Ok, not literally. But I mentioned in previous posts that I've made a habit of buying everything I need for the year (or more) en masse in the January sales. Bulk purchasing items can save you a lot of money in the long run, assuming you follow some simple rules. Failure to adhere to these rules will result in you wasting money, so don't just rush in with your wallet before thinking ahead.
Try before you buy!
This may sound incredibly obvious, but don't buy any items that you haven't already tried and know you like. Splashing out £500 on 30 boxes of random deodorant, only to discover a day later that it leaves the underarms of your t-shirts looking like a bottle of Tippex exploded in the wash is a quick way to lose £500! Only buy products that you have tried in the past and know will be put to good use.
Avoid perishable goods
Another seemingly obvious one, but don't bulk buy anything that will go off long before you get round to using it. 10 crates of blueberries for £20 is a bargain only if you plan to eat, freeze or preserve them immediately. I tend to keep bulk purchases of most food items to a maximum of a few months supply and only do yearly stock ups of items that I know will last a long time. Also, a year of eating the same food can get pretty boring after a while if, like me, you prefer to change things up every now and then. Plan ahead and make sure you can either store or eat anything that could go rotten. Sometimes the amount of time and work needed to properly store it just isn't worth the money you save.
Check you have storage space
Following on from the above rule... if you do plan to store either perishable or non-perishable items, then check you actually have the space to fit it all somewhere. If you live in a tiny bedsit and only have one plastic container and a few empty gaps under the bed, then don't go crazy and fill up the entire place with 1000 loo rolls. Unless you enjoy living in a pretend fortress and want to relive the excitement of hiding in the supermarket stacks as a child (which is entirely understandable). If you're more of a minimalist type that recoils in horror at having a single ornament littering the perfect lines of your otherwise empty home, then make sure you know where all of your supplies will go before buying anything. Having to pay therapist fees for a psychological meltdown will quickly eat up any money you saved!
Shop around or wait for bargains
Buying things in bulk will usually save money anyway, but ideally you want to save additional money buy waiting until the items you need are on offer. Look around for deals before you bulk buy anything. Haggle further if you can, as some suppliers are happy to give you a better deal if you are willing to take a large amount of stock in one go. There are a couple of markets that I frequent where the traders will offer extra reductions if I pay in cash.
The January sales are a good time to pick up a lot of good bargains. Although check you are actually getting a good rate, as some shops will offer 'discounts' that really aren't. Just because the item is included under a big 'SALE' sign, doesn't necessarily mean it's worth buying. Check the price per item first.
For the less mathematically able among us, to calculate the price per item you just take the total price and divide it by the number of items included. For example, if a shop is selling a crate of 80 oranges for £12, then you would divide £12 by 80 to get a cost per individual orange of 15p.
Online cashback or coupon sites
If you prefer to shop online for most things, get into the habit of checking for extra discounts or coupons via sites like Top Cashback rather than going directly to the shop website. Obviously don't buy things just for the cash back, as that defeats the whole purpose. But if you are planning to stock up on an item anyway, then check if you can get a better deal. It's also worth asking around your friends and family in case they have coupons for items they don't use. Sometimes you can swap them for something you won't use. Which leads to...
Network, network, network!
Do you know others in your social circle that are trying to save a bit more money? If so, it might be worth teaming up and buying even bigger stacks of items in one go. You may find you get an even bigger discount if you purchase 40 boxes of something together rather than 20 boxes each as two separate customers. Or perhaps there is an item that both of you use, but you can't justify buying enough of in one go to get any discount. Teaming up with a housemate/colleague/friend/relative could mean that the total purchase qualifies for 5% off, which benefits you both. Just ensure you live close enough that you don't waste all of the money you save on delivering their shopping!
Buying things in en masse can save you quite a bit of money if done right. Just make sure you plan ahead and avoid any hidden costs.
