Food Fun Family

15 Household Items That You Should Buy in Bulk

Lolli — Fri, 14 Oct 2016 11:00:30 +0000

This post is sponsored by BJ’s Wholesale Club, but all thoughts and ideas are my own.

If you’ve been reading my blog for more than a year, you probably remember that Food Fun Family used to be Better in Bulk. I chose that name many, many years ago as a newbie blogger because, as the mom of a family of seven, I felt like everything I did was in bulk. I cooked a lot of food. I did a LOT of laundry. I took a whole lot of pictures. And heaven know that my shopping cart was always full.

I’ve always been a frugal shopper. I’m not an avid couponer, but I still love saving money on our monthly grocery bill. I employ two simple methods to cut our grocery bill down: first, I make a lot of our food from scratch and, second, I buy whatever I can in bulk.

First, What to Not Buy in Bulk

My mom always shopped at warehouse clubs like BJ’s Wholesale Club, and I have been a long-time fan of bulk shopping for my big family, too. It’s important to remember a couple of things when planning to stock up on food and household supplies:

First, Not all grocery items were meant to be bought in bulk. A couple of examples of items that you should NOT purchase in bulk are perishable foods that will go bad before you can reasonably consume them, experimental/new products that you don’t know if your family will love, items you don’t have room to store (such as loads of meat that won’t fit in the freezer or a dozen 12-packs of toilet paper what won’t fit in the closet), and unnecessary items like candy (unless, of course, it’s the month before Halloween…in that case, stocking up on candy makes perfect sense).

Second, be sure to do some comparison shopping. Not everything is going to be a deal. But there is enough that is a significant savings when I shop in bulk that it makes it totally worth it for me.

Foods And Household Items That Are Great to Buy in Bulk

Since I’ve been shopping at wholesale clubs since I before I had my own family, I have come to recognize the household items that are the best deals to buy in bulk. A lot of my favorite warehouse deals are non-food items like toilet paper and toothpaste. You can often save a ton of money when you buy a package of several products instead of buying one at a time. One of my favorite pantry items to stock up on in bulk is spices. I can often get a huge spice container for about the same price as one of the tiny containers I get at the grocery store.

Here are a few of the household items that we regularly stock up on:

Canned foods (vegetables, fruits, soups, sauces)
Rice
Flour
Sugar
Dry pasta
Dry beans
Nuts
Spices
Oatmeal
Dry cereal
Toothpaste and toothbrushes
Soap (both bar soap and liquid hand soap)
Laundry & dish washing detergent
Shampoo and conditioner
Toilet paper

It’s important to remember that not all lists are going to be perfect for everyone. Your list might look a little different than mine. If you don’t do a lot of baking, then maybe stocking up on flour and sugar in bulk will not make sense. If no one in your family likes eating beans, then a bulk supply of dry beans will go to waste. Adjust your bulk shopping list to fit with your family’s needs and buy what you know you will use.

One last tip: Be sure to check the shelf life (and use-by dates) of any foods that you plan on storing for long (in other words, don’t forget those cans that get pushed to the back of the shelf!).

What are some of your favorite items to stock up on and buy in bulk?

About BJ’s Wholesale Club

BJ’s Wholesale Club is a leading operator of membership warehouse clubs in the Eastern United States offering huge selections of the very best products for home and business — from groceries, cleaning supplies and health & beauty to home goods, electronics and more – at incredibly low prices. Click “Find a Club“ at the top of the page to find a BJ’s near you.

Connect with BJ’s on Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

Back-to-School Clothes Shopping Tips #BackToYou

Lolli — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 12:00:33 +0000

Ready for those first day of school photos on the front lawn? Thanks to Sears.com for sponsoring today’s post and for helping us get ready for back-to-school.

Getting ready for back-to-school season (which is approaching at lightening speed!) goes way beyond grabbing a few new packs of pencils and a binder or two. Pencils and pens and paper can be picked up any day of the year, but the first day of school outfit has the power to set the new school year off on the right foot. Getting ready for the first day of school – and beyond – is about finding a look that speaks to your child’s unique personality and helps them unlock their confidence.

But shopping for back-to-school clothes is not always the easiest thing for moms to tackle. Dragging tired kids through store after store? Not MY idea of fun.

Here are a few tips that make back-to-school shopping for clothes a little more manageable for moms and kids, too.

5 Tips for Easier Back-to-School Clothes Shopping

Make a list first and stick to it!

Did you know about ShopYourWay.com? Sears unique social community, ShopYourWay.com, allows me to research and browse products, create wish lists, poll friends and family and get advice from experts.

Write sales days on the calendar.

Sears Family & Friends sale

Sears.com

Set a budget for each child.

Check the closets and drawers before you leave.

