linda_dixon49•18d agoProlific Poster

Just realized bulk buying spices vs jarred ones is a no-brainer after a chili disaster

Last Tuesday I made a big pot of chili for a family gathering. I grabbed my little jar of cumin from the cabinet, shook it, nothing came out. Turns out that tiny McCormick jar cost me like $4 and had maybe a tablespoon left. I ran to the store and bought another one for $4.50. My sister laughed and handed me a baggie of cumin from her bulk bin buy at WinCo - she paid $2 for enough to fill three of those jars. I did the math later and I've probably blown $60-$80 over the past two years on tiny spice jars when I could have spent $15 at the bulk bins and had better quality too. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed a big difference in their grocery bill?

4 comments

4 Comments

kimmurphy18d ago

My buddy Dave had the same wake up call with chili powder. He texted me a photo of his spice drawer and it was just a graveyard of those little jars with maybe a teaspoon left in each. He finally went to the bulk section at the co-op and spent like $8 on a whole bag of smoked paprika and cumin and coriander. Said it was fresher too, smelled way stronger than the dusty jars he had been buying. Now he brings me baggies of random spices whenever we carpool to the gym, like he's some kind of spice dealer. His chili game improved so much his wife actually asked what he did different.

jade_jenkins18d ago

Wait, so your buddy Dave is just straight up handing you baggies of spices in the gym parking lot? That's the most unhinged thing I've heard all week. Honestly I can't get past the mental image of a guy in gym shorts and a sweaty tank top trying to discreetly pass you a bag of smoked paprika like it's a controlled substance. Ngl that's a vibe I can totally get behind though, the dude is basically a spice mule at this point. But seriously, $8 for a whole bag of that stuff? I'm pissed I've been paying $6 for those little glass jars that are mostly air.

simonp7618d ago

Jade, you're absolutely right about those little jars being mostly air and markup. I've been buying bulk spices from a local Middle Eastern market for years and it's a game changer way cheaper and fresher than anything at the grocery store.

henryp4018d ago

Ngl @kimmurphy's buddy Dave is buying in bulk, not at the co-op though.