Buying in bulk might save you money in the long run. Image: iStock
Buying in bulk can save you a lot of money in the long run, but it also depends on how smart you are as a bulk shopper. According to research on grocery product categories, a 10% larger package translates into an estimated 5% reduction in unit price.
Buying in bulk is not about the product price, but rather the price per unit. It also helps to bring along a list of the things you really need and sticking to it. Also consider splitting the items you buy with a family member or a friend, which will in turn reduce the cost of the item even further.
While you might get carried away with buying items in bulk (who can resist a good deal?), it is probably best to stick to buying things that you and your family use on a daily basis in bulk. If it is items that are cheaper per unit when you buy it in bulk, go ahead and buy it.
If your income is inconsistent from month to month, it might be wise to stockpile on non-perishables like canned foods and toiletries.
Terbodore Coffee Roasters charge R95 for a 250g packet of their Revival coffee blend and you can pay R360 for 1kg. But, you can also buy four 250g packets of House of Coffee blends at R248, which saves you much more than 20 bucks. In this case, you’ll be able to save R112 on 1kg of coffee.
Ultimately, of course it also depends on whether you’re a coffee snob or not. Still, wherever you buy from, buying more will result in saving more.
Checkers and Food Lovers Market often have great bulk deals to tap into. The secret is to buy meat that you can cook in bulk and use as cold meat or make your own meatballs from. Buying the meatballs ready made will only add to the cost per kilogram.
Food Lovers Market always has bulk deals for vegetables and meat and staying in the loop with the specials they run might also help you save some money in the long run. They currently sell mince at R100 for three 500g packets. Their pork neck currently costs R89.99 per kilogram and their free-range chicken is charged at R58.99 per kilogram.
Keep in mind that when you buy a whole chicken, you can always use the waste for a great chicken broth, which gives it double use.
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If you have pets, you’ll know that pet food takes a large chunk of your budget each month. Buying in bulk when it comes to pet food, might help you to save in the long run and you might even be able to get additional discount when signing up for membership at your local pet store.
It is also recommended that you calculate your pet’s average food intake and to compare that with the size of product you’d like to buy in bulk to ensure that nothing goes to waste.
Absolute Pets’ Optiwoof Adult Food costs R305 per 3kg. A 40kg gram will cost you R1,249 (minus regular membership discount), which means you save about R70 per kilogram when you buy in bulk. The added bonus is that you can buy this online as well.
At Makro they have nappy mega boxes that will cost you R400 for 150 Pampers nappies. A pack of 66 nappies will usually cost R264.99. Wipes cost around R32.99 at Checkers, but when bought in bulk you can pay R114.99 for four packets, saving around R4.00 per packet of baby wipes.
When buying canned foods like tuna individually, it becomes rather expensive. With these products having a longer shelf life, it might be a good idea to buy them in bulk as you will definitely save big time.
If there was ever a time to buy wine in bulk, it is now. Wine farms have been hit badly by multiple alcohol bans due to the Coronavirus restrictions and most of them have some great specials running at the moment. Bulk buy stores like Makro also always have bulk specials with some of them being offered online only. You can currently buy twelve bottles of Dornier Cocoa Hill Red 2016 for a mere R900. The 2019 vintage price on the wine farm’s website is R98 per bottle.
In a recent blog post, Suitcase & Chardonnay shared some clever ways in which you can save money while also supporting local wine farms in these challenging times.
Nuts are much cheaper when you buy them in bulk. Cashew nuts, for example can cost up to R288 per kilogram while you can buy a box of 22.68kg from Ambassador Foods at R210 per kilogram.
Like canned foods, pasta, rice and grains also have a longer shelf life, which means buying it in bulk and storing it for future use is not a bad idea, especially if it can save you money down the line. Where a kilogram of rice can usually cost up to R18, you can buy ten times that for R165. This saves you at least R1.50 per kilogram.
Buying a 12-pack of toothpaste could save you up to R5.00 per 75ml. There are also often toothbrushes for sale in packets of three or five, which will evidently save even more.
Most vitamins come in packaging for either 30 days or 60 days. You can easily save when buying for 60 days and Clicks currently has a great 3 for 2 special running on Adcock Ingram’s Gummy Vites for children.
Buying in bulk means less trips to the shops, which will save you time and fuel. It is also environmentally friendly as many of the products bought might come in boxes rather than plastic containers.
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