Buying in Bulk

I often do my shopping at places where I can buy in bulk. Where I live there’s SAMs Club. You may have Costco or another wholesale place. These types of businesses are nice, but when you downsize your home it becomes much more challenging to store so much of each item you purchase.

I still buy toilet paper and paper towels in large quantities, and sometimes shampoo or cleaning supplies if they are on sale or I have a good coupon. I have a large shelf above my washer/dryer that I use for those bulk items. You could store them in a closet, if you have one to spare.  I use storage bins that I purchased from Wal-Mart or Big Lots. I place a label on each bin so that I know what’s in it before I start climbing.

 

Changing Habits

I was used to buying everything in bulk; that includes food, cleaning supplies, EVERYTHING. It saved a lot with three kids in the house. Now with only my husband and myself, we don’t need nearly as much. Food ruins if I buy too much. And I don’t have enough freezer space to buy all that meat and freeze it in individual servings. It’s a great idea, but only if you use it. Otherwise it is WASTE. Even the freezer has to be cleaned out occasionally. My habits have changed. I buy only what we need. I may even go to the store a couple times a week so that I get fresher ingredients for each meal.

 

Meal Planning & Grocery Lists

Meal planning is key. Taking a list with you is just as important. I keep a running list on my fridge at all times. It can be something as simple as a Post-It note or a pre-made shopping list that is personalized to your taste. As I empty containers or see that I’m low on items, I add them to that running list.

Try to make out a weekly menu the day before you grocery shop. In my case it’s a three day menu, since I shop a couple days a week. My list is made from my menu. I add that to the running list. I never shop without my list. Shopping without my list is a sure way to overspend and come home with many things I don’t need and few of the things I actually do need.

 

I hope these shopping tips have helped you as you try to downsize your life.  If you have questions or comments, please leave them below or feel free to email me at nana@simplelivingwithnana.com
Thanks for reading!