Doctor Money
- Nov 26, 2020
- 4 min read

5 Things to Buying in Bulk to Save Money

There’s no denying that shopping for one is more expensive than to buy in bulk to save money. When you are able to reduce the cost per unit on a purchase, you can easily bring down your household expenses over the long haul. But buying in bulk can be a bit rocky at the same time.

On one hand, a well-planned bulk purchase can save you a lot. On the other hand, a poorly executed one can cost you a lot as well. So, while household items in bulk can be very cost-effective, you don’t have to buy everything in bulk. In fact, bulk buying savings can quickly turn into a risky business if most of the items you bought in bulk go unused. Therefore, the key is to ensure that whatever you are buying in bulk would not go bad before you can use them up.

Now the big question is what should you buy in bulk? And that’s what we are here for. Read this guide to learn about bulking buying savings and how to nail it!

Why is Buying in Bulk Cheaper?

One of the best benefits of buying in bulk is that you save money by the unit price. Every time you save on the unit price, it keeps building up your savings. The idea behind bulk buying is to make sure that the cost per unit is the lowest that you can get on a specific item. You can then buy that item in bulk when the cost per unit is low, like in sales or discount offers. Ideally, you must always look for the cost per unit that is at least 50% below what you pay normally.

Another reason why buying in bulk is cheaper is because you have to make less runs to the store. And fewer trips in turn means you get to save a lot on gas too.

5 Things to Buy in Bulk

Several household items in bulk offer purchase discounts that you simply can’t refuse. Below are some of the items that you can buy in bulk to save money:

Toilet Paper

Toilet paper is a staple for every household that can be easily bought in bulk and stored. You cannot make a run to the grocery store to buy it every single week. On the other hand, you cannot do without it either. So, it is better to buy these household items in bulk to have a constant supply of them and to save money as well.

Personal Items

Do you know you can save money if you buy personal items like shampoos and hair conditioners in bigger quantities? The conventional sizes of these items can cost you a lot in the long run. You can look for these items in gallon sizes to get more bang for your buck.

For other personal care products, you can do the same. Since hygiene is an important part of your life, you cannot do without personal care items like soaps, moisturizers, etc. And usually, you run out of them pretty quickly. Therefore, it makes much more sense to buy these items in bulk.

Laundry Detergent

Laundry detergent is another item that you need on a regular basis and in some weeks more than others. So buying laundry detergent is bulk is also a good idea. You can get great offers and it will save you many emergency runs to the grocery store as well. Since large detergent containers can be difficult to handle, you can transfer the detergent to small containers or jugs to allow for ease of use.

Groceries

Buying groceries in bulk can be very cost-effective and helps you stay in your budget. But one problem with buying them in bulk is that they are mostly perishable. So, if you have a farmer’s market nearby or a big supermarket with great discount offers, you can tag along a friend or a neighbor. Together with a friend, you can pool your money and buy in bulk and then you can share the groceries between you.

One great benefit of buying in bulk with a friend is that you take advantage of the discount while getting exactly the amounts you need for the month or week. Often a common problem that you face if you do this alone is that you only manage to use up a few and the rest in the stock goes bad. So, in sharing the bulk amount with someone else, you do not have to worry about any of the items going to waste.

Meat

At most of the supermarkets, the sales cycles run every 6 to 8 weeks. And this window is a great opportunity to buy in bulk and save money on meat. So, if your favorite item is on sale, make sure to purchase some extra as you would not be getting discount on it again for a couple of weeks.

Here is an article on benefits of buying in bulk.

You might be surprised to know that produce and meat are the most expensive items on your grocery list. So, if you find them on sale, there should be no reason for you to keep yourself from buying them in bulk. However, make sure not to buy more meat than you can eat in a week or a month.

Final Word

The goal and by far the greatest benefit of bulk buying is to save money. But not everything you buy in bulk can be cost-effective and worthy of going through with the purchase. For instance, products like bleach and eggs have a shorter shelf life. Such household items in bulk could end up costing you instead, if they spoil before you could use them.

Remember the goal is to save not to stock. So, stick with mostly non-perishables and plan reasonably for what you need. If you need a smart solution to track your expenses and spending, download the Doctor Money app right now. With a little planning in advance, you can make bulk buying totally worth it!