3 Reasons to Cut Back on Your Costco Shopping

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There is such a thing as too much Costco shopping. Read on to learn more. [[{“value”:”

Costco is a pretty popular store to shop at, as evidenced by the 73 million people who now have a membership there. But while shopping at Costco has the potential to result in big savings, there may come a point when it makes sense to cut back. Here are three reasons to consider doing that.

1. You’re buying too many non-essential items

Costco’s selection of inventory is downright impressive. You can buy everything from clothing to laptops to toys on top of your weekly grocery haul.

The problem, though, is that because Costco stocks so many items, you may be likely to continuously fall victim to impulse buys. Those could really bust your budget and lead you into debt (or pile onto existing debt).

If you know that pretty much every time you visit Costco, you wind up with at least one unplanned item, it may be time to cut back. In that case, consider visiting Costco less frequently and stocking up on items that are either non-perishable or ones you can freeze. If you continue to waste your money on non-essential items at Costco, you might negate the financial benefits of having a membership.

2. You’re buying food you don’t end up eating

There can be big savings when you buy grocery items in bulk. But if you find that you’re frequently throwing away things like spoiled produce or dairy, it means you may be overbuying in bulk.

It’s true that at Costco, you might pay much less per ounce for things like fruits and vegetables. But if you buy strawberries there every week and wind up tossing out 40% of the container as it goes moldy, that’s a waste of your money.

One good thing to do going forward is sit down with your family, review your Costco list, and work together to determine which perishables are worth buying and which aren’t. Perhaps it still makes sense to purchase deli meat in bulk since everyone in your household eats it for lunch multiple times a week, but maybe you’re better off buying fruit at a regular supermarket in smaller quantities.

3. You’re maxed out on storage and can’t fit any more bulk items

Many of the bulk discounts you’ll get at Costco are of the non-perishable variety. For example, you can load up on toilet paper and paper towels and there won’t be a ticking clock you have to worry about. But if you no longer have storage space available at home and you’ve reached the point where you’re housing your 12-pack of tissue boxes next to your living room couch, it may be time to cut back on Costco shopping until space frees up at home (although to be fair, that bulk pack of tissue boxes could potentially double as a foot rest).

It’s true that buying non-perishables in bulk — especially when Costco has them on sale — can be a money-saver. But sometimes, it can be worth forgoing savings for the sake of your sanity. So if it bothers you to be tripping over Costco boxes left and right, hold off on adding to your haul and let some of those sales pass you by.

Shopping at Costco could be a huge source of savings for your family. But it could be a wise idea to shop there less frequently if you keep making impulse purchases that are adding to your credit card debt. It’s time to break the habit of throwing away food and turning your home into a Costco showroom.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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