Spices are an excellent way to add variety and flavour to your recipes. But those individual bottles, cans and packages of spices are expensive. Did you ever stop to think about what you’re paying for? Today’s post looks at the advantages of buying spices in bulk.
This post was originally published in November 2019 as “Spicing things up (and saving money)”.
Rethinking old habits
For years, I bought spices in plastic packaging. I never gave any thought to the cost of spices until I started to look for ways to eliminate single-use plastic and reduce waste.
Unlike many staples, most of us don’t buy spices every time we go to the supermarket. It’s easy to overlook the cost of things we buy infrequently.
One day, when I ran out of onion powder, I saw an opportunity to reduce plastic waste and save money at the same time.
Stocking up at the bulk store
I headed to Bulk Barn and bought several glass spice jars for $0.89 each. Then, I bought enough onion powder to fill a jar for $0.62. A huge savings over the cost of pre-packaged onion powder which ranges in price from $2 to $8 depending on the brand and type of packaging.
A couple of weeks later, I needed to stock up on a few more spices. I spent a grand total of $2.50 on mustard powder, garlic powder, turmeric, oregano and my favourite ultimate seasoning. Some quick calculations told me that buying spices in bulk saved me at least $25 just on that one shopping trip.
Reducing waste and keeping things fresh
In addition to saving money, eliminating plastic waste is an obvious benefit of buying spices in bulk. Another advantage is you can buy only what you need. Not only does this reduce food waste, but it keeps your spices fresher, especially those that you only use occasionally.
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Buying spices in bulk is such a simple thing. I’m not sure why I’d never thought of it before. Maybe it was the convenience of just tossing a package of whatever I needed into my shopping cart when I was at the grocery store.
Planning ahead for a trip to the bulk store, and making sure I have the right containers for what I need, takes a bit of effort. But considering the savings and environmental benefits, it’s time well spent.
Refusing to throw money in the garbage by avoiding throwaway packaging when buying spices is just one example of the financial benefits of simple and sustainable living. For more money-saving tips, check out my roundup of frugal habits to make your money go further.
Have you made similar changes that save money? Tell us about them below.
I think I should hit up my local spice stores. Haven’t even thought about it. We do have Baba brand spices, which come in 250g packets, but the flavour pales in comparison to the tiny bottled McCormick’s. But you’ve made me think about my spice purchases for sure, so thanks Michelle!
I usually find the spices from the bulk store fresh, not to mention you can buy only what you’ll use so you don’t have spices from the ancient days lurking in your cupboards. Thanks for visiting Stuart.
We use The Bulk Barn for all of our Eco dried goods, Coffee Beans to Nuts! Spices have such a short shelf life, I buy a bit more than the recipe to have on hand. Invested in Glass Mason canning jars, small to extra large sized. Organized and small quantity fresh!
I love dried Legumes & Beans, super easy & thrifty, minus the tin cans. Just soak them overnight.
Yes, I agree. What did we do before the reusable container program?
Great article Michelle. I have bought from Bulk Barn for ‘decades’. It’s amazing how much you can save by purchasing from bulk. The added bonus is your spices are even fresher than what has been prepackaged.
Thanks Sue! I also like that you can buy only what you need, rather than having to buy a big package of something.