Costco is a membership warehouse club known for its cheaper price deals and quality brand-name merchandise. They usually offer their items for a price of two or three. However, this could also turn into a disadvantage.
GOBankingRates have verified the answers from the Costco subreddit about what items are considered overpriced or not worth buying in the warehouse.
Superfans: some Costco items are not cost-effective compared to a grocery store. (Photo: NBC News)
Chicken Breast
It is more cost-effective if you stick to your local grocery store. Reddit user drubhub wrote on the Costco subreddit, “Chicken breast at Costco will be between 2.99 and 3.49 a pound; meanwhile, Kroger had organic chicken breast for 2.79/lb.” GOBankingRates checked the prices; Costco had a boneless and skinless chicken breast on sale for $4.34/lb, while it cost $3.99 at Ralphs.
Milk
Reddit user Sowf_Paw on the Costco subreddit said, “Aldi is almost always cheaper for milk in my area.” GOBankingRates has verified that it costs $8.70 for 2 gallons of 2% milk at Costco and $8.58 at Aldi.
Produce
Produce in Costco is not overpriced; however, it comes in large quantities and is unlikely to finish before it goes bad. If you have a small number in the family, buying produce at Costco is not cost-effective. On the Costco subreddit, user mkecupcake posted, “Even if we could [get through the fruits and veggies before they go bad], shopping sales at my local grocery store is more cost-effective.”
For instance, Costco’s starting quantity of bananas is 3 pounds, costing $2.48. However, most people do not need to buy too much produce. Instead, they can opt for a grocery store where they can buy it in smaller quantities.
Toothpaste
Reddit user Futurama_Owl pointed out that toothpaste in Costco is usually sold in 4 packs. It might seem a good deal, but it really isn’t when you do the math. For instance, a 4-pack of Sensodyne Advance Whitening Toothpaste costs $31.99 at Costco, whereas it costs $13.99 for a 2-pack of Sensodyne Extra Whitening Sensitive Toothpaste at Ralphs. Buying another two would only cost $27.98, making it cheaper than Costco. Although the items compared are not exactly the same, but both offer the same benefits.
User helpme9282828 also shared a tip on how to save money on toothpaste: “If you have 2 minutes to clip digital coupons, you should never pay for toothpaste. It’s always free, [and] you even get it free with cashback quite often.”
