One of my favorite places to save a dollar on food is the bulk bin section of my grocery store. Not all stores offer bulk goods, but it’s a a great feature when they do. I always feel like a kid in a candy store when browsing the bulk goods. So many colors, textures, and flavors; I want to try them all!
Why do I love the bulk bins? Because they allow me to buy the exact quantity of food that I need, they reduce packaging waste (especially if you use reusable bags, like these), and allow me to try out new foods without committing to a large quantity. And, most importantly, you can often get a lower price per pound than the pre-packaged items on the shelf.
That being said, it’s always smart to compare the prices found in the bulk bins to packaged goods. Depending on the item, you might find a generic packaged version for a lower price than bulk, which are sometimes reserved for organic or specialty varieties. Many larger grocery stores are now offering bulk goods, but I find that natural and ethnic food stores seem to have a better variety and lower prices.
While I don’t buy everything from the bulk bins, here are five of my favorite things to stock up on when I get the chance:
Nuts and seeds are one thing that I buy almost exclusively from bulk bins. I love the large variety of nuts offered in bulk, including raw, roasted & salted, and seasoned (hello black pepper cashews!), and the price is almost always lower than the bagged nuts you’ll find in the baking aisle. With nuts especially, I like to buy in the quantity that I know I need because they will go stale and get rancid if they’re left hanging out in your pantry too long. Rancid nuts = NO. (insert joke here)
Oats used to be one of the cheapest items in the cereal aisle, but ever since their heart healthy attributes made them the most popular kid in the class, the price has sky rocketed. A large tub of name brand rolled oats at my local grocery store runs almost six dollars! And generic is only slightly less. No ma’am. Oats should not cost that much. So, I stock up on my oats at the bulk bins. Not only are they less expensive, but I’m not left with that big bulky cardboard tub afterward. If I had kids, I’m sure that empty tub would come in handy for art projects, but I don’t, so it’s just more packaging.
THIS. This might be my favorite item in the bulk food section. Really high quality spices at really good prices. This is a great way to get that one miscellaneous spice that you need for a recipe without having to buy a whole bottle. Get just a tablespoon if you want! It’s allowed! It’s also a great way to experiment with new spices without committing to a $5+ container of it. And remember, herbs and spices don’t weigh a lot, so don’t be frightened by the high price per pound. Those whole cumin seeds in the photo above were $21.99/lb., but that bag was only 0.05 lbs., so the total price was a whopping $0.68. Not bad. Also, fresh spices = big flavor, so buy in small quantities. (I’m really excited to try that Jerk Seasoning, BTW.)
Dried fruit is another item that is usually very pricy, so I prefer to buy the small amount that I need rather than buying a large package and being forced to find a use for the leftovers. Once again, you’ll usually find more variety in the bulk bins, with options like sulfured vs. non-sulfured, or sweetened vs. unsweetened. Not to mention all the fun dried fruit, like papaya, mango, and pineapple.
I don’t have a big sweet tooth, but sometimes I want just a little treat. I might want one cookie, not a box of cookies. I might want a half handful of chocolate covered almonds, not a whole bag of chocolate covered almonds. The bulk bins allow me to do just that. I’ve been known to buy 5-6 mini chocolate covered pretzels from the bulk bins and leave it at that. Three or four malted milk balls? Sure. Although, I will say that one time I bought such a small quantity of something that the scale at the register couldn’t detect it, but I guess I had to learn the limits some how.
Storing Bulk Food
The only caveat to buying food from the bulk bins is that you need a container to transfer them into later. Sure, you could keep them in the plastic bags used to transport them home from the store, but they’re not air tight so your food will go stale faster. Plus, having 20 different plastic bags in your pantry can become a mess. So, here are some ideas for storage containers.
I have two of these Better Homes & Gardens Flip Tite container sets that I use for my flour, sugar, grains, and other large quantity dry goods. I love them and they’re quite inexpensive. Most home goods stores will have some sort of container that is similar, whether plastic or glass.
For miscellaneous small items, I use the same Ziploc reusable plastic containers that I keep most of my refrigerated and frozen food in. Ziploc bags are another option and the freezer bags have a label area, which is great for noting date of purchase to keep things fresh.
If you don’t like plastic, mason jars are a great option. Or, if you need larger storage, there are a variety of large glass jars and canisters made specifically for food storage. Make sure to get the type with a gasket lid to keep air and moisture out of your food. The great thing about glass storage is that they can last a lifetime and are usually very pretty when displayed in the kitchen. You may even be able to find quality glass storage containers at thrift shops.
A great way to store bulk spices is to simply save your old spice container and refill it with the newly purchased bulk spices. Or, get some really cool brand new glass spice bottles. You can wash and reuse them so they’re a good investment.
What about you?
What are your favorite items to buy from the bulk food bins? How do you like to store your dry goods? Share your tips, tricks, and super good finds with the rest of us in the comments below. We can all learn from each other! :)
Along with all the same items you listed, I also love to buy my dried beans from the bulk bins. I often bring in my own metal measuring cups so I can get just the right amount that my recipe calls for and no storing the little bit left over in my tiny kitchen.
