Money Saving Tip: Buying Spices in Bulk

If you want to cut out plastic, glass and money waste, buying spices in bulk is for you. I will fully admit that I just recently started doing this, but as someone who is spice-reliant when cooking, I definitely wish that I had discovered this trick sooner.

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Buying Spices From the Bulk Section

When I talk about buying spices in bulk, this does not mean buying huge containers of them. If you truly use a lot of spices, this may be the route for you, but most people don’t use the quantity needed to justify this and don’t have the space to store them.

No, I’m talking about buying spices from the bulk section in your store. Sprouts is the best in my area for this, but many Whole Foods stores and local co-ops also carry them. They have the huge containers of them and then you pour as much or as little as you need into a small bag. You write the corresponding code on a tag for the bag and then the bag is weighed when you check out.

Bring Your Own Bags

The trick to this though is that in order to cut down on plastic waste, you’ll want to bring your own reusable spice bags (affiliate link). If you don’t have reusable bags with you, the store will provide small plastic bags for you to use. You’ll also want to bring your own small funnel so that the spices don’t go everywhere when you’re pouring them into the bag. Some stores have these, others don’t, so it’s better to come prepared.

Invest in Reusable Glass Spice Jars

If you’ve been buying spices in plastic containers, you’ll also want to invest in a good set of glass spice jars (affiliate link). While there is some upfront cost with this (a good starter kit usually runs about $25), the cost-savings over the many years that you’ll be using them will more than pay for them. If you have a birthday or if the holidays are coming up, a set of glass spice jars would be a great item to put on your wish list. If you’ve already been buying your spices in glass jars, keep reusing them. There’s no need to buy new ones if you already have some that are labeled.

Money Savings From Buying Spices in Bulk

While prices can vary depending on the type of spices you buy, you can easily save $2 -$4 or more when buying spices in bulk. Yes, that’s on organic. That’s what I call a win for the environment and a win for your pocketbook!