Obviously you can save money if you buy everything you need in bulk. And if you are buying online you also get free shipping which will save you even more money. I've seen a few "shopping clubs" on the net. By cutting out retailers/middle men they get huge discounts. While sourcing products directly from manufacturers for a small club could be overreaching, even buying from retailers you can get some discounts on bulk purchases, which is good enough. Have any you ever thought of creating such a club? You could ask your neighbors and friends to join.
I think this works in tight knit areas not so much the city or with family and friends. Also you have to buy a lot to make the savings worthwhile, and works well for families with children rather than couples. I buy in bulk when things are on offer, but space is a factor and also how long things will last. Those with small businesses could benefit too, but for singles and couples probably not.
I'll bulk buy some things for personal use but I wouldn't want to buy with friends and family for example because some are bound to use more than others and if everyone puts in the same amount of money it'd work out fairer for some than others. Typically things I buy in bulk are non perishable goods, or things like dish soap or tissues that I know will get used eventually. I don't typically buy anything perishable unless I know it will be used in time or it won't be a saving and will be a waste of money instead. I know a family with 6 children that will take advantage of buy one get one free type offers on children's clothing and stock that up for when a smaller child becomes big enough to use it though, and I think that can work well with certain items like coats or jackets that can cost more money, provided you've got the storage space of course.
I don't have a club as such, but I do have a few friends who share my membership at a wholesaler. They will give me some money towards the cost, and in return I will bulk buy some things and then split them between us - so it works out as much cheaper for all of us in the long term. I think it's great that people decide to do things like that, as lots of money can certainly be saved if you work it all out properly.
I do not usually buy in bulk unless it is a really good deal or if it is something that we use quite often. I will buy toilet tissue and paper towel in bulk since it is much cheaper that way. I have never used any of the online sites that you can buy bulk items. I am not sure if they are cheaper than other places. Having a club is not an option as where I live there is not very many people and I do not know them since the houses are rentals and there are a lot of people that come and go.
I've been wanting to arrange one but it is extremely difficult since not everyone can agree on a single product regularly and also budgets tend to fluctuate for everyone so chances are at any given time only few can really participate. I have not given it a proper try though, to be fair, so this is all just speculation on my part, and I do want to try to do it in the future. I also agree that sometimes you can get a good enough bargain buying in bulk from retailers.
