Part 1
With the prices of food and gas skyrocketing it can feel like life is a never-ending string of bills. Paired with busy schedules and weekend events, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed to come up with affordable, healthy meals for your family.
Over the years we made the journey to switch from the Standard American diet, consisting of boxed lasagna (a favorite of mine) to a more natural, nutrient dense diet. I learned a lot along the way, one of them being bulk buying to gain maximum savings.
It is here I hope to unveil all my trade secrets, in order to help you get access to affordable, healthy food. Before you hit “ship” on your first Azure Standard order there are a few things I want you to first consider.
Shift your Perspective:
When I first considered building a larder for my family the options seemed overwhelming, should I buy flour first? Beans? Rice? I filled my online shopping cart and was quickly astounded that a few items added up to hundreds of dollars. Yikes! Could I really justify spending this much money on food? Also, this purchase didn’t even cover what we’d be spending for the rest of the month on groceries!
I am here to tell you it can be done but first you may have to shift around your initial grocery budget to make room for bulk buying. Do you typically order pizza once a week? Grab lunch with coworkers 3 times a week? What about that Starbucks coffee on the way into the office? Ah, I know it feels like a bit of a sucker punch to the convenience train but that’s really what we are trying to get away from. Convenience equals consumerism and consumerism, well, that equals markup and profit for someone else!
You, my friend, need to shift your perspective, rather than being a passive consumer you need to “tell your money where to go”. I bet by cutting out those three suggestions you’ll find one to two hundred dollars available every month to go toward a bulk order.
Declutter & Make Cash:
If you are already living on a shoestring budget (no shame in it) you can still bulk buy. You just need to get a little gritty. I’ve always found the best things in life are worth working for. You may need to focus your energy on earning some extra cash to get started. Which, in America, is actually very easy to do. Start by just decluttering your house! You’ll be amazed at how much extra stuff you have that can be liquidated. Plus, you’ll be making much needed space to store bulk foods. Be sure to price it to sell quickly, if it’s been sitting in a closet for two years it’s better to make $5 off of it than let it sit there for another two years.
Other ideas to make some extra cash fast could be selling old clothes through consignment, picking up a few babysitting jobs over the weekend, lawn care & landscaping. If there is a will there’s a way!
Remember you are on the road to self-sufficiency, which starts with a “can do” mindset.
Now that we’ve discussed a few options to free up your budget or make a little extra money on the side, let’s talk about what you could buy with it.
Foods Worth Buying in Bulk:
Foods that have a long term shelf life of at least a year are worth buying in bulk! Foods that perish quickly are only worth purchasing in bulk if you have the skill set to properly preserve them. If you’re new to all of this I’d recommend starting with dry foods that require just a little bit of preparation and packaging.
Here are a few suggestions:
-Oatmeal
-Flour
-Sugar
-Maple Syrup
-Beans
-Pasta
-Rice
-Corn
These few items are amazing as staples in your meals and will help you stretch meat further too! Remember to buy foods that your family likes. If you don’t typically eat oatmeal for breakfast or make your own granola then that might not be a good item for you to buy in bulk.
In the next blog post we will discuss the cost savings, as well as places to consider buying foods in bulk!
Want to learn more about switching out ingredients, making meals from scratch and building your homestead? Check out my new FREE ebook Simple Switches, recipes and advice for the homestead life! You can get the Free Simple Switches ebook by subscribing to my email!