Part three in the Eating Healthy on a Budget series is all about buying items in bulk!
I find that buying items I use often end up being cheaper in the long run when I purchase them in large quantities. Most grocery stores sell large batches of certain items at discounted prices. For example, ground beef or those giant bags of flour. Another example would be a 10 pound bag of potatoes. But in our case, since it’s just my husband and I, I skip the big bag of potatoes and settle for a smaller one to avoid waste.
I figure I’ll buy everything I can in large quantities if we can finish it in a reasonable amount of time or I can freeze it. Here are some things that freeze well:
- Meat (either cooked or uncooked)
- Flour
- Fruit (strawberries, peaches, cherries)
- Vegetables (beans, corn, tomatoes…etc)
- Butter
- Breads, pastries and baked goods (cookies, muffins)
- Cooked rice
Anything I’m forgetting?
Since chicken goes on sale about every 6 weeks around here, I tend to stock up at this time then freeze it into packages of two. Works great! Also, we live in the land of orchards so whenever fruit is in season I go crazy and buy tons so I can freeze it for smoothies, desserts, or just to eat in the winter! We’re not jam eaters so I haven’t canned anything other then salsa and pickles. Canning is also a great way to preserve large quantities of items!
Freezing food is my secret to saving money, too. I live alone, so “bulk” for me is sometimes normal family-sized portions.
I try to reserve Sundays to cook large meals like chili or curry. They both freeze well. If you break up your batch into smaller containers, they make grabbing a quick meal super easy. You have no excuse for going out and grabbing fast food when all it takes is a little reheating at home. 🙂
– Shayna from FabulousSavings.ca
I love the way your do Sunday dinners! Every once in a while I’ll double a recipe just so I can put one into the freezer. Again, makes it hard to find excuses to eat out!
Buying in bulk for me, costs a bit extra about once a month. (It’s the meat that costs so much!) But the rest of the month I can usually shop for under $50 a week!