Download Should you buy food in bulk? The scoop on food storage

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Should you buy food in bulk? The scoop on food storage
B
uying food in bulk can be a real money saver, but buyers need to be mindful of the actual cost
per item and whether the food items are items you really use. One of the biggest issues families
and individuals encounter when buying food in bulk is the spoilage and food waste potential caused
by not knowing how to handle and make the most out of bulk items. Consumers should start by
purchasing a little at a time to create a small reserve of foodstuffs that you know you will use.
Some issues you will need to think about
before you buy in bulk include:
•Will you be able to use up the bulk items
before they go bad? Buying food and then
letting it spoil is a waste of money.
•Sometimes you can find items for less per
ounce, in smaller packaging. Compare the
cost per item or per ounce with other similar items or other sized items to get the
best buy.
you, try swapping part of it with other market goers. For more information see: www.
ncfarmfresh.com/farmmarkets.asp
•Aldi food stores. This chain is also a great
place to shop for low-cost food that can be
bought in bulk. Aldi stores carry rock bottom prices for largely store-brand foods and
items. There are more than 48 Aldi stores
located across North Carolina. Find the nearest store at: www.aldifoods.com
• Amazon. This is another place to purchase
bulk foods. Many items are shipped free-ofcharge if you spend $25, which makes this
a great way to get bulk foods delivered to
your home. www.Amazon.com
•Local bulk food co-ops. Frontier or United
Natural Foods are in North Carolina. Contact: www.ncwheatmontanacoop.com
Storing foods in bulk
•Consider the cost of joining a wholesale
club. Will this cost still make any savings
you might get worth it?
Where to buy food in bulk?
Wholesale clubs like BJ’s, Sam’s Club and Costco are not the only places to purchase food in
bulk. Others include:
•Local farmers’ markets. These can be a great
way to buy local and fresh foods in bulk and
at good prices. If a bushel is too much for
Do you have enough storage space and/or
freezer space for your food? A good idea is
to use clear air-tight bulk storage containers,
so you can see what is in them. For larger dry
food items, most bulk buyers use 5 gallon
buckets with lids that seal. Label them with
content and date of purchase or use by date.
Bulk buyers know that many products can
be purchased more cheaply in larger quantity
and frozen for later consumption. When freezing bulk foods, divide these foods into meal-size
portions and wrap with freezer paper or place in
freezer bags. Freezers should be set at or below
0 degrees. Examples of foods that freeze well
and how long they will keep their optimum quality when frozen include:
•Large cuts of meat, 6-12 months
•Fresh vegetables, 6-8 months
rise, so good sales may be few and far between.
It also helps to have food on hand for economic
emergencies. If you were to lose your job, knowing that you have your food taken care of for a
few months, will help reduce your stress.
You can purchase bulk food any way that you
will eat it and use it. If you are serious about saving money, you may need to make some lifestyle
changes, such as:
•Start cooking from scratch as often as you can.
Sometimes this will increase costs in the beginning, such as purchasing spices and seasonings,
but overall it will greatly reduce food costs.
•Most fresh seafood, 2-3 months
•Baked pastry & breads, 2-3 months
•Cooked meats or dishes, 2-3 months
•Hot dogs, lunch meats, ground meats, 1-2
months
The benefits
There are many benefits to purchasing items in
bulk. When you begin to create home food storage with bulk foods you can become more discriminating in your future purchases. You can
wait until an item is on sale before you buy it. In
a difficult economy, prices of foodstuffs generally
•Begin purchasing bulk whole grains, beans,
dried apples/potato flakes, spices and so on.
Just compare: A 5 lb. bag of pinto beans will
cost you about $6, and equal about 37 cups of
cooked beans. Yet the same amount of canned
beans would cost about $14. Recent studies
show that the products listed above also retain
their nutritional quality and taste for as much
as 30 years, and therefore they can be a real
investment.
For more information on the Web, go to:
www.nctakecontrol.com
Published by
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
Distributed in furtherance of the acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. North Carolina State University
and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status or disability. In addition, the
two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.
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