Costco is the Mecca of bulk buying for cheap. Families make the weekly pilgrimage to pick up rotisserie chickens, bundles of bacon, pizza, sheet cakes, and more pizza. It’s a wonderland of deals and a source of so much happiness. However, according to employees and avid shoppers alike, there are a few things one should never buy at Costco. We dug through internet forums and blogger lists to find the Costco foods and products you should avoid at all costs.
When you shop at Costco, it’s go big or go home. Like…the warehouse chain sells an 8-foot teddy bear during the holidays and doles out vanilla extract by the pint. So, newbies beware. If you can’t fit the bear into your car, don’t buy it. And if you can’t bake enough cookies to run through that vanilla extract by the time it expires, then don’t buy it!
No one likes to throw away expired food and beauty products you never got around to.
“While our produce department is one of the best in the business, I personally don’t eat veggies fast enough to buy in bulk, so two thirds of it will spoil before I eat it,” said one Minnesota-based Costco worker.
FamilyHandyman.com reports that Costco’s soda deals are okay, but they probably aren’t any better than those at your local supermarket or discount store.
Spices don’t technically “go bad.” However, they can go stale if they are continually opened but not used up within a reasonable time span.
Otherwise, you may save yourself money in the long run by purchasing your spices elsewhere.
A Costco manager revealed via Quora in 2013 that, although priced low in direct comparison, Costco’s electronics are up against big competition with all the hot deals going on online. “On a day to day basis, I stand by the statement that no one will beat Costco’s price in a direct comparison,” he wrote. He added:
TBH, you can’t always get what you want when it comes to decorated birthday cakes from Costco. “A lot of the people in the bakery are trained to write on cakes,” a Washington-based Costco employee told Business Insider.
Buying diapers in bulk seems like a great idea. But according to The Daily Meal, diapers at Walmart and Target are actually sold cheaper than at Costco. And if you shop with Amazon Prime, you can also get amazing deals on diapers as well as buy in bulk by using the Amazon Family feature.
Costco shoppers all over Reddit have warned against the Goodyear brand windshield wipers. Apparently, they just don’t work well.
He uses Michelin, Bridgestone, or BFG.
According to a 2014 ConsumerReports.org Costco ranking, the Kirkland Signature Gel dishwasher detergent was the lowest-rated detergent on the site. It reportedly left water spots and couldn’t tackle messes on pots and pans.
Costco shopper and mother to the Frugal Convert blog Gina Zakaria told Money that shampoo and conditioner can be found cheaper at local drugstores simply due to sales and coupons.
So, instead of buying one large bottle of shampoo for $11 at Costco, buy 10 smaller bottles for under $20.
Rather-Be-Shopping.com notes that the expiration dates on “vats” of things like mustard, mayonnaise, yogurt, and ketchup makes buying bulk condiments a risky business.
Honestly, the design of the jug is just impossible to deal with. Sure, you’re getting a good deal, but is the frustration that comes with each pour worth it?
In this YouTube video titled “confessions of a COSTCO employee,” Amanda, a current Costco employee as of 2018 says that the muffins and pastries are buy one, get one free.
If you know you’re not going to eat that many (or don’t want to stuff your freezer full of baked goods) you may want to opt out and hit your local hometown bakery instead.
Rather-Be-Shopping.com also states that feminine products like pads and tampons aren’t necessarily sold cheaper at Costco than at your local drugstore.
ConsumerReports.org also noted in the 2014 ranking that that the Kirkland Signature toilet paper tore super easily and offered “so-so strength.”
You should avoid buying sunscreen from Costco for the same reason you don’t want to buy vats of condiments.
Do your skin a favor and buy smaller containers that you know you’ll go through in a timely manner.
Sour cream and hot sauce can make most anything taste good.
Like the Kirkland toilet paper, the Kirkland Signature Facial Tissues are a pass for ConsumerReports.org. Compared to Puffs, which are sold for the same price, the Kirkland tissues literally can’t hold up — they’re soft, but not strong.
If you like to live life dangerously, then by all means, ignore the list and continue to live in your Costco hoard. But TBH, we’re totally fine with buying our milk and sunscreen elsewhere.
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