How it works:
If you live in ID, UT, WY, TX, AZ, NV, or WA you can participate in Bountiful Baskets. This is a food co-op but one that is very flexible. You pay each week and can stop or start again at any time (you don't pay a large amount of money up front like some co-ops). You purchase online and must be purchased on certain days (check the website for your location).
The food is the same food the grocery stores buy purchased at the wholesale prices which are extended to you. Your bountiful basket is typically about half the cost of what you would pay in the grocery store. Every other week at some locations organic is available.
Strategies:
You should volunteer from time to time because it is a co-op that runs on volunteers (coordinators get stressed when there is not enough help!) but also, when you do volunteer you are likely to get extra free food. As you are sorting there always seems to be a left over amount (some times a LOT) and you can really score big this way.
Buying Food online in Bulk
There are SO many online bulk food stores. Bulk food is great because it saves you a TON of money (often you are paying for pretty packaging in small amounts--who cares! Buy bulk in plain packaging and save money!) and also for disaster preparedness. I think everyone should have atleast 6 months supply of food and water (check expiration dates frequently and change water every 3 months). If you don't have room in the house, dig an underground root cellar outside--get creative!
Thankfully with the internet there are sites everywhere to buy your food online. You really don't need to even leave the house anymore to do your grocery shopping (even produce can be delivered!)
I like to do this search in a search engine "bulk food free shipping" and see what it brings up!
Below are listed first my favorite sites. They are favorites because they offer free shipping or discounts and also offer a majority of healthful foods (what's the point of saving money if you are only going to make your body sick and full of disease by eating junk?! Someday I will do a blog on the benefits of eating healthfully...) The next section is healthful foods but has shipping costs (which can be very pricey since it weighs so much--but there are times when it is worth it--like on organic items that are not offered locally, etc). The remaining websites are good but sell food that will make your body sick (i.e. hamburger helper meals, campbells soup, etc). Eat at your own risk!
My favorite bulk online sites
Amazon.com - did you know you can buy healthy/organic/pesticide free bulk food and shampoos, etc on here? (and yes, you can buy the not-so-good-for-your-body food too :) Get free shipping on order over $25 (easy when you buy in bulk) or do an amazon prime free trial (just be sure to deselect the auto renew button in your account or cancel before the trial is over).
Frontier Natural Products - This is an awesome site to get herbs, spices, foods, and teas in bulk. Free shipping on orders $75 or more.
Frontier Natural Products Co-op - This is the same store as above, except it is designed to be more of a co-op. There is a much greater selection of spices, herbs, and foods, and they are sold in bulk at a discounted price. The selection is superb (for example, there is like 8 different kinds of cinnamon--wow! Who knew there were so many different kinds of cinnamon!) Free shipping on orders over $250 (this may be something you can team up with a friend or two).
Morethanalive.com - This one is one of my personal favorites. It is owned by a wonderful Christian family (love it when I can trust the store) and they offer a ton of food, herbs, essential oils, and supplements. They offer free shipping on orders over $99 and occasionally there are specials for 20-25% off their products which helps a lot. Join their email list or watch my home page to see when they happen.
Organic Living Food - They sell organic foods at discounted prices. There are options to buy in small quantities and options to buy in bulk. Free shipping on orders over $99.
Runner up favorites--great stores but don't offer regular free shipping (atleast regularly)
Organic Kingdom - They have nearly everything my local health food store carries. http://www.organickingdom.com/
Gold Mine Natural Foods - Really cool selection of natural foods (mostly with an Asian bent). http://www.goldminenaturalfoods.com/
Buying Food in Bulk at the Club Stores
The club stores are great. I currently am a member at Costco and Sam's Club. You pay a yearly fee to save. This can be great if it is something that works for your family. It can easily be a drag on your savings though if not done right.
Here are some common pitfalls:
1) The bulk deals are good--but also pretty stagnant. When a grocery store has a sale, pretty much ALWAYS the club prices can't even compete. Keep that in mind. I always check the sales out at my local grocery store first and since I go to my clubs often enough I know what's there (and the prices never really change) so I can make the decision then to purchase the item at the grocery store or at the club. It helps to have a list. This really saves us a lot of moeny.
2) Your small family can't eat the bulk food--it just goes bad. That's not very good savings. You'll have to ask yourself if whatever else you are buying is compensating your memberships fees.
3) Often you are paying for a discount on a name brand. You have to ask yourself--do you really care that much about the name brands? If you have been dying for some name brand jeans then this could be a good deal, but if you don't mind non-name brands or second hand clothes then that would be an even better deal.
4) Don't forget to utilize the easy return policy! Many people don't know how great the club return policies are. While normal grocery stores give you a huge hassle, the clubs I belong to don't hassle in the slightest. This is great if food goes bad or you change your mind about something.
5) Gas--the clubs often has gas stations attached--great prices! BUT--if your local grocery store has a "shop and earn gas rewards" system I have found that to be a MUCH better deal that always beats the club. Again, for it to really be a deal, you would need to be shopping at that grocery store anyway (not buying stuff not on sale just so you get gas points--that doesn't make sense)--but if you truly are then price it out. The club gas may not be as great a deal as you were thinking.
Buying food straight from the distributor (the people that sell to restaurants, grocery stores, etc--cut out the middle man!)
If you have a business or would like to open a business, it might benefit you greatly to go into business as caterer or the organizer of a whole sale food co-op. This way you get CHEAP prices. I am doing this myself. I did a search engine for "produce distributors" and got a long list and started calling. Some required my business license # which I readily had available. Others didn't require it at all (I think legally to sell food whole sale you must be selling to a legitimate business). All of them deliver! And the minimum is cheap--usually only $50-$250. If you go to their warehouse then there is no minimum. But in our large family we easily meet the minimums and delivery is a huge plus.
The catch is you are buying in SUPER bulk--Costco can't hold a candle! So if your family isn't large enough to eat the produce then you will need to organize a co-op. Others who would be willing to buy off your surplus. Call and ask for some price lists--compare prices to your local grocery store and you will be amazed! And be sure to talk to a few different companies. One distributor's prices were basically the same as the grocery store. The one I am buying from is 2-3 times cheaper than the local grocery store!
Buy foods and herbs in bulk at MoreThanAlive.com
