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Buying in Bulk Doesn’t Always Save Money

It’s easy to get distracted or be in a hurry when grocery shopping. Most of us are busy people, and spending time at the store is last thing we want to do. However, I advise you to take a good look at the prices of each size of the products you’re purchasing. The best value may surprise you.

I’m paid every two weeks. I especially try to keep my expenses down during my shopping trips the week I’m not paid. I always seem to have some sort of unexpected expense, so it pays for me to be frugal. For example, it’s important to be able to pay the water heater repair person if the water suddenly won’t heat. If I’ve reset my water heater twice, and it still doesn’t work, I waste no time in calling someone to fix it. Hot showers are important to me.

I went to the box store a few miles from my house last Friday, which was the Friday between pay checks. I just needed a few things. Toilet paper was at the top of my list. We were down to one roll. Since I was between checks, I’d planned to buy a four-pack to get us by until I got paid again. No such luck.

The box store didn’t have any good toilet paper in anything less than a six-pack of mega rolls. They had a four-pack of regular rolls in one brand, but it was the kind that you can read through. I’m all about saving money, but if I’m forced to fold it three times before I can use it, it’s no bargain.

The six-pack mega roll package I purchased was just shy of $7.00. I realize that it’s the same amount as 24 rolls and a decent deal. The problem is that I was trying to conserve my funds until pay day. I didn’t want to spend $7.00 when I was planning to spend $2.00.

Another thing that stood out during that shopping trip was the price of Pepsi. I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed this, but you can often buy two 12-packs of Pepsi or Coke for less money than one 24-pack. I know a lot of people who just grab a case without doing the math. My Pepsi Zero was $7.98 per 24-pack or $3.33 per 12-pack. I don’t even need to use a calculator to know which one is the better deal.

Buying in bulk is great, but sometimes you’re paying more for the same amount as two small ones. A gallon of shampoo may last you six months, but if you aren’t careful, you could pay more per ounce for it than you would a regular size that actually fits in your shower caddy.

I check the local ads, clip coupons, and upload my receipts for digital rebates. That being said, the best way to save money is still comparing the prices of like items in various brands and sizes while considering the final price after coupons and rebates.

How do you save money on your consumables?

Thank you for reading Ozarks Maven! If you’ve enjoyed my little seeds of wisdom and joy, please subscribe to Ozarks Maven, Like Ozarks Maven on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter or Instagram @OzarksMaven.

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