The Best Bulk Food Prices

[millsusaf]

I'm starting to prep some larger quantity food stuffs. In the interest of my checking account, I've started shopping for the best prices. I've thought about joining Sam's or Costco but I'm not convinced that combined with the yearly membership I'd come out ahead on the relatively small quantities I'll be purchasing.

I'd like to start a thread tracking local as well as internet "bulk" food prices, sort of like the ammo thread. The internet foods would have to include shipping as well.

1/12/2010 at the Wal-Mart on 96th St I found the following prices:

Quaker Instant Grits 5 lbs $2.58 $.03 per oz
Great Value Pancake Mix 32 oz $1.57 $.05 per oz
Great Value Quick Oats 42 oz $2.68 $.06 per oz
Great Value Sugar 25 lbs $11.68 $.03 per oz
Great Value Dry Milk 64 oz $16.42 $.25 per oz
Bisquick 96 oz $5.98 $.06 per oz
Great Value LG Rice 20 lbs $11.48 $.04 per oz

(None of these include tax and the per oz price is rounded up to the nearest cent.)

Hopefully you guys can help me out with this and we can all benefit from the information.

Thanks

 

[ar15_dude]

For canned goods, check out Aldi's. No member fees, just lower prices than Wal-Mart (IMO).

 

[redneckmedic]

Sam's Club
membership $30
100lb bag long grain white rice $23
100lb bag beans $43

will ad more prices later, when I go back for an inventory

 

[m2hoss]

Something to think about with Costco. The basic membership is $50. If you get the $100 executive membership you get 2% back on all your purchases. If you don't spend enough to earn $50 (the extra cost of the executive) they will give you the difference towards your next year's membership or give it back to you (I think). The way I kinda look at it is if you spend $5000 there in a year, your membership is basically paid for the next year. I don't think its going to be hard to spend that much annually on just groceries, but if you happen to get other things, electronics, furniture, ect, I'd say you have it made. Aside from the membership fee its a pretty good place to shop. They'll return almost anything anytime. Only recently have they put a 90 day limit on electronics, but when almost everybody else is at 14 days, thats pretty sweet.
Prices between Sams and Costco are very close. Sometimes Costco is a few pennies cheaper, sometimes Sam's is.

 

[DHolder]

I have a large family, we have shopped at Sams and Aldi, like every thing else it pays to shop around.

One place we shop at is GFS. Gordons Food Service. The store carries most supplies for the restraunt industry, in bulk sizes. We buy our #10 cans of sutff there, dry goods, as well as pastas.

The great thing about GFS is that they are open to the public, with no membership fee. We were there earlier this week and I saw a flier that a new store would be opening in Fishers on Masters Rd. in Febuary.

 

[Dr Falken]

Don't just look at the cost of the food. Look at the information and what you're eating. Aldi's is cheaper, but some of the food has high fat content, and lower quality overall. Nothing against Aldi, I buy food there too. Just pay attention to what you're getting, especially if you plan on eating it everyday (store what you eat, eat what you store). If you are rather sedentary, you might not want to be eating that chilli with 25% fat on a daily basis, even if it is cheap. Guess what I'm saying is, think about your nutrition somewhere in your equation(sp).

 

[millsusaf]

That is very good advise. I've been doing a pretty good job of storing what we eat (although still need to do a bit more) and now I'm getting into more of the bulk foods.

The family doesn't know it yet but soon we will be eating more of that and less of our typical box/bag crap. hahahaha

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I did a bit of shopping around today. I checked out SAMs and saw a few good prices on beans and rice. Tampons were about half what they cost everywhere else. I decided not to give them my money however just on principal. It seems that membership is $40, that's no big deal, but what IS a big deal IMO, is that they will not sell you a membership if you refuse to allow them to put your drivers license number and birth date in their computer system. I can think of NO reason on earth that they need either piece of info on record and will not give it to them. Anyways, I found some good prices on some stuff we use and spent about $600 elsewhere. I bet if they knew what I planned to spend, they'd have overlooked the DL# I'm confident that I'm at a good solid 6+ months supply of food, more if we tighten our belts.

