,

What NOT to Buy in Bulk? A list of Do’s and Don’ts in Bulk Buying and Storing

Mom with a PREP // Those things you've always thought weren't best to buy in bulk? Nuts, fresh produce, etc.? You'll be surprised that they can help you in your food storage.

I found this post today on One Good Thing by Jillee, What To Buy {And What NOT To Buy} In Bulk! in which she lists a good many things that are good to buy in bulk like toilet paper, meat (because you can freeze it), pet food, etc. The article is specific about trying to save money at a warehouse store like Sam’s or Costco. It’ s also a personal list for her, but I wanted to respond to her list for things NOT to buy in bulk from a preparedness point of view :

WHAT NOT TO BUY IN BULK?

JUNK FOOD

I agree because they are bad for you. HOWEVER, some people like to stock up for some ‘luxury’ items for a post disaster situation so they don’t feel so deprived. We have chosen some of our own luxury items to stock up on, but soda/chips aren’t on that list.

I do, however, agree with her reasoning that you can get much better deals on these items during grocery store sales than you’ll pay for at a warehouse store if you choose to buy these products. Just don’t discount the benefit of a little junk food on your mental health if that’s something that you find comfort in.

PRODUCE

I say stock up when you get great prices and preserve!! Whether you can, freeze, dehydrate, bake and preserve the results, grab those produce items when they are in season, at great prices, and take advantage of the cost-savings, the better nutrition, and all that it affords you! A time was .25/lb for bananas was kind of expensive…now it’s a bargain for me because I find it hard to get them for anything under .40/lb. So when they are .25/lb, I stock up! I freeze for smoothies and baking and I dehydrate for snacks.

Mom with a PREP // Those things you've always thought weren't best to buy in bulk? Nuts, fresh produce, etc.? You'll be surprised that they can help you in your food storage.

CANDY/UNHEALTHY SNACKS

Again, a given, but some do choose to have some things stocked back for “pick me up” things. I know we do keep chocolates and a certain type of salty/crunchy snack in stock to help our family, though it isn’t a bulk of our food supply, there’s a healthy storage amount of both because we know these are the things we’d miss the most if supply disappeared.

FROZEN FOODS

I agree in that frozen food has a shorter shelf  life than canned food, and I assume she means frozen meals when she points out that they take up too much space in the freezer (which I would say that most frozen prepared foods are bad for you, please don’t eat them anyway). But I keep my freezer stocked as well as my pantry with foods that I get at great prices, meals that I prepare in bulk to save money, etc. I won’t stock it full of frozen mac’n’cheese or frozen hamburgers, but I do stock it full of items we’ll eat. In the event of a power outage, you have about 24-48 hrs before your freezer becomes a detriment to you (read: 15 Freezer Safety Tips for a Power Outage), assuming you don’t open it, and have enough product inside to allow it to insulate itself (plus putting blankets on the outside to cover it to offer more insulation). Then you have a grand cookout, prepare it for dehydration, etc. and help feed your neighbors if you have to. Read more on how you can make your freezer part of your food storage plans.

NUTS

Nuts to that! Nuts can be preserved! Freeze them, dry can them, make nut butters out of them, bake with them and store the baked goods. But don’t assume that because nuts may go rancid quickly that you can’t buy them in bulk and use them effectively!

CONDIMENTS

I agree, somewhat, because they do have a short shelf-life as far as what is on the label, but as Alton Brown once pointed out, condiments degrade in taste more than go bad, so eating past the ‘sell by date’ on a sticker isn’t the same as you better eat this because it becomes a bio-hazard tomorrow are two different things. Besides, making your own mayo is SO easy as is making your own salad dressings (the two condiments that seem to go rancid the quickest (there’s that oil thing, again!)

SPICES

I’ll disagree because instead of buying powdered spices which do tend to degrade in flavor relatively quickly (but are still usable for a long time), buy your spices whole, instead! They are much easier to store long-term, and few are a problem to grind on your own.

Mom with a PREP // Those things you've always thought weren't best to buy in bulk? Nuts, fresh produce, etc.? You'll be surprised that they can help you in your food storage.

