8 Massive Ways to Save at Bulk Stores

Feb 07 2012

8 Massive Ways to Save at Bulk Stores

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Bulk stores like Costco and Sams Club do have some great deals, but that doesnâ??t mean youâ??ll always save money shopping at one of them. If youâ??re like me, three things are working against you while you push that ginormous cart

You assume everything is a good deal because its bulk pricing.
You really believe you wonâ??t let it go to waste.
You greatly overestimate your love for one type of food.

Fall prey to those pitfalls and you might end up wasting money. Shop smarter and youâ??ll not only stop wasting money â?? youâ??ll start saving a lot of it. Here are some tips for bulk-food shopping that really helped me

Having multiple bulk-store memberships ensures you get deals on different products â?? since they all carry slightly different stuff â?? but you could end up paying more than $100 each year just to get inside the store. As of December, club memberships varied from $40 to $55 annually.

Itâ??s cheaper to pick one bulk store and stick to it for a year. If you need help choosing, check out How to Pick the Best Wholesale Club.

Bulk stores generally let a member bring in one guest. (I usually bring a friend with me to Samâ??s Club.) If you donâ??t plan on going more than a few times a year, why not piggyback on someone elseâ??s paid membership? You just saved at least $40.

If you do plan on going regularly, you can split the cost of membership with a friend or family member. For example, Samâ??s Club gives you two membership cards for $40, which I split each year with my sister. We donâ??t live in the same house or even the same city but itâ??s never been a problem.

Bulk stores have cheaper prices on most items. A study conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture showed that 86 percent of the food items it compared cost less at a bulk store. (The USDA found the largest savings in meat, canned goods, and store-brand foods.)

But that means 14 percent didnt cost less. When you factor in sale prices or store card discounts, it may be cheaper to buy certain foods at the grocery store. To be sure, calculate the unit price for the things you buy at the bulk food store, and the unit price for the same items at the grocery store. Then compare the two.

Many of the bulk stores carry their own brands of cleaning products, laundry detergent, pet food, and some nonperishable foods. And the store brand usually costs less. For example, Samâ??s Club sells Tide and their brand, Memberâ??s Mark

Tide with ActiveLift, 170 ounces/110 loads = $19.98
Memberâ??s Mark Liquid Laundry Detergent, 225 ounces/146 loads = $13.68

In this case, buying the store brand will save you 12 cents a load. Doesnt sound like a lot, but how much laundry do you wash in a year?

Bulk stores have good deals on fruits and vegetables, but I know Iâ??ll never eat 5 pounds of apples, and I donâ??t want to freeze them. Instead, I split bulk packages of perishable food with a friend. We each pay for half, and I get the bulk price without wasting food.

After years of wasting countless perishable items because I just didnâ??t get to them in time, I finally learned to start checking expiration dates and freezing whatever was left before it could go bad.

Check out When Does Food Really Expire for a cheat sheet on freeze times.

I have 14 cans of peaches in my pantry. Theyâ??ve been there six months. Why? Because six months ago, I ate a lot of peaches. I thought Iâ??d love them forever.

I didnâ??t.

If you donâ??t have a large household, it can take weeks or even months to use up a bulk size. And if you get sick of it or no longer need it youâ??ve wasted money. Youâ??re better off sticking to staples like flour, sugar, or rice and avoiding the giant-sized frozen barbecue shrimp altogether.

Bulk-food stores come with extras â?? a gas station, a tire and car-care center, a cafeteria â?? to make the most of your membership. So use all of the perks the store offers. And most extras have a discount (like tires, which are dirt-cheap at Samâ??s Club), so youâ??ll save even more.

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