This week I made a special trip to the supermarket. The reason being is that many of my pantry staples (which I was running low on or had actually run out of completely) were all on great specials. This was an opportunity too good to miss as far as I was concerned, but it did get me thinking on how I feel about spending extra money now in order to save later on?
I personally figure that as long as I don’t by an outrageous amount of a particular product then it’s okay. For instance, I should be able to comfortably store the extra I’m buying AND ensure that these are items that I will use before they go bad (most of which have extended shelf lives anyway).
As an example, I like to keep instant noodles in my pantry, several different varieties and flavors to have in those moments when I’m instantly hungry but don’t want to pay for an expensive meal out/have time to cook. Now I purchased these instant noodles because some were half price ($1 down from $2) and some were a small percentage off ($1.70 down from $2) As a side note, I’m allergic to gluten and gluten free instant noodles come at a premium compared to the standard variety for anyone who was wondering.
Whilst these small amounts are not a significant saving, I did purchase a volume of these instant noodles which made the trip worth it amongst the other items I bought which were also on good specials (tins of tomatoes, chocolate and lentils). I spent a total of $25, but I saved $8.50- which is a significant saving to me as had I purchased all this at full price, the same items would have come to $33.50. Instead, I saved $8.50 on items I always buy. Which is the key here, always. Because these are items I use frequently they are always worth having around.
There is no point is stocking up on items that you won’t use before they go bad, that’s just wasted funds. Instead I have an extra $8.50 in my pocket to use down the track when it suits me- but let’s be honest, I’ll probably buy a bubble tea as a treat! But the point is, is that I would financially be able to pay for a special drink such as this because I’ve saved money in other areas during the month.
I personally think it makes sense to stock up when there are good specials on pantry items (especially canned goods). But I would never do this with fresh produce or items with a short shelf life because I don’t want to take the risk of not using something or forgetting about it. Why pay more for the same item when you can buy it on a discount?
How do you feel about bulk buying?
This is Minimalism 