Does buying in bulk really save money

I was flipping through all the posts on weekly meal planning and spending too much on stuff you wind up throwing out- makes me wish I were more organized with meal planning and better at cooking in general

So in an attempt to start small, does it really make more sense to buy meats etc at BJs or Costco or do you guys find the prices for that stuff to be pretty much the same as when you hit it on sale at supermarkets

If it makes a difference , I like to buy organic milk, chicken and sometimes ground beef. I often buy the organic salad boxes that I wind up tossing

Re: Does buying in bulk really save money

For meat- yes.
Because you can freeze it.

So we will buy the huge container of 93% lean chop meat at BJ's and it really is a much better price per pound than at the supermarket.
We break it up into one pound bundles and freeze.

Same with chicken. Buy the large package at BJ's and break it up and freeze.

I hate though when DH buys large bags of spinach or huge bags of apples or whatever at BJs. Because we'll never use it all up before it goes bad.
We are only a family of 3.

Message edited 9/16/2016 9:35:23 AM.

Re: Does buying in bulk really save money

We are a family of 3 - me, DH, and DS who is 7. So I typically buy only non-perishable things at BJ's that I know we will use up -- paper goods, laundry detergent, juice boxes, school snacks (mini-muffins, etc.).

I generally don't buy meat and produce there.

I know meat is freezable, and I"m sure it is a bit more cost effective to buy in bulk, but I think you have to be disciplined enough to break down the larger packages and properly wrap up smaller portions (so they don't get freezer burned), and label them, and then remember to defrost and USE them.

I find I save the most money on grocery shopping when I make a meal plan of like 3 dinners per week, and shop only for what I need. Then I use leftovers for lunches or other dinners. I find that is the best way to cut down on waste. And occasionally I try to do a pantry/freezer/fridge challenge and meal plan using mostly what I have. If I can build my meal plan around items that are on sale (especially meat/chicken/fish) - even better.

That being said, I will definitely buy extra meat and freeze it if there is like a "buy one get one free" sale on chicken breasts. But I just know myself - if I had a lot of frozen meat in the freezer, I don't know that I'd always remember to use it and I think after a certain amount of time, the quality declines, freezer burn sets in.

One thing I have been thinking about is buying meat directly from a butcher. I know a good butcher by me has weekly packages. His meat is SO much better than what's in the meat case at the grocery store and I think it is cheaper. The only thing is, if you buy the package, you have to kind of build your meals around what you are getting. But I think you can make substitutions.

Re: Does buying in bulk really save money

Yes. I have a vacuum sealer which is the greatest thing in earth. I portion out the meats into 1lb packages, vacuum wrap and freeze. They stay fresh forever. I use the resealable vacuum bags for thinks like cheese. Depending on your family's needs, buying in bulk can be great. It works well for us!