Money-Saving Tip: Bulk Online Buys/Finding Space

 

Buying in bulk is not a new idea.  In my old house, I couldn't buy as many food items in bulk because there simply wasn't the storage.  In fact we had SO little storage, I had to get rid of lots of fun small appliances because I needed the space for things I used more frequently. I loved our first home, and it taught me A LOT about how to maximize space.

So before you space challenged individuals say "I don't have the space for bulk purchases," this may be true for bulky things, but lots of things can be purchased online in bulk that don't take up lots of space, and the savings can be pretty staggering.  I always like to teach my clients an important rule about "prime real estate" with your home's spaces.

• If you use an item a lot, it needs to be in a "prime real estate" location (A space that is easy to access).  If an item is used infrequently, put it in that space (because we all have them!) that is ridiculously hard to access and out of site.  Far better to put items infrequently used in those silly home builder-brain places and hassle with getting them out once or twice a year than to hassle with something you use daily/weekly/biweekly.  

So if you need help finding room, it's possible I could help you visualize some added space, just post a comment and we'll go from there.

Here are somethings I regularly buy online in bulk to save money that aren't overly bulky.  Then your job: think about the things that you buy regularly, and do a Google Shopping search for those items: it will be very quickly apparent if there is a better deal to be had online (and I always include the cost of shipping in my overall cost per item, and you should too!)

Vitamins/Supplements: Retail, my vitamins are something like $40 a bottle, but I regularly get them for half off or more online through various websites.  Check yours out.  Most recently, I purchased mine on amazon.com, but I have also used luckyvitamin.com, vitacost.com, and others

Replacement Razor Blades: My hubby has very thick facial hair, so the nicest razor are essential.  But the price tag in the store?  At Target, the * pack is $30, or $3.75 a blade.  On eBay I could buy them (without packaging, but still brand new) for $1.87-2.75/blade, depending on packaging and how many you buy.

Contact Lenses: You need a current prescription to order them, but retail, a box of contacts for $24, but online, I paid $12.14/box.

Electric Toothbrush Replacement Heads: at Target, it's $25 for only 3, over $8 a head!  Online at eBay:  $2.15/head for authentic ones, and much cheaper for generic ones if you're willing to go there.

Kids Shampoos/Soaps/Toothpastes/Lotions/Sunscreen: Since I buy the natural ones, it can get pretty pricey at my local natural food stores.  I pay around 50% less online for the items, and always buy multiples, all the items at once so I can get free shipping.  Again, I use vitacost.com, luckyvitamin.com, vitaminshoppe.com, and sometimes drugstore.com: do the Google search for your item.

Bottom line: it's always worth checking online to see if the items YOU get all the time might be found cheaper elsewhere: frequently, they are!  If you find any big money saving scores for YOUR wallet, post a comment and share with us!!