It’s that time of year! What time of year? When Costco rebate certificates get sent out! Am I the only gal who looks forward to this day every winter? So, with rebates comes our big annual stock up for the year. No, we do not go to Costco only once a year, but most of the year I try to only buy perishables and what we’ve run out of. With our rebate certificate I try to stock up on the non perishables to lessen our grocery bills in the coming weeks and months.
When we started living on one income I started looking for ways to save money each month. Cooking from scratch and buying ingredients in bulk has helped lessen our overall grocery bill. This year I hope to cut down the weekly grocery run cost even more with only milk, heavy whipping cream and bananas on the list. There’s always something else that is needed, but those are the staples that you just can’t buy in bulk, or grow in the garden.
This post is not sponsored, I’m just a huge fan of Costco!
Groceries I Buy in Bulk to Save Money
1. Flour
Flour is at the top of this list. We always have flour in the house. As I said in my Bread Pudding post I jumped on the sourdough train in 2020 and have been making most of our bread here at home. Therefore, we always need flour. I also use plenty of flour throughout the year making cookies, cakes, etc. Basically if you can buy a mix to bake it I’m just gonna make it. We also use flour to make homemade play dough! We go through it very quickly so it’s something I always want to buy in bulk to save money in the long run, and also never risk running out of.
On an off note – has anyone tried the Ballerina Farm flour? The high protein value makes me very tempted to buy a 25lb bag of their flour to really bulk up my sourdough!
2. Cooking Oils
I’ve had to buy this less and less as I’ve learned how to incorporate animal fat into my cooking. I always have homemade tallow on hand, bacon grease and every once in awhile I will cook up some chicken skin to make tiny bits of schmaltz for rice! But I do grab coconut oil, avocado oil and olive oil to have on hand. I use coconut oil for making popcorn (buy those kernels in bulk, too!) and for washing my face. Nothing will get stubborn makeup off like coconut oil. I use olive oil mostly for salads and avocado oil for cooking vegetables. Yes, I know that oils will go rancid, but I haven’t had a problem with the amount we buy going bad.
3. Sugar
Another baking necessity that I like to have plenty on hand. Usually I just buy the big 10lb bag at the grocery store, but this year I’m planning on buying the 25lb bag of Cane Sugar to keep in a 5 gallon bucket. Of course I use this in baking, but I also use it in my kombucha, my hummingbird feeder, and even in my skincare as a scrub.
4. Oatmeal
Okay are there any other “crunchy gals” who nearly had a fit of joy in Costco when they started carrying One Degree’s oatmeal? I grabbed a bag and was able to read Glyphosate Free and then grabbed 2 more bags. My husband eats a lot of oatmeal for breakfast and I recently started making granola for a snack so oatmeal is a must stock up on item in our household!
5. Pasta
Pasta is another great thing to buy in bulk to save money because who doesn’t love pasta!? We go through phases where we’ll eat it often, and then other times we won’t touch it for awhile. However, buying it in bulk is great because it doesn’t go bad anytime soon. Many times if I’m out of inspiration for dinner I will whip up some noodles and figure something out! They’re also great to stretch a meal, I often add them to my One Skillet meal to add variety and ensure there will be some leftovers.
6. Rice
I use rice in my meals at least once a week. I also really enjoy a bowl of plain white rice with some soy sauce. At first I wasn’t sold on buying rice in bulk “how are we ever going to use all of this?” I asked my husband as he put two 25lb bags of rice into our cart. Yes. Two bags. Well, we did indeed use them once I started making a point to use the food we already have. This winter I have started making congee which is so nourishing and comforting and is an easy way to use up some rice.
Plus, rice won’t go bad if stored properly! Well, white rice won’t. I do also like to buy a bulk bag of brown rice, but it won’t last as long due to the oil. I will tell you that I haven’t had a problem with it going bad though. I will cook with the brown rice every once in awhile, but I really like having it on hand as a gluten free flour. To do this you put a few cups of brown rice in the vitamix, turn it on high and turn it into a “flour”. I used to make a gluten free bread loaf with this, but now I mostly use it to thicken gravies and such.
