The Best Groceries to Buy in Bulk

I love Sam’s.  I mean, I really love that store.  There’s just something about gallon size cans of tomatoes and bulk size bags of flour that just excites me so.

Does that make me a weirdo?

The truth is, you can easily break your grocery budget if you are not careful.  There are so many cool things at Sam’s that you think may be a good deal.  However, not everything is a good deal.  I have discovered over the years that you can determine what things are a good deal and what things are not.

The best deals, by far, are ingredient-type items.  Things like flour, sugar, rice, pasta, and canned tomatoes are some of the things I always buy in bulk.  Also, fresh meat is often a really good deal if you buy it in bulk.  I am not talking about frozen, pre-cooked chicken breast or burgers.  I mean the chicken and beef in the meat case.

Also, if your family is large enough, or if you regularly use a lot of produce, vegetables are great to buy in bulk.  We always buy lettuce, bananas, tomatoes, avocados, celery, and lots of other things. 
What you need to stay away from are the processed items.  Not only because they aren’t good for you, but also because they really aren’t that great of a deal.  Cereal is one of those items that I find to be way more expensive at Sam’s than in the grocery store.  Especially if I have a coupon.

Also, I don’t buy any frozen entrees like lasagna.  For one, it is expensive.  Secondly, we like it homemade.  And I use whole, fresh ingredients.  The cost of homemade lasagna versus frozen breaks down to be much less expensive.

Here is my list of staples that I always buy in bulk:

• Flour
• Sugar
• Salt
• Powdered sugar
• Brown sugar
• Chocolate chips
• Vanilla extract
• Olive oil
• Spices- onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, oregano, basil, cajun seasoning, black peppercorns
• Condiments, such as mustard and ketchup.  My husband likes a particular brand of mayonnaise, so I buy that at the grocery store.
• Canned tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce
• Juice- apple, grape, cranberry
• Coffee-luckily, my store carries my favorite local brand
• Honey
• Maple syrup
• Baking soda
• Peanut butter
• Salsa
• Frozen fruit-strawberries, blueberries, mixed fruit
• Frozen vegetables- broccoli, peas, vegetable medley
• Meat- chicken breast, ground beef, sausage
• Produce- romaine lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, celery, carrots, onions, avocados, tomatoes, bananas, apples
• Vitamins, baby formula, toilet paper, food storage bags, aluminum foil
• When I need them, disposable aluminum baking pans.  I only buy these maybe once a year.

I use this as my master list, but sometimes if they have a new or special product, I may get it.  I have love buying books at Sam’s.  You can’t beat their prices on books and magazines.
So, what are your favorite things to stock up on?