Shop online

Sears.com

Be sure to stop by the Sears Family & Friends sale for all your back-to-school needs – online at sears.com Saturday August 9, 6 PM through Tuesday, August 12, 9AM CST or in-store Sunday August, 10 from 6-9 PM CST!

Here are a few things that we found back-to-school shopping for my kids at Sears:

You can find the skirt-and-shirts outfit for my daughter’s first-day-of-middle-school here, plus a fun layered shirt combo for my youngest son here. Then check out the jeans and sarcastic t-shirt for my tall 8th grader and the Owl shirt for my high school daughter who loves everything owl. We had so much fun shopping Sears.com!

Back to WHA?? Sears has created a series of fun videos that address the confidence a new look offers on the first day of school – and beyond. Check out the “Back to School, Back to Wha?!” videos here.

What are your best back-to-school shopping tips?

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf Sears.

Shopping and Meal Planning Tips – Facts Up Front

Lolli — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 11:39:10 +0000

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Facts Up Front program.

Feeding my family of seven probably should be a full time job – it certainly could be. Between the meal planning, the grocery shopping and then the preparing of all of the meals, not to mention the need to pay attention to the nutritional value of what I’m feeding everyone, sometimes I think it’s a miracle we eat as well as we do.

If feeding a family were only about plopping food on the table, it wouldn’t be such a stress. But it’s not only about putting dinner in front of the kids. As moms, we worry about feeding our kids the best foods with the best ingredients to help them not only grow up strong and healthy…but grow up with a healthy perspective on food and nutrition.

This mom needs some help in that department. As much as I love the idea of modeling a healthful diet and providing nutritious options for my kids, the reality is that I don’t have a lot of extra time to find food with less sugar, more fiber, less saturated fat, or less sodium. I need things to be as easy as possible.

Luckily, the Grocery Manufacturers Association Facts Up Front initiative, a voluntary campaign launched in 2011, is making it so much easier for moms like me – with not a lot of time to spare planning or shopping for the meals we feed our families – to make positive decisions when grocery shopping.

How is Facts Up Front helping moms make better-informed choices about the food we buy and eat? Simple. They are putting key information from the Nutrition Facts Panel on the front of the package. No more picking up every box or can and pouring over labels at the store.

Not only will Facts Up Front labeling provide a quick and easy resource to follow when at the store, but their website, FactsUpFront.org, is a fabulous resource for consumers to learn more about reading, understanding, and applying the information we find on food labels.

Have I mentioned that I’m a busy mom of five and can use all the help I can get?

I love that so many food manufacturers as well as retailers are already jumping on board. Food companies including Nestle, Post Foods, Ocean Spray, PepsiCo, Campbell’s, General Mills, Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, Kraft and Heinz already feature Facts Up Front on their packaging. Stores like Froger, Hy-Vee and Wegmans are also implementing Facts Up Front on their store brand packages.

Shopping tips: What to look for on labels

• You want foods with more nutrients – look for labels that mention potassium, fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamins A, C, and D.
• You want foods with less saturated fat – choose lean cuts of meat and add more seafood into your meal planning. Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products.
• You want foods with less sodium – look for reduced sodium or no salt added versions of the foods you buy, and when cooking at home add herbs and spices to season your food instead of salt.
• You want foods with less sugar – drink water instead of sugary sodas and juices. Stock up on fruits to satisfy your sweet tooth as a snack or dessert.
• You want foods with the right amount of calories – Use the nutrition calculator at FactsUpFront.org to determine your daily calorie needs and then pay attention to calories listed on Facts Up Front labels.

Meal Planning Tips

After you’ve brought the food home, use these tips and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate visual to create the best meals for your family:

• Fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables
• Choose lean proteins, like serving chicken instead of beef…or reach for the beans instead
• Serve whole grains
• Use low-fat or fat-free dairy products
• Use smaller plates to eat smaller portions
• Check serving sizes on Facts Up Front labels
• Check out all of the amazing recipes at FactsUpFront.org to build healthier meals

How is your family making healthier choices in the food you’re buying and eating? I’d love to hear your best tips and tricks for serving the most nutritious foods to your family!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Facts Up Front program.

How I Save Money Shopping at ALDI #ALDIsaves

Lolli — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 02:19:16 +0000

This post about how to save money shopping is sponsored by ALDI but all thoughts and experiences are my own.

Shopping for a family of seven (and staying within a strict budget) is no easy task. I’ve tried shopping with coupons, and though I do love the occasional coupon, I determined fairly quickly that I will never be a serious coupon shopper. I’ve always felt like I could find more of what I wanted to buy by shopping sales and knowing where I could get the best deals on each item on my shopping list.

That typically meant that I’d pay more for a few things to get the deals on the bigger things. Or it meant driving around more than I cared to.

