What’s the BEST Way to Shop the Case Lot Sale?? Tips & Tricks to Save the Most Money!

So first of all….. do you have Case Lot sales where you live??  I know not everyone does. But Utah can’t be the ONLY place in the Country that does them.  So I would love to know where you live, if you do have Case Lot sales! LMK in the comments below. 

Case Lot sales can be one of the best times to stock up on all of the pantry items and canned goods your family uses on a regular basis.  I say “Regular” because there is no point in purchasing cases of something if your family doesn’t eat it all of the time.

TIP #1:  Think of how much you typically pay for that item.  Is the per item price in the case a lot cheaper than that?

For our family, I always make my own Spaghetti Sauce–instead of buying it pre-made.  It’s super simple, it tastes a lot better and it’s always a cheaper option.  So when I see small cans of tomato sauce for only $.20, I know that is a stock up price and I purchase a bunch of it to last me.

**I do want to note that not all Case Lot items are incredible prices.  So don’t get fooled just because it says “Case Lot Sale”. That’s where Tip #2 comes in.

TIP #2:  Do your own math!  Pull out your calculator on your phone and double check prices and figure out a per item price—then you have a better idea if that case is a great price or not.

For example, at Smith’s I saw that Malt-O-Meal Cereals were part of the Case Lot sales.  But they stated that each bag was $5.49!!  That is MORE than what they typically cost and I was so confused.  Once I got to the cereal aisle, I saw that they had marked down the same bags of Malt-O-Meal Cereal to $2.50 each.  Obviously, a ton cheaper than what they had in the boxes.  It turns out they had done the math wrong on all of the stickers on those Case Lot boxes!!  Drastically wrong. And Smith’s was probably confused as to why no one was purchasing any Malt-O-Meal, lol. So I let the manager know and grabbed my cases. 🙂

TIP #3: You DO NOT have to purchase a whole case!!  If you head to the actual aisles of the store, you will find the same items not in a case and not in plastic wrapping.  Those items you can purchase 1 of, or a few of– how ever many you want.   But if you see an actual closed case with plastic around it, you do have to purchase that whole case.  The prices per can or per item are THE SAME!  But they have placed the items in different parts of the store for easier access.  **This tip may vary depending on store you are shopping.  So when in doubt, just ask once you get there.

TIP #4: Remember that Case Lot sales are also a great way to get awesome stock-up prices without having to use coupons and without having to Price Match!  So it should save a little sanity too.

TIP #5:  And lastly, those cases take up a lot of room in your cart.  Even if you only purchase a few.  And what does that mean?  There isn’t any room for your kids.

So either trade with a friend and watch each other’s kids while the other shops, get a babysitter or have your husband come too so you have two carts to push around.  Plus, you can use his muscles to lift all of the cases. WIN-WIN!

***If you are new to shopping Case Lot sales and aren’t sure what a good price is, head over here to see this week’s Caselot Sales at Smith’s. Anything I’ve highlighted in RED is a stock-up price.  It should give you a little guidance.

GOOD LUCK!  Now go save some money. 🙂