I’m working through a series in buying whole foods in bulk!
If you haven’t read them yet, you may be interested in :
Why I Buy in Bulk and Buying in Bulk: Do You Have the Space?
It’s almost Maple Syrup Day!! That’s not a national holiday (that I know of) – just the one Thursday every July that I buy three gallons of maple syrup. Why? Because that’s when the “maple syrup people” come to our Farmer’s Market for their once a year stop in my town. I buy what I hope will last me the year (although this year it didn’t, and I had to grab some from Amazon to get us by).
People have looked at me a little funny as I walk away with so much maple syrup, wondering why I would possibly want so much. Well, because we’re a family of six, because we have a lot of company, because we use it on our pancakes and waffles and french toast and in our milk shakes and soothers and in several other recipes. The maple syrup they bring to the Farmer’s Market is pure – I trust this family. Maple syrup is one of my top sweeteners of choice, and buying three gallons at a time saves me quite a bit of money and time. If I buy my year’s supply of maple syrup in July at the Farmer’s Market, I don’t have to think about maple syrup again until well…this year, it lasted us until May.
I do the same thing with our hard white wheat berries, buying our entire year’s supply in February when my friend organizes a big truck delivery of the wonderful golden kernels. If you haven’t read my exclusive interview with myself after I purchased 500 pounds of wheat at one time, you may find it helpful – or at least amusing.
Do I buy everything in 365 day quantities? No. But with things like wheat and maple syrup, it just sort of makes sense for me to do it this way. When I know it’s something we use continually, when I find a great price, when I know I may have a harder time getting my hands on a certain product – I stock up.
Take honey for example (because I thought you might need yet another sweet and sticky example after reading about maple syrup). Our “honey man” harvests a very limited quantity of raw, pure honey each fall. If I don’t buy all the honey I’ll need for the year in September, he’ll likely not have any more for me later. It makes sense for me to buy a year’s supply at once.
I also do this with produce during the summer and fall. I know we’ll be needing 52 weeks worth of corn, green beans, tomato sauce, tomato soup, applesauce, peaches and pears…so I plant my garden and make my local farm produce purchases accordingly. (I also keep my nose the the ground – or is that my ear? I forget – and snatch all kinds of free produce people are happy to part with when they are feeling overloaded.) During the months of July, August and September, we are crazy busy with preserving – either canning or freezing – our year’s supply of corn, green beans – all the foods I just mentioned. It just makes sense for our family.
I’m sure some of you are wondering: How do we afford to buy such large quantities of maple syrup, wheat, honey, etc. at one time? Here are two posts that might help answer that question: How I Grocery Shop and Our 2011 Grocery Budget. I’ll be a little more specific about this topic next week! (to be continued…)
I’m curious if you buy a year’s supply of anything, or if you prefer buying smaller quantities?
I know prices are different all over, but I’m curious how much you pay for syrup and honey. That is of course if you don’t mind me asking. :) I don’t think I’ve ever bought a year’s worth of anything, yet!
If I remember right, the maple syrup costs me around $60/gallon. Honey I get for SUPER CHEAP – $6.40/6 pounds for local, organic, raw honey!
Wow! I pay $3.50/lb for local-ish raw honey… a year’s supply.
$60/gallon for maple syrup or do you mean $6/gallon???? ;)
No, I mean $60/gallon. Although actually I think it ended up only being $52/gallon. :) That’s a very good price for real, organic maple syrup!! :)
Nevermind… I read further. Dang! That’s a lot of money for syrup!!! WOW! But it’s worth it – I’m sure. (I was thinking in quarts, not gallons.) Now I can’t remember the prices the last time I bought syrup. It’s the same as you have pictured in your pictures.
Hi Laura,
Can you tell me where to buy organic maple syrup, like you bought? I have been buying the small bottles and i had so many bottles so i thought there is some way i can buy bulk for maple sysrup.
I bought it at the farmer’s market. Although I have found a good price at Amazon for 1/2 gallon sized jugs: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005HJ73QS?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B005HJ73QS&linkCode=xm2&tag=wwwheavenlyho-20
Laura,
Where do you get raw honey for $1.33 per pound???