 

[indysafe317]

question

I have not been able to find beans at the sams in Fishers, which sams has the beans that you quoted. Cannot find them online at their site either.

Sam's Club
membership $30
100lb bag long grain white rice $23
100lb bag beans $43

will ad more prices later, when I go back for an inventory

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I have not been able to find beans at the sams in Fishers, which sams has the beans that you quoted. Cannot find them online at their site either.

All I saw at the one in Greenwood was 15lb bags, rice was only in 25lb bags and smaller.

 

[jedi]

To the OP you can alway group up with other's in your area an get a SAM's/COSTOC memeberhsip and go as a big group.

 

[Ramen]

Org. Wheat Berries - Organic Wheat Berries Hard Red, 50 lb, Item #B8019400

50lbs wheat for $34. Get a 5 gallon food bucket, a Mylar bag, and some O2 absorbers.

Also, buy a grain grinder.

 

[millsusaf]

I hit Target today

Mahtma rice 10 lbs $9.64 $.06 per oz
Market Pantry sugar 10 lbs $4.39 $.03 per oz
Bisquick 40 oz $2.59 $.06 per oz
Market Pantry pancake mix 32 oz $1.57 $.05 per oz
Market Pantry Oats 42 oz $2.79 $.07 per oz

Target is worthless btw....well except for the soccer moms.

 

[Yeah]

If you are ever down 67 there is a place near Freedom, IN called Freedom Country Store. It is nigh unbeatable on bulk food. Herbs, spices, beans, flour, pasta. It is run by Amish and they buy in what I can only imagine is tanker trucks full and repackage themselves.

Bulk Food, Including Meat and Cheese | Worthington, IN

 

[CountryBoy19]

If you are ever down 67 there is a place near Freedom, IN called Freedom Country Store. It is nigh unbeatable on bulk food. Herbs, spices, beans, flour, pasta. It is run by Amish and they buy in what I can only imagine is tanker trucks full and repackage themselves.

Bulk Food, Including Meat and Cheese | Worthington, IN

Thanks for this! That may come in handy in the future.

 

[antsi]

My wife is in to bulk food storage and prepping. I am going to try to get her to respond to this thread. There are some online sources that are good for unprocessed products like grain. Another place to check out is the LDS Church food distribution. They sell all kinds of long term storage foods for emergency preparedness. Some the prices can be beat, but they're the best deal going on other things. I do not think you have to be a member to buy there.

 

[antsi]

Honeyville grain is a great way to buy bulk foods because shipping is less than 5 bucks no matter how much it weighs. You can buy all the 50lb bags you want!!!! Here is the link:
Powdered Dried Whole Eggs - Freeze Dried Fruit - Blanched Almond Flour - Steel C - Home

 

[millsusaf]

I pulled the trigger on a Costco membership today and I have to say I think it is going to be with it from what I've found.

Quaker Oats 10 lbs $6.99 $.04 per oz
Sugar 50 lbs $25.39 $.03 per oz
Bisquick 6 lbs $4.99 $.05 per oz
Krusteaz pancake mix 10 lbs $6.38 $.04 per oz
Kraft Mac n Cheese 15 box pack $9.75 $.65 a box
Kokuho rice 25 lbs $19.69 $.05 per oz
Blue ribbon rice 50 lbs $14.98 $.02 per oz
Green Giant Green Beans 12 14.9 oz can $7.99 $.05 per oz
Green Giant Corn 12 11oz cans $7.99 $.06 per oz

 

[SSGSAD]

Sam's Club
membership $30
100lb bag long grain white rice $23
100lb bag beans $43

will ad more prices later, when I go back for an inventory

Sam's went up to $40.00 that is why I did not renew my mbrshp., I did not shop there enough, to make up for the expense...

 

[redneckmedic]

Aldi's is cheaper, but some of the food has high fat content,

Thats a good thing for SHTF

I have not been able to find beans at the sams in Fishers, which sams has the beans that you quoted. Cannot find them online at their site either.

They had about 10 100lb bags on East Washington last week, and about 100 of the 10lb bags