Buying in Bulk for the Recovering Hoarder

I have always heard great things about buying in bulk to save money. Living frugally is essential for my family BUT I’ve also learned, being a recovering hoarder means buying in bulk is not always cost-effective.

Things that may cause hoarding rather than smart bulk shopping:

I have a tendency to be very one-track-minded to a fault. I forget to look at things from more than one direction. If I start using coupons, I get random products that I don’t really need because “I’m trying to save money using coupons.” If I start to “shop local to save on gas & eat fresh”, I spend more money on food. It’s the same thing with buying bulk; if I start shopping those giant bulk stores, I get so focused that I buy anything they offer that we happen to use in our house.

I also have a tendency to find comfort in planning. “Setting up camp” is calming to me. When I was a child, I didn’t act out fun stories by walking Barbies around, I dressed them, made up back-stories, and placed them around my lil’ homemade house on block couches and Velveeta-box beds; then I was done.

Knowing I have a “supply” of things eases that nagging feeling that I will not have something when I need it. I’m pretty sure I struggle with hoarding . . . .I inherited it legit! Now, I’m about to confess a whole lot of craziness that is stored in the mind of a hoarder so no judging, please. Admitting it is the first step, right!?!

Signs that you may struggle with hoarding:

You enjoy unloading and storing away groceries.
I know this sounds crazy, but that’s almost my favorite part of grocery shopping {if there is one- other than organizing it in the cart according to where it will be stored. I know, I have a problem!} I have a hard time when I do all the work to shop and then my husband helps me by putting away the groceries. LOL

You hesitate using-up things.
Again, if you are not a hoarder at heart, this sounds crazy. I have a hard time when my husband cooks and uses 2 lbs of the frozen chicken rather than 1 lb because my stock of chicken now feels very low.

Or the opposite is true, you use it quickly because you know you have plenty to replace it.
In our house, we blow threw some ketchup because its one of the things I’ve found is cheaper in the ginormous bottle and I know we have another one in the pantry.

Questions every hoarder should ask themselves before buying in bulk:

1. How long do you plan to go in between shopping trips?
   I have to make myself count rolls of toilet paper. If I have enough to make it before our next monthly bulk shopping trip, I’m not allowed to buy more.
2. Do you really need it?
   I mentioned that I am very one-track-minded. Sometimes I can grocery shop without a list because I am on autopilot. I just walk up and down the aisle throwing things in the cart that we “always need” only to get home and realize I’d done this same thing during last weeks shopping trip and now I have 2 extra tubs of butter because the one in the fridge is still 1/2 full. Making a list and physically checking to see if you really need it is a must!
3. Can I afford to buy in bulk?
   This is the more powerful thing a friend told me about shopping. “I just can’t afford to buy in bulk right now.” Like I said earlier. I’ve heard great things about “saving money in the long run” when you buy in bulk but sometimes, the budget just can’t handle it. I often buy based on the cheapest “unit price” instead of how much I currently need and how much I actually have in the budget.

Please tell me someone else out there deals with being a recovering hoarder! How do you plan to stay on track with your recovery?