Going large to save cash – Bulk Buy Bonaza

It occurred to me today that the world has moved on sufficiently if I can buy 5kg of flour and not have to worry about it being infested with weevils.

For starters I’d wonder how in the heck the little blighters got into the apartment, and second we’ll likely keep most of it in a plastic container.

The only real hassle will be using it quickly enough.

However, as long as we do use it all then the savings on this bag of flour are pretty good. This 5kg cost me $7, when a 1.5kg bag from the same place, Moore Wilsons, would have $3.88. So we save roughly $5 buying in bulk.

As I say, this is only an actual saving if you’re going to use the product in good order. But, with this winter being as damn cold as it is, baking seems to be the best way to get decent warm food in us while also heating the place up!

I’m planning three primary dishes for this flour. Mini muffins, scones, and, if I can get the yeast to rise, Bread.

Foodie haunts – Moore Wilson

In my first stint in Wellington, the better part of 10 years ago now, Moore Wilson had a certain mystique. Fresh had just started and was stocking fruit and veg that no one had ever seen before, and Variety had cheap everything, as long as you had a card. When we moved back here last year, I returned with delight and spent quite a lot of our grocery budget there.

Nowadays I find I rarely shop there, except for particular items. The weekend markets provide cheaper fresh produce, and their higher-end kitchenware is often to be had cheaper elsewhere too. I still love the atmosphere and the range, but in the end, it’s just not frugal.

However, there are some things that I still go there for first:

• whole cuts of meat from Fresh (esp boned out lamb shoulder)
• more unusual veg like fennel and kale from Fresh
• bulk flour from Variety (5kg of 11% protein high-grade for $7)
• cheap wine from Variety
• trays of free range eggs from Variety (about $8 for 20)
• 4l tins of olive oil ($36) from Variety
• utility tableware from Variety

A trap when perusing the shelves in Variety is that all prices are quoted ex GST. Many an apparent good deal at first glance evaporates when you do the maths.