Case Lot Sales

I am very fortunate to live in an area where the local grocery stores offer bi annual case lot sales.  During this particular event a store will offer special pricing on food items that are sold in large quantities. To take advantage of the cheaper pricing, you must buy the entire shrink wrapped case..  usually in quantities of 12, 24, 36, or 48. These sales also usually include large bags of flour, wheat, sugar, dried beans, oatmeal, and rice. Twenty or forty pound boxes of chicken or bacon, and #10 cans of dehydrated and freeze dried foods are sometimes also available. I love taking advantage of these sales for several reasons:

• The prices are usually as cheap or cheaper than I can find the item on sale.
• I can stock my food storage quickly.
• I can usually buy enough of things I use frequently to last my family until the next sale.
• I can supplement the foods that I don't grow or home preserve myself.
• The unopened cases can be stacked and stored easily.
• It is so nice to run downstairs to the storage room to grab ketchup, rice, or toilet paper when we run out of something in the pantry, instead of hitting panic mode and running to the grocery store.

As I have mentioned before, my food storage is just an extension of my kitchen pantry. We use it daily. When I go grocery shopping it is to replenish what I have used up or am running low on. Case lot sales make it easy to replenish those items at one time.

In order to take full advantage of these kind of sales there are a few things you should know.

• The store usually offers a case lot sale twice a year, roughly six months apart. I have three stores in my area that offer this kind of sale, and they are usually within a month or two of each other.
• If you are on a tight budget, you may need to set aside a budget to purchase all the items you need. For example, if you are buying canned pineapple for $.78 each, you are required to buy the 24 can case of pineapple to get the cheap price. In  actuality, you are paying $18.72. If you are buying numerous items it adds up quickly.
• Know your prices. Make a price list, if necessary, of the lowest price you will pay for the items you use frequently. I know I won't pay more than $1.25 for peanut butter, $.48 for mandarin oranges, and $1.99 a pound for butter. Compare your price list to the prices of the food offered at each particular sale. 
• Write down a list of items you need or use regularly. I keep a running list on my fridge of the things I am running low on, and how many of each item I will need. Think ahead if you will be using more of certain items, because of a particular time of year. I buy extra sugar during the spring sales, because I know I will be canning fruit and making jelly during the summer and fall. You may use more flour in the fall, and more ketchup in the summer.
• Certain items are always on rock bottom prices during case lot sales. Flour, sugar, dried beans, rice, oatmeal, and wheat are usually at their lowest price (even cheaper than the bulk section).
• Emergency preparedness and long term storage items are sometimes included in the sale. This is a great time to purchase water barrels, 5 gallon buckets, gamma lids (these attach to a 5 gallon bucket and have a lid that screws on and off. A must have if you store frequently used items in 5 gallon buckets), powdered and freeze dried foods.
• You may need to return to the store several times over the course of the sale to purchase all the items you want to buy. After shopping these sales for years, I have discovered that going to the store early in the morning; especially Saturday morning, is my best chance for finding well stocked displays.
• You may need to special order or ask for a rain check for certain items. If you don't find something you are looking for ask a sales associate. They can help you order thos items.

Of course, the most important thing you must do if you want to participate in these fabulous sales, is to be in the know of the forthcoming event. There are several ways you can do this. Sign up on the store website to receive emails of sales and upcoming events. If the store has a Facebook page, like it. Then you will get alerts of their promos and sales on your Facebook feed. Last, but not least, if you live in Southeast Idaho like the Prepperific facebook page (conveniently located to the right of this post). I will alert you to case lot sales, as well as hot deals on grocery items, right here in our neck of the woods. I love, love, LOVE sharing a great deal!