What is the best way to get cheap milk?

October 30, 2013 2:26 PM

We go through a lot of milk in my household. Like, a gallon ~ every two days. How do we find cheap milk?

We have fridge and freezer space for 5-10 gallons of milk. Currently we get milk at ~$3.00, and if we are lucky enough to find managers specials (half off) and sales we get as much as we can. However, is there a better way? Direct buy? Storefronts? Delivery? Magic?




No, we don't have room for a cow or goat.

posted by Jacen to Food & Drink (29 answers total)

Milk is, or used to be, a common loss leader for supermarkets - so much so that the storefront co-op I belonged to could never compete on price. You are unlikely to do better than what you are doing now.
posted by mr vino at 2:34 PM on October 30, 2013 [2 favorites]

Powdered milk is generally cheaper. Some people like to combine re-constituted powdered milk with regular milk because powdered milk tastes different and some kids won't drink it.
posted by tuesdayschild at 2:36 PM on October 30, 2013

Costco is slightly cheaper (at least where I am) and you buy them two at a time.
posted by magnetsphere at 2:36 PM on October 30, 2013

Sounds like you're in the US - some states actually set minimum prices for milk to stop loss-leader insanity.

You could cut the milk half and half with dry milk. That would probably be cheaper.
posted by mskyle at 2:37 PM on October 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

$3/gal seems to be about the going rate, period. I just checked our local co-op/market page and buying direct, even the raw stuff (which can only be sold as 'pet food' in this state) runs nearly twice that per gallon. I suspect it sells at very close to it's wholesale price in most cases (jump to the very bottom of that page).
posted by jquinby at 2:37 PM on October 30, 2013

Powdered milk is the way to go. It's true that it tastes a little different, when you've just added water. But if you let it sit in the fridge overnight, it's just the same as fresh.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 2:37 PM on October 30, 2013

Milk is $1.78 to 2.29 a gallon at Aldi.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:40 PM on October 30, 2013 [12 favorites]

This is why I drank powdered milk as a child.
posted by Area Man at 2:42 PM on October 30, 2013

I've found that gas stations very frequently have 2/$5 sales on milk.
posted by anderjen at 2:43 PM on October 30, 2013

Small chest freezers do not cost very much to operate -- do the math on how often you are finding it half price and how often you are not finding it half price, consider adding freezer space?
posted by kmennie at 2:50 PM on October 30, 2013

Is there a farmer or small dairy in your area? Based on being a customer of a small dairy in Central PA I think a small private farmer might cut you a break on the price. Also, grocery auctions.
posted by Rob Rockets at 2:51 PM on October 30, 2013

Seconding Aldi's. (Currently, $1.89/gal in Chicago.)
posted by she's not there at 3:02 PM on October 30, 2013

You can freeze milk. When you find it on sale, buy several additional gallons and freeze it.
posted by nubianinthedesert at 3:19 PM on October 30, 2013

Definitely invest in freezer space if necessary, and buy lots when it's cheap!
Some stores in my area will occasionally (2-3 times per year) run special sales, where you buy 5 gallons and get the 6th free. You don't have to buy it all at once - they track your purchases on your store loyalty card during the promotional period (usually 2-4 weeks). If your local stores run similar promotions, you can stock up that way. If you can only take advantage of one free gallon, have your partner open a second loyalty card and do it once on each card.

Also - couponing! If you don't already subscribe, get the Sunday paper each week and clip coupons. You will periodically see coupons for dairy products including milk. The brands aren't usually the cheapest, but with the provided coupons the price can fall well below the store brand. If you know a really good milk coupon is coming out, ask family, friends, neighbors to clip that particular coupon for you if they aren't planning to use it. In general though, couponing can save you even more money such that your family's insatiable appetite for milk won't break the bank.

Finally - write to the companies that sell milk in your local stores. Many companies will often respond to positive customer mail with additional (and usually high value) coupons to reward and promote loyalty.
posted by trivia genius at 4:01 PM on October 30, 2013

At our grocery store, if you buy a whole case of anything, you get 10% off. We buy cases of orange juice, which means 8 half-gallons. Maybe your store will sell you cases of milk.
posted by Cygnet at 4:11 PM on October 30, 2013

Look for an Aldi location near you. They sell their store brands only (unless they get a good deal on overstock) and only take cash or debit cards. Bring a quarter, you'll need it to get a shopping cart, and bring your reusable bags unless you're okay buying bags. Everything there is cheap, and I've generally been pleasantly surprised with the quality (with some notable exceptions, for example, I don't like their lunch meats or ground beef).

Some Aldi locations only sell milk in gallons, but it sounds like that won't be a problem in your household. I don't drink that much milk, using it primarily to wet cereal or put a small amount in hot tea on occasion, and my wife is lactose intolerant, so I prefer half gallons or smaller so I can use it before it expires.

