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Costco is one of America’s favorite warehouse retailers. Costco offers great bargains, especially when you buy in bulk. Costco is known for carrying high-quality items, and shopping there can help you stick to your grocery budget and save on things like clothes and household items. But there are some things you should leave on the Costco shelves and buy from your regular grocery store instead. We’ve built a list of items you should avoid at Costco and tell you why you should. Look at our list of 15 products you should never buy at Costco. You may be surprised at some of the items on the list.
Fresh Fruits and Veggies
Even when stored correctly, fresh vegetables and fruits usually last only a week. So, buying in bulk isn’t the best idea. However, if there’s a deal you can’t pass up, you can always freeze what you can’t use within a week.
Milk
If you’re already shopping at Costco, picking up a gallon or two of milk is convenient. However, milk is often more expensive at Costco than at your favorite grocery store.
Sandwich Bread
It may seem like you’re getting a deal when you can get a double pack of bread for just a dollar or two more than a single loaf from the grocery store. However, many grocery stores run buy-one-get-one deals on popular brands like Sara Lee and Pepperidge Farm. So, be sure to check prices and sales before you buy bread from Costco.
Name Brand When You Can Buy Kirkland
Kirkland Signature items are just as good and sometimes better than name-brand items. Many Kirkland items are also made by name brands. For example, some Kirkland coffee is said to be roasted by Starbucks. Kirkland items are also usually much less expensive than their brand-name equivalents.
Bagels
Unless you love bagels enough to eat them multiple times a day or have a large family, think again before you buy that giant pack of 16 or more bagels. They won’t last much more than a few days before they get dry and moldy. You could freeze some, but the texture isn’t the same when they’ve been frozen.
Condiments
Condiments usually sit on your dining table for 30 minutes or more at mealtimes and even longer if you go on a picnic. For that reason, you shouldn’t buy condiments in bulk. Buying smaller quantities is best to avoid spoilage because they spend a lot of time out of the refrigerator after being opened.
Spices
Spices expire quickly; you should clean out your spice cabinet every few months. For that reason, avoid buying them in bulk unless you’re using a specific spice for almost every meal.
OTC Medications
If several people in your household take the same supplements, it might be worth buying that large two-pack of multivitamins. But if not, the supplements may reach their use-by date before you can get through the bottles.
Canned Food
When you compare sizes and brands, you’ll probably notice that Costco prices aren’t that great. Multipacks of canned goods usually cost about the same as their grocery store equivalents, and you have to buy large quantities and find somewhere to store them.
Flour
If you’re a big baker, Costco’s huge 25-lb bags of flour might be worthwhile. But most people struggle to get through a standard bag of flour from the supermarket before it goes bad.
Cereal
Cereal is expensive, so those oversized Costco bags may seem like a deal. However, most popular cereals are made by General Mills, Post, and Kellogg’s, and supermarkets usually have one brand on sale at a time. Plus, manufacturers often put out digital and paper coupons, which you can use for additional savings.
Raw Chicken
Some meats are worth buying at Costco, but raw chicken usually isn’t. Costco chicken is nicely packaged, but it’s often at least a dollar higher per pound than raw chicken from the grocery store.
Diapers and Baby Supplies
Babies grow quickly, so giant boxes of one-size diapers might not be a good idea. Junior might outgrow that size before you get to the bottom of the box. It’s the same with formula. It might feel like you’re going through gallons of it a day at first, but it won’t be long before you’re introducing solid foods, and you won’t use as much formula. Or your baby might decide they don’t like that brand anymore.
Pre-cut Fruit
The pre-cut fruit bowls at Costco may seem like a good deal, especially when you compare them to the pre-cut fruit at your grocery store. But pre-cut fruit goes bad faster than regular fruit, so you may not get through it quickly enough.
Cooking Oil
Most people don’t realize that cooking oil lasts only a few months before it expires. So, unless you’re doing a lot of frying, that 6-quart bottle of oil from Costco may just be too much for you to use before it goes bad. Fortunately, expired cooking oil doesn’t actually go bad, so you won’t get sick, but your food may taste funky.
41 Shocking Ways You’re Throwing Money Down the Drain
There are many ways to increase the money in your bank account. Many people start by looking at ways to make more money. And, of course, that is a great solution. But it isn’t always the easiest. A better, easier way may be to examine your spending habits. By tracking your spending and seeing where every dollar goes, you’ll likely find several instances of spending money you don’t have to. It could be little things that add up or recurring monthly expenses that are an utter waste of money. Once you eliminate your bad spending habits, the money you save can go toward your emergency fund, paying off debt, or other essential things. Here are the 41 biggest wastes of money to look out for.
An Aldi Insider Reveals 15 Freezer Must-Haves for Solo Shoppers
If you’re a bargain shopper, Aldi is likely on your list of go-to places to buy groceries. Frugal shoppers everywhere love the deals they find at Aldis. For a solo Aldi shopper, perusing the frozen section involves grabbing fundamental essentials. The ease of Fusia Asian Inspirations shrimp-and-avocado rolls and Kirkwood chicken breasts makes them go-to meal options. Indulging in dessert, they prefer the Sundae Shoppe keto ice cream in peanut butter-fudge flavor. One Aldi employee offers insights and valuable recommendations on the top 15 frozen section items to enhance the shopping experience. You will love the finds on this list if you’re a regular Aldi shopper. If you’re not, perhaps this list will change your mind.
18 Everyday Household Items That Are Surprisingly Valuable to Collectors
You don’t have to be a collector or hoarder to have several valuable things in your home. We all accrue many items over the years, some of which could be worth money. Even some everyday household items can be valuable, especially to collectors. To help determine whether any of your household items are valuable to collectors, we’ve assembled a list of 18 everyday items you likely have in your house. Check out this list and see if any of your items can be turned into money.
