10 Foods To Buy In Bulk To Save You Money

Over the years, I’ve learned that buying food in bulk only saves money if you actually use what you buy. I stopped bulk-buying produce unless I had a freezer plan because wasting food cancels out the savings quickly. Now I focus mostly on versatile staples we use all the time for easy meals like this bacon ranch pasta salad with sour cream or my taco spaghetti skillet.

What works best for our family is buying freezer-friendly proteins, pantry staples, and ingredients that can stretch into multiple meals throughout the week. Bulk shopping feels a lot less overwhelming once you focus on foods your family realistically eats regularly instead of just buying the biggest package available.

Best Protein To Buy In Bulk

When it comes to buying protein, your cost per pound will be infinitely cheaper if you purchase it in bulk. The best proteins to buy in bulk are the ones that freeze well, get used often, and can work in multiple easy meals throughout the week.

For most families, chicken breast, ground beef, chicken thighs, bacon, frozen shrimp (to make this low carb shrimp fried cauliflower rice, obviously!), and other items give the best value because they’re versatile and easy to portion out before freezing. To maximize your grocery savings, shop the best sales and cheaper cuts of meat.

Ground turkey and chicken drumsticks are always cheaper than organic ground beef and chicken breasts. Be strategic.

Pantry Staples With Purchasing In Bulk

These pantry staples last a long time, work in multiple easy meals, and are some of the best foods to buy in bulk to save money without creating waste.

Rice: White rice, jasmine rice, and brown rice all store well long-term and work for quick side dishes, casseroles, and meal prep bowls.

Pasta: One of the easiest bulk staples because it’s inexpensive, shelf-stable, and works for everything from soups and side dishes like copycat Longhorn steakhouse mac and cheese to easy weeknight dinners.

Oats: Great for breakfasts, baking, and snacks while staying fresh for months when stored properly.

Peanut Butter: A budget-friendly pantry staple that works for sandwiches, sauces, snacks like air fryer banana tortilla roll ups, and baking.

Canned Tomatoes: Perfect for soups, pasta sauces, chili, and casseroles while lasting for months in the pantry.

Dried and canned Beans & Lentils: Extremely affordable sources of protein and fiber that store well long term. Plus, adding beans to a meal is a cost-effective way to stretch it further.

Flour: A kitchen staple for baking, cooking, and thickening sauces. It’s much cheaper in bulk, but make sure to store it in airtight containers to keep it fresh.

Sugar: Has a long shelf life and is useful for baking, sauces, drinks, and preserving fruit, like in my favorite raspberry compote recipe.

Freezer Foods

Freezer-friendly foods are some of the best bulk buys because they last longer and help prevent waste. Stocking up on the following can make quick family meals much easier while lowering the cost per serving over time.

• Frozen vegetables
• Shredded cheese
• Butter
• Fruit

If possible, try to grab a ton of these ingredients at the end of produce season to save even more money.

Foods NOT Worth Buying In Bulk

Not every bulk deal actually saves money. Foods with short shelf lives or ingredients your family doesn’t use often can end up wasted, which quickly cancels out the savings.

• Dairy Products: Obviously, milk, yogurt, and soft cheeses spoil quickly unless your household goes through them fast.
• Fresh Produce: Unless you’re meal prepping, freezing, or preserving it, large amounts of produce can spoil before you use it.
• Bread: While bread can be frozen, buying too much at once often leads to stale loaves or freezer-burned slices that nobody wants to eat.
• Dried Herbs & Spices: Spices lose flavor over time, especially once opened. Buying giant containers usually only makes sense for seasonings you use constantly.

Quick Tips

Obviously, buying food in bulk only works if you purchase and store foods that your family actually goes through.

This means making it so that your meals revolve around basic food staples and you rotate through your favorites. If you’re trying new recipes every single week, it becomes tricky to rely on only the ingredients you pre-purchased.