Do you find that using a warehouse store means that your grocery bill is going up not down? It could be the way you are handling your bulk purchase buys, how you are stocking up on them and how you are using them. Here are some tips to help you get everything under control and use warehouse shopping to your advantage to save money.
Freeze, Freeze, Freeze
If you find yourself with a lot of waste in your food, you’ll need to take action to make sure that items don’t good bad before you can get to them. One way to do this is to freeze some of your bulk buys. Almost anything can be frozen and stored in the freezer, if you know a couple of secrets. For example, if you have a lot of produce, such as onions or peppers, you can chop them first and then freeze them in freezer bags. It is so convenient; just take out what you need for your dishes and return the rest to the freezer.
Store Inconveniently
Studies have shown that many people who buy in bulk also consume in bulk. There is a psychology to it. If you see that you have an abundance of something, you are more likely to use it up faster. Store the bulk of your pantry out of sight on in an inconvenient place, such as basement shelves. This way, you can ration out your items and not go overboard with consuming them.
Meal planning with your stockpile also helps. If you have your week of meals and snacks planned out, you are less likely to consume too much of something.
Rotate, Rotate, Rotate
Finally, make sure to rotate your stock of items. Not only should you rotate within a given type of food (such as adding new jars of pasta sauce to the back of the stockpile so they are used last) but also encompassing your entire stockpile. We tend to grab the food that we like best or to get into ruts of making the same thing all of the time. Take a look at your bulk stockpile and make an effort to use up items that you haven’t touched in a while.
Related Articles:
Stocking the Pantry on a Budget
Five Reasons to Stockpile Food
Common Pitfalls of Stockpiling