EPISODE 21 ~ SAVE MORE: Wholesale Groceries: How To Get Them By Forming A Grocery Buying Club
One way to “save more” on food, household and personal care items is by forming a grocery buying club. They’re also sometimes called co-ops, but no matter what the name, multiple families are banding together to buy groceries wholesale.
Buying wholesale means you’re buying your groceries from the same distributors who usually sell to grocery stores. You’re cutting out the middleman. A refrigerated 18-wheeler literally pulls up and makes a delivery.
The typical grocery buying club savings is about 25 percent. Jen W. of New Hampshire says she saves her family of three about $200 a month. Larger families report saving as much as $500 a month. Wholesalers who sell to grocery buying clubs recommend having seven to ten families in your club. But it’s really up to you to determine how many families you need in order to meet the minimum order required by your wholesaler. Jen’s wholesaler requires a minimum order of $350 and she finds she can easily meet that with just three families in her club.
Grocery wholesalers list their products in catalogs or on their websites. They can typically supply anything except fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy. The best buys are on bulk products like pasta, rice, flour and sugar. Club members purchase jumbo sizes of these products and divide them up for maximum savings. Natural and organic products are often available because many co-ops started out catering to that niche.
Usually members of the club divide up the responsibilities. One member compiles the order; Another member collects the money; Somebody else volunteers their home to receive the delivery.
I checked the price of buying 5 products through a wholesaler versus at a regular grocery store and the savings were impressive, especially because I checked all organic products. The regular store price for my items was $36.65. The wholesale grocery buying club price was $28.04, for a savings of $8.61 or 23%. And remember, if your start a grocery buying club, that savings will be multiplied times an entire shopping list. There are wholesalers in all parts of the country who sell to buying clubs. I will link you to a website that lists many grocery wholesalers, so you can inquire about starting a buying club.