You can buy books at Costco, but ask yourself if that’s the best place to do it. If you choose elsewhere instead of making an impulse buy, you might find more options, or even be able to support a small business instead. Toilet paper has perhaps never been a hotter commodity than it is in pandemic America, but smart shoppers will avoid buying Costco’s Kirkland brand during a visit to the warehouse store, according to insider Tess Robison, who worked a stint at the warehouse chain before landing at the personal finance website Money Done Right. “From my time working there I learned a lot about the company and some of the best and worst products,” she says. “One of the worst products, in my opinion as a former Costco employee, was the Costco Kirkland brand toilet paper. It is one of the cheapest toilet papers out there. Even though it seems like it’s priced cheaper than other brands, you will end up using it much much faster than better-quality brands, which makes it not worth the money. I would strongly recommend people pay a few dollars more for the better quality stuff.” And for the Kirkland products you should be buying, these are the 20 Best Generic Products From Costco. You might think you’re getting a good deal on soda at Costco—and you might be right. But it’s not necessarily going to be any better a deal than you could get at the national chain. “Sodas are usually significantly discounted already at the local grocery store, so huge bulk purchases won’t save you much,” notes retail and shopping expert Kristen Gall, from the cash-back service Rakuten. Over-the-counter medications like Advil and Ibuprofen have an expiration date, and it could sneak up on you if you buy in too much bulk. “Since you take these as needed, buying them in bulk doesn’t make sense, because you could end up wasting it if it isn’t used by the expiration date,” says savings expert Andrea Woroch. “Instead, buy smaller quantities from a local drug store or big box retailer, and stick with the generic brand to save up to 30 percent. Since generic meds are required by the FDA to be as effective and safe as the name-brand drug, it’s a no-brainer way to save.” And for more purchases to avoid, check out these 15 Costco “Bargains” That Aren’t Really Bargains at All. Fresh bread and pastry products don’t last long, and these are items that you may not get to use while fresh if you buy in bulk. Plus, the warehouse retailer won’t necessarily have the best price. “Unless you have a large family, it’s better to purchase bread and other pastries from smaller grocery store chains,” says Gina Zakaria, the blogger behind the budget blog Saving Whiz. “They’ll go on sale about every three weeks, and the sale price is cheaper than Costco.” Although these products don’t expire, this is an area where Costco may not be the best bet for bargains. “School and office supplies are really expensive at Costco,” says Zakaria. “You can find a much better deal by shopping at Target or Walmart during their back-to-school shopping sales.” And if you’re headed to one of those other stores, discover 20 Target Shopping Secrets Only Die-Hard Regulars Know. Salad greens tempt Costco shoppers: The prices are great, and the greens are quality. But unless you’re having a party, you might find those greens looking pretty sad by the time you get to use them.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb “Those Costco greens look beautiful, but how many people are you feeding?” asks Trae Bodge, smart shopping expert at TrueTrae. “Unless you are serving several people, the greens could get droopy before you have a chance to eat them all.” Another former Costco employee, now lifestyle blogger, who provided her name as Vivian T. for some measure of anonymity, warns about buying fresh vegetables at Costco, “especially if you have a smaller family or eat out often.” “While buying a ton of tomatoes at once for a decent price might seem great on the surface, more often than not the produce will tend to go bad before you get to it,” Vivian says. “It ends up working out better if you buy smaller quantities elsewhere.” Large quantities of fruit pose the same problem as vegetables. “It’s not that it isn’t quality produce—it can be really great—but unless you’re going to be able to eat it all fairly soon, you run the risk of it going bad,” says consumer analyst Julie Ramhold with DealNews. “Unless you have concrete plans for those 5.5 pounds of Pink Lady apples, maybe skip the bulk buy and opt for your local grocery store instead to buy only what you need.” And for more useful information delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. It’s one thing to be product loyal to your preferred spirits brand, but if you’re buying those brands at Costco, you’re missing out