Hot take: I think the whole 'buy in bulk to save money' thing is overrated for most people

I was at the grocery store last week and overheard this guy telling his friend he saves $50 a month buying 50 pounds of rice and cases of canned goods at Costco. But like, do you actually use all that before it goes bad? I tried that approach back in January in Phoenix and ended up throwing out half a bag of flour that got weevils. Plus you gotta have the storage space and the upfront cash. For my household of two, buying smaller amounts from the discount rack at our local store works way better. I spend about $35 a week and waste almost nothing. Has anyone else found that bulk buying actually costs them more in the long run?

2 comments

2 Comments

walker.andrew2d ago

My buddy in Santa Fe tried the bulk thing with spices and now has a drawer full of jars that smell like nothing because they sat too long. For us it's always the memberships that get you - you pay $60 a year to walk into a store the size of an airplane hangar and buy stuff you didn't know you needed. I spot more people throwing away half-eaten bulk bags of chips than actually saving money. Unless you're feeding a family of six or running a small restaurant, you're basically paying extra to store food that will eventually become trash.

garcia.casey2d ago

I mean... is wasting a little dried oregano really that big a deal though?