Ordering From Food Co-ops

 

I am a member of a food co-op. I've actually been in 3. Two of them several years ago that fizzled out after not enough orders and now I'm in one that orders from Azure Standard.  I've been ordering here and there for about a year & half now. 
Why don't I order all of the time? Price.  When you buy in bulk you do save money sometimes.  Not always. Then there is figuring it into our regular grocery budget.  There is no way I could afford to get all of our groceries from Azure. Organic & bulk are great but they can be expensive & only getting them shipped here 1x a month would not work for fresh items.
What I'm doing now is trying to shop every other week at our local grocery store. I'm giving myself $150 to spend each time.  With the staples usually in my home & knowing how to cook from scratch this usually works. That gives me a budget of $100 to spend for an Azure order.
Maybe others have an endless budget, but I do not. We live on a modest income & do not like to use credit so this is what works for us. 
Here are some pictures from my last order & I'll list what we got & how much the total was. 
( I love reading about recipes & budgeting type things so here is a peek into my order)

5 lbs. shredded coconut

2 lbs. sushi rice

5 lbs. red kidney beans

5 lbs. split peas

1 lb. banana chips

2 cans butternut squash

1 lb. Celtic gray sea salt

1 lb. cinnamon

1 lb. Mexican seasoning

1 lb. chili powder

20 lbs. jonagold apples

1 case (6) half gallon canning jars

1 dish mat

 

Total with shipping $98.74

 

Most of these we made into applesauce that we canned. Apples typically keep for a while so the rest are in a basket on the counter for snacks.

 

 Does that sound like a lot? I stayed within my budget & these things all will be used over time in our meals.
The main tip I can give about a co-op and buying in bulk is buy things you actually use.  When you first look on the website everything will look great.  They have lots of ingredients that you've probably seen in health food store for less & then all can look so tempting.  I can tell you from experience though that if you didn't eat them before you probably won't fit them into your usual cooking either.
The only things I usually buy in the 25 lb. bags are wheat berries that I use to grind our own flour, and some beans.  Usually pintos as my family really likes these and you can also grind them to make your own cream of whatever substitute in recipes.
Do you buy things in bulk?  I would love to hear what you get & some recipes.