I don’t know about you, but whenever I walk into Sam’s Club or Costco I get a little nervous: not only are they a prime example of consumer culture, seeing all that stuff stacked to the very tall ceiling just makes my palms clammy with anxiety. That’s why I go in there with a (small) list of things that I want to buy – but also with a mental list of what I don’t need to buy in bulk.
While the prices might be low, it’s good to consider what you’re buying and what you can store. For a single person like me, I don’t buy food in bulk – not even easily freeze-able food – because it just doesn’t make sense. It’s easier to check what’s on sale at the grocery store because it’s close to the expiration date and in a way forces me to cook things as soon as I bring them home. Also, there’s only so much freezer space in there, so stacking all that stuff for no reason eventually gets wasteful. You might forget that it’s in there and end up just throwing it out if it’s been in there getting freezer burn.
Grocery stores always give me great deals with their cards. In my experience, it’s usually cheaper just to buy toiletries in smaller bulk there (and I’m also much less stressed out!) I’m always keeping a hawk eye out for deals – and they accept coupons, where the big bad warehouse stores don’t. There’s also the environmental impact to consider: all those bigger items need more packaging that creates more non-biodegradable trash. I’ve worked with people who eat peanut butter pretzels in huge plastic “barrels” and it made me horrified to think they were just going to toss them when they were done. It’s perfect for a small plant!
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