+6 votes
by (8.4k points)
Buying in bulk I saw a sponsored ad about this and one suggestion is to buy in bulk. I have found though that some items are actually priced higher per unit in bulk. For example my local HEB has store brand flonase at 6. 97 per bottle with 60 metered sprays, a 15 day supply, but the bottle with 120 is almost $15. It's a minor difference but when you're scraping by that's $15 in a year. Another thing I was thinking about too is that I am trying to pay down debt. If I'm effectively keeping more debt to buy a bulk item that will take me a year to use, I'd have to calculate the interest in and see if I really save. It might cost least to buy no more than a month's worth or a few months worth. It sounds exhausting to calculate that by item so I lean towards the no more than a month worth theory. What do you think? Am I over looking something here?  
Buying in bulk I saw a sponsored ad about this and one suggestion is to buy in bulk.

6 Answers

0 votes
by (2.8k points)
Personally I always compare the price per #. I also consider space vs savings, and how long something will last. I don't need to buy 5 bottles of laundry detergent when it's on sale because it'll likely go on sale again before I finish one bottle.  
by (8.4k points)
I live in a tiny apartment so space is also a limiting factor for me.  
0 votes
by (450 points)
Buying in bulk is becoming less incentivized because the premium that consumers will pay for convenience is increasing. Although it costs less to produce/ship/etc and produces less waste in most cases, people will pay more to avoid having to repurchase until later. To an extent that, as you mentioned, it is becoming more common for bulk purchases to cost more per unit than the smaller quantities.  
0 votes
by (6.4k points)
I have seen breakfast cereal cost more in bulk. Like the giant cheap bags of cereal and sometimes they are the same or more per ounce than the small boxes of cereal. It's important to look at. We don't buy in bulk as much anymore because we never use it. I bought a case of boxes macaroni & cheese and didn't use the 18 boxes before expiration (my husband is very strict on expiration dates) so they had to be tossed. I find this happens also with produce and other perishable items. I do still buy a couple of canned items and laundry detergent in bulk.  
0 votes
by (8.4k points)
I tried to buy what I thought was a month of toilet paper but it's lasted 2. Glad I didn't get the bigger one.  
0 votes
by (990 points)
We buy enough to have PAR (when we open the last unit of something it’s time to buy more so that we never run out). We usually aim for a months worth and do a big Costco run then along with online ordering from places that sell stuff cheaper than even warehouse stores. It’s definitely more difficult to do with limited storage space. We found that local milk/dairy delivery was also cheaper and more convenient than going to our local grocery store and reduced our trips there (and the extra items we’d inevitably come home with that weren’t on our list). Same with a vegetable and a fruit CSA that delivers to our neighborhood for fresh perishable goods.  
0 votes
by (4.6k points)
I know some folks try to do the TVM (Time Value of Money) on buying bulk and found some items actually become more expensive. However certain items have a value in having excess in my opinion. Toilet paper, baby wipes and paper towels I typically put it on the list when I am less than 20% stocked. I just never want to run out.  
The Personal Finance Group is where you can always find questions, answers, advice, reviews & recommendations from other community members about investments, budgets, retirement, credit, and personal finances.
...