Buying in bulk does save money. It’s a simple wholesaling principle that everyone understands in principle. But how are you supposed to tap into wholesale prices as an individual? Of course, you could even start a wholesale business yourself, but if you don’t quite want to go that far yet, here are some tips to help you make buying in bulk work for you.

1. Buddy up. The number one complaint about buying in bulk is that you simply get too much food for one person or family to handle. Even if you’re buying non-perishable food items (or at least items with a long shelf life) like dried chickpeas or tinned tomatoes, buying in bulk can still mean taking on 10 kg of chickpeas at a time. If you share your purchase with a friend, you can enjoy the cheaper unit price without having to figure out how to store huge quantities of food.

2. Buy direct. While you can get bulk prices from retailers, especially if you visit the bulk food bins in a supermarket, you can often get even better prices when you buy straight from the source. For example, you can get excellent prices on meat when you buy a whole side of beef from a butcher. You can also get good bulk produce prices when buying directly from the grower at a Farmer’s Market.

3. Use your freezer. People often make the mistake of thinking that buying in bulk keeps you from getting to taste fresh food. In fact, you can buy fresh food in bulk. Eat the most perishable fruits and veggies first, and then freeze the rest for later. Most foods will survive surprisingly well in the freezer.