Annie emailed me with questions about purchasing ingredients in bulk:

I've read several times that you buy your flour, yeast, etc. in bulk to keep costs down. I would love to do this, since part of the reason I cook from scratch is frugality (that and it smells yummy and is more healthy!). Unfortunately, I can't find any where that sells these things in bigger than the 1-2lb packages at the grocery store. For the yeast, the only kind I've been able to find is the little packets that come in threes. Those are used up quickly and are expensive.

Where do you find bulk cooking ingredients? I'm not completely sure where you live, but I live in Florida and it seems we are a different culture altogether when it comes to stores and shopping. We have chain stores, but no Aldi's or Krogers. We also have several health food stores, but none of them carry anything in bulk. I can buy smaller boxes of flax seed or wheat germ or whole wheat flour, but it's three or four dollars more than the typical grocery store.

Hi, Annie!

My pantry staples come from a variety of sources, and I'd be glad to share how I've been able to find various things in bulk. I've lived in Ohio and Missouri, but perhaps some of my readers live in Florida and could give suggestions that are even more relevant for you! :)

Where we currently live, there is a small local bulk food store. I get a few things there, but don't do a lot of shopping there, since they're too small to have really great prices. We live about 2 hours from Ohio's "Amish Country", where there are bulk food stores with excellent prices. Though Joshua and I rarely (i.e. only once so far!) drive there ourselves, many of our extended family members travel more than we do, and are willing to pick up a few things for us when they're there. That's where I usually get my flax seed, flaked coconut, wheat germ, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, jumbo shell pasta, and spices.

First, finding dry yeast: I have found 1-pound packages of dry yeast at bulk food stores, a health food store, and at Sam's Club. I've never been a member of Sam's club, but I was able to go in a couple times with a friend when we lived in Missouri. I have, in the past, gotten spices at Sam's club, though I think a good sale on a large container of Kroger spices would be just as cheap.

With many things, I've just been blessed by others' generosity.

I'm blessed because my mom (who lives nearby) gets her rolled oats in 50-lb bags and she is willing to split that with me... so I get the benefit of cheaper oats, without having to buy 50 pounds all on my own! For my wheat flour, we were given a number of 5-gallon buckets of wheat berries, and my parents have a wheat grinder that turns the berries into flour for me.

I also recently found a local source for raw honey, and it's at a good price, too. ($7/qt. and cheaper if you order larger amounts!) Sometimes word-of-mouth helps... if you mention to a local friend that you're on the lookout for something, they may have suggestions for you!

I also, of course, watch for sales and clearance specials. When we lived in Missouri, our only grocery store was a small local one, but I was able to buy almost everything on sale and stock up enough to last until the next sale. Now that we live near an Aldi store, I purchase more things from there and fewer things on sale (since Aldi prices are often as low as other "sale prices", without the inconvenience of having to guess how much I will need in the next couple of months)! :)

Another thing, which I haven't done personally, is the possibility of ordering food from a local co-op. If you know others in your area who are interested in healthy or organic food, or buying in bulk, they might be able to help you find a co-op, where you could get ingredients that would cost you a lot more in your local grocery store.

Do any of you readers have suggestions or tips to add? What do you purchase in bulk, and where do you buy it? :)