Azure Standard:

You know already that Cara and I absolutely love shopping with this national food co-op! We became friends after meeting at one of Azure Standard's monthly drop off.

The strategy I use for shopping with Azure is to pick just a few items to buy in bulk each month, like citric acid, organic oats, and cases of butter. But, often they do have great sales!

1. Yellow potato: If 50 pounds of potatoes is too much, you can also get sale pricing on just 5 pounds. Try pressure-canning potatoes using this method or including these potatoes into pressure-canned soups.
2. Canned beans: These don't often go on sale!

Check out all the items available with Azure Standard here.

Aldi:

Not much that's shelf-stable is listed in Aldi's current sale flyer, but in person I focused on imported items when shopping on May 4, 2025. Canned tuna, coconut oil, and Italian pasta made it into my cart.

US Foods Chef Store:

Most households don't use #10 cans of vegetables and beans regularly, so this store isn't part of the regular grocery store rotation. However, consider that in an emergency situation you might have a larger crowd in your home than normal!

Check out the bi-weekly specials for your store here.

1. Rice is pricy everywhere right now (so instead prioritize oats for a budget-friendly carb) but at least it's 7% off right now at Chef Store in the 50 pound bags. Decant that into two five-gallon food-safe pails with Gamma Seal lids.
2. Price check their one-gallon white vinegar jugs with your usual shopping spots.
3. We don't use drink mixes like this in our house but it can be a great source of calories for your stockpile. At $2.89 for 24-ounces this might be worth trying.