Mike
I purchase from a local bee keeper. Amazing price, huh?!
I live in Steuben County, NY. My neighbor is looking to sell maple syrup in bulk or gallons, hopefully around $45/ gallon. He estimates 500 to 1,000 gallons this year. Sap will start running next week. Serious inquiries can email me with a number he can call. Subject: syrup.
[email protected]
I bought a years supply of rice because I got 50lbs for $14. This year we are going to can & freeze produce. One of my sisters decided to plant 50 tomato plants in her backyard garden. I will be going to her plac for a canning party. Good thing I was given 3 large boxes of quart sized canning jars.
Woohoo a canning party…fun! And yay for free jars!
I DO buy a years supply of some things! ie, in Nov/Dec when the grocery stores run their huge sales for the holidays I buy what I hope is a years worth of butter, chocolate chips and evaporated milk. This past year is probably the last time I’ll do the evap. milk b/c we’re eating more real foods, but I do sub it for milk in baking and cooking just fine (we don’t drink it). I was wondering what/when the best ways for stocking up on maple syrup and honey are, and I’m also curious how you store each one so they don’t crystalize.
If I can get real, grade b maple syrup (organic) for $15/quart, I stock up! My honey I get for only $6.40/6 pounds, and I get usually 36 pounds each year (I think). The honey does crystalize, but I heat it on the stove to thin it out again (I’ll show a picture of that sometime!).
How do you go about heating it on the stove? I have always put the container the honey is in into a pan of water and heat on low. The honey always ends up being so hot though, that I worry about it no longer being raw?
hi rebecca does the place you get the honey for ship out id l
love to get some if they do thanks candie
sorry not rebecca but laura and thats where you get your honey from.
Yes, either from a local source or from my food co-op, Azure Standard.
Just saw this part – my local source does not ship, but if Azure Standard has a delivery near you, they have great honey at a reasonable price.
Hello Laura
My Name is Hamdi Elsiah and I have been asked to look into the prices of maple syrup and honey
I would like to order both honey and maple syrup at the rates you mentioned
this would be for both friends and home use.
my email is [email protected]
looking forward to working with you on this deal.
Sincere Regards
Hamdi
Unfortunately, these are not available for order. I simply get them from local friends or at our local farmer’s market.
I bought a year’s supply of q-tips once. Yeah, not even close to your awesomeness.
Hey, a year’s supply of q-tips *totally* counts as awesomeness!! :)
I would love to buy in bulk like this! My question is how you store the honey and maple syrup. Does the honey end up crystalizing? Do you have to keep the syrup in the fridge? And how would I go about finding local suppliers?
Thanks!
I store the honey in my pantry, which does end up crystalizing – I’ll share more about that on a post soon. The syrup is best stored in the freezer if possible, but isn’t entirely necessary.
You can read through these comments to try and find sources close to you: https://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/what-health-food-co-op-is-near-you. It’s also good to look at the localharvest website to see what you have close to you for suppliers.
Though I only have a few items that I buy such large quanities of, I have to agree that it sure is nice to not have to think about it again for (almost) a whole ‘nother year!
And I’d love to know what you pay for your syrup and honey too, if you don’t mind. :)
If I remember right, I paid $60/gallon of grade b, real maple syrup (organic). My honey is only $6.40/6 pounds – an awesome price for local, raw, organic honey!
Can you tell me where you buy honey at $6.40 for 6 pounds?
That’s an amazing price, huh? I get it from a local guy who only has a small supply, unfortunately. I feel very blessed to get such good honey at this price!
How much Honey do you buy for a year? I’m planning on buying at the end of the farmers market season and am not sure how much we’ll need.
I wish we had a source for maple syrup at the farmers market. That would be amazing!!!
If I remember right, I bought 3 gallons of honey last year??? Wish I had written it down so I’d remember for this year!
I was thinking 2 would get us through the year. In eight weeks we’ll be a family of six. But for this year baby wont be eating honey. Our Honey Supplier has a variety. Yumm.. her berry mix is amazing. I like light flavor to my honey. (Which is why I prefer to sweeten with maple syrup, I find maple syrup has no after taste.
