Buying in Bulk- The Do's and Don'ts

So I have memberships to Sam's Club and Costco and try to buy in bulk when it makes sense for our family but here are some things that you should not buy in bulk that I would have never know so I thought I would share!

Brown Rice

Many consumers assume brown rice to be a good, staple item to keep in the cupboard at all times. What they might not know is that brown rice has a short shelf life due to its oil content. If you plan to store something like brown rice, keep it in your refrigerator.

 

Nuts

Nuts can be pricey and are sometimes cheaper to buy in bulk, but before you put them in your pouch, remember that they'll only last one to two months. A high fat content forces them to expire quickly. If you're going to purchase a large quantity, buy roasted nuts since they last longer than raw ones.

Condiments

Unless you're eating ketchup and mayonaise at every meal or hosting a huge party in the near future, it's probably not worth your money to buy condiments in bulk. Plus, these items only last six months to a year.

Vitamins

Experiment with vitamins before you consider buying more than one bottle at a time. What if you have an unforseen reaction, or you simply become bored with that strawberry-flavored protein shake mix?

Bleach

Don't buy bleach in bulk unless you're using it all the time. The chemical product actually starts to degrade after six months.

Spices

Spices can lose their potency as quickly as six months after they are purchased. Unless you're cooking with spices frequently, it's best not to buy them in bulk.

Ice Cream

While you may be inclinded to buy big on this one just remember your freezer is only so big. Plus, ice cream is actually cheaper to buy individually, such as in half-gallons, in some stores.

spring cleaning

i'm a little bit of a germ-aphob...ok so maybe not just a little bit. but having kids has made me a lot better, i promoise! {wink} i have never actually "cleaned" my kids bath toys because they are in the bath and must already be cleaned, right? NOT! so since it was a yucky, rainy day i figured today was the day.

you need:
bleach
bucket (preferribly 1 gallon)
bleach to water ratios:
1 tablespoon bleach to 1 quart water
1/4 cup bleach to 1 gallon water

in the bath tub, i started by taking the bucket that i received at the hospital when i had my daughter, but you can use any bucket that is approximately 1 gallon, and fill the bucket with warm water and add 1/4 cup bleach. place your toys in the bucket, soak for 1 minute. pour out the bucket of bleach water. refill bucket with plain water (to rinse); i did this step twice just to be sure it was all gone.

did i mention we are potty training? i also took this time to clean our potties. i threw everything in the tub; filled my bucket with bleach solution; dunked what would fit and poured the remainder of the solution on top of what was left.


the last thing i decided to clean is my oldest daughter's high chair. how gross do high chairs get? ummm, REALLY gross. i do love our's though...the Fisher-Price Rainforest Healthy Care High Chair has been great! she has now outgrown it now and i want to put it away until my youngest is ready in a couple of months but it was "dirty". i folded the legs, removed the seat cover and threw it in the tub too! using recycled t-shirt rags i cleaned the high chair with the bleach solution, eventually pouring the bucket on the chair. i then completely rinsed it using the same technique as above.

some things you may want to consider...wear white and remove all colored towels from the bathroom so you aren't tempted to dry your hands on one when you MAY still have bleach on your hands. when you are finished the whites of your finger nails will be really white, no need for a french manicure this time, thanks to the bleach solution.

recycled t-shirt rags

ever wonder what to do with your husband's old, yellowed undershirts? well i use them as cleaning cloths! with 5 easy cuts you can make 4 good sized cleaning cloths.

first lay your shirt flat on a cutting mat.

using a rotary blade cutter cut just inside the seams for the sleeves to remove the sleeves.
do this to both sleeves.

next, cut a straight line across the shirt, just under where the sleeves where to make a rectangle. discard the sleeves and top of the shirt that you have removed.

lastely cut in half both vertically and horizontally. now you have 4 good cloths for cleaning, kids napkins, or whatever you might need extra towels for but don't want to use your good ones!