Shopping smart: 6 Foods you should never buy in bulk

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These are the type of foods we don’t usually expect to go off and most times there’s this little voice in our head that tells us, we can store them for long but these next 6 foods are ones we suggest you never buy in bulk.

Spices

If you’re someone who’s not big on shopping lists, then we are sure you have ended up at home with spices you already have. Although spices do not go bad, they do lose their effectiveness over time, so it would be a good idea to go and have a look at your spice rack and throw out those old spices sitting at the back of your cupboard.

Shelf life: 6 months to a year.

Coffee

We know how it goes, we can’t live without coffee and with so many different coffee beans and flavours coming out, we are guilty of maybe over-indulging and buying every new type we see. But just so you know, coffee beans won’t go bad but after a while they lose their aromas and flavouring and by then you won’t be able to enjoy your favourite cup of coffee.

Shelf life: Try to use within two weeks of purchase.

Oil

A staple in every household, oil is usually the first ingredient we reach for when it comes to cooking, frying or sautéing. We obviously never want to run out of this very important ingredient, so we always make sure we have not one, but maybe two bottles of oil, just in case. According to Eat by Date, the shelf life of oil depends on the best before date and how it is stored.

Shelf life: 3 to 6 months.

Eggs

Eggs are great for breakfast and for baking and can be stored outside or in your fridge. So which is better? Storing it outside the fridge or inside? The  American Egg Boardsays raw whole eggs in their shells will last about 3 weeks from the date of purchase in your refrigerator.

Shelf life: 3-5 weeks.

Condiments

Just because stores stock shelves and shelves of tomato sauce, mayonnaise and all sorts of condiments – it doesn’t mean they don’t have an expiration date. Just like a car looses value as soon as it leaves the dealership, the same goes for condiments, as soon as you take that bottle home and open it the shelf life is shortened.

Shelf life: 6 months to  a year

fruits and veggies

Now unless you are meal prepping or planning on baking banana bread with all those bananas, most produce won’t stay fresh past a week. And sometimes it goes bad in just a few days. So, if you’re buying in bulk a good way to use your fruits and veggies is to put them into smoothies or freeze them to increase their longevity.

Shelf life: 1 week.

What other foods do you avoid buying in bulk?

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