Bulk Mathmatics

How thrifty is it to makes purchases from Warehouse clubs like Sam’s and BJ’s? Before you make your decision you have to know your prices. This is where having a Price Book comes in hand.

For example if you buy maple syrup at the local grocery store it might cost $17.18 for a quart of syrup. But at BJs the syrup is $13.99 per quart.

A bit of a difference. This week the maple syrup was on sale at the local grocery store for only $15.98 per quart, still not as good a deal as the warehouse store! You have to keep an eye on the size of the product to find out if you are getting a deal or not! At first glance you think the real deal is the $7.99 bottle only to realize you are purchasing just a pint not a quart!

It’s often cheapest to purchase a gallon of syrup at a time, but to purchase a gallon of maple syrup might be a little cumbersome. What do you do with all that extra syrup? Decant the syrup into smaller containers and freeze the extra. The syrup won’t actually freeze but the cold temperature will prolong the syrup’s flavor. You could also re-can the syrup using your water bath canner.

Another good deal to be found at the warehouse clubs is olive oil. A 5 liter container of olive oil is about $24.99 at my local BJ’s. Seems a bit overwhelming but at $24.99 that’s only $4.70 per quart. If you purchase olive oil on amazon you pay $27.50 for 5 liters,  a savings of $2.51. If you purchase the oil at the local grocery store you can only purchase the oil in a 3 liter container but the price is almost the same as the warehouse store per quart. The  container is on sale this week for $8.99 which works out to $11.28 per quart! Again it is key to know what size you are purchasing to find the deal.

Saving money is not always easy and the key is to know your prices. Sometimes it just doesn’t pay to run all over town to get the best deals at each store, especially if you are only saving a few dollars. If you keep an eye on the sales and know the prices on the items you purchase often you are well on your way to being a smart shopper and saving money!