Buying Clubs

One way to save a lot in our grocery shopping, especially if you are trying to feed your family healthy, organic, no pesticide, foods, is to join a food buying club. I've been a part of one for most of the past 15 years and what a difference it makes.

From my buying club order I buy almost all of our flour for home made bread, oats, sweeteners, spices, and grains, plus, you can order just about anything that you would buy in a store that carries natural foods. The benefit is normally price. It's so much cheaper to buy in bulk, and skip the middle man.

If you've not ever ordered from a club, the 'rules' usually are something like this: your 'group' ( as few or as many people as you need to fulfill the requirements) needs to order a certain amount each time you place an order. ( Our group must order $500.00) and each individual order must be at least ..... (ours is $50.00.)

Some clubs have the good delivered to a drop off point where the members join together and sort them into the family piles. Other clubs have the advantage of the distributor packaging up each order according to family so at the drop off point you only have to pick up what you ordered and be on your way. I've been a part of both, and they both have their advantages. When you have to sort through it all, you get to see what other people buy, what there is available and some time to work together and make new friends. When it's all done for you, its quick and easy. Pick up and you're on your way home.

The club we belong to is serviced by Azure Standard which has been above excellent to work with! They have superb product, ( many things they grow themselves here, just a bit east of Portland, OR) wonderful customer service, and a wide delivery range. ( I believe they go into California and as far east as Minnesota)
We have our own group, but we also have a number of people who have called and joined in, so you don't have to have a big group if you want to start buying. Call and see if there is a group already established.

If you know belong to a buying club in other parts of the country, I'd appreciate it if you'd leave a comment here so others will have a place to call to get information if they would like to start buying.

I also belong to an organic produce buying club. This is one way of getting organic produce at very reasonable prices. Google in organic produce to see if there is a distributor in your area. If you'd like more information and live in the Portland, OR area, feel free to email me. I have a number of groups that I do the ordering for and would be willing to have a couple more groups to work with.

This is just a couple more ways of saving some money in the grocery department while still eating healthily.