 

WHAT WE DO NOT BUY IN BULK

  • Dairy – Milk’s short shelf life doesn’t make it worth buying or storing in bulk. I do make use of deep discounts and freeze a few gallons, but it’s one of those products I just don’t buy. Cheese and yogurt may fall under this for you, too, but we do freeze a lot of cheese.
  • Taco Shells – between the grains and the heavy oil, I find that they go rancid fairly quickly, so I don’t stock them in bulk. Instead, I just freeze tortillas until I get around to learning how to make tortillas from scratch.
  • Certain Medicines – these would be medicines that require cold storage
  • Oils – common knowledge tells us that oils go rancid pretty quickly, so those items that are pure oil or which are made mostly from oil are items we shouldn’t buy or stock in bulk.
    Angela from Food Storage and Survival found she could store oil in bulk for long term – but she needed to do it in smaller containers. What she stored was fine, but once opened, went rancid much faster than expected, so she found storing in smaller containers for long-term gave her a chance to use up a container before it went bad.
  • Gasoline – This is more of a store in bulk issue than purchase in bulk issue – but unless you have a good and safe storage solution for gasoline, it can be dangerous to store in bulk.
  • Bottled Bleach – Bleach has a shelf life of about six months … give or take. So rotate through this often, and look at alternatives in making your own.
  • Saltine/Snack Crackers – some crackers last longer than others, but on the whole, saltine crackers really go stale fairly quickly, as do many snack crackers. So while we buy some and keep a month or two worth, we tend not to stock up on these. You can repackage, but I’ve found this is one item that isn’t worth that hassle. Instead, learn how to make your own!

WHAT WE DO BUY IN BULK

  1. Everything else – the caveat here is about pricing, storage, etc. Since you can buy in bulk from just about any place – it isn’t just about the packaging, be mindful of you storage options, how quickly the item can be rotated through or stored for long-term, etc.

Mom with a PREP // Those things you've always thought weren't best to buy in bulk? Nuts, fresh produce, etc.? You'll be surprised that they can help you in your food storage.

A WORD ABOUT BUYING IN BULK

  • KNOW YOUR PRICES – On a price note – buying in bulk at warehouse stores can be really convenient, but if you’re doing it from a savings standpoint, know your prices! Often, prices at warehouse stores are actually higher than at a grocery store on sale.
  • REPACKAGE! Packaging may be an issue if it comes in large quantities that you cannot consume once opened quickly enough. There’s a plan for that, though – just repackage and preserve when you get home, into smaller quantities that are more manageable.

TIP FOR STORING PAPER PRODUCTS:

PQT #5 - Where are you gonna store all that toilet paper?!Here is even more information on how to store toilet paper or what to do when it runs out.

YOUR THOUGHTS:  What do you find is really worth for you to store in bulk?

What NOT to buy in bulk? // Those things you've always thought weren't best to buy in bulk? Nuts, fresh produce, etc.? You'll be surprised that they can help you in your food storage.

What NOT to buy in bulk? // Those things you've always thought weren't best to buy in bulk? Nuts, fresh produce, etc.? You'll be surprised that they can help you in your food storage.

 

Website | + posts

Katy Willis is a writer, lifelong homesteader, and master herbalist, master gardener, and canine nutritionist. Katy is a preparedness expert and modern homesteader practicing everyday preparedness, sustainability, and a holistic lifestyle.

She knows how important it is to be prepared for whatever life throws at you, because you just never know what's coming. And preparedness helps you give your family the best chance to thrive in any situation.

Katy is passionate about living naturally, growing food, keeping livestock, foraging, and making and using herbal remedies. Katy is an experienced herbalist and a member of the CMA (Complementary Medical Association).

Her preparedness skills go beyond just being "ready", she's ready to survive the initial disaster, and thrive afterward, too. She grows 100% organic food on roughly 15 acres and raises goats, chickens, and ducks. She also lovingly tends her orchard, where she grows many different fruit trees. And, because she likes to know exactly what she's feeding her family, she's a seasoned from-scratch cook and gluten-free baker.

Katy teaches foraging and environmental education classes, too, including self-sufficient living, modern homesteading, seed saving, and organic vegetable gardening.

Katy helps others learn forgotten skills, including basic survival skills and self-reliance.

She's been published on sites such as MSN, Angi, Home Advisor, Family Handyman, Wealth of Geeks, Readers Digest, and more.

Leave a Comment