Three years ago, my friend let me know about a new store that was opening up nearby. I’d never heard of ALDI, but as she told me about the concept, I knew it was the kind of store for me. Budget grocery shopping? All in one stop? We packed up our kids and drove together to the Grand Opening. We were literally among the first few customers to check out on opening day.

I’ve been shopping there since.

This is my ALDI. I feel at home when I walk in and I know I’m always getting a great deal.

Do you ever discover a business that feels like it was made for you – a business that melds seamlessly with your personality and style? ALDI was like that for me from day 1. I do the majority of my grocery shopping at ALDI now and spend an average of $75-$90 for a week’s worth of ingredients for meals, milk, cereal, and all of our school lunch fixings.

Yes, ALDI helps keep our food budget below $500 for the month.

How ALDI helps me save money: I buy ALL of our staples at ALDI – flour, sugar, butter, milk, cheese, meats, canned vegetables, apples and bananas, bread….you get the picture. I supplement 2 ALDI shopping trips with smaller shopping trips to a larger chain grocery store to get specialty items, unique spices, etc. At the beginning of October, after coming back from a conference out of town and finding an empty fridge, I did one of those over-flowing shopping cart types of trips. 77 items, including a large jar of peanut butter, cereal for 7, pomegranates, milk, chicken, etc came out to $139.40. I am still eating through that food.

What I love about ALDI:

#1 is the price. Can’t beat the prices at ALDI.
The quality – I love all of ALDI’s store brand products. In fact, my kids AND husband complain when I DON’T buy ALDI cereals because they like the taste BETTER. The produce is fresh, the meats and cheeses are top quality. I could go on and on throughout the store. I never feel like I’m compromising quality.
I don’t have to worry about clipping coupons, but I always know that I’m getting a great deal.
It doesn’t take me all day to shop! Because of the way ALDI is layed out AND because of the slimmed down selection (one “brand” of everything instead of a dozen choices), I can shop much more efficiently.
Everyone at ALDI seems to genuinely enjoy working there and it shows in their excellent customer interactions.

Some Aldi facts:

ALDI sells more than 1400 basic grocery and household items that are on most everyone’s “frequently bought” list. Everyday prices are up to 50% less than traditional supermarkets. {The milk at ALDI is often $1 less per gallon compared to the grocery stores in the same shopping plaza near me.}
More than 90% of the products at ALDI are sold under the Aldi brand label to keep costs down. Aldi makes sure that their products meet or exceed the quality and taste of the national name brands. And according to my family’s frequent taste testing, they DO!
ALDI reduces costs for consumers even more by having them either bring their own reusable bags or purchase reusable bags during their shopping trip. Consumers then bag their own groceries at the large counter before they leave.

My kids LOVE being able to help me bag the groceries. It becomes a family project.

Overhead costs are also reduced (and savings passed on to the customer) by having customers use a quarter to “rent” a shopping cart to do their shopping. When they return the cart at the end of the trip, they get the quarter back.
ALDI has 21 distribution centers across the country, so the food delivered to and sold at each ALDI store is local, timely, and fresh.
ALDI began in the United States in 1976 in Iowa and is headquartered in Batavia, Ill, with stores across Europe, the United States and Australia.
ALDI has more than 1,200 U.S. stores in 32 states and those stores serve more than 25 million customers each month.

The ALDI quarter carts – another one of the things my kids love about ALDI. If it saves me money, I’m a fan!

Have you shopped at ALDI? How does your ALDI help you save on your monthly grocery bill? Or if you don’t have an ALDI near you, what would you love most about having one in your neighborhood?

Be sure to check out ALDI’s website to find a location near you. Follow them at twitter.com/AldiUSA and on Facebook/ALDI.USA

5 Tips for Online Holiday Shopping #ebates

Lolli — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 12:00:36 +0000

I’ve already seen Christmas lights popping up around the neighborhood, and the stores are covered in holiday decorations. My kids have started writing their Christmas wish-lists….but I haven’t done ANY shopping yet. I’m hoping to avoid stores as much as possible and do the majority of my holiday shopping online.

Several years ago, I wouldn’t have dreamed that I’d love online shopping as much as I do, but the idea that I could avoid crowds, shop at any time of the day, and still find amazing deals makes shopping from my computer a no-brainer.

