The coronavirus pandemic has put a lot of stress on household budgets in Australia and around the world. While we all know bulk buying can help save some dollars in the long run, many of us still opt for the convenience of buying a smaller, cheaper amount. This is your friendly reminder that you could be saving a lot more by buying in bulk.
Buying products in bulk is not something many will resort to because it’s not always the most convenient way. It takes up a lot of storage space — something not everyone has — and is a big upfront cost many can’t afford.
But if it’s something you can budget and make work for you, it’ll work out a lot better in the long term. A single upfront cost of $100, let’s say, might save you buying an extra $100 worth of products over a six-month period. It’s for this reason outlets like Costco exist, which only offer bulk buying over single, disposable items.
It might’ve been shunned upon during March’s Great Toilet Paper Crisis but since restrictions and panic buying tendencies have eased, buying bulk for rational, money-saving reasons is back on the cards.
To quantify just how much you could be saving, Reddit user u/A_Cat_Named_Frank pointed out that a five-litre spray and wipe cleaner at Bunnings costed you $27.44.
That spray bottle makes up to 400 litres of spray and wipe, which u/A_Cat_Named_Frank pointed out believes could cost you $2,700 at your local Coles or Woolies. Let’s say we chose an Ajax Spray N’wipe cleaner, which is $3 for 500ml. That would equal $2,400 to get 400 litres of the stuff showing the bulk buy would definitely pay off if you were big on using the stuff.
Of course, many of us will never need 400 litres of spray and wipe but it goes to show this principle could be applied to many products. Whether it’s a bulk pack of toilet paper or a box of tinned tomatoes, you’re bound to save some money in the long run. And, it will stop you from making weekly trips to the shops where you might purchase extra items you didn’t really need.
Naturally, not everything on your grocery list will need to be bought in bulk — just the things you’re using enough of regularly. For me, that’s tinned tomatoes and beans but for someone else, that might just well be a spray and wipe cleaner. As always, use a bit of strategy with your buying habits and use that extra money for something else you might need. Alternatively, treat yourself to some takeaway food, or whatever floats your boat.
[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2020/02/how-to-join-costco-in-australia/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2019/10/Coctco-410×231.jpg” title=”Everything You Need To Know About Costco Australia” excerpt=”Costco is one of the great inventions of capitalism – a one-stop shop with exclusive access to thousands of bulk-buy items. This translates to huge savings on individual products, with prices that put even Aldi to shame. Thankfully, Australians have access to this ingenious idea too. Here’s what you need to know if you haven’t yet joined the Costco bandwagon.”]
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