't get a chance to look properly at prices etc but also partly because I'm not 100% trustworthy on the 'do I need it' front myself. Going into Tesco for a top up is mostly a big no no since I can easily spend £30 every time I go in. If I do it now, I walk there so I can't carry much. I also top up in Lidl once in a while, especially if I need cheese since Lidl does yummy cheeses. In between times I only use local f&v store and M&S for treats.

I think I could use my local chinese supermarket more for bulk buying and could use the local market for f&v and this would also save cash but at a bit of a time cost which at the mo I'm not prepared to invest.

The best thing I've learned here is about cooking in bulk and freezing so that you always have something handy to eat.

BTW for butter, Tesco Value butter is 53p for 500g. i usually get about three with the shopping and if we don't use it all, I bake something freezable (which I often proceed to eat!). I'd rather overbuy on this sort of thing than have to risk going into tesco or paying 90p at the local convenience store

rumblytum

Hi Sammy-Kaye

There are three of us as well, plus pets, and I bulk buy as much as I can.

Lidl are great for sacks of basmati rice and pasta. My flour I keep in an airtight container, so I wouldn't bulk buy that as I had weevils once before in a packet not sealed.

I bulk buy baked beans and tins of tuna and corned beef - in fact any tinned stuff - particularly when there's a BOGOF on tins of four.

However, I don't bulk buy toiletries as my bathroom isn't big enough, really.

I buy a huge bag of dried food for my cats, but find they get fed up of the same flavour for so long, so have to vary it occasionally.

rumbly

snails's_pace

I do a weekly shop, usually stock up the freezer with enough for the main meals for aweek, i work nights so its easier for me to have it all to hand rather than stumbling around the shops bleary eyed.
however, ive noticed with buying some items in bulk ,that the greedy guts in my family become flippant with it and instead of spreading wat we got ,out for a week, its gone in a few days

hev_2

Just to let you know - Tesco are brilliant on the whole, but be careful if you shop online to avoid substitutions.

One Christmas I ordered a massive shipment of stuff online, much more than my usual shop (including the small bag of frozen sprouts DH insisted on which I then threw out in July). The initial bill was pretty bad, but the substitutions added around £30 to the bill!

I didn't get a chance to check this, as the driver (I think he was in a hurry!) left all my bags in the middle of the road and drove off!!! I didn't feel much Christmas goodwill at that time!

Having said that, on the whole I am a big fan of Tescos.

newlywed

snails's_pace wrote: »

however, ive noticed with buying some items in bulk ,that the greedy guts in my family become flippant with it and instead of spreading wat we got ,out for a week, its gone in a few days

I agree, if I bulk buy biscuits or anything like that then they don't last any longer than usual.

Same with loo roll, if they see lots, the use lots :rolleyes:

snails's_pace

newlywed wrote: »

I agree, if I bulk buy biscuits or anything like that then they don't last any longer than usual.

Same with loo roll, if they see lots, the use lots :rolleyes:

wat is it with the family and loo roll?? glad its not just mine who are like it....caught.. (dont try to envisage this...i needed to brush my teeth and its not my fault he left bathroom door unlocked)....my oh wrapping loo roll round and round his hand.....i was like........." !!!!!!..do u really need that much loo roll"...not as if its a royal bum or anything!!

jenster

Following on from the thread about how flour/ butter ect is all going up in price..

is it worth going to say a costco/makro to buy theses and if u do whats the best way to store them to make them last longer ?

odds-n-sods

You would need a large plastic bin if you bought flour in a 25KG bag - try a catering supply store, but be aware that the flour can go off if not used, so you'd have to decide how much you;d use in 6 months, say, and if it would be worth it. Also not everyone can use costco, you have to have a business.

lil_me

With costco some employments also qualify.

To be honest other shops own value brand flour is cheaper than it is in costco from what I remember. I would say because of the storage issues to save a few pence I wouldn't bother, could end up having a huge waste amount instead. Butter can be frozen.