Online holiday shopping tips for the savvy shopper

Make a list and check it twice– Before starting any holiday shopping, just like a trip to the grocery store, it pays to make a list of all of the people you are shopping for, along with your budget and some suggested gifts to buy. I’ve found that no matter what kind of shopping I am doing, when I don’t have a list, I do more impulse buying.
Research– shop around! Find out where your favorite holiday gifts will be sold online and determine where you can find the best price – and when.
Wait for free shipping– online stores will often offer deals for free shipping when you spend a certain amount. It’s smart to browse the store for other gifts you could buy at the same time to save on shipping costs.
Shop early– My husband loves to save his holiday gift shopping for the very last minute. Not so online-shopping-friendly. Make sure you plan ahead so that your packages have enough time to arrive before the holidays.
Remember to earn Ebates while you shop– What’s better than finding the perfect holiday gift? Buying that gift and earning cash back, of course!

How does Ebates work?

Ebates customers receive 1%-50% Cash Back on their purchases at thousands of different stores. As you shop, Cash Back accumulates in your account, and then every few months, Ebates will send you a Big Fat Check (or transfer funds via Paypal). Joining Ebates is free and new members receive a $10 bonus gift card after they make their first $25 purchase.

Take advantage of the November Holiday Sale: Ebates is offering double cash back between 11/17 and 11/30 (perfect for your Cyber Monday shopping)

Connect with Ebates

If you’re new to Ebates, sign up here.
Ebates on Twitter – @Ebates
Ebates on YouTube – EbatesTV
Ebates on Facebook- EbatesShopping

Discover how online shopping saves you time and money this holiday season. Ebates is a great destination for online deals and you get cash back! Sign up today!

Reply below with your best holiday shopping tip and be entered to win $100 cash from Ebates. Sweepstakes Rules.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Ebates. The opinions and text are all mine.

Grocery Shopping Tips – Big Family “How Do You Do It?” Series

Lolli — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:15:29 +0000

About a week ago, I took 3 of my kids out on a shopping trip. Since my kids have been in school full time for the last 2 years, and because I have a couple of amazing built-in babysitters when they’re NOT in school, I had completely forgotten how difficult it is to shop with kids in tow.

“Mommy, can we get this candy?”

“Eww! I don’t have to eat THAT, do I, Mom?”

“Mom, how about we play ‘can’t catch me’ through the store? I’ll run up and down the aisles and turn corners as soon as you spot me. Then when I get tired I’ll stand in one place and scream like you’ve forgotten about me. Okay?”

That last one? He didn’t quite SAY those words, but he did one worse – he played chase through the store. I was weary by the time we got home.

In all seriousness, I do have a few tips to make grocery shopping a little less painful, a little bit faster, and a little bit easier on the wallet (yes, even when you’re shopping for 7 like me).

Tips for a better shopping trip

Leave the kids at home – I know it seems like an impossibility and a hassle sometimes, but it really does make a difference. When my kids were little, I would try to wait until my husband was home and do my grocery shopping at night. Without the kids tagging along, my shopping trips went much faster (yay for a quick trip!) and I tended to load my cart with less junk food and impulse buys.
Shop less often – When I shop every two weeks versus every few days, I spend less time shopping overall, and I definitely spend less money. But shopping less often requires MORE planning…
Plan ahead. Make a list! – I feel like a broken record here, but shopping with a list helps me spend less time at the store and less money overall. My shopping trips are more focused when I don’t have to wander the store trying to remember what I need, and I don’t end up back at the grocery store a day or two later for something I’ve forgotten.
Take a picture of it! – Now that I have a smart phone with me all the time (not the case when my kids were little) I use my phone to my advantage. How often do you try a certain brand or flavor and then forget which variety it was that you loved? Snap a picture of it at home and save it on your phone (in a grocery shopping folder, perhaps?) and then you have a visual reminder.
Pack along plenty of reusable grocery bags – I started using reusable grocery bags a few years ago, thanks to the many bags I received at conferences and other events. Those bags have come in handy many times! Now, my county requires us to use reusable bags or purchase disposable bags for 5 cents each at check out. Thanks, but I’ll use my reusable bags.
Use coupons – I admit that I am not a stellar couponer. But I always have a pouch full of coupons in my purse and use one whenever I can. However, I am aware that I can often get better deals buying off brands or by utilizing the sale prices in store.
Check the store circulars – sometimes there are “hidden deals” that might not be on my list but are worth adding to my cart. If I don’t have a chance to do some sale research before I leave home, I pick a circular up as I walk in the store and scan the deals and coupons as I shop.
Buy fresh ingredients – Cooking our meals from scratch is the #1 thing that brings our grocery budget down. I couldn’t afford pre-packaged foods all the time, and I frankly wouldn’t want my family eating that, anyway.

What are your tips for keeping your grocery bill down? I’d love to hear how you manage shopping…with or without your kids!

How do you do it?” Series hosted by:

Me (Lolli) from Better in Bulk
Lisa from Crazy Adventures in Parenting
Christine from From Dates to Diapers
Kadi from Our Seven Seeds
Kate from The Guavalicious Life