3 Times I’ve Wasted Money at Costco — and Why I Won’t Make That Mistake Again

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At least I can learn from my blunders. 

Some people sign up for a Costco membership and use it a few times a year. But shopping at Costco is something my family does on a weekly basis.

I’ve done my share of comparison shopping, and there’s no question about it — buying groceries and household essentials at Costco results in a much lower credit card tab for me compared to buying those same items at supermarkets and big-box stores, even when they’re on sale. And it’s not just food and paper towels I load up on at Costco. I’ve also purchased my share of affordable apparel (for myself and my kids), kitchen supplies, and even electronics.

That said, my personal Costco record isn’t exactly spotless. There are certain Costco purchases I’ve made in the past that have wound up being a waste of money. Here are three I’m not proud of.

1. Overspending on pain relievers

Many of us need to pop some ibuprofen from time to time. And as someone who gets her share of allergy attacks, lack-of-sleep headaches, and runner’s pains, I’m no stranger to needing to fall back on pain relief medication. But I may have gone overboard by purchasing a bulk supply of both ibuprofen and acetaminophen from Costco.

These pills, as you might imagine, come with an expiration date. And to be fair, when I bought them, that date was over a year out. At the same time, I wound up buying roughly 500 doses of pain relief medication, which is a lot for me and my husband combined to consume in the course of 15 months. Going forward, we’re probably better off waiting for these medications to go on sale at our local supermarket or pharmacy and buying the biggest bottle available.

2. Taking a chance on crackers

Having kids often means that things like crackers are a staple item in your household, since kids tend to be perpetually snacky. But a while back, I sampled some tasty whole grain crackers at Costco and decided my children would love them. They didn’t. And so I basically wound up throwing half of the package away because I was the only one eating them, and once the package was opened, the freshness factor deteriorated pretty quickly.

3. Buying a massive tub of sour cream

Sour cream isn’t something I use often, but occasionally, I’ll bake with it. I once decided to purchase a massive tub of Costco sour cream because I had a specific recipe in mind I needed it for and figured maybe other uses would pop up that month. They didn’t. And so I threw most of it out. It would’ve been far more beneficial, financially speaking, to just buy a normal-sized container of sour cream on sale at my local grocery store.

Lessons learned

We all make mistakes — at Costco and in life. But since falling victim to these blunders, I’ve made a point to shop at Costco more carefully. That means not going overboard on items I don’t use regularly and not buying snack foods in bulk that have yet to receive my kids’ stamp of approval.

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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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