on the retailer’s real opportunities. “If you’re looking for decent vodka, don’t buy the Grey Goose label,” Vivian says. “Find the Kirkland brand vodka and pay half of what you would for the overpriced Grey Goose. Why? The vodka in both brands is said to be the exact same thing—there are even claims that they’re manufactured in the same place. One is simply trying to sell you a name brand.” You might be surprised that home cleaning products can also go bad before you get your full money’s worth. “Liquid detergents tend to degrade over time, so while that huge bottle of Tide is a great deal, you may be using an inferior product by the time you get to the bottom,” Bodge says. “Of course, if you are doing laundry for multiple family members, you should be OK.” If you’re cost-conscious—and if you’re a devoted Costco shopper, you probably are—you’ll want to take a second look at prices before you commit to buying all your cereals there. “I have found that certain cereals aren’t always cheaper at Costco,” Bodge says. “Before heading to Costco to stock up on cereal, compare the unit price at the grocery store to make sure that Costco is a better deal.” Salty snacks are plenty addicting—and it’s easy to look at huge quantities in Costco and start salivating. But if you’re bringing too much of that stuff home, you might find that you’re either eating it stale… or simply bingeing on it just to make sure that you don’t. “These are probably cheaper at Costco, but are you and your roommate going to finish that giant jug of cheese puffs before they go stale?” Bodge says. “Think about how many people you will be feeding before making that purchase.” Even if the price is right, don’t overdo it on those Costco personal care product purchases. “Personal care products often come in massive bottles or in multi-packs. I prefer multi-packs because the product inside stays fresh, but a general rule is that you should only buy personal care products that you go through quickly,” Bodge notes. “Certain products, like face creams and sunscreen, may spoil or lose their efficacy over time.” You can get a great deal on spices, but if those spices lose their taste and potency by the time you get to use them, you’ve committed to a huge volume of what eventually amounts to an inferior product. “Buying spices at Costco is generally a fantastic deal, but spices don’t stay fresh for very long,” Bodge says. “Spices are at their freshest within six months. Will you finish that huge container of cumin in that time?” You might find that canned goods are not only cheaper at your local grocery store, but also more along the lines of the quantity your household actually needs. “Opt to buy canned goods at your local grocery store, which can be anywhere from 20 to 30 percent less and are often on sale,” Gall says. “Most people don’t need 20 cans of beans!” Here’s the thing: You might be able to save a lot of money on candy at Costco… but is a huge quality of cheap candy really what you need? If you’re stuffing a piñata, the answer may indeed be yes. But if this is for your household, you’d be wise to consider your health as well as your love of a bargain. “Candy and unhealthy snacks can be tempting to buy in bulk but tough to control portions, so most people are better off health-wise buying smaller quantities when needed,” Gall notes. That spectacular-seeming electronics deal might not be the bargain you think it is. “Make sure you are reviewing any gadget details to make sure it has all the features you’re looking for,” Woroch says. “Manufacturers often partner with these warehouse stores to create exclusive versions of their popular TVs and laptops that they can sell at a lower price, but these models could be missing key features. This doesn’t necessarily make it a worst buy, but it definitely pays to shop around, compare prices, and potentially opt for a refurbished model from a store like Best Buy to save instead.” Sure, frozen foods keep much longer than fresh produce. But be thoughtful about just how long it will take you to go through that 10-pound bag of frozen food, because it will also lose quality and taste. “Even oversized bags of frozen berries are not the best buy, because when you keep opening and closing the bag, the food can get freezer burn,” Woroch says. “For this reason, I prefer to buy fresh produce as needed for the week and keep bulk purchases to pantry items that have a long shelf life.” Sure, there are exceptions—like toilet paper. But in general, it’s wise to buy Costco’s store brand whenever it is available. “Never buy name brand items when Kirkland Signature products are available,” Gall advises. “Kirkland Signature items are often the same or better quality than name branded products, and sold at a fraction of the cost.”
