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Buying food in bulk



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Seraph




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 19 2009, 9:44 am
What foods do you buy in bulk (bulk meaning AT LEAST 10 lbs, 5 kilo- but really asking more like 50 or 100 lbs at a time)?
Why do you buy it in bulk- do you find it cheaper, or more convenient, or both?

I decided that I'm going to stock up on a lot of things in bulk, and was looking for ideas of what people stock up on in bulk.
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dora




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 19 2009, 9:47 am
Don't forget to also consider storing bulk items, do you have the space?
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Seraph




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 19 2009, 9:55 am
I'll find the space. It can be quite space efficient, depending on what you buy. A big paint bucket sized container filled with rice can easily last a small family 6 months or more... A few paint buckets of things like that stacked in a corner is all you need. I do have a corner available if necessary.
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dora




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 19 2009, 10:01 am
I mostly buy paper goods, toilet paper, tissues, not so much food because then we are stuck eating the same cereal for example, for a long time.
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Marion




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 19 2009, 10:04 am
Not much...I buy on sale. But yes, storage is a bit of an issue. Lots of flour, sugar, rice. Usually I buy my icing sugar 5-6kg at a time, but that's more for convenience's sake, as it doesn't save me anything. Same with eggs, although the eggs are definitely cheaper by the flat than by the dozen (at the shuk). I just found the bakery supply company for Israel (Poliva), so now I can buy my baking soda & powder in 2kg bags rather than 10x10g. Less waste also. I suppose 7kg of laundry detergent is not considered in bulk either, though it lasts me 3-4 months.
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Tamiri




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 19 2009, 12:06 pm
(1) How much does it actually save you, while tying up that cash you may need for something else.
(2) Storage issues
(3) Hauling issues
(4) Worm and bug issues.
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Seraph




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 19 2009, 12:36 pm
My friend has discovered that in some stuff, she saves as much as 5 to 7 shekel a kilo in each thing she buys. (She gets basmati rice for 6 shekel a kilo instead of 11 or 12, etc.)
Bug issues- there are ways to prevent bugs in these things, and if you read up about it online you can get tips.
Hauling issues- most of these buying in bulk places deliver.
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chanchy123




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 19 2009, 12:52 pm
We buy flour in bulk because we buy it fresh (within a week of manufacturing) and freeze so we don't need to sift. We now have 12 kg of flour in our freezer bought on Isru chag, but we have at least three or four kg if not more at any given time.
Same goes for chicken and meat which we buy whenever on sale and freeze (sometimes we'll buy whole chickens - section them up and freeze accordingly).
I also keep tons of pasta (4-5 packages is the bare minimum) in the house because it goes really fast and doesn't go bad.
Otherwise, we buy paper towels and toilet paper in bulk when on sale because they don't go bad.
DH bought about five bottles of oil because they were cheap and once we bought one of those 5 liter canisters of olive oil. - all things that don't go bad.
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chanchy123




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 19 2009, 12:55 pm
Seraph wrote:
My friend has discovered that in some stuff, she saves as much as 5 to 7 shekel a kilo in each thing she buys. (She gets basmati rice for 6 shekel a kilo instead of 11 or 12, etc.)
Bug issues- there are ways to prevent bugs in these things, and if you read up about it online you can get tips.
Hauling issues- most of these buying in bulk places deliver.

I was just going to say there are many more bug issues when supplies stand in one place for a long time, you'd have to be very careful with rice, pasta, beans etc.
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shalhevet




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 19 2009, 1:16 pm
Does it tell you online how to solve bug issues in Israeli apartments during a hot summer?

You also have to take into account that you are spending money as an investment. Instead of investing the money or having it for something else (remember you can often get discounts in Israel for paying cash), you have tied it up in rice and beans.

I actually stock up on things before Pesach, because I can buy them very cheaply in pre-YT sales. I bought 2 cases of chicken cheaply (that's all I can fit into my freezer - I saved around 7-8 shekel a kilo), and paperware (including sandwich bags, baking paper etc) - some of it is enough to last me a good part of the year.

chanchy - olive oil definitely loses its taste. Do you mean for eating or for lighting? I would say it is only optimum for around 6 months.
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Aribenj




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 19 2009, 6:30 pm
I buy cleaning products, detergent and diapers in bulk at Sam's club.

But food? Maybe applesauce. Splenda. Mostly dry goods that won't go bad so I only have to resupply three or four times a year.

If there's a yom tov coming up or I'm having a lot of people for shabbos then I'll buy fresh produce in bulk. But things like tomatos and onions, which I use in everything.

I also have a meat guy who sells in bulk which I use for yom tov. But I usually share the order with my sisters, SILS, mother and MIL bc you have to order 100lbs minimum... So between all of us we order that much

In terms of storage, well I make it fit. And if it doesn't, then I borrow some space in someone's freezer. I usually need it pretty right away...
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chocolate moose




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 19 2009, 7:37 pm
Cleaning products don't disappear; food can and will.
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Happy Mom




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, May 03 2009, 5:07 pm
I buy a number of foods in large quantity, even if they don't come in bulk - it's most efficient and affordable for a family our size. It saves me a lot of time (I only shop for staples once a month) and money, too. I buy different things in different months, so our monthly (actually, it's for 5 weeks) food budget for our family of 10 (as of today - there could be eleven tomorrow Wink ) stays constant at about $600 or so.

