What Should I Not Buy At Costco?
It seems like there are 2 groups of people – those who shop at Sam’s Club and those that prefer Costco for their bulk store purchases.
Just like Sam’s Club with a Costco membership, you have access to groceries, hardware, medication, and many other items. They regularly offer sales and even have a generous return policy on most of their items.
But just because they’re a favorite for many, doesn’t mean you should buy everything at Costco. In fact, there are some shoppers that will tell you there are definitely things that you should never buy at Costco because they may not be a great deal.
Apart from the fact that these items are not considered good deals, many grocery items are said to not be of the best quality because of the bulk items and their shelf life. Smaller quantities may be better for you especially if you don’t have a large family.
Since Costco sells items in large volumes, some perishables might not be a good idea as they can spoil and you’re able to use them up before their expiration date. Which means they are definitely not gonna be a good deal and it might make more sense to shop at your local grocery store for those things.
With this in mind, here are 7 things to never buy at Costco to make sure you’re getting the best deals all the time:
1. Name Brand Clothing
One of the things you should remember about buying clothes at a warehouse club is that they are often not the best quality. Even though it may have a designer label or have brand names, it doesn’t always mean it’s been made with the same quality.
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2. Books
When asked what not to buy at Costco, books come to mind as another item you should avoid. Unless you don’t have any place else to buy books, you should avoid making an impulse buy of books at Costco.
They’re simply not the best place to find a good book as Costco’s prices don’t always make it a good buy when it comes to books. Simply put, their selection for books is the same as the ones you’d typically find on Amazon.
Instead, you might look for a local bookstore and help support a small business in your area at the same time. Plus, you’ll be able to find more book titles in an actual book store.
3. Diapers
You should also avoid buying diapers at Costco. Even though it might seem like a reasonable thing to do and a great place for it, you’ll likely find a better deal at other stores or the grocery store. You might even want to check out Amazon’s subscribe-and-save deals so you can get a pretty good thing with that bargain.
The reason you should avoid buying diapers at Costco is because you might end up with more diapers than your child can use. Your child might outgrow the small diapers that you purchased in bulk.
4. Fresh Produce
There have been a number of Costco employees that say buying fresh produce at the store is risky. And even though their quality is top notch, it’s hard to keep things fresh as long as you’ll need to before it spoils.
Like most everything else you’ll find at Costco their produce is sold in larger amounts which means it can go bad before you’ve had a chance to use it all.
Who needs all that food waste? So those items might turn out to actually have lower prices when you buy them from your local supermarket, in the long run.
5. Toiletries
If you’re someone who loves to shop for bargains and looks for a great sale price, Costco isn’t the best place to go to for buying toiletries if you want low prices. Instead, it’s best to head over to a supermarket or local drug stores where you can use a coupon on toilet paper, shampoo, soap, and other personal items to get great prices.
When you buy these items in huge quantities, you might end up not being able to use them all before their best-by date, meaning it wasn’t such a great idea after all…. At the same time, once you open the bottle and air enters the product, some of its ingredients can start oxidizing and degrading.
For value, it’s best to buy smaller sizes for better prices.
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6. Condiments
While it may look good to have your pantry shelves filled with jumbo-sized bottles of your favorite condiments, they’re actually not the best things to purchase at Costco prices and can actually be a huge waste of money. This is why people don’t recommend buying your condiments at Costco.
You should avoid buying large quantities of ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, or steak sauce at Costco. Unless, of course, you are the owner of a restaurant and you’ll find value in buying these condiments in bulk then they might make for great prices.
7. Milk
One final item you should avoid buying at Costco is milk. This is because Costco sells 2 gallons of milk at a time. Unless you have a household with lots of kids to feed, then it won’t be a good purchase for you.
Milk goes bad in just a few days after it has been opened. So buying a 2-gallon container of milk could mean that you’ll just be throwing your money down the drain.
One thing you might think about with these items is buying in a group. If you “go in on” some of these items with friends or family members and then split them up – the deal might be worth it.
Next time do your homework before you shop at any store and compare prices and sizes and decide what’s best for your family.
These are just some of the items we avoid buying at Costco. What are the items on your list for your next Costco run?
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