You can look online and find TONS of articles about “prepping” and “preppers.” Some of their most widely circulated article types are ones like “Top 10 things to have in case SHTF,” or “13 items often overlooked in prepper storage,” etc.
We’re not here to talk about prepping. But rather sensible items to stock up on in order to SAVE MONEY overall.
People use primarily two types of things “regularly.”
Things they need, and things they LIKE.
We also need to point out that we’re not going to mention wholesale clubs like BJ’s or Costco. While they do have many “unit price” wins – you’d be surprised how often they’re not the cheapest. And the fact we’re not members yet also plays a role!
Here are four items – if you have the spare money – to consider buying a significant quantity of when they’re on sale.
The four items we strive to stock up on when on sale
- Bounty Paper Towels. They’re still king of the hill when it comes to overall quality. But they are always significantly higher in price per square foot over “comparable” heavy-duty paper towels. But once in a blue moon – you can score Bounty at almost the same price as cheaper equivalents (like Wegmans, LIDL, or Walmart). Often times it’s a “sale” at places like ShopRite, combined with a “rebate” (i.e., buy two, get $10 back at the register). So while this isn’t a major money-saving score, it’s a way of getting the “best” towel at a much lower price. (Note the same goes for your favorite “TeePee” brand as well.) However, we still think LIDL Paper Towels are king of the overall hill. Convenience may play a role if that is possible or not.
- Seltzer Water. By far, the most economical way to get seltzer is buying larger containers. Usually the liter-sized ones. Depending on the brand, regular prices can range from $0.89 to nearly $2 per bottle. Every now and then, we can score bottles of either ShopRite or even Poland Spring bottles for as little as $0.40 or $0.50 each. We try to buy several cases – which will typically last us a long while. Important to keep track of the weekly sales.
- Vitamins – while not the best of the best – Nature’s () vitamins have been quite good for us at shoprite. They regularly go on sale for 50% off. Good idea to stock up on anything you take daily.
- Bags (garbage, food) – another necessity for most households. While you can get name brand on sale from time to time, the house-brand also goes on sale periodically. You can score major savings, especially on the family packs. Note: We’re done with “slider” bags. We’ve found the quality has gone downhill. They cost a lot more too. The standard “double zipper” bags are just fine. A bit hard to close sometimes, but worth the effort.
Keep in mind – “shelf-stable”
Note that anything bought in quantity should likely either be a “hard good,” or something with extended shelf-life. You can buy meats – buy you have to be savvy with freezer use. That includes rotating and never keeping things beyond a year – or they often get ruined. Bacon is a no-brainer though.
Hope you got something from this post and associated video!
