Is Buying in Bulk Always Best?
By: Cristina Fernandez
Many people enjoy shopping at Superstores such as BJ’s or Sam’s Club because of their amazing deals when you buy items in bulk. Often, though, these deals only seem too good to be true in the store. As customers return home, they are forced to spend an extensive amount of time finding places to fit all of the merchandise they bought in bulk and will not use until a future date. The put items everywhere including the garage, basement, drawers, or counters. After the entire ordeal, you stop and ask yourself, are you really saving money by buying all of these items in bulk?
People think that the more you buy, the cost of each individual item decreases. Although that may seem true, it isn’t always as it seems. When more items are available to you in your home, you tend to use it more frequently. You may even find additional ways to use the item you purchased that you would not have thought of before. Because of this, a bulk item that is supposed to last you four months may only last you three months. You don’t feel the urge to use the item to its last scraps because you know that you have plenty more stored in the garage. Do you really need a three months supply of dishwasher soap? Consumers get excited at the thought of buying more for less. When they see words like “super deal” or “save more now”, they are thrilled by the treasure they have found. Buying food in bulk can encourage you to eat more than necessary since you will look for reasons to use it up. For example, if you buy bread in bulk, most likely you will eat more bread than necessary because you know that you have more for later. You will consume more bread especially as it gets closer and closer to getting stale. Maybe you think you are saving money, but you don’t save on the calories.
Another problem consumers face when buying items in bulk is the overall monthly debt they may acquire. A consumer may think that if they buy many items this month, they will have no need to spend money in the future. This is a good strategy only if you can pay any credit card debt you acquire on your large shopping spree. If one big shop puts you into credit card debt, the interest you are forced to pay will not be worth the initial savings at the Superstore.
Buying food or other items in bulk takes up space in your refrigerator or home. Think about the space you can save in your refrigerator or freezer if you didn’t have to store two months supply of cheddar cheese. You may think you are running out of space in your freezer when really only a few items are dominating your space. Try using a smaller refrigerator and buy only what you need at the time. You will see a nice decrease in your electricity bill. What are you going to do with all of those toilet paper rolls? You will probably be forced to buy some kind of storage device whether that is shelves, bins, or containers. If you don’t buy in bulk you only need to store a select few individual items that don’t require as much space.
Save that trip to the Superstore and buy only the necessary items. Reducing your expenses doesn’t mean buying more for less but buying less to use less. Some products come in a cheaper brand even when you do not buy in bulk.. Bulk buying isn’t bad for big households, but price per unit should not always be the only factor taken into consideration. Sometimes “need per unit” is much more important than price per unit. Bulk buying does have some advantages but sometimes, it can be all in your head.
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