That moment I realized buying bulk spices was costing me more

I used to buy those big Costco jars of cumin and paprika thinking I was saving money. Then I cleaned out my pantry last month and found three jars of oregano that had expired in 2021. The kicker was when I added up what I spent on spices I never finished it came to about $60 wasted. Now I just hit the bulk bins at Sprouts and buy what I need for a recipe maybe $2 at a time. Anyone else have a bulk buy backfire on them?

2 comments

2 Comments

kais671mo ago

Big same. I started buying my cumin and smoked paprika from the bulk section at Winco and it changed everything. Honestly I think the worst offender for me was cinnamon. I bought a big jar thinking I'd use it for oatmeal and baking but I barely touched it. Now I just scoop out a tablespoon or two into a bag and it costs me like 40 cents. That $60 you wasted is basically a lesson I had to learn the hard way too. Spices lose their punch after a year anyway so you're not saving money if you're using bland powder.

maryh961mo ago

Right, buying in bulk is the way to go for sure. I started doing the same after I found a half-used jar of nutmeg that was years old and had zero flavor. Have you tried buying whole spices and grinding them yourself?