When it comes to the age-old dilemma of quality versus quantity, the latter often gets pushed aside for more affordable options. This is especially apparent at the grocery store, where dinner means either Kraft Dinner (cheap) or something a tad more gourmet (not so cheap). But what to do when your wallet doesn’t match your high standards? Head to Sprouts and join their bulk buying club.

The bulk buying club was created several years ago when a group of 400 UBC students wanted to purchase alternative food options. It continues to offer local organic goods at reduced rates; everything from spinach to toilet paper is available to order, and can be bought at approximately 15–30 per cent less than its cost in a supermarket. Prices are low because products are sourced directly from Lower Mainland distributors such as Pro Organics and Horizons, and buying in large quantities reduces the cost per unit.

“The bulk buying club simply provides students with access to the distributors we use for all Sprouts-related programs,” said club coordinator Mandy Desautels. “We don’t gain anything from the students who use this service, we simply facilitate this program so that students have access to food products that we don’t carry in the store.”

So how does one make a purchase? “First, check out the catalogues available online and in Sprouts. Then place an order by simply filling out an order form which can be found in Sprouts, and submit it, along with payment, to the store volunteers,” explained Desautels. Bulk products range in quantity from 2 kilograms to 25 pounds, but if even the smallest quantity is too much for your liking, you are able to split the order with other members of the community.

For cash-strapped foodies, the bulk buying club is manna—or parsley, chard, or shallots—from heaven.

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