Gas-Saving Moment of the Day: Buy in Bulk

If you've seen the new movie "Wall-E," you know that the downfall of human civilization can be attributed to bulk retail stores like Buy 'n Large. However, when it comes to saving on fuel, buying in bulk can be environmentally friendly and save you money.

Ask yourself how often you make trips to the grocery store, hardware store or other retailers. Unless you've already got your family's shopping down to an exact science, chances are you could cut back even further.

First of all, you’ll save at the register, especially if you’re buying in bulk with discount coupons, or if you’re getting items that are on sale. Secondly, the more you spend on one trip to the grocery store and the more food and basic necessities you stock up on, the fewer return trips you’ll have to make each month.

The key is to not run out of one essential item that will send you driving back to the store between trips. For instance, after a trip to the grocery store, you might realize later that night that you’re out of toothpaste, so you drive back the next day, probably spending less on the toothpaste than the gas.

The fewer reasons you give yourself to make multiple trips for basic items, the more you can pinch your pennies when it comes to gas. In other words, stock up on toothpaste.

Related:
More Gas-Saving Moments of the Day (KickingTires)

Comments

[Andre]

Yet just this week the Today Show had a piece on how much Americans waste, in terms of throwing away food.

The suggestion....make more trips and buy only what you need.

As drivers we are very aware of the cost of gasoline at each fill up. As consumers are we as aware of the money wasted on groceries that end up in the garbage?

I know that I save money when buying fresh fruit and veg on a daily basis over bulk purchases, but I am lucky enough to have a grocery store on my route home, so I'm not wasting gas to to the shopping.

[Shelder Hemmer]

In addition to using coupons using the internet can save us money. As a tech non-savvy senior living on limited income even I have started shopping through bargains websites like Unodeals.com instead of driving (burning gas $$'s) to the stores in the hopes of a bargain.