How often do you shop at a warehouse club?
When we’re short on time and our shopping lists are long, it can be tempting to just make a single stop at a warehouse club.
After all, Sam’s Club and Costco stock everything from groceries and cleaning supplies to electronics and clothing… often in bulk quantities and at low prices. Also, you should get your money’s worth from your annual membership fee.
Smart shopping move, right? …Well, not necessarily. While many warehouse club deals are reasonable, you might want to skip over some items. Frugal shoppers know that these outlets don’t generally accept coupons for discounts on items.
While you can save money on some pantry items and paper goods like toilet paper, when you’re buying in bulk, you can spend hundreds more each month by taking the easy way out.
Let’s take a look at the 7 everyday items stocked by warehouse clubs that you might want to pick up elsewhere.
29 Responses
Good luck finding a powder-based cleaning product anywhere. Most every product used to be powder years ago. Now everything is liquid in plastic bottles.
Comet and Barkeepers Friend are still available everywhere.
There are still alot of powder base cleaners around. Tide and Gain come in powder, Ajax and Comet cleanser still come in powder base. Not sure where you’re looking but they’re out there
Yes, and those discounted dips and spreads are likely close to their expiration date. Buyer beware!
where? Costco??? you made me look at the two containers of dips from New Year’s that were acquired at Costco. No where near expiration.
the turnover at Costco is so great that I highly doubt it….
I am a family of one, & do shop sams for meats detergent water bread tp & paper towels etc. It never occurred to me to just shop smaller. I am going to try yr suggestions.
I agree with what not to purchase at warehouse stores, but when it comes to meat and poultry the best investment is FOODSAVER sealing system NO FREZZER BURN
LEARNED A LOT…..THANKS.
using a vacuum sealer on large purchases and divide into package for family size
Unfortunately, this advice is too late. I just purchased a package of chicken breasts at Sam’s Club. Promptly came home, washed and seasoned them, and placed them in my freezer. Thank you for the advice going forward.
A MAJOR factor in freezing food is the difference between a typical refrigerator/freezer in your kitchen (which is generally self-defrosting) and a deep freeze, which is not. Freezer burn is almost exclusively caused by the slight thaw/re-freeze cycle resulting from a frost-free freezer.
nothing at this time
I like and will support local stores over Big Box all the time .
you do that! if you have the space to store, why not. no one wants to run out of TP. I buy once and I’m good for a long time!!
Agree!! Walmart went into small town America and literally wiped mom and pop from the earth!! I will never step foot in their stores.
An Okie from Muskogee’s rules for retirement:
1. Never let emotion interfere with your finances.
I like shopping at Costco specially for frozen vegetables as well as meats of in bulk. I like to take them home and put them in smaller bags and put them back into the large bag it comes in. That way I can just pull out what I need. Never sits in my freezer getting freezer burn. It’s a lot more convenient than having to run to town every time I need something.
I disagree about the meat. It is significantly cheaper and if you have a good freezer and divide it up and freeze it properly, it saves quite a bit.
In buying meats in quantity, if you break it up into smaller amounts and use a food saver vacuum sealer then store it in the freezer, does that solve the issue?
I had been using the meat in Sam’s Club and buy of meat and I separated them and put like maybe a pound in freezer bags, So tell me why is it not a good idea even chicken too.
Buying in larger quantities for a smaller family often requires repackaging for freezer or storage. The added expense of packaging materials adds to the cost of the items.
Your toothpaste comparison is not a valid one. You’re comparing the Colgate Total SF Advanced Whitening against the Colgate Cavity Protection toothpaste. That comparison is like buying a car saying that buying a Toyota is much cheaper than buying a Cadillac. Well – BOTH are cars! DUH!
Great suggestions. Thanks. ..
Those “Natures Made ” pills are made in CHINA…Read the back of the bottle…Don’t buy from our biggest enemy !!!
The meat at Safeway and Albertsons goes on a “buy one get one free” and the stores double the price per pound of the meat on sale so, in effect, you’re still buying it at regular price. I stopped shopping at those stores because of their stupid games, and I’m glad I don’t work for one of them any more as well.
Don’t forget to price it by the pound and compare it to house labels. They often sit next to each other, for quick comparison.
I think this must be written my Warehouse competitors. They miss the fact that particularly at Costco, the meat quality is excellent. They must take us for idiots that don’t realize we need to repackage large purchases for the freezer — I often put together several ready to cook frozen meals.
MEATS:
1.) We buy most of our meat from a local farm, and stored in a chest freezer, a year’s worth, side of beef, side of pig, and 30 grass-fed, organic-fed chickens, beef, and pork.
2.) Even if we didn’t you can save by nuying in bilk, then using a vaccuum sealer to break it down into smaller portions!