Great post! This is how I purchase most of my foodstuff now- either local through the farm or with a bulk food buying company. I am personally committed to helping members of the Body of Christ feel healthy and live equipped (heathy body, clean and clear mind and submitted spirit) so they can be ready to move in the Lord’s calling as He wills. One of the biggest deterents to being “useable” in the kingdom (besides living in an unhealthy state) is financial dependance on the “system”. I am called to help people learn to unyoke from the “ties that bind”. First stop- The Grocery Store! LOL
Megan
Founder of the Christian Health Cooperative
I made your pancake sausage muffins and I added pure maple syrup to the batter :)
ooh I made them too. My kids loved them. My husband however looked at me like I was crazy! LOL
I enjoy reading all your great posts! I am curious about how much corn, green beans, tomato products you plant and\or put up each year for your family. I know each family is different but I was just trying to get an rough idea for our own family. Thanks!
I usually try to put up 52 quarts of each – IF I have enough produce. So, 52 quarts of tomato sauce, 52 quart bags of frozen corn, 52 quarts bags of frozen green beans, etc. This way, I know I’ll have enough for 1 each week of the year. Some weeks we use two bags, some weeks we don’t use any, and it’s usually balances out to be enough for us!
I buy a year’s supply of just about anything if a) I have the room for it and b) we will eat it. So I have brownie mixes, canning lids (you don’t want to know how many of those we have), we’re keeping an eye out for peaches since we need to get our hands on a good 1000lbs, buckets of quick and rolled oats, all kinds of wackiness.
I also buy ahead for the kids at consignment sales – my 7yo is in size 10 pants, and I have a Rubbermaid and a half of things up to size 16.
Thank you for this informative post. I do have a honey guy who produces it locally here (in town!) and I’m going to ask him today about buying in bulk. Thank you for the inspiration :)
Laura – We were looking for the maple syrup people at the farmer’s market last week. Do you know when they’ll be there? We bought just a small container from them last year, and wished we’d gotten more…
I don’t know the exact week they’ll be here, but it’s almost always in July and they’re only here for one night of the market. I’m going to start watching for them right now because it really could be any week now!
Thanks, Laura. I guess we’ll be at the farmer’s market each week until we see them. :o)
I feel silly asking this – have I met you in person before??! I meet so many people and I get mixed up. Eek! If we’ve run into each other before and had a long, lovely conversation, I’m going to feel terrible that I had to ask this. :) It’s always fun to meet my local readers!!
No, we haven’t actually met, though I’ve seen you around town, and know people who know you.
I promise, I’m not a stalker, and if I see you at the farmer’s market, I’ll say hello. :o)
Yes, next time you see me, please introduce yourself – I’d love to meet you!!
That is a great price for raw honey. I was wondering though if you could explain the difference of raw honey vs store bought, processed honey. My family goes through a lot of honey and it is for sale at our farmers market, yet I don’t know for sure if it is raw honey or the cost for that matter!
I see Tropical Traditions has a special right now for raw honey, 17.6 oz jar for $9.99. I thought that was a good price, but after seeing what you pay, I’m not so sure now.
My price for raw honey is really exceptional, actually. The guy I get it from isn’t in it to make money, it just covers his cost, so you really can’t compare to that price! I feel so blessed to get it so inexpensively!
I think the TT price is a a pretty good one – I can usually get it for less through Azure Standard, but if that’s not an option for you, go for the TT honey!
I would love to buy a years supply of the things we use most but we just don’t have stoarage space. I generally buy a couple of months worth at a time when I can. Like you I would much rather buy at a good price and get several months worth than have to pay more later.
Generally, this time of year I try to put away enough field peas and blueberries to last me through the year. Since I’m the only one in th house that eats field peas that doesn’t take a whole lot. I usually buy and shell at least 10 lbs. Not much in comparison to your buys but it gets me through. I’m down to one bag in the freezer now and am patiently awaiting the crop to be ready to pick so that I can get more. As for blueberries as soon as my parents neighbor lets us know they are ready I get out there and pick as much as I can. I love freezing them for muffins, pancakes and bread. I’m hoping to get enough this year to make some jam.
