Make the Most of Case Lot Sales

In the fall before the holidays, and again in January or February, many grocers conduct case lot sales. Do you shop case lot sales? Some of us do, but do we really know how to make the most of them? Today I have some tips for all of us to help make the most of those case lot sales. You might be surprised!

Case lot sales are great for both time savings and money savings. How? They can save you a lot of time because by stocking up on items you buy regularly, you spend less time at the store. The money savings is pretty obvious, since stores usually slash the prices on individual items when you’re buying them by the case.

Here are the tips to help you make the most of your local case lots sales:

• The first thing to do is create a plan for your shopping trip. Check your pantry and food storage areas to see what you are running low on. Be sure to write up a list of these items. Now compare that list to what is available at the case lot sale. If you shop more than one store, compare their case lot flyer and make a plan and list for each store where you’ll get the best price on stuff you actually need.
• It also helps to plan for the money in advance. One shopper automatically sets aside $20 bucks from her bi-weekly shopping budget to spend at yearly case lot sales. This amount really adds up! At $40 per month for 10 months of the year, you’ll have $400 to spend on case lot sales.
• Don’t grab up canned goods your family doesn’t eat just because they’re at a crazy good price. If your family won’t eat them, it’s still a waste of your money.
• Pasta and rice are great case lot buys, especially if your family eats a lot of them. If you can, plan out how much you’ll use in a year and buy it during a case lot sale.
• Baking supplies are often priced well at case lot sales, so it pays to stock up on those.
• Peanut butter is another good case lot sale buy if your family eats it. But if they won’t eat a case of peanut butter in a year, skip it.

What are your favorite ways to make the most of case lot sales? Please share in the comment section!