7. Beans
The beans were much like the rice the first time we bought them. “We barely ever eat beans!” I complained as my husband hoisted 2 bags of beans on top of the rice. Yes, two, again! I was so embarrassed going through the check out line. But what is Costco for?? We were prepping for the end times! But since we had the beans, I used the beans. I’ve learned how to make basic pinto beans in the instant pot and also like to turn them into refried beans, which freeze beautifully. It’s taken us longer to go through the beans than the rice, so I think we’ve had them for 2 years. No bad beans here!
**NOTE ON STORAGE** We have a very small pantry. I’m talking size of your hall coat closet small, and not the deep ones either. I make do with the space we have but keep a lot of our bulk storage out in the garage. Honestly, when it’s full from Costco and the garden harvest it’s so fun to go “grocery shopping” in the garage. However, I do keep the rice and beans in the pantry. We bought two of those dog food storage bins on wheels and they fit perfectly underneath the lowest shelf making the rice and beans easier to access!
8. Honey
This is one I buy locally rather than from the store. We have a local farm that sells a gallon of honey and about every four months I will grab one of them. Being able to buy high quality, local, raw honey is such a privilege and having a large gallon jar up in the pantry is a game changer. Honey is a staple in our house and it is a dream to be able to harvest our own someday! Though figuring out where to put a beehive with neighbors and small children is proving to be a challenge.
9. Meat
Buying meat in bulk can be a large expenditure up front but always saves us money in the long run. Having meat in the freezer helps me plan our meals and grocery trips. This is one of the most important items to look at price per pound vs. overall. For instance, I buy whole chickens vs. cuts because the price per lb is so much cheaper.
At first I would make a whole roast chicken and we would eat it throughout the week. I also learned about how to make bone broth and once the meat was gone I would use the bones to make the most delicious and nourishing broth. Making your own broth is a huge game changer in cooking and saving money. The good broths are never as good as homemade, and are always 10x the cost (ok maybe that’s an exaggeration, but probably not).Finally, I learned how to break down a chicken myself so I could just use the thighs and save the breast for later in the week. Then toss the carcass and skin in the freezer to make broth and schmaltz at a later date.
Over the years it has also become important to me to buy meat from Oregon farms as well. When we get low on meat I go to my favorite sites to order meat from and look up their current prices. Sometimes they are higher than I am able to pay, so I will shop around. I will buy organic whole chicken as well when I find them on sale! We’re budgeting here! But I’ll say it again, having meat in the freezer that you can build a meal around helps immensely with the weekly / monthly grocery budget.
10. Specific Produce Items
I have a really, really hard time buying produce now that I garden. Ridiculously, I see it as a waste of money. Which of course it is not! There are some items I will buy frozen; blueberries, peas, green beans if we’re out. And there are items I will buy fresh like onions and sweet potatoes which will last awhile if you store them in a dark, dry place. I know people say cool too, but I keep them in the house and they last long enough! I also heard this wonderful hack to keep your greens from becoming slimy mush in the back of your fridge. Each time we go to Costco I grab a bag of spinach and throw it in the freezer when we get home. We rarely eat fresh spinach so this works perfect to through into whatever I’m cooking to add some healthy greens!
11. Household / Cleaning Products
These aren’t quite as fun to stock up on, but are obviously needed throughout the year. I honestly think buying these products from the regular grocery store (unless you’re trying a new brand) is a waste. You’re gonna need them the most, so let’s buy the most!
- Toilet Paper – if you had to buy toilet paper in 2020 you know the importance of a bulk buy!
- Paper Towels – We don’t use a lot of paper towels for every day cleaning so one Costco pack usually lasts us a year!
- Dishwasher & Dish Soap – I prefer the Kirkland Brand of dishwasher detergent. It doesn’t seem to leave a soapy taste on any of the silicone spatulas or plates we use.
- Laundry Detergent – I actually like to buy Nellie’s Powder Detergent from Costco’s website! It goes on sale every once in awhile and lasts forever.
- Vinegar & Baking Soda – I use these in cooking and baking as well, but mostly use them for cleaning. They can replace almost any cleaner you have!
- Diapers – this feels self explanatory. If you need em, you need em in bulk.
And there we have it!
Of course there is always something fun to grab at Costco as well so any extra rebate money will go towards some fun goodies that won’t quite last us a month (or a week if we’re talking about Annie’s Puffs….). What is something that you always have on hand in the kitchen?
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