Winco also has bulk pet treats and bird feed which is nice.
Love your site!
Oh…my health food store doesn’t technically have bulk bins, but they do repackage herbs, grains, and spices from bulk. That is less expensive, but I’ve always found that the spices have lost a lot of their flavor.
We don’t have Whole Foods (or WinCo, sobs…), and Meijer got rid of their bulk bins several years ago. I haven’t seen a grocery store in my area that has bulk bins. I agree, it’s a great savings, when you can shop at stores that sell in bulk bins.
Chia seeds at Fresh Time!!!
Darn auto correct!
Chia seeds at Fresh Thyme!
I am big into package free food after reading (and meeting the author of) Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson in San Francisco area. She also has a blog/forum where you can find a TON of information for package free shopping/storage. In the Seattle area we have PCC and in addition to the typical dry foods mentioned in the blog post, there I can find penne and spaghetti, 3 kinds of chocolate chips, cocoa, baking soda (pairs nicely with the package-free kitty litter I buy at Petco), salts, soy sauce, maple syrup, oilve and canola oil, eggs (you load your own into a carton that you can reuse) and personal care products such as shampoo, conditioner, soaps, lotions and even sun screen. I’ve worked out a system so that I keep a notepad in a kitchen drawer and write down items that I’m getting low on. Once a month, when I get the 10% off coupon in the mail, I buy most of the items. I usually have to run out a second time for flour and sugar. In her book Johnson suggest cloth reusable bags and using washable crayons to mark the bags. I tried that process and it frustrated me to no end! So what I do is I reuse whatever plastic bags I’ve got around the house. I’ve even used a newspaper or Subway plastic bag wrapper to bring home my flours…. but my best suggestion is this: Don’t waste your time labeling each little twisty tie with the PCU codes. Instead write the number on your grocery list right next to the item. When I go to check out I organize all my little bags and simply read off the code as the check out clerk weighs them… it’s goes so much smoother for the check out line. Trust me, this works… and the clerk will always thank you for it.
I live on the east coast and was wondering what grocery stores have the bulk buying (other than Whole Foods). Help!
i need to remember this even though i don’t do the shopping myself! we tried a recipe with smoked salt in it, and my dad ended up buying a ton. turns out the flavor was WAY too much and now we have a bunch of smoked salt lying around. maybe we could’ve found it in bulk bins.
A new reader here, just want to say I really like your writing style. And also photos.
Great tips!! I store all my nuts (except the ones rattling around in my head) in the freezer in glass jars or Ziploc bags- really helps to keep them fresh and since a drive to the grocery store is an 80 mile one way trip, I buy in bulk!
Thank you for this practical post! I never thought of buying bulk but now I am sold. I need to make the trip across town to Whole Foods. Publix has a limited selection of bulk. No spices, I’m pretty sure.
I buy from the bulk bin aisle whenever I see one! Oats, several kinds of rice, beans, sea salt, organic flour, spices, cornmeal, and nuts are just a few of my most frequent bulk bin purchases. I never throw out an empty spice jar, just wash it well, put on a plain label or strip of masking tape, and fill it up again. Canning jars come in handy for beans, oats, and rice as you can easily see what’s in the jar. And I have a large stash of canning jars – so I’ll probably never run out, but they are economical if I do!
Hey Beth, do you bring measuring cups with you for bulk bins? I’m ok at eyeballing a cup of french lentils (or whatever), but I always go a bit higher than needed, just in case.
As someone who works at a grocery store, I say a heart PLEASE do not bring your own measuring cups! No one is able to verify how clean they are and other customers give a mean side-eye to those using their own utensils from home. If you learn how much the item you’re purchasing weighs for how many cups you need (you can purchase an inexpensive scale for home or approximate how much you purchase the first time, weigh it, bring it home, and measure it), you can measure less than you think you need and weigh it on the store’s scales until you get the correct amount. Hope that helps! :)
You could always filling exactly one of the scoops that the store provides, then measuring it once you get home. One you know how much a scoop is, it makes it much easier to estimate quantities.
No, I don’t. I just eyeball it, too. I’ve gotten pretty good at it!
Great run down! I use a combo of Ikea clamp-top jars, thrift finds, and recently scored a 9-pack of tall, wide mouth Ball mason jars at Target for about $10. Not bad! I store my bulk jars behind glass-paned doors in an old built-in kitchen hutch. Super cute, easy to access and see when I’m almost out of something.
No need to buy reusable bulk food bags. Just reuse the same plastic bags from the store. For bulk stuff that I buy regularly, after I transfer to glass containers, I keep the empty plastic bag with the bin number on it and take that to the store when it’s time to restock. That helps to keep single-use plastic bags out of the waste stream.
Great post & I always look forward to your emails. I mostly use the bulk bins for spices or something I’m experimenting with to see if I like it before buying a larger quantity. I’ve never compared prices to see if it’s a better deal though after I’ve tried the smaller amount. Good info.