How do you do your fruits? Do you can them or freeze them or both? I’m just curious because I’m trying to put away more of the locally grown fresh foods to use later when they are out of season but since i’m just beginning I’m wondering what works best….
I do both. You can click on the above links that say “peaches”, “pears” and “applesauce” to hear more about what I do with them!
Thanks Laura…if I were smarter I would have realized that and just clicked on them…lol. It was a mommy brain day.
I, too, want to know how you store a year’s worth of honey and syrup. I bought some real maple syrup in bulk once and it ended up with mold on it. And the raw honey I buy get’s hard eventually and if I heat it, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of raw honey…doesn’t heating it kill all of the good stuff in it?? thanks for answering my questions.
I’ll share more about how I do this in a post sometime soon!
I buy 6months-years supply of a lot of things. Mostly it’s non-food items (tissues, dr bronners soap, some vitamins, etc) I actually keep a “stockpile fund” where I put 50 of my food money in a month. Some months I don’t buy anything, some months I spend 100 dollars on something. Last year, I scored an awesome deal on organic canned pumpkin and tissues (31cents a box). I also keep a fund for bulk meat purchases.
we’ve never boughten a year supply of anything, unless you count the seeds for our veggie garden! we put up a year supply of veggies and fill the freezer and closet with canned and frozen goodness! :)
I am slowly trying to convince my husband that buying a year’s supply is a good idea. The initial sticker shock is a bit much for him. His resistance is, in part, my fault. I was way too ambitious when I first brought it up. I tried to convince him to buy half a cow. =P
I have an odd question? Maybe its isolated to our local farmers market but the maple syrup I bought tastes very smoky. Its good on waffles, pancakes, etc but I don’t want that flavor when I cook. Is this normal? I was too used to the fake store stuff to know if this is related to our source?
That is an excellent honey price!!!!! I wasn’t sure if I could stock pile honey so I am really curious about heating it on the stove. I am paying $2.95 for 12oz bottles once a month.
I’ve never had a maple syrup that tastes smokey. I don’t think I’d like that very much either! It must be the way that family processes it and heats it.
Honey has a long shelf life – if you keep it sealed up, it can possibly last 25 years. I’ve had 4 year old honey in the pantry before. It’s naturally antibacterial, so it’s quite fun. :D
I’ve been rereading “Real Food on a Real Budget,” and getting inspired to work on our real food grocery budget again. I’m working us towards buying in bulk which will probably take anywhere from 6 months to a year. I also want to buy in bulk to reduce the amount of packaging that comes into our home.
This weekend when we were at Costco, we bought a case of conventional bs/sl thighs at $1.69/lb. Next time I go, I’ll try to buy a case of something else, like whole chickens. I’m also setting aside money weekly to buy flour from a local buying club, and coconut oil. In the meantime, we’re using up stuff in our pantry to save money on groceries, and I’m canning, drying and freezing produce from our garden to save money during the winter.
I buy anything I can for a years supply. Last week we bought our years supply of honey (the only sweetner my son can have) 100 quarts. I felt so much more calm knowing I wouldn’t run out and have to worry about it for a whole year. I love food storage. It makes my trips to the grocery store almost entirly produce and so much less worry about not having what I need when I need it!
Thanks for these posts. I’m trying to buy in bulk but I’m having a hard time working it with my budget. I’m so budget minded that it’s hard for me to overcome……I don’t want to overspend but I only have $300 a month for groceries. I can’t blow it all on maple syrup and then wonder how I’m going to buy milk and other things we need.
I too am a budget junkie. Try setting a side a small amount of money each month specifically for bulk purchases. If you take out $10 or $20 at the beginning, chances are you won’t notice it’s gone. It’s definitely a process that takes some significant transition time when your budget it tight. :)
That’s what we’re doing. It’s a work in progress. :-) I think we might have to switch to more of Laura’s style.
