Conventional wisdom has it that you always save money if you buy in bulk, choosing the largest sizes and stocking up on items when they're on sale.

The truth is, we might end up spending less if we bought only the amount we're going to use, even if it costs more per unit. A gallon of milk is certainly cheaper than four quarts, but not if you're going to drink only a quart before the rest spoils.

I'm telling you this as a woman who once bought a year's supply of toilet paper at Big Lots. It was a real deal, and I was extremely lucky to use the final roll just before I moved to another house.

Life isn't always that cooperative. The children who loved Cocoa Puffs when you bought 10 boxes on sale may decide they hate it five boxes in. Your cat could develop a urinary tract infection and require a special diet just after you've stocked up on kibble. You could realize you prefer Xyrtec before you get through those four boxes of Claritin you got on sale.

Before you buy a lot of anything, no matter how good a deal it is, ask yourself a few key questions:

• Are the savings significant compared with buying less?

• Will you use all the goods in a reasonable amount of time? You really don't want to take six bottles of laundry detergent with you when you move.

• Is your storage space accessible and organized enough for you to keep track of your inventory? There's nothing like buying in bulk, forgetting you stocked up and then stocking up on the same item again.

When I moved into a house with only two small closets, I initially thought about converting the garage into a room, adding more closets and generally increasing the storage space.

In the end, I simply bought a few used cabinets. It was much cheaper to buy less stuff than to renovate. If I run into a great sale on toilet paper, I'll have to restrict myself to one package.

Teresa Mears is the publisher of five On the Cheap blogs including Miami Fl on the Cheap and Fort Lauderdale on the Cheap. She also blogs about savings for MSN Money's ``Smart Spending.'' You can follow her on Twitter @miamicheap.

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