If you've got a dairy farm near you, they might sell their milk to the public, but that is a long shot. (I live in a rural area and while there are dairy farms near me they generally don't sell to the general public.)

I'm curious how long you can freeze milk before it goes bad, or how long you have after you thaw it out before it goes bad. This might be an option for me.
posted by tckma at 4:33 PM on October 30, 2013

We go through a gallon in less than a week here, too. Costco helps a lot--2 gallons for $5.58 on my last trip, and sometimes they have coupons that reduce the price further. Plus the containers are slightly streamlined so 2 of them fit nicely in the fridge (or freezer) without wasted space.

Also, if you have Safeway in your area, signing up for Just for U--their personalized deals, hooks up to your store rewards card--will net you ridiculously huge savings on staples, including sometimes free milk or eggs.
posted by rhiannonstone at 4:51 PM on October 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

nthing Aldi. I've traced the USDA plant code on the gallons I buy from there and they always match the same major plants that the local supermarkets use.

However, in my area, the store with the $1.89 milk seems to switch around from time to time. You need to keep a close watch.
posted by JoeZydeco at 5:46 PM on October 30, 2013

I grew up on powdered milk. I will never drink it ever again. It's DISGUSTING. Don't do this to your children.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 7:02 PM on October 30, 2013 [2 favorites]

Sorry, I assumed you had children. Don't do it to anybody, yourself or others.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 7:04 PM on October 30, 2013

We go through 3-4 gallons of milk a week. My two teenage football playing boys seem to think there is a cow in the back yard. I am in NY and in my area, milk is $4.30/gal at the grocery. I go to Rite Aid and it is $2.89. Check the Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS types. Also agree that sometime the gas stations have it cheap as someone mentioned up thread.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 7:23 PM on October 30, 2013

If you need whole milk, the best price I've found for gallons is at Walmart. Ours has a 2-pack for $5. Aldi's is great, but they often don't have whole milk at all, or it's in smaller containers which end up costing more.
posted by belladonna at 7:39 PM on October 30, 2013

As background, milk pricing is highly controlled through a complex array of legislation that varies somewhat by state. It will only go so low.
posted by Miko at 8:22 PM on October 30, 2013

Milk is often cheaper at drug stores since they use it as a loss leader. Although I have to say $3 is actually a pretty cheap price for milk in most places. I live in NC and the average grocery store price around here is about $4 a gallon. The Walgreens often has it for $2.99 though. Also like people have said, you can buy milk on sale and freeze it. But before you use it, let it thaw completely and then thoroughly mix or shake it because it tends to separate a bit when it freezes.
posted by katyggls at 8:37 PM on October 30, 2013

We don't use milk much for drinking, so I used to use powdered milk exclusively for the convenience factor. Then I did the math and it's actually cheaper than the gallons I can get at aldi's - generally somewhere between $2.20 and $2.50 a gallon. Be sure to do the math before you try powdered milk. For me the advantage is not to have to run out to the store for milk at the last minute; it might be worth it for that alone for you, to have around for cooking.

If you do find a good deal on it though, it really is an acquired taste - but isn't everything? There are ways to make it taste better, though. Make it up and let it chill in the fridge overnight before using it. It's best really, really cold. Shake it WELL before using. Try adding vanilla - about a teaspoon to 2 quarts. Or go in the opposite direction and add a scant teaspoon of salt when you're mixing it up. Give them a try and see if either makes a difference, maybe you'll prefer one.

BJ's has pretty low milk prices too.
posted by lemniskate at 8:47 PM on October 30, 2013

We drink six or seven gallons of skim milk a week. (Four kids, oldest is as yet only 14!) Here in New England, we buy it as a the wholesale shopping club called BJ's where it is usually $2.79/gallon.

I recommend that you look at Costco, Sam's Club, or another wholesale club in your area. Call them and ask the price, whether or not you have a membership there: if it's a big enough savings, you could recoup the membership price pretty quickly.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:09 AM on October 31, 2013

As to freezing milk as some here are suggesting, I would say no, though a quick search shows that it can be done, just proceed with caution.
posted by mlis at 11:02 AM on October 31, 2013

You can use powdered milk for cooking, baking (you know, pancakes, white sauce etc) and keep fresh milk just for cereal and drinking.
posted by slightlybewildered at 4:14 PM on October 31, 2013

Nthing that $3/gallon seems like a pretty good deal for fresh milk.

If you do decide to go the powdered milk route, be very careful to check how much milk you can make from whatever powdered milk you get. It isn't my experience that you'll always get a better deal buying powdered.
posted by Aleyn at 4:24 PM on October 31, 2013