I AM GOIN TO TRY TO START PURCHASING SOME THINGS IN BULK FOR MEAL MAKING. BUT NOT CERTAIN AS TO WHAT TO GET AND HOW SOME THINGS WILL KEEP. I AM TRYING TO MAKE MORE THINGS FROM SCRATCH. ESP NOW THAT I AM A SAHM WE NEED TO CUT COST AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
If you follow a standard diet, I'd suggest buying these things in bulk:
flour
sugar
dry beans
rice
spices (not huge amounts, but bigger than the little cans/jars you typically find in the baking aisle)
pasta
tomato sauce
cereal (including oatmeal)
and keep a good supply of baking supplies like vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder
yeast
cheese (can freeze it)
butter (can freeze it)
ketchup/mustard/mayo
assortment of meats
I would start with the ingredients for things that you already normally eat. That's the place I would start. Getting into cooking from scratch is hard enough without trying to change your diet too.
Spices in bulk are way cheaper than the little containers.
I buy the following in bulk:
- flour
- sugar
- beans
- lentils
- rice
- baking cocoa
- cereal
- spices
- coffee (at costco)
I also buy meat when it's on sale and stock up. Right now there is 30 meals worth of chicken breasts in our freezer. We eat lots of chicken so I always by extras it was $1.88lb for breasts. Which is way better than the $4.38lb the wanted for the 7% fat hamburger.
Basically I only buy in bulk what we always use, rice, pasta, sugar, flour, baking soda, vinegar, coffee, frozen waffles. (I dont have a waffle Iron yet but want one.)
These are the things around here that make a big difference in savings buying in bulk.
in addition to the other things people have said: I would buy canned beans personally. I've had the dried, and never use them.
Canned crushed tomatoes are a staple in our house, cans or boxes of broth, canned cream soups (if you use that stuff)
Also, buy your cheese in blocks when it's on sale and buy a bunch! It keeps for a really long time in the fridge, and if it does grow a little mould? cut it off. use an electric shredder - it tastes so much better this way.
All your baking supplies - bread making is so easy, don't let it scare you! Buy the big bag of yeast and keep it in the freezer, I've had my bag for a few years now: one TBS is the same as an envelope.
I can't use the premixed pancake mix (soy protein)- have to make my own, and then I freeze waffles and pancakes for future use.
Bread crumbs are good to have on hand
All of this. Also check and see if there is a meat processing plant (Tyson, Pilgrims Pride, Hormel, Perdue, Lomen, Armour etc) because they often have Family Stores (open to public on certain days of the week, usually Thursday or Friday). We buy 40-60lb boxes of prepackaged meats on sale once a month for $10 (yes that's not a mistake). If you get there early enough it could be boneless skinless breasts, or thighs, whole birds etc, the last box we got was 10 packages (like you'd buy from the store for $6-9 each of bone in skinless thighs. Totalling almost 70lbs for $10. O.o
Quoting shortycmlb:All of this.
Also check and see if there is a meat processing plant (Tyson, Pilgrims Pride, Hormel, Perdue, Lomen, Armour etc) because they often have Family Stores (open to public on certain days of the week, usually Thursday or Friday). We buy 40-60lb boxes of prepackaged meats on sale once a month for $10 (yes that's not a mistake). If you get there early enough it could be boneless skinless breasts, or thighs, whole birds etc, the last box we got was 10 packages (like you'd buy from the store for $6-9 each of bone in skinless thighs. Totalling almost 70lbs for $10. O.o
Flour
Sugar
Baking cocoa
Rice
Apples
Lentils
Cheese
Baking supplies like baking powder and soda
Coupon tips please
- Tannersmom2010
on Aug. 16, 2012 at 1:35 PM