Always Buy These 10 Items in Bulk — Shop Smart and Save Money

Shopping at a wholesale warehouse like Costco or Sam’s Club can be exciting and overwhelming. It’s hard to spend less than $400 on one shopping trip because you feel you have to stock up on items to save money. But do you really need a pallet of Beef-A-Reeno?

There are some things you should always buy in bulk. Then again, there are also items that you don’t necessarily have to stock up on.

Let's take a look at 10 of the items you should be buying in bulk if you aren't already.

When shopping at a warehouse club, consider the advantages you get from purchasing items in bulk. This can help you differentiate between what you should and shouldn’t buy in bulk.

In general, the things you buy in bulk should be items you often use and can save significant money on. You should also factor in whether you have the room to store your bulk purchases. You shouldn’t buy a ton of toilet paper or paper towels if you live in a small apartment with little room to keep it all.

Here are 10 things you should always buy in bulk. Most of the items on this list are things you probably use often and shouldn’t take up to much room in your home.

Whether you like fresh ground coffee or coffee pods for your Keurig machine, you can save a considerable amount of money buying coffee in bulk from a warehouse store like Costco, Sam's Club, or BJ's Wholesale Club.

Discovering you’re out of trash bags is frustrating. If you buy trash bags in bulk, whether from a warehouse store or the neighbor kid selling them for a school fundraiser, you could go six months to a year without having to rebuy them.

You can go through a lot of shampoo, especially if several people in your home wash their hair. A big bottle of shampoo or conditioner doesn’t take up more space than a smaller bottle, so it makes sense to buy it in bulk.

Having a big jug of liquid soap available to refill the soap dispensers in your home can be convenient, especially if you have several bathrooms.

Olive oil can be expensive in grocery stores. If you use it for almost all your cooking, you should consider buying it in bulk to save money.

As a parent of a newborn or toddler, you will go through a lot of diapers and wipes before the kid is potty trained. That can get expensive. So it’s wise to buy diapers in bulk to save money and have plenty on hand when you need them.

If you’ve ever been in a situation where you never seem to have replacement batteries when you need them, you should consider buying batteries in bulk. They don’t take up much space and will be readily available when you need them. An added benefit of buying batteries in bulk, of course, is that you'll save money in the long run.

Like with batteries, not having a stash of extra light bulbs around when one burns out can be a hassle. It’s wise to stock up on light bulbs, so you’re prepared the next time one starts to dim.

Your dog may not know how to fetch, and your cat may not know how to behave, but they both know when it’s time to eat. Buying pet food in bulk ensures you never run out while your fur babies are anxiously awaiting their dinner. You can also save money, especially if you have more than one pet mouth to feed.

Have you ever gotten ready to do laundry and realized you don’t have any laundry detergent? Buying your laundry detergent in bulk can help prevent a predicament when you run out of clean clothes.

Amazon, Costco, BJ’s, Sam’s Club, and even dollar stores are great places to shop if you’re considering buying larger quantities of the items you use everyday.