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Many of Costco’s offerings constitute a great deal. But here are four products you may want to steer clear of. [[{“value”:”
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One of the reasons why so many people tend to flock to Costco is that the warehouse club giant is known for its bulk deals. And you may find that shopping at Costco helps you stick to your household budget and enjoy savings on groceries and household essentials.
But certain Costco items may not be such a great idea to buy. Here are four you may want to ban from your shopping list.
1. Condiments
Condiments, by nature, are items that tend to sit out, whether it’s on your dinner table for 30 minutes at a time or at a picnic for hours on end. For this reason, condiments are one specific product you may not want in bulk quantities. Because they tend to remain unrefrigerated often after being opened, it’s best to stick to smaller bottles and jars to avoid spoilage.
Also, you may find that your local supermarket’s sale price on condiments is better than Costco’s regular price. Plus, many supermarkets have a store brand you can buy for less. So if you’re not picky about brands, that’s a good way to save.
2. Pain relief pills
We all tend to suffer our share of aches and pains from time to time, so it’s good to have pills on hand to address them. But hopefully, pain medication is the sort of thing you’re not swallowing daily, but rather, occasionally. And if so, then you may want to buy it in smaller quantities instead of at Costco.
At Costco, you can buy 1,000 acetaminophen caplets right now for $7.99 online, bringing your price to $0.01 per pill. That screams like a great deal. By contrast, generic acetaminophen caplets at Amazon will cost you $0.02 per pill for a 200-count.
But a 200-count of pain relief pills sounds like a smarter bet. The reason? Pain medication doesn’t last forever. Taking acetaminophen eight months after its expiration date could result in swallowing a pill that’s already lost its potency, rendering it useless. So unless you have a chronic condition where you’ve been advised to take pain relief pills daily, you should probably avoid buying these at Costco.
3. Sandwich bread
The cost of sandwich bread at Costco will vary based on your location. But sandwich bread has a pretty limited shelf life. Even if you’re packing a sandwich for lunch every day, you may not use up your stash by the time it starts to get moldy.
Even if you’re able to use up your bread before reaching the mold stage, older bread frankly doesn’t taste good. So if you’re already doing your part to save money by brown-bagging your lunch instead of buying it every day, you should at least be able to enjoy bread that tastes fresh.
4. Pre-cut fruit
Buying fruit at Costco in bulk could be a good bet if you have a larger family and you all tend to eat fruit every day. But pre-cut fruit is a different story.
Costco’s pre-cut fruit bowls might seem relatively inexpensive compared to the cost of buying pre-cut fruit at a regular supermarket. But pre-cut fruit is likely to go bad on you way faster than regular fruit. If you buy those Costco bowls, you’re really up against a ticking clock. Plus, you’re paying for the convenience of having that fruit sliced or cubed for you, which means you’re paying more than you need to.
Now if you’re in a pinch and forgot to pick up dessert as promised for the potluck company barbecue, then by all means — let a Costco pre-cut fruit bowl come to your rescue. Otherwise, you’re better off sticking to regular fruit and spending the time to cut it yourself as you want to eat it.
There are plenty of good deals to be had at Costco. But for the most part, these items aren’t good deals. So steer clear of them during your Costco shopping to avoid wasting money.
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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.John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Maurie Backman has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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