It used to be that the only people who bought items in bulk were the ones who with memberships to BJ's and Costco or other wholesale clubs. Now that you can find bulk packages of many popular items at most stores more and more people are stocking up to save a couple of cents. Before you jump on the bandwagon and start buying in bulk you need to be sure that you're really saving. In this post we'll offer some questions to ask yourself and some tips on how Stockpile at home inventory system can help you manage your bulk purchases.
Do You Really Need It?
Everyone falls victim to the lure of the good deal at one or time or another. Sometimes it's hard to resist the promise of great savings. Just remember that you're only realizing the savings if you are buying something that you were going to purchase anyway. A mega pack of paper plates isn't a good buy if you only use reusable melamine plates. If you don't really need whatever it is you're buying you're actually wasting money.
Is It Right for You?
Twenty-four snack sized bags of chips for $10, what a great deal!! Unless, of course, you don't usually eat chips that often. Or the brand/flavor/etc isn't the one that you like. If you only eat at home buying those little pre-packaged bags is usually more expensive than buying one large bag of chips. If you're buying something in a form or flavor that isn't right for you, again, you're not saving money. You'll probably even end up spending more because you'll eventually throw some of the uneaten goodies away and buy what you really want the next time you see it at the store.
How Quickly Will You Use It?
When you're buying items in bulk you need to check the expiration date. If something stores well for a long period of time, you may be okay. For anything else, make sure you have a plan to use it before it expires. This is especially important for food items. That giant jar of pickles may seem like a great deal because the cost per pickle is so low. If you only eat half the jar though, you've really paid double per dill and there goes your savings. It's better to pay more per piece when you'll use it all than to throw a lot of it away later.
Where Will You Store It?
Buying in bulk can create a whole set of new problems. Unless you have a huge house with lots of storage areas you're probably tight on space in some areas. If you bulk up on food you can quickly over stuff your pantry. Stocking up on paper goods or household cleaners can create storage dilemmas as well. Before you grab that giant pack, make sure you have a place to put it. If you have to invest in shelving, bins, or baskets to corral all your overage you'll probably end up spending more than you saved.
Stockpile | At Home Inventory System
Often when items are stored in an out of the way spot you can forget what you have. Luckily, there's Stockpile at home inventory system. Stockpile makes it easy to track items within your home, wherever they're stored. No more 'out of sight, out of mind' issues. Creating item records is quick and easy. Thanks to areas and locations you can be very specific about where items are kept. This makes it easy to find what you want when you want it. Plus, Stockpile is mobile compatible so you can check your inventory on the go. All you need is a mobile device and access to the internet. Stockpile makes it easy to tame your at home inventory issues. Try Stockpile today!
