Bulk Mulch vs. Bagged Mulch: Why Buying in Bulk is the Better Choice

Mulching is an essential part of landscaping and gardening, designed to repair and restore the soil with necessary nutrients. For the best possible lawn and garden beds, proper mulching is one of the first secrets you can learn from experienced gardeners. However, buying in bulk is an industry secret many home gardeners never consider. Bagged mulch can be expensive, and you buy much more of it this way. Are you still buying your mulch by the bag? Discover the difference between buying bulk mulch vs. bagged mulch for your garden and see why buying in bulk is the better choice.
Bulk Mulch vs. Bagged Mulch: Why Buying in Bulk is the Better Choice
Bulk Mulch vs. Bagged Mulch: What’s the Difference?
The first difference between bulk and bagged mulch is the price. Individual bags of mulch add up to a higher cost than buying identical amounts or more at bulk prices.
Most consumer products work this way, including rice and pasta. The less you need, the more it might cost you in the long run. Consumer psychology teaches that people don’t add these smaller costs compared to bulk buys as often.
Anyone who has bought food on a tight budget can tell you that buying in bulk is cheaper and more sustainable. The same reasoning applies when you’re buying mulch.
Buying Bagged Mulch vs Bulk Mulch: A Costly Mistake
Buying individual bags of mulch is much more expensive than buying mulch in bulk and storing it for the rest of the year. Most landscapers never add up their total cost—but professionals do. That is why they prefer buying most of their supplies, including mulch, in larger amounts.
Pre-packaged mulch is transported individually and automatically hikes the cost of a smaller bag.
When you buy mulch in bulk, you will save both money and time.
That Extra Cost: Buying Individual Mulch Bags
Buying individual mulch bags costs more than you might like to imagine. Some added considerations are never even noticed by most people, such as:
- The cost of driving to the store to bring a single bag of mulch home
- The more expensive price of having each bag delivered to your garden
- The environmental impact of plastic waste
Companies assume customers will never notice the extra costs of buying an individual mulch bag. Once you account for potential added costs, the price of a single mulch bag increases even more.
Why Buying in Bulk is the Better Choice
Although most people don’t realize it when seeing the price, buying in bulk is cheaper for most gardeners and landscapers. Add up the cost of individual bags, plus delivery or gas, and calculate the costs side-by-side… You are likely to be surprised.
Bulk mulch can be stored for long periods and is packed so you get a greater exact weight. You’ll notice that most smaller mulch bags are marked as being not the exact weight. Smaller bags are lighter than calculated for a reason.
Buying bulk mulch, on the other hand, gives you access to a better price by cutting out multiple individual delivery costs. Buying in bulk means you’re usually buying at cost price rather than consumer rates. Sometimes suppliers will work in a discount.
Another reason to choose bulk mulch is quality. Bulk mulch is often a fresher product. Better quality mulch is better for your yard, plus bulk mulch can sometimes be customized, allowing you to choose from different types of mulch and grind sizes.
Bagged Mulch is Packed Differently
Bagged mulch is individually packed and is more compacted (thus lighter) than bulk mulch orders. Customers inevitably lose out. Over time, it costs landscapers and gardeners who are not buying their items in bulk.
Minor discrepancies in each bag’s weight matter less than buying your mulch in more significant amounts. This saves consumers the money they would have otherwise spent gradually throughout the year for garden upkeep.
There are about 13.5 bags of mulch in one cubic yard of mulch. Most bags of mulch are sold in 2 cubic foot bags. To calculate how many bags of mulch you need, you can divide the cubic feet of mulch you need by the number of cubic feet in each bag.
Final Thoughts
The difference between buying bulk mulch vs. bagged mulch for your garden is clear. Whether you have a small garden bed or a larger landscape, you will save money in the long term.
A pile of mulch goes a long way and saves you money.
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