Being an empty nester or nearly one does not mean that shopping at Arvada’s Costco or Sam’s Club cannot be cost effective for your household. Many people wonder how they will drink 2 gallons of milk before it spoils or what are they ever going to do with 25 pounds of flour! A little bit of thought and planning goes a long way.
Lucky for all of us the warehouse stores sell many items in single units. This includes TVs, computers, books, clothing and even items for the yard. You can get some great deals on some of these items and they can often be worth the cost of membership in a year.
Some items that are sold in mega-packaging are storable with minimal thought, although you do need to remember where you put them sometimes. These items will last virtually forever such as paper towels, trash bags, soap and light bulbs. Other items come in bigger packages than is good for the waste line, cookies and candy just to name a couple.
Knowing what are your best buys as well as knowing how and where to store them is key to making your warehouse purchases a true bargain.
Freezer space is necessary for items at the meat counter. Break down large packages of meats and poultry to match your family meal size. If you have a Seal-a-Meal unit use it otherwise invest in freezer grade plastic zip bags, both of these items can be found at the warehouse store too. Quart sized bags will hold a generous pound of ground beef. Be sure to get as much air out of the package before sealing and flatten the contents as much as possible for more compact storage. Bacon stores well like this too. Use kitchen shears to portion the amount off that you want for a serving. The added benefit from cutting bacon strips in half is that they fit in a smaller fry pan better. These store in a quart sized bag too.
Using a kitchen scale will assist you in determining the right sizes for you.
Orange juice, milk and milk products can also be frozen. It is a good idea to open the containers before freezing and pour out a glass to enjoy now. This will leave room for expansion when the liquids freeze. Thaw these items overnight in the refrigerator before use. Be sure to shake the contents well for the best after thawing. Butter can be frozen in the container you purchase it. Cheeses, even shredded ones can be frozen. Cut cheeses into serving sizes right for your family, secure in plastic wrap and place several in a gallon sized bag. It is convenient to portion out shredded cheese into quart sized bags and it will thaw faster in the fridge for you. Check this table from CSU for suggested storage times of freezer items.
Even eggs can be frozen. One of the more successful ways is to scramble a servings worth with a pinch of salt before storing in a freezer bag. Thaw in fridge overnight and add additional milk water or other fixings just before cooking. It is also possible to make breakfast burritos individually wrap and freeze them. The fully precooked content make them a fast microwavable breakfast.
Future articles will make suggestions for storing other bulk purchases of food items. Are there any items out there that you have questions about?
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