We know by the popularity of our 25 Ways to Save Money on Food page that this is a hot topic. We have seen a lot of "save money on food" lists in magazines and on the internet. These are good ideas and will save you money if you're willing to eat what is being offered. The sad fact is that most food manufacturers, grocery stores, chain restaurants and convenience stores do not have your health in mind. Their goal is profit and repeat business. What you get is expensive food that sustains life, but not health. To effectively save money and eat healthy, you need to eliminate these middlemen or at least be aware of their tricks.

People are tired of being sick and tired - and paying for it. Our book covers ways to eat healthy and save you money on your food bill. It will also teach and train you to make healthy food choices. The results of living the 25 Ways To Save Money on Food ...And Eat Healthy will amaze you. We have been practicing these ideas for over thirty-years and KNOW they work. The book includes ideas, recipes, organization aids and planning areas for your own goals. We encourage you to buy the book, do the stuff, and enjoy the benefits.

There are twenty-five chapters in the book. Each chapter is from one to seven pages in length. Each chapter includes a "homework" assignment that challenges you to put the idea to use. You plan your work, and then, work your plan. Some of the chapters include pictures of the ideas in practice at Milk and Honey Farm. We have been living this lifestyle for thirty-years. It works for us!

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Minnesota residents need to pay 6.5% sales tax also.

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An Excerpt from 25 Ways to Save Money on Food ...And Eat Healthy

Chapter Ten

BUYING CLUB / FOOD CO-OP

 

“Beloved, I wish above all things that you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.” III John 2

A great way to save money is to join or start a buying club. Food wholesalers will sell to you if you have a minimum order in the same amount they would sell to a grocery store or health food store. By cutting out the retailer, there is a big potential for savings. A club of seven to ten families can easily come up with the minimum order and make the process worth doing. It does take planning ahead, consistency and someone motivated to get things done.

The first step would be to locate an independent food wholesaler in your area. Check on the web using search terms like “food buying club” or try United Foods listed at the end of this chapter. You may be fortunate to have more than one that covers your area. In that case, I would select the one that deals with organic and health food items. Next, check out their website to see if they offer buying club programs.

Some typical requirements might be a club spokes person, a minimum order and a place to unload the truck. Determine the exact requirements from your wholesaler and you’re ready to present you plan to your potential buying club members. You can make some phone calls, circulate a letter or mention it in church. It’s good to have like-minded people as it requires a steady commitment.

You will need anywhere from five to twelve families in the club. Less than five families and you’ll have trouble making your order minimum. More than twelve and the work of gathering the orders, sorting the food items and balancing out the money becomes somebody’s full time job.

The key to getting your club going successfully is to define the rules ahead of time. Everybody needs to get their order and money in on time. Everybody needs to have a job that contributes to their share of the workload. If a person is consistently late or doesn’t do their part, there should be a means to replace that member. Write up the rules and have everybody sign them. It will save you grief later on.

With your club organized, you’re ready to set up the club with the wholesaler. Let them know you are a buying club. Don’t use the term “co-op” as it represents an entity that carries stock and may complete with another local store. They will assign you a club number and let you know when the route driver will be in your area. Some wholesalers will mail paper catalogs to the buying club members – others may have software that lists the products available.

Buying from the catalog is a new experience for most people. The catalog will look more like a plumbing cross reference guide than a JC Penny’s catalog with pictures. There will likely be major sections that contain similar items, for example, shampoo – organic. Within this category the various brands will be listed. Under the brand headings will be the sizes and flavors. Each line will tell you the item, the weight, number per case, and price. The first real challenge is that in the grocery store, the food item is presented and we are used to picking out a certain brand by its shape and color. In the catalog, you have to think about the item to know if that is what you want. Another challenge is that you generally have to buy in case lots. A case of cold cereal is easy, but a case or grapefruit may be too much. You can split the case with one or more members. Online catalogs are similar to their printed counterparts. When each family gets their order together, they forward it to a person who compiles all the orders and sends the club’s order to the wholesaler.

If all goes well, a semi-truck shows up with your food items. Several members need to be on hand to unload the truck. The driver doesn’t unload the truck. A good sorting location might be a double bay garage or a church fellowship room. The semi-truck needs to get in and out and it’s best to be out of the elements. A freezer handy can store frozen foods if their owner is late to pick them up.

The driver presents the invoice which must be paid on the spot. If you have one person who can cover a check for a thousand dollars or more, it makes things go a lot faster.

Here’s where the fun begins. The food has to be sorted into piles for the family who ordered it. You can “oh” and “ah” over the other family’s items and get reviews on quality, value and taste. Typically in every club order, some items are out of stock or backordered items show up. You pay for the item even though it is backordered, but you can call in and ask for a refund to be paid when the driver returns.

If you don't know anything about a buying club or don’t know if you would like one, consider inviting yourself as an observer to one or two meetings of an establishing club. You may like the more social setting where everybody gathers bi-weekly over tea and splits cases and talks about their new “find”. They may even have pot lucks and tasting parties. We like our format where we just show up to unload the truck. We only order every other month and everybody buys in cases. Some clubs have members “sponsor” a potential member by ordering for them. If they like the club, they can join and if not, you don’t have a dead-weight person to replace.

As far as savings go, you will save one-third to one-half over what you would pay for the same item at a health food store or grocery store. When discounted, these organic “healthy” food items will cost less than the same brand name item at the grocery store. Another key savings point is that there will be no point-of-sale impulse buying and you will know what your bill will be a least a week in advance.

Many wholesalers have free software to use to place your individual and club order.

United Natural Foods (formerly Blooming Prairie) is the name of the wholesaler in the MN, IA, WI, ND, SD area that sells regular, organic foods and health products.

Here is a list of buying club suppliers and three good pages of information. As we are writing this, the web site names are being consolidated and you may have to do some searching or navigate through a few “we have moved” pages.

• North & East United Northeast, Inc.
• Midwest United Natural Foods, Inc. (doing business as Blooming Prairie)
• West Coast, Southwest, Hawaii United Natural Foods, Inc. (doing business as Mountain People's Warehouse)

Try these helpful pages on the United Buying Club web site.

• Thinking About Starting a Buying Club
• Find a Buying Club Service
• Help, How-to & Tips for Buying Clubs

A food co-op is different in that one person or one team does the ordering, unloading, stocking and collects the money. Members can have a say in what they want, but still one person is responsible. Some food is stocked and members buy it much like at a retail store. The food coop works best for groups of people too large to be a buying club as the manager’s role can be a full-time job.

HOMEWORK

Answer these questions in the space below. Are you an organized person who likes to make lists and plan ahead? If so, visit a buying club in your area. Ask questions and find out how their club works. If none exist, do some research and consider starting one. Are you a less organized, more spontaneous shopper? Find a food co-op in your area and pay it a visit.