5 Items to Skip at Costco

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Costco offers plenty of excellent buys, but some products are best purchased elsewhere. Here are five products you may want to steer clear of. 

Where else can you shop for bananas and televisions in the same store? The sheer variety of products is one of the many features that keep loyal customers coming back for more. However, it may be a little too convenient to pick up everything you need while browsing the warehouse store. That’s because some products are not worth the price you pay for them. Here are five examples.

1. Beauty products

You may be surprised by how short the shelf life is on some of the beauty products you use every day. According to Glamour UK, products used around the eyes have the shortest shelf life. For example, unless you plan to use it all in three months or less, buying a multi-pack of mascara or eyeliner may mean throwing at least some of it away.

On average, liquid foundation and concealer should last around a year. Lipstick, lip pencils, bronzers, and blush can last between three and five years — if properly looked after. That means wiping lipstick with a tissue after each use to stop the build-up of bacteria and regularly cleaning makeup brushes to prevent bacteria transfer from powder to the face, or vice versa.

While we’re on the subject of beauty products, all those skincare products Costco sells at a great price may also be a waste of money. Skincare products almost always have a shelf life of six or 12 months once they’ve been opened. That’s easy enough to keep track of.

Where you may run into trouble is with any additional jars or bottles of products that were included in your purchase. Those will survive for around 30 months before going bad. It’s incredibly easy to leave one container out and store the others away for the future. But by the time the “future” arrives, you’ll likely have forgotten when the product was purchased and can’t be sure it’s safe for use.

2. Sunscreen

If there’s anything we’ve had drilled into us over the past decade, it’s the importance of using sunscreen. Because of that, many of us have numerous tubes and cans of sunscreen scattered around our homes, cars, offices, and handbags.

The Food and Drug Administration requires all sunscreens to last at their original strength for a minimum of three years, according to the Mayo Clinic. After that time, you may feel good about applying sun protection, but it’s likely to have little benefit.

If buying a multi-pack of sunscreen makes it difficult to remember when the product was purchased, you may be better off picking up a single tube elsewhere. Sometimes, it’s better to spend a little more upfront than lose money in the end.

3. Ground spices

The average meal would be pretty bland without spices to keep things interesting. However, if you’re going to purchase a ground spice, you may want to check out a local supermarket instead of Costco. Unless you’re cooking for a small army, it’s unlikely you’ll use up a massive Costco container while it’s still fresh. Ground spices typically don’t last past the six-month mark.

4. Flour

Again, if you’re cooking for an army, this may not apply to you. For the rest of us, buying flour at Costco is a waste of money that we could have saved or spent on something else. A 25-pound bag of all-purpose flour currently runs around $13 at Costco, which sounds like a good price at first blush.

The problem is what happens to flour if you don’t use it right away. No matter which type of flour you buy, it attracts water by soaking up moisture in the air. The longer it sits in your cupboard or pantry, the more time it has to soak up that moisture. Once it hits the tipping point, the flour turns rancid.

Whole grain and nut flour will last you a couple of months, while old-fashioned all-purpose flour keeps for around one year. Still, before making the purchase, ask yourself if you’re likely to use 25 pounds of flour in one year. For many of us, the answer is no, and leaving the money in our bank account is a better move.

5. Assortment packs

Costco is great about mixing things up. One month an assortment of snack-size chips will go on sale, and the next month it will be granola bars or some other delicious treat. There’s only one problem with having a huge assortment at home: Everyone has their favorites, and some flavors typically go to waste. Let’s say you buy an assortment of yogurt featuring five different flavors. However, one of those flavors is peach, and no one in your house enjoys peach yogurt. That means you just paid more per unit for the snacks that your family will eat.

In short, if you don’t think your household will consume all of something before it expires or goes bad, you may just want to leave it on the shelf. In the meantime, pull out your Visa Card and take advantage of all the great Costco deals available.

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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.Dana George has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale and Visa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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