In case you have never heard of it, Bulk Barn is a Canadian franchise that sells a wide variety of bulk foods including all kinds of candy, health foods, pastas, and much more. If you have an allergy to gluten, there are many gluten-free products available including snack foods, chocolate, and brown rice pastas. You can save yourself a lot of money by shopping at Bulk Barn, but here are a few tips to follow in order to do so:
1. Watch your prices. Just like at any other store, some things are a bargain, but others are overpriced. Although you may think that everything would be cheaper at a bulk food store, think again. Certain products such as all purpose flour actually will cost you more if you buy it at Bulk Barn. Also, you will often be able to find your cereals for less at a regular grocery store, especially if you buy cereal when it goes on sale. And to all you junk food junkies, another thing to watch out for is certain types of candy. Sometimes you can buy candy cheaper at Walmart or on sale at grocery stores. A good example of this would be M & Ms.
2. Pay attention to how much you are buying. It is very easy to overspend at a Bulk Barn. You might get excited at finding your favorite candy and then end up spending a lot more than you anticipated at the till. It’s all about portion control, and feel free to use the scales that are scattered throughout the store. Then you will know how much you are buying.
3. Buy your spices at Bulk Barn. Everyone knows that buying spices at grocery stores can be painful as we often have to pay an arm and a leg for them. You will find that spices are much more affordable at Bulk Barn. Just use your existing spice jars over and over again. You can even buy little spice jars at Bulk Barn for a reasonable price if you don’t already have enough.
4. Take advantage of the coupons and discounts. Bulk Barn often has coupons available in a flyer and online (www.bulkbarn.ca) that you can use. The best ones are the ones that give you $3 off when you spend $10 or more on any product in the store. That way you are not stuck buying something you don’t need. Just buy what you normally would and remember to present your coupon. Also, take note all you folks aged 65+ or folks attending school, every Wednesday Bulk Barn gives you a 10% discount on all regularly priced items. So, if you can arrange it, try to shop on Wednesdays. Note, however, that you cannot use a $3 off coupon in combination with the discount, so ask at the till which one will save you the most money.
5. Compare prices when you shop at your regular grocery store. Take note of products that are sold both at Bulk Barn and at the grocery store where you regularly shop. Compare the cost of white sugar, brown sugar, oatmeal, and other items that you will likely buy most often. Determine where you will get the best deal and shop accordingly. Once you know what you can get more affordably at Bulk Barn, make it a regular part of your grocery shopping routine. Make a list, though, as it is so easy to get distracted at a Bulk Barn, and it is almost inevitable that you will forget what you came in for if you don’t have a list.
Although none of these tips are profound, they have definitely helped me in saving a lot of money. Hopefully they will be helpful to you as well.
10 Comments
Stumbled upon your site.
I went to Bulk Barn this weekend foe the first time… I was like a kid in a candy store!!!
Found some surprising deals mostly on spices…
But i made the fatal M & M’s error. Thought it was a great deal. But went to Costco afterwards for some other shopping and found the Peanut M & M’s… They are cheaper everyday, AND there was a 3 dollar bonus discount GROAN!!!
But still happy to find a store where i can find those elusive items in large or small quantities.
hi, love bulk barn but am putting together my grocery list and don’t know where to go for what, ie: brown suger, confectioners surgar, graham crackers, and choco. chips. bulk barn sells by the gram/kg. so how do u know if it’s cheaper at the grocery store? you have to figure out all the weights?
You do have to do a bit of math on some items. Chocolate chips, etc. will often be more expensive at Bulk Barn unless they are on sale. Don’t assume that everything will be cheaper at Bulk Barn. I love Bulk Barn, but I definitely stay mindful of the prices every time I shop there.
Hi Pam
I have never bought anything from Bulk Barn. However, with COVID, it appears to be the only bulk available. Have you ever bought nutritional yeast there? I am looking for fortified. It isn’t cheap anywhere, but the only options I see now, are Red Mill at $9.94 for 140g or $8+. I use it a lot, so bulk is usually better. Please let me know if you know the price at BB. Thank you.
I have never bought nutritional yeast there before, but they might have it. Check out their website or give them a call to see.
Nutrition yeast. I have seen it in the spice isle at bulk barn
If Bulk Barn put their prices online like the grocery stores, a person would at least be able to decide where to shop. I asked them to do that and suggested to just put a banner at the top of the page saying that prices are subject to change without notice. The response I got was that I should phone the store to check prices-stupid idea!! The clerks are busy and I usually have a fairly long list so that option is a no-go.
I one hundred percent agree. I made an online order yesterday, but going in blind is very annoying. However, certain items are hard to find (read: flour), so I went for it anyway. When I went to pick it up, I asked the clerk if there was any way to have the prices, but alas, no… As a result, I’ve started a spreadsheet of the things I’ve bought there, noting down price/kg. I didn’t save on all items clearly, but at least now I have a starter list of things I might tend to buy, so I can price compare. Maybe try that as well?
Its true, buying bulk no longer gives cheaper prices. This is across the board at any store that sells bulk foods, even the major grocery stores. I suppose, it’s partly because of the upkeep cost for bulk barrels to keep them safe, etc.
You would have to be a prudent shopper, knowing where the good deals are and if comparable brands are worth the cheaper price. This goes for No-Name brands also.
To compare to Bulk Barn prices, you need to know the price per gram, then times that by 100 to see the price get “per 100 grams”, which is what Bulk Barn uses to display their prices. Once armed with that information, go to Bulk Barn and see if the comparable product is cheaper or more expensive.
There are exceptions, such as products only found at Bulk Barn, then you have to decide if you want to pay their price for it or not. Another exception is the cost of travel to get it cheaper for a dollar or two. Sometimes that is not worth it, so getting that product where you first find it suffices.
I’m celiac and live in a small town. I go to the nearest Bulk Barn (about 75 minutes away) to buy supplies for my gluten-free baking. The bulk flours, etc. are far cheaper there than I can find in any other store, where you have to buy them pre-packaged.