Swapped my monthly meal kit delivery for a bulk bin haul and saved $200 easy

I was spending about $350 a month on one of those meal kit boxes, thinking I was being smart about food waste. Then my buddy dragged me to a bulk food store downtown in Portland and I decided to try planning my own meals for a change. I bought dry beans, oats, rice, spices, and a few veggies from the bins over two trips and it cost me $150 total. Three weeks in I realized I had enough left over to skip a third trip completely. The difference was I wasn't paying for fancy packaging or pre-portioned stuff I didn't need. Plus I actually liked cooking more when I picked out exactly what I wanted. Has anyone else made the jump from delivery to bulk and seen their budget shrink?

2 comments

2 Comments

ben82729d ago

Portland bulk stores are great for most stuff but watch out on the spices. I've had some that were clearly stale from sitting in those bins too long. Stick to whole peppercorns or cumin seeds and grind them yourself, it makes a bigger difference than you'd think.

grace_hunt8429d ago

Whoa, wait, "clearly stale from sitting in those bins too long"? That honestly shocks me because I always figured those bulk bins were turning over product fast enough to keep things fresh. I guess I've been lucky with my peppercorns there but now you got me wondering if I should just order them online instead. Might have to take your advice and start grinding my own spices at home from now on.