Buying in Bulk

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Do you do this? What are your tips?

Do you wait for a good offer and then stock up by the armful? Do you buy enough for 6 months? A year? Where do you buy from? Amazon?

Or is it irrelevant because your chosen brand is sold at a consistent price?

gayleygoo

The only thing I've bought in bulk is washing powder. I think I got 12kg for £10 or so, and it's supposed to be a market-leading brand (I think it's Fairy, though it doesn't actually say it). I expect it to last me a year at least

C_J

I think you need to keep a very strict inventory of bulk purchases, to ensure you get the stock rotation right.

I tried bulk buying a few years ago, back in the days when Waity's would take any old money-off coupons - I used to collect them fervently, and use them to stock up on non perishable when on offer such as washing up liquid, shower gel, laundry detergent, tinned foodstuffs etc. That was okay, although it used up a lot of space in the garage.

However I never did all that well with maintaining perishable stocks and would end up with bottles of Ribena which had gone yucky or cans of diet pepsi which had 'blown'.

In the end (and after the couponing rules changed) I realised that I actually spent very much less if I didn't bulk buy, but just trimmed down my grocery lists to the minimum I needed to purchase each week and shopped more carefully. I now find Aldeee so much cheaper than the big supermarkets that I am saving more than I ever could from bulk buying Sainsbob/Tesc0 special offers, and I don't need to buy in bulk because their prices are permanently lower. Mister CJ is pleased to have his garage space back, too.

Each to their own, though. I'm sure it works well for lots of people!

TravellingAbuela

I buy cartons of Heinz Tomato Frito in bulk from Amazon. Not because it's a bargain price, it's because I can't buy it anywhere else! I have also bought boxes of 24 packs of pasta off Amazon occasionally if I have seen it at a decent price. My most recent food purchase from Amazon was a pack of 12 tins of organic puy lentils at a sensible price.

MallyGirl

I buy Nouvelle recycled loo roll when it is on offer - hardly anywhere sells it now, just Ocado, Waitrose, and sometimes the funny little Budgen where I walk someone's dog. It is pricy so the offer can make a big difference. I have the space to store it and we seem to get though lots - I am sure my DD must eat it!

Slinky

Not sure if Adnams Gin counts as a 'household consumable', but I have a large stash under the spare bed due to it being on special offer before Christmas in Waitrose and them keep sending us £10 off a £60 spend. Seemed rude not to take advantage.

I've got a load of handwash in a cupboard I regret buying a couple of weeks ago at Costco. I'm trying to declutter the house KonMarie style and ended up buying 2 packs of 6 when 1 pack would have been more than enough for ages. I knew I shouldn't have done it when I was in the shop..........

I use ironing water as our tap water is soooo hard, and like the branded sort which is normally £1.40 a bottle. I'll only ever buy it when it's on offer at £1 though and as a consequence have at least a dozen bottles in stock at the moment.

I also bulk buy Simple shower gel when that's £1 a bottle as I know it'll get used reasonably quickly.

PasturesNew

I don't bulk buy. I don't get through much so it's not a problem to buy things close to when I'm likely to need the next one.

I do tend to have 4-6 cans of baked beans in at a time though, if that counts.

june89

There are very few products that I'm brand loyal to, so I don't bulk buy anything. If I stumbled upon a real whoopsie deal on something I know I'd use, I may pick up an extra pack or two but that's about as far as I go.

The offers come around frequently enough that there's no real need IMO. There's only one product that I am loyal to (necessary due to allergies) and I just keep my eye open for an offer when I get down to say a quarter of the existing packet left. And one always comes up somewhere before I run out. But if I found an acceptable cheaper alternative, I'd have no problems buying that instead - no luck so far though.

HOWMUCH

If something is at a very very good price then I will buy more and only if we use it regularly. I have a pantry and put my stock in there, my latest purchase was 4 tins of chopped tomatoes for a £1 which I use very often so I got £5's worth and may buy more whilst they are still in stock at Heron Foods.

DigForVictory

I both stack high from Costco, and seize ruthlessly on good promotions of we'll-definitely-eat-*that* at the supermarkets. My sons have not forgotten the "fetch another trolley" instruction when baked beans were on stupid-special at Asda & we got 6 months worth. (Well, they were even cheaper than Costco, I had the storage & could afford it.)

I routinely get tinned tomato, laundry powder, Max in bottles & tins, baked beans, rice & looroll at Costco & have storage negotiated & the family trained!

When my son had a skingraft, we were recommended to use Simple soap - I checked which supermarket had a promotion on it & (having OK'ed it with staff) bought what has turned out to be 10 months supply so far & another 8 to go. (My estimate as to how fast we'd go through it was generous, but it's stored well!)

It works for us as I bulk buy multi use ingredients & am thorough about storage (space, ventilation, rotation etc), and because I've done the maths - a big stash shop at the start of the month (or quarter) works out better than lots of small trips. It also means I can be much more relaxed about the weather - I know we've at least a weeks food in the cupboards & freezer, even if the lads grouse at rice again on day 6!

PlymouthMaid

I bulk buy beans, tomatoes, rice, deodorant, hair dye, shower gel and anything else we use regularly which which will not perish in a reasonable time span. The family laugh at me as I usually keep spare tins under the bed.