Buy in Bulk

I know it’s a cliche but buying in bulk really is a great way to manage your consumables and your costs. A lot of people focus on bulk food buying however then you encounter the problems of:

• Where do I store the food
• How quickly can I consume it before it perishes
• Will I ever use the 100 cans of baked beans

I do buy in bulk however mainly non-food items such as:

• toilet paper
• shampoos, conditioners
• soaps
• detergent powder
• nappies
• deodorant
• some canned foods such as tomatoes (I like to make my own Italian sauce)
  

The reasons I buy these type of goods are:

• It saves me a lot of money
• I can store most of these items outside of the house in the garage
• It saves me time and energy when I do my weekly shopping trip as I don’t need to buy or carry and move them
• I can buy some of the brands that I really like and still save a lot of money
• I can save even more money on the no-brand products that I like

So one lazy Sunday afternoon I wrote a complete list of all the items that I buy for the house and family and chose the most suitable for bulk buying. I then did some research online, used the local papers and asked some friends if they knew of any outlets that sold in bulk and purchased as far in advance as my budget allowed. The next regular shopping trip was great because I didn't have to carry these items and could focus on buying best value for the rest of the shopping list.

Use Every Drop of Shampoo

I know this will seem miserly but it is easy to do and gives lots of value. I'm sure you've found that when you get near the end of a shampoo or dish washing detergent bottle there's still lots more liquid in there but it's stuck to the bottom or sides. By placing the shampoo bottle upside down when you finish your shower the liquid flows to the bottom where you can easily squeeze it out.

Shampoos, detergents, toiletries are so expense and this simple trick which my whole family uses gives us two to five washes that we would have thrown away in frustration. It's a bit trickier if the lid on the bottle is not flat but it's worth the effort.

Next time you venture into the supermarket keep it in mind and buy a flat lid bottle which will stand on it's own when placed upside down. Great thing about this tip is you can be miserly without embarrassment as no one will really see it !