BY MONICA MADU | Hospitality Editor –

Resources are scarce, which is why many people enjoy saving a few dollars. Households have different avenues to cut their budgets or save money. One of the special places where one can save money is in kitchen expenses, food items, and toiletries. Two traditions that can help one save money in the kitchen are buying in bulk and making homemade dishes for the family.

These savings are more pronounced in large families, which have increased demand for everyday essentials. When things are bought in bulk, there are often discounts, with lower prices for larger quantities. Bulk buying eliminates the need to frequent grocery stores and supermarkets, which those who buy in small quantities constantly do. There are certain essential toiletries and foodstuffs used almost every day in the home. Items used daily in households, such as soaps for washing, shampoo, coffee or other beverages, toothpaste, cream, snacks, etc., when bought in bulk, help one save money. The use of coupons can help in this regard. Also, shopping at discount stores and using apps to find deals can help. Checking store flyers for sales, every week, both offline and online, can help save money when buying in bulk.

One reason people buy foodstuffs in smaller quantities is that they want to eat them fresh, which is why they are eager to visit grocery stores daily. Still, this may not be true, since each day you bought it, you could never tell how long it had been in the store’s freezer when you picked it up. Tantamount to buying and storing in your own freezer, at least in a quantity that can last a week or a few days.

When buying food in bulk, it pays to remember that no one can go for more than 24 hours without eating. Given that food must be placed on the table for households, buying food in larger quantities at reduced prices is advisable. So, it makes sense if foodstuffs can be bought in bulk. Especially those items that are consumed almost every day in households. Some people drink beverages frequently, and buying and making them at home saves money, especially when purchased in larger quantities. Large families share this reward more than smaller families. It takes a lot of money to eat out every day. Though it is fun and good for the family to eat out sometimes, especially on special occasions, eating out every day for a large family will cut deeper into the family budget than buying things in bulk and using them in the family.

Buying food items in bulk relates to cooking at home. When foodstuffs are secured in large quantities, they should be made into breakfasts and lunches. And the ability to save money by making all kinds of food and confectionery at home is very familiar to families with this tradition. Besides, it can satisfy everyone and provide the family with the right choice of food at any time, whether it’s dinner or breakfast. Things are cooked exactly the way they are wanted and in the exact quantity they require. There is no guarantee that what you get to eat outside will be prepared to your exact taste. You do not have direct control over the quantities of any item used in making the dish, or over whether it is prepared under the hygienic conditions you may have wanted. But when you make the dish, you can keep your surroundings as clean as you want them and the cuisine as healthy as you wish. You have direct control over what you use in the cooking as well as how it is prepared. Besides saving money, you eat what you like and cook the way you like, with exact precision. Have you ever ordered something else and had something else served to you? Or have you ordered your favorite meal, and while you are eating, you find out that something happened to the exact taste you used to get from that kind of dish? This is what homemade cooking eliminates. This is because when eating in restaurants, you cannot choose your recipe or make dishes according to taste, since you cannot decide how much, down to the spices, is put into the food. And it is clear to understand, no matter how friendly an eatery is, the major essence of them cooking is to make gain and be in business and not merely to satisfy you, that is why that cabbage you buy $5 in a single meal cannot be compared to the raw cabbage you bought at the market with which you will use to prepare dishes your entire family may enjoy more than once or twice at same $5.

One of the things you must guard against when cooking at home is waste. Avoid waste at all costs, because it can cloud the savings mentality and lead to more spending than savings. Remember, you control not only how you cook but also how much you cook, so do not join in wasting food in America. The essence of buying in bulk is not to save money and increase waste. It makes no sense to live in abundance while wasting in abundance, when many are equally hungry and lack enough to eat in the midst of the same abundance. According to the Guardian report, Americans lead the world in food waste. The report released in 2016 estimates that 50% of all produce in the US is thrown away, amounting to 60 million tons and $160 billion annually. The Environmental Protection Agency has found that wasted food is also the single biggest contributor to American landfills. THE US EPA estimated in 2026 that 24% of the material in municipal solid waste landfills is wasted food.

So, when you find out you may have cooked more than you or your family requires, why not invite a friend or a neighbor to join you at the table to eat, be merry, and foster better, healthier relationships? And when you buy in bulk, instead of allowing that product to expire and be thrown away, hand it off to those who may really need it. Look around; they are not hard to find, and they make the savings from bulk buying and homemade cooking more worthwhile.

This article, previously published on Heartmenders Magazine website, has been updated and republished with an enhanced new title.

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Monica Madu is an American grandmother who has been in the cookery and home management business for over 50 years. She is based in her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, where she takes care of her grandchildren. Contact her at editors@heartmendersmagazine.com.