Buying in bulk is not only convenient since you aren’t running out of your necessities as often, but it is economically smart. Purchasing items in large quantities mean you’re paying less per item and saving yourself money on non-perishable household items and groceries. Studies also show that if you have to make more purchases to go stock up on essentials that you’re more likely to spend more on impulse purchases. Save money and time by using these methods to buy in bulk.

Purchase a club membership

Wholesale clubs save money by leaving items in boxes and offering products in large quantities meant to last weeks or months instead of days. The savings are passed on to you with a lower per-unit cost. The fee to join is typically on a yearly basis and pays for itself the more you shop. It can also be cheaper to get a friend or family member to split the cost with you and take trips together.

Storage Space

Ensure that you have adequate storage space to put the items you buy. It can be appealing to buy 40 rolls of toilet paper, but if you have nowhere to put them you’ve got an entirely different problem to deal with. Think of how much cupboard and pantry space you have before deciding which products to buy in bulk amounts.

Shelf Stability

Some items last significantly longer than others. You don’t have to worry about toilet paper going bad, but other items may expire before you can use all of them. These include food, cleaning products and other solutions that can lose their effectiveness after a set time period. In this case, you’re wasting money by having to throw away products you’ve already paid for. Only buy items in bulk that you know you use a lot of. Don’t purchase something that you’ve never tried before or are unsure about in a large quantity.

Coupons

Stack coupons on top of the savings you already get for buying in bulk. Coupons tend to offer more savings on large containers. Save your coupons from circulars in the newspaper and ones you can print from the Internet and stack them with weekly sales. You may find that you’re getting some products for almost nothing if you time your purchase right.

Take time to build your stock

You won’t be able to afford to buy everything that you need in bulk at once unless you have a hefty sum of money to put down up-front. Try doing one or two items a week until you have a basic system established. Then you can buy even more in bulk and replace items that you are running low on. Keep an eye on sales to add to your stock, even if the item isn’t necessarily needed at this point in time. Some sales are too good to pass up.

Take advantage of buying in bulk to put more in your wallet every month. The savings will add up to hundreds or thousands through the entire year and you also know that you’ve always got the essentials on hand no matter what day of the week or time of the month it is.