【Epoch Times News, October 31, 2024】
In the United States, the warehouse-style chain store Costco is well known for selling high-quality products at low prices, making it a favorite among consumers. However, not every household item and food purchased at Costco is a good deal, at least for three items, it is better to buy them at local supermarkets.
It is widely known that shopping at Costco can help families save more on groceries and household essentials such as cleaning supplies and toilet paper. The larger the family, the more money they can save. By purchasing daily items in bulk, the cost per ounce or unit is lower compared to community supermarkets.
However, since Costco mainly sells products in large packages, it can lead to unnecessary waste and sometimes cause anxiety. Therefore, when choosing what to buy at Costco, it is important to be careful about certain items. Some products, although priced lower at Costco, are more suitable to purchase at local supermarkets.
Costco’s prices are usually hard to beat, making it tempting to buy products in bulk there. But according to Motley Fool, a finance website, there are three everyday items where buying them at local supermarkets is more suitable.
For example, on Costco.com, 1,000 tablets of ibuprofen are priced at $12.99, which is $0.01 per tablet. The prices in Costco stores are generally lower than online prices, meaning buying 1,000 tablets from a Costco store can save more money. In a community supermarket, 100 tablets of ibuprofen may cost $4.49, which is $0.04 per tablet.
However, most people do not use ibuprofen every day, and the effectiveness of the tablets cannot be maintained in the long term. So, purchasing 1,000 tablets for $12.99 may result in wastage of most of them. Buying 100 tablets for $4.49, which is enough for a year, is a better choice.
Flour is an essential ingredient for baking enthusiasts. But is it a good choice to buy a 20-pound bag of flour from Costco?
If stored in a sealed container, flour can be kept for a period of time after opening. But for most people, buying five pounds of flour each time may be more appropriate. Additionally, although Costco’s price per pound may be cheaper, it may not be significantly lower. Why bother with the hassle of storage?
Of course, if you bake a large number of cookies or cakes every week, or consume a lot of noodles in a Chinese family, or run a baking business from home, buying in bulk from Costco may be more cost-effective. Otherwise, purchasing from a community supermarket is more suitable.
Most families consume eggs and bread almost every day, so bulk purchasing at Costco may be worthwhile. However, in general, it is not advisable to buy a large quantity of food that you have never tried before.
If a snack looks delicious, but you find out at home that you don’t like it, it can be awkward to have a large bag of snacks in front of you with no appetite for it, which is a bad situation.
A better approach is to buy a small quantity from a local supermarket to try first. If you really like the new snack, then buy the large package of the same type of food from Costco.