10 Great Items To Buy In Bulk

Buying in bulk doesn’t always work. Unless you’re running a restaurant, it’s hard to guarantee that you’ll use up all of a bulk perishable before the expiration date. The cheaper base price can get quickly canceled out – and even completely overwhelmed – by the cost of what was wasted.

This list of smart bulk buys is a safe bet for any household shopper. It includes not just savvy buys that are unlikely to go bad, but also items that are most commonly discounted and give the best savings when purchased in bulk.

1. Toilet Paper. This is a great bulk buy. It won’t expire, it can be used at whatever pace you choose, and it’s usually sharply discounted the more you buy. One of the biggest advantages is that bulk buying lets you choose what you want to get – the savings will always be better if you don’t go with one of the biggest brands, but buying in bulk yields a substantial price advantage no matter what brand you select.
2. Cleaning Products. Cleaning products do technically have a shelf life, but it’s a very long one. Buying them in bulk is a price advantage, but it provides another important benefit: you’re unlikely to find yourself running out of them anytime soon. Cleaning products are a staple, especially if you’re running a busy household. You don’t want to run short on them.
3. Chips and Crackers. Not all food is perishable, and when items aren’t directly perishable, bulk means significant savings. Buying multiple sealed bags is the best option here. That way you can keep the seals intact on as many as possible, reducing the chances of problems with staleness.
4. Bread. Yes, it has an expiration date, but there’s a great way to overcome it: put the bread in the freezer! Popping it in the freezer helps it stay fresh longer, and you can defrost it and enjoy it whenever you want. Just make sure that you’re using correct freezer burn-proof bags. Otherwise, your bread can get ruined just like any kind of frozen food!
5. Meat. Same idea as the bread: buy in bulk and freeze whatever you don’t use immediately. Virtually every kind of meat can be frozen, although the more rare and tender cuts may be more likely to change texture if frozen. Ground meats like turkey and beef are very good for this, as are any cut of chicken and most fish.
6. School Supplies. If you’ve got a family with kids in school, you’re going to need a lot of school supplies. The best part about buying them in bulk is that they’ll never expire, so if they don’t get used now you can always roll them over to the next school year! Buying these items in bulk outside of the normal back to school shopping season is another great trick. You can get much better prices and stock up!
7. Entertaining Supplies. If you regularly host parties at your home, there are certain things like plastic cups, plates, and silverware that are smart to have on hand. Buying these in bulk and then storing them will allow you to prepare more quickly for your next event, handle spontaneous gatherings more easily, and save money overall.
8. Canned Goods. They almost never go bad and are a great purchase. Even if your family isn’t particularly keen on canned food, having it around is smart in the event of a power outage or other unforeseen disaster.
9. Baking Goods. Flour, sugar, and other common baking ingredients are surprisingly nonperishable. Keeping them around in sufficient quantity is a smart move for a number of reasons. You can use them in a lot of other applications, plus they’re always there when you want to bake.
10. Socks. Not perishable, not really something that gets used up – but no matter who you are or where you live, socks seem to disappear. Buying them in bulk is a smart way to reduce your total costs and make sure that you’re always able to find a pair when needed.