With the prices at the gas pump soaring and grocery costs on a steady rise, more and more people are looking toward buying items in bulk to save money. Before loading up on that vat of olive oil or the gallon can of BBQ sauce follow a few tips to make buying in bulk a more advantageous experience for you and your wallet.

1)Cooperate with friends and family. The most serious mistake when buying in bulk is keeping the entire item for one family. No doubt many items will not stay in prime condition by the time the product is finished by one family. Instead shop with a couple partners and then divide up the large packages so the food does not go bad before it is used up.

2)Know the prices. Before stepping foot into a store that sells bulk lots, know the prices of buying in a normal packaged amount first. For example, if a 16 ounce bottle of ketchup is $1.60 at the grocery store, it costs ten cents per ounce. In order to really calculate the savings in bulk, it is essential to know the average prices per ounce to compare prices.

3)Large container vs. multi-pack. Watch out for purchasing a food item in one large container. What exactly are you going to do with a gallon can of ketchup once it is opened? Quite often a better value is to purchase a multi-pack instead. In this case probably 3 larger sized bottles are packaged together for a similar price and then storage after opening is not as large of a problem.

4)Storage. Before shopping in bulk, be prepared for the return from the store. Make sure there is shelf space in the cupboards for the large bulk items. If planning to divide foods with others have plastic zipper bags and containers ready for storage. Make sure there is room in the freezer for frozen items.

5)Produce. Don't buy produce in bulk unless there are multiple people that will share the produce. If sharing with others, this can be a great value. If it ends up spoiled in the garbage can, it stops being a good value.

6)End Caps. Like most grocery stores, the best values of the day are usually put on the end caps. Make sure to give those areas of the store serious looks to find great values.

7)Family approved. Make sure that the item being purchased in bulk is something that the family likes to eat. Getting stuck with 300 crunchy granola bars when the family only likes chewy granola bars, makes buying in bulk a losing situation. Never buy an item in bulk that the family has not already given a thumbs up that

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