Buying in bulk is a great way to save money on things you use all the time, like toilet paper, pet food, hygiene products, and more. And thanks to warehouse stores and online retailers, it’s cheaper and easier than ever to buy all sorts of stuff in bulk quantities. But if you’re not careful, buying things in bulk can quickly put a strain on your storage space! For example, if you’ve ever bought a giant pack of paper towels at Costco, you probably already know that it can be tricky to figure out where to put them all!
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Buying in bulk not only requires adequate storage space, but it often requires special storage containers too. When you’re dealing with food items, it’s important to store them properly so they don’t go bad before you can use them up. Because you certainly won’t be saving money if you have to throw out half of what you bought after just a few weeks!
So today I thought I’d share some tips and tricks for storing things you buy in bulk! With the help of these tips, you’ll be a bulk-buying money-saving master in no time. :-)
12 Clever Storage Solutions For Things You Buy In Bulk
1. Food Storage Containers
In order to keep bulk ingredients like flour, sugar, and oats fresh, it’s important to use containers that have an airtight seal. A few months ago, I wrote a post all about my favorite set of airtight food storage containers. See the containers on Amazon here, and read all about them in my blog post at the link below!
Related: This Is The Best Addition I’ve Made To My Kitchen In Years
2. Glass Jars
Another great option for storing bulk ingredients is to use glass canning jars! Both Ball jars and Weck jars are great for storage, and they both look great on a shelf too. I love the look of these Weck jars with their hand-written labels made with paint markers. (For those of us who lack such nice handwriting, paper labels work just as well!) ;-)
Inspiration from A Beautiful Mess
3. Wall Mounted Dispensers
Another useful way to store dry goods is in dispensers. These wall-mounted dispensers from Amazon would be perfect for storing anything you use a little bit at a time, like baking ingredients, coffee beans, cereal, or even pet food. Anything you don’t use will stay fresh in the dispensers for over a month!
4. Hanging Shoe Organizer
If you’re looking for a solution for storing paper goods like toilet paper and paper towels, try a shoe organizer! Hang a shoe organizer like this one onto a closet rod, and use each compartment to hold a roll of paper towels or two to three rolls of toilet paper (depending on how big they are). Look for an organizer with extra pockets on the sides for even more storage!
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5. Over The Door Rack
Utilize the space behind a closet door to store your bulk items! This handy rack from Amazon has six shelves you can use to store just about anything.
6. Airtight Bins
If your pet eats the same kind of food every day, you can save a lot of money by buying their food in bulk. To keep it fresh, store the food in an airtight storage bin like this one. Find a bin with wheels to make it easy to move, even when it’s chock full of food!
7. Under The Bed Storage
The space underneath your bed can be a perfect place to store bulk items. Just buy a few under-the-bed storage bags and fill them with paper goods, spare toiletries, and more.
8. Magazine File
You can get a great price on canned goods when you buy them in bulk at a warehouse or caselot sale! Keep them tidy and organized in your pantry with a magazine file.
Related: 24 Easy Ways To Get More Organized In Under 5 Minutes
9. Apothecary Jars
Decorative apothecary jars work great for storing bulk toiletry items like cotton balls, cotton swabs, and more. Not only will they be totally functional, but they’ll look great in your bathroom too!
10. Fridge & Freezer Bins
It can be tricky to keep your fridge organized if you’re storing bulk items inside, but it’s not impossible! I like to use fridge bins to keep things separated (or freezer bins if I’m using them in the freezer).
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Related: How To Clean And Organize Your Fridge
11. Craft Caddy
Use an inexpensive craft caddy to store feminine hygiene products. It’s easy to move around, and you’ll be able to see when you’re running low later on down the line.
12. Baskets & Bins
When you’re just not sure what you need to store something, head to the boxes, bins, and bags section of the store. There are so many different kinds of storage solutions out there, and they come in all different shapes, sizes, and materials! If you take the time to shop around, you’re sure to find something that fits your space perfectly.
I’ve used magazine racks for my canned goods for eons. One holds only tomatoes, another various veggies, and the third canned fruit. Because the canned sometimes roll out, I hooked all three together with a bungee cord about half-way up. We like to have granola bars and cheese crackers on hand and I picked up a nice basket at the dollar store to corral all of those in one place; I can ditch the boxes and see what we have without having to dig around in the pantry.
With just two of us now our chest freezer is usually just partially full. I divide up bulk flours etc into ziploc bags and freeze the excess. The same goes for dog and cat kibble and snack foods like pretzels and chips. All come out just as fresh and good as they were originally.
Thank you for showing that raw meat in the fridge should be on a tray that catches any drips AND that it should be on the bottom shelf!
Any food that is not stored in it’s original container or packaging needs to be stored in food quality safe containers/packages. Some plastic containers are not safe for food products-especially if you are reusing plastic containers that did not originally contain a food product. We have 4 dogs and buy kibble in bulk. We repackage the kibble in ziploc type bags. with about a week’s worth of food in each bag. The bags are stored in a box. We use one bag at a time and keep the bag that is in use in a basket in our cupboard.
Not a good idea to store dog or cat food inside the home near other foods (pantry/cupboards)……as they can be a source of weevil that will contaminate flour, grains, boxes foods, pancake mix, Bisquick, etc.
Apparently I brought home a bag of flour with weevils in it. Since it sat unopened in my pantry for about a month, I then found the pests in my pasta, cereal, cookies, etc. Took an exterminator to get rid of them. Now keep new bags of flour in my freezer and bought some air tight containers for other items.
I’m suggesting storing the pet food in airtight containers, so weevils are not an issue! :-)
I wanted to store our dog food in a container but then I thought “what if the food gets recalled?” (which happens!). You need to know the product numbers etc. So I make sure I cut out that info bar that has the product numbers on the bag and stick it in with the food.
I snip and tuck the information panels from many products I decant into airtight containers, not so much in case of recall but just so I’ll know exactly what it is without having to write details on the container.
Once again your post arrived just when I need it. Some very good ideas.