I get a lot of questions about our food budget (how we balance 3 growing boys? do we eat only organic? how do we afford clean meat? how much does an entirely gluten free house food budget cost?) etc. One of our best changes is in the quantity of food that be buy in bulk. Each month we set aside a budget for bulk buying and we then use these funds throughout the year to purchase meat from a farmer, maple syrup, coconut oil, coconut flour, almond flour, pinto beans and for canning fresh fruit, applesauce etc. I will continue to share some of these other sources too.
Our coconut products are one of the big items we buy in bulk. Our house uses coconut oil for most of our cooking, baking and skin care and if you just run into a store and buy jar, it gets really pricey. So this past weekend we spent our friday night breaking down 15 gallons of coconut oil (I know, I know, an exciting Friday night..but lets be honest, we have 3 little boys). We have been ordering 5 gallon buckets and breaking them down into mason jars for the last 2 years and love the convenience of having a 6 month to year supply on hand at all times. This time around we had a few neighbors and friends join in and we broke down 15 gallons for a few families (the mess is the exact same, whether you break down 1 bucket or 3). A 5-gallon bucket has lasted us on average for 8 months.
We purchase all our coconut oil, our coconut flakes & chips and coconut flour from Tropical Traditions. We love their expeller-pressed coconut oil for our general day to day use, love their coconut flour and also like their lotions and lip moisturizers. (And a side-note, we also love Tropical Traditions for their ethical trade practices and their commitment to Non-GMO products) To further save money, I always wait to place an order until I can get a free shipping code, which comes up about once a month or so.
If you have ever wondered…this is what 15 gallons of coconut oil, broken down into mason jars, looks like.
