If you read my previous post, The Five Best Deals at the Warehouse Store, you know how much I love shopping at Costco. But, you should also know how careful I am about prices and what I buy at this mecca of oversized products. I am well aware of what is a good deal in my area and I implore you to do the same before you walk into one of these stores.
In my opinion, just as there are some great deals, there are some bad deals worthy of avoiding.
- Canned goods – most of the time, when you look at the price per ounce, you will find generic canned goods, especially when bought during “Store Brand Sales” will be a much better deal than the 6 pack.
- Pasta – Often, when combining sales and coupons, we can get pasta for free or for pennies. I steer clear of pasta at warehouse stores. The same applies to ketchup and mustard, which I can also get for nearly free.
- Items we will not use before the expiration date – While we may go through an unusual amount of Kosher pickles and find that the large jug is perfect for our family, the over-sized gallon of syrup, though inexpensive per ounce, would not be as quickly used.
- Cereal – When combining sales and coupons, I can get better deals at the local grocery store.
- Items we would not normally use – Because the warehouse store has so many fantastic items at good prices, I have to limit myself. Clearance items excluded, I rarely buy pre-made meals or freezer ready dishes. They are delicious (yes, in-store sampling works) and the price is fair, but pre-made items are just not the norm in our home. Its tempting to buy the pretty clothes and discounted books, but as we all know, if we do not limit ourselves, we cancel out the good deals we may find.
What do you think are the worst deals at the warehouse store?
This post has been linked to: I am Blissfully Domestic at BlissfullyDomestic.com Talk about Tuesday at The Lazy Organizerphoto credit: umzw
{ 2 Comments }
This is a great post. I know I tend to go into the mode of “put lots of stuff in my cart” as soon as I walk into the warehouse store, just kind of assuming everything there is a good deal. As your post so clearly points out, it’s not necessarily so. My biggest mistake is to purchase a huge size of something that my family has never actually had before; they may like one brand of granola bars, for example, but if I bring home a humungous box of a different kind, they may not get eaten ;o I’ve learned by hard experience only to buy the tried and true flavors and brands. If I want to experiment with something new, I’m better off getting the SMALLEST size possible the first time around.
Lynn,
That is true, I forgot about the “family not liking the new brand item in a huge box” problem. That has happened here too, good point!
Heather