28
The moment I realized bulk buying was actually costing me more
For years I bought giant bags of rice and beans from the bulk store thinking I was saving money. Then last month I found half a 25lb bag of pinto beans with weevils in my pantry. I added it up and realized I was throwing away like 30% of my bulk stuff because it went bad before I could use it. A friend pointed out that I live alone and don't need restaurant-sized portions. Now I'm debating whether smaller regular packages actually work out cheaper per meal for a single person. Who else has done the math on bulk vs normal sizes and been surprised?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
jason3281h agoMost Upvoted
It really depends on what you're buying though. Take rice for example, I get the 25lb jasmine rice bags and they last me almost a year with no spoilage if I store them right in a gamma seal bucket. Same with dry beans, they keep for years if you just put them in airtight containers with oxygen absorbers. The issue isn't bulk buying itself, its not having proper storage. You're paying more per pound for those smaller packages and generating more plastic waste too. A $5 bucket lid pays for itself after one bag of rice saved from weevils.
4
victor_butler14h ago
Man I was totally in the same boat until I actually broke down the numbers. I used to buy those giant sacks of oats and flour from the bulk store thinking I was being smart with my money. But after finding moldy quinoa and stale crackers in my pantry more than once I finally added it up. It turns out I was throwing away way more than I saved because a single person just can't eat that much before it goes bad. Now I buy the normal size bags at the grocery store and even though the per unit cost is higher I'm not wasting anything. The smaller packages actually end up cheaper per meal when you factor in zero waste. Did you find a good cutoff size that works for you?
3