In the market
Hello everyone, I hope you all had a beautiful day today? Mine was really good too 😊. This is yours truly @ethical-shots and I’m so excited to welcome you to today’s story. It’s the first few days of a new month, and you know what that means for me... my kitchen shelves were almost empty!
So I told myself, "no more waiting." Today was market day. And not just any market day, my monthly bulk-buying day.
Why I Love Buying In Bulk?
I’ve learned one thing over the years: if you want to save money and stress, buy your foodstuff in bulk from the market. The prices are way better than buying small-small from shops, and you get more value for your money.
That’s why every new month, I set aside time to go to the market, do my big shopping, and stock up for the next 3-4 weeks. It’s cheaper, it lasts longer, and my kitchen stays full.
First Stop: Rice and Beans
My first stop was the grains section. Rice and beans are a must in my house. We eat them every week, so I can’t afford to run out.
Instead of buying in cups, I prefer the custard rubber measurement. It’s more, and it’s more economical.
I got 1 rubber of beans for N4500 and 1 rubber of rice for N5000. The sellers were arranging their goods neatly, and I took my time to pick clean ones without stones.
Next Stop: Garri
After that, I went straight to the garri sellers. Garri is life in this house 😆
I bought one full rubber for N1500. Honestly, I was expecting the price to go up because everything has been increasing lately. So when I heard N1500, I was a bit surprised and relieved.
There are usually 2 types in the market: the white garri goes for N1000 per rubber, and the yellow garri goes for N1500. I’m team yellow all the way. I just love the taste and color, especially when I want to make eba with egusi or okro soup. The white one is fine, but it’s not my favorite.
The woman I bought from was so cheerful. She was even the one encouraging me to "buy more, it won’t spoil." I was smiling too because getting what you want at a fair price just makes your day.
Then Came The Vegetables: Onions
From garri, I moved to the pepper and onions section. This is one place where buying in the market really pays off.
If you buy onions from the shop, you’ll get just 3-4 bulbs for the same amount you’d use to get a much bigger quantity in the market. So I stocked up. Fresh onions make any stew or soup come alive, so I always make sure I have enough.
Protein and Oils: Eggs and Palm Oil. My next stops were eggs, red palm oil, and groundnut oil. These are the things that make cooking easier for me.
I’m very particular about my eggs 😂 I have to select them myself. I don’t trust anyone to do it for me because I want to check each one properly. Broken or old eggs? No, thank you.
For the palm oil, I was looking for that fresh, thick, deep red one. The kind that has that rich aroma. And the groundnut oil had to look clean and oily. You can tell good oil when you see it — it just glistens differently 🥰
The Reality of Market Shopping:
There were so many other things I saw and wanted to buy. Tomatoes, pepper, yam, fish... the market was full of life. But I had to remind myself: "buy what you can afford and what you really need for now."
Bulk buying is good, but you still have to budget. So I got the essentials first. Other things can come later in smaller quantities.
Walking through the market today reminded me why I love this monthly routine. The noise, the bargaining, the colors, the people... it’s stressful but also refreshing. You meet people, you gist, you laugh, and you go home feeling like you’ve achieved something.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, I got home with bags full of rice, beans, garri, onions, eggs, and oils. My kitchen feels full again, and my mind is at peace knowing I’m set for the new month.
Food is expensive these days, but planning and buying in bulk really helps.
So tell me, how do you buy your foodstuff?
Do you prefer buying in bulk like me, or do you buy in retail as you need it?
Let’s gist in the comments 👇
Thank you for reading my story.
Wishing you a blessed new month ahead ❤️.