When we get our income tax return, we either put some away for large purchases and we make some of our bulk purchases at that time. That really frees up some monthly money for things that I find at a great price during the year. The initial time is really the hard one :-)
We do buy dry products (like shampoo, etc) for 6 mos-1yrs, also flour and baking supplies at Christmas. We just bought 6 mos supply of beef (with no deep freezer!) and I usually buy organic pick your own strawberries and blueberries at good prices and make jam and freeze them for smoothies. We are trying to eat real food but also reduce the carbs, because even eating real foods and walking, my weight is just too high!
I am with you. We are also trying to eat real food while still watching carbs. I really need to take off some weight, but also because my husband is a diabetic. I am finding it difficult to eat real food when it is better for him if I use artificial sweeteners and stuff like Smart Balance in place of real butter.
hey, I know it has been awhile since you posted, but I was going to say the stevia is a natural sweetener that does not effect the blood suagr. And also Butter is really good for diabetics! I know your doctor probably says otherwise, but I just wanted you to research it to see for yourself! It actually helps to keep blood sugar at a healthy level! Especially when eaten with certain foods.
When given an opportunity to buy a year’s worth at a time, at a discount, I go for it! This has resulted in our purchasing 1/2 a beef, a lamb, 2 hogs, 24 salmon, helping butcher 120 chickens (in 2 weeks), and that’s just the meat.
Last year, I canned with a bunch of friends. We started with 50 pounds of pickles, went straight into 250 lbs. of peaches, 300 lbs. pears, 550 lbs. tomatoes, and culminated in 3000 lbs. apples (2000 to cider, 900 to sauce, and 100 to apple rings and pie fillings).
This year, we’re kicked off with 60 lbs. asparagus (pickled and frozen), and the chickens. Green beans will be ready in 3 weeks!
I’m keeping my ears open for honey sources and maple syrup. There’s a homeschooler near here experimenting with honeybees; if he gets that up and running then we may be able to buy local honey. Maple syrup just doesn’t seem to be a big crop here in the Pacific Northwest, so we’ll probably have to stick to Trader Joe’s. Wheat, rice, oats, etc. we get from Azure, although only 25-50 lbs. at a time.
It does take space! But what a relief to have it all there. Our friends say that ours is the first place they’re heading to if we ever have a disaster!
Part of the reason we like to have a good supply, is in case of a disaster we would be able to help those around us. We felt very convicted several years ago to do this and we have been able to share much with those around us that have had hardships.
Yes – it’s somewhat amusing to us when people say, “Oh – if there was a disaster, you’d be set for a year.” No, we wouldn’t – because we’d be feeding the neighborhood and whoever else showed up! The point is… there’d be food.
I also love loading up a bin of home-canned goods for friends when they have a baby or sickness in the family or whatever. They know that it’s healthy and organic; they don’t have to worry about allergens, and it always tastes better than store-bought! Plus, it’s a very personal gift; not like a bag of stuff from the store. Up till now anyway, it’s always been people we have canned with or are from the generation that grew up on canned goods, so they know (or know what questions to ask to make sure) that it’s all been put up safely.
Even more side benefits of buying in bulk!
I really appreciate this thread and post. It has me thinking. This will sound funny but I’ve never thought of planning the 52 containers of each thing. (I feel silly admitting that.)
Laura, I think with those growing boys 4 gallons of maple syrup may be a better purchase this summer, lol.
Yes, definitely 4 gallons of maple syrup this year! :)
Depending on the grain/bean they last me 4-9 months or so. Honey I buy a year’s supply at a time.
We buy maple syrup by the gallon too, although not a year’s supply. We pay $48 per gallon and I buy it in March during the sap runs, July when the farmer’s market opens and in october before the farmer’s market closes. Love pure maple syrup!
I buy in bulk my soap nuts. If you have never used them they are a natural cleaner for clothes. I first purchased them at the Kings Daughter website. I eventually found it cheaper through Amazon so I buy 1 year supply for about $50. That is all I spend for washing all of our clothes.