Here's what we get in bulk:
-wheat berries - we have an electric (and hand) grinder so that is for flour
- spelt
- brown rice
- millet
- beans of all kinds - I buy them on sale in the one or two pound bags
- corn meal - buy in 2 lb bags when on sale
- kasha/buckwheat
- oats - steel cut, rolled, and quick
- popcorn
- sucanat (alternative sweetener, we don't use sugar)
- salt
- coconut oil (stable at room temperature for 2 years, I buy it in 5 gallon buckets)

When there was a sale on canned goods, I got a bunch. I buy honey in 12 lb containers. I also order chicken by the case (if you're thinking about buying in bulk for emergencies, then you have to have a plan how to deal with this if you lost power). During cool weather, I buy eggs by the case. Once a month I buy a case of sweet potatoes and potatoes, sometimes carrots (50 lb bag) and bananas (40 lb case), or whatever else might be discounted enough at a bulk price to make it worth buying a lot of. I buy frozen fruit and veggies by the case when the price is good, too (this month I bought four cases of frozen blueberries).

But honestly, I'd tell you to get a lot of whatever your family eats. It doesn't matter what else anyone else uses. If you can't grind wheat, it wouldn't make much sense to buy any. If your kids hate oatmeal, then there's no gain in getting a lot of it. I only buy what we use every day; I know it won't go to waste.

As far as bugs - freeze your grains for a couple of days, then transfer to airtight plastic containers. If there are any eggs in it, they will be killed and as long as you're careful to totally close the containers, nothing can get in. Not a big deal.

Storing bulk foods doesn't take a lot of room at all; we have a small home with alot of people and haven't had any problem finding space. It sometimes means being more creative in how you use your space or reorganizing how to store the things you already have, but really, a 50 lb bag of grain fills up less than 2 buckets , and lasts a long time. A few buckets can easily fit in a corner of a closet or room for just about everyone.

Since food costs are constantly going up, an argument can be made that buying when it's cheap in bulk is a good hedge against inflation.

>>Cleaning products don't disappear; food can and will.<<

Right, except for toilet paper - that disappears pretty quickly. But it's funny that most people have a lot more laundry detergent and toilet cleaner stocked up than food.


Last edited by Happy Mom on Sun, May 03 2009, 10:49 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Martini




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, May 03 2009, 5:22 pm
I don't like to stock up on foods. I basically stock up on paper goods, bounty, pampers and detergent!!
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chocolate moose




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, May 03 2009, 5:27 pm
I've seen mousies nest in toilet paper. if you have a problem, it isn't worth it.
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shayna82




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, May 03 2009, 7:19 pm
at costco I get on a regular monthly basis:

1. wipes
2. cleaning wipes
3. paper towels
4. toilet paper
5. foil pans
6. juice boxes on occasion
7. lox
8. cups
9. cereal
10. lemon juice
11. spices
12. vanilla
13. flour
14. brown sugar
15. dressing
16. mayo
17. ketchup
18. mustard

I have done a ton of research on prices and ounces/pounds and prices, versus the regular supermaket sizes and prices. most of the time its worth it at costco. recently they changed the ounces and price of raisins , so its not worth it anymore...

it helps when you have a large family and lots of guests all the time to have extras in the cabinet, and not have to run out for basics, like mayo and ketchup all the time.
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ss321




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, May 03 2009, 7:44 pm
I dont stock up on alot of foods, because I find with the changes in weather, things rot or get stale or worse you end up finding bugs, which is not only gross but disappointing because you wasted all that $!
We get paper towels, TP, kleenex at costco every few months, they go down in the basement easily. not worried about them getting stale.
usually Tide also, but when I say bulk I mean enough to last about 2 months....if were not going back to costco by the x we run out, I just buy regular retail stuff.
all paper cutlery and plates and stuff.

Rice, beans, sugar (4 -25 lb bags at a time)
olive oil.
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Mimisinger




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, May 03 2009, 8:37 pm
Only things that I buy in bulk, are toilet paper, paper towels, tissue, soap, detergent, cherrios, seltzer...I think that's all. Anything else will just go into the bermuda triangle that is my pantry.
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Martini




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, May 03 2009, 8:49 pm
shayna82 wrote:
at costco I get on a regular monthly basis:

1. wipes
2. cleaning wipes
3. paper towels
4. toilet paper
5. foil pans
6. juice boxes on occasion
7. lox
8. cups
9. cereal
10. lemon juice
11. spices
12. vanilla
13. flour
14. brown sugar
15. dressing
16. mayo
17. ketchup
18. mustard

I have done a ton of research on prices and ounces/pounds and prices, versus the regular supermaket sizes and prices. most of the time its worth it at costco. recently they changed the ounces and price of raisins , so its not worth it anymore...

it helps when you have a large family and lots of guests all the time to have extras in the cabinet, and not have to run out for basics, like mayo and ketchup all the time.


Oh wow!! I think I'm planning a trip to costco!! LOL
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