I have been buying and eating yogurt since I was a teenager Back then, I would purchase yogurt in single serving containers. I'd have one for breakfast, or carry one to school for a snack, and sometimes pick up one or two for snacks or dessert. I never really thought about the practice over the years, but I was at the grocery store the other day looking at the yogurt, and it occurred to me that it was silly to buy single serving containers when it's so much more economical to purchase the large containers, and simply dish up the amount that I wanted. I think in a way, I was subconsciously using single serving containers as a means of portion control, but when I stood there and calculated how much money I've wasted on the single serving cartons of yogurt, I felt really stupid. I would never purchase other items such as ice cream or milk in this way, but I think it had a lot to do with how yogurt has been marketed over the years. I like to think that I'm pretty savvy about advertising and its effects on individual purchasing decisions, but obviously I still have a lot to learn.
For me, with yoghurt, it depends on what it is I'm buying. If I specifically want a flavoured variety that isn't available in larger containers then I will buy the smaller individual serving sized ones. You're right though, it's a lot more expensive doing it that way. I have a dairy allergy so I have to buy soy yoghurt generally, and I've noticed that for four individual ones it's usually around £1.80 and for the large ones it's about £1.20, and I'll get 4 in the multi pack and 5 servings from the larger one, so even though it's more expensive than dairy yoghurt it's still cheaper to buy the larger ones in the long run.
I eat so much yogurt I refuse to purchase single serve cups. When I look at the price of items I look at how much it cost along with how I use it and how soon I will be using the item to avoid waste. If the items is on sale and can be put in the freezer I will stock up.
I always just buy the plain yogurt. With plain yogurt you can blend whatever flavor that you want into it, without all of the extra add ins. Making it much cheaper, and much better for you. I've also found that it makes a great substitute for things like sour cream and other cream sauces. Plain yogurt is very versatile, I'll never buy any other kind again.
Unless variety is your thing, I'd stitch to buying as large of a single unit possible. If you have freezer bags or cups, dish a little out and store for six months or less. This helps if you run out of fridge space or think some might go bad.
I have to agree it is cheaper to buy yogurt in the large tubs rather than the single serve kind, especially when they go on sale. I do find that I eat more yogurt this way as when I'm spooning out some for lunch I usually take more than if I had a single serve cup. I have to get better at portion control. I know it's not as convenient as grabbing a yogurt out of the fridge but I don't mind taking the extra minute to portion out my yogurt. I think when I buy the large containers I'm helping the environment too. I like to reuse the large containers as storage containers in my classroom.
Yes, I definitely want to start purchasing the plain yogurt and mixing things in, such as berries and honey. This time, I purchased two large containers of strawberry, because I wanted that flavor, and was in a rush. I've been adding in blueberries, because they were on sale. I used to have several large similar sized containers from trips to casinos (to catch the coins in), and used them for so many purposes around the house. I've been lamenting the fact that I didn't have any of those anymore, then I realized the large yogurt containers were about the same size, and I've started reusing them around the house. I don't have a hand sprayer in the tubs, and the containers are handy for rinsing out cleaning products after I clean the tub, for gardening, and other purposes.
Yes, I think in most cases, buying the larger containers in plain and mixing in your own ingredients is the way to go. Sometimes you can get some very good store specials on small multi use packs though. If you really eat that much yogurt Diane Lane you can probably further save money by making it yourself. It is really pretty easy. All you need to use is yogurt for a starter. I haven't done it for years...but I know it is an easy process.
I find the best/easiest/most efficient thing to do is buy jars, make smoothies, and freeze them. That way when you're on the go, you can just grab one of your frozen smoothies, let it thaw, enjoy. I know a lot of flight attendants that would keep multiple jars in a lunch box on trips - saving a ton of money. Not to mention how great it is for you.
I love to buy the plain one and mix in my own flavours. I've added all sorts to plain yoghurt over the years, from a spoonful of lemon curd when I had the biggest craving for lemon and didn't have any available at the time, to fresh and frozen fruits. I love blueberries in particular! I think they taste much better than the store bought blueberry yoghurts anyway!
Single serving cups have a purpose I think. It is good for when you are on the go. It is also good for people who may not eat yogurt as fast as some other people. In this case you are better off buying a tub because you eat so much of it. I know this way you should at least see a price difference.
Larger containers are almost always the best choice in my opinion. For me I always choose the largest containers as much as I can because I know the smaller containers should also account for the extra material and therefore is probably more expensive, albeit not by that much, but it does add up. If I could I would just buy the party size bulk type each time especially for the items I know I'll constantly be getting like condiments such as ketchup, but the bulk size containers for those are more for big occasions and the containers are a bit too big and might take up too much space so I just go for the second best which are the largest bottles.
It really depends on the food item. If I buy something like a large bag of hamburger buns, they may be cheaper than the smaller packs per bun, but inevitably they will go moldy before I use them all up and I seldom have enough room in my freezer to freeze some of them in advance to avoid this. Another one that comes to mind would be guacamole. I could buy a larger tub of it, but it will become oxidized and spoiled before I am able to finish it, meaning I will end up wasting most of it. I don't mind buying guac which has been pre portioned into individual servings, because it will last me longer before going bad, so although I paid more for it I am also wasting much less of it, which saves me more money in the long run. Salad mix is another one. I only cook for myself, so it doesn't make sense to buy the large sized bags of it vs. the smaller bags. Otherwise it will go brown and rotten before I can finish a larger bag.