I also buy coconut oil a year at a time through TT. I have a local honey guy and buy in bulk there to. I will have to try real maple syrup.
This year I will be canning a lot more and hopefully purchase a cow.
I have a question for you Laura~ I’ve been doing my own research and can’t seem to find an answer.
I just went to my local health food store, and they sell raw honey and pure, unprocessed honey. They both move the same in the jar, but have different colors. Raw is a light tan color and pure, unprocessed is amber in color.
What is the difference between the two, raw vs pure, unprocessed? I’m confused!
Honey can just be different colors. Depends on the flowers available
to the honeybees in their domain. My local honey guy has wildflower
honey (medium color with average taste), buckwheat honey (really dark
amber with a strong flavor), and his regular “gold” neighborhood
honey (a very, very pale yellow with a delicate flavor – my favorite,
and his award-winning honey). None are pasteurized, just heated
to barely 90* so they can pour into jars to sell (they don’t jar
their honey up until it’s sale time).
I love how people often ask me how can I afford to buy in bulk. I find it one of the most strangest questions as I cannot not to buy in bulk. It is mind boggling how a person can spend $3 on a 2.5 lb bag flour when I can buy 50 lbs of organic wheat for about $25! Why spend $1.50 on a can of beans, when I can buy a couple dry pounds for that price? I pay $.73 per lb for dry beans – navy, pinto, northern, black, etc.
As for what I buy in bulk – almost all dry and canned goods.
Maura, where do you find your bulk purchases? I would love to locate a source for that much wheat? Do you have a big freezer? I would love to also find honey for $6.40 for 6#! That’s am amazing deal Laura.
We bought a 1/4 cow this year to freeze. We’re hoping that lasts a year or more. I’m also buying chickens in a similar fashion: 8 chickens at a time from 4 different batches of chickens being raised by a friend.
I like to freeze corn in the summer, too, for all year along with whatever other produce I can get my hands on for cheap.
WE have issues with space or I’d buy in bulk more often. I hate grocery shopping. I much prefer having a stocked pantry, freezer to “shop” from. I do what I can for now.
I do buy a year’s supply of many things. I have at least a year’s supply of honey right now, as well as dried beans, oats, barley, etc. I tend to buy grains twice a year, unless I find a great deal inbetween time. When possible, I buy a side(or two) of beef, we can’t always afford that. I also can from our garden and local produce markets for as much of the year as possible. It REALLY helps the rest of the year, to have these things. We, too are busy, busy, busy during these months preserving those things that we have grown.
I only wish we could get away with only three gallons of maple syrup a year. I think a five gallon ucket would be good for us, LOL.
I love to shop this way! We use honey for everything in place of maple syrup, and I buy a year’s supply, although I ran out a few months early this year. We just went to a u-pick farm today for blueberries. We missed the strawberries this year because Josiah was born right in the middle of the season. We also buy beef, wheat, Sucanat, salt. I’ve had a hard time working it into my budget, though.
I buy in bulk, and LOVE it! I buy oats, wheat, dried white beans, dried black beans, powdered milk, sugar, rice, salt and honey. I try and keep it at 6 months supply, although my goal is to have a year supply. I also try and keep many cans of a variety of foods as well. But boy this site sure gives me motivation to can my own foods instead of buying canned food at the store. But, all of these items store really well for a long time. Trying to incorporate sugar alternatives is starting to become more important to me, although i feel i have to use up the white sugar I’ve already stored. Does sucanat store well?
Yes, sucanat stores very well, just as well as white sugar. :)
I have to sell honey. It’s perfect! I’m live in Ho Chi Minh City Viet Nam. Nice to meet you!
I have alot! My phone: 0972 387 096. Thanks all!!
I thought you might be interested in
Best deal in Vermont on maple syrup!
I live in Randolph exit 4 on 89!
At the bottom of route 66 theres a sugar house Brassards selling
3 gallons grade A amber for 100.00!
802-839-9939
It’s wonderful!
They also have other grades!
Posted 4/20/2016
sweet deal for sure!
Roll back to the 80’s orices!
Tell your friends!
Won’t last long at those prices!