5 Everyday Items Americans Are Overpaying for — and Where To Buy Them Cheaper
Written by
Cynthia Measom
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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Many everyday items cost more because of where you shop, not because they’re better.
A quick comparison across a few common retailers shows where people often overpay, and where the same types of items can be bought for less.
Paper Towels
Top name-brand paper towels at Kroger are priced between 5 cents to 7 cents per square foot. However, Member’s Mark paper towels at Sam’s Club only cost about 2 cents per square foot and are said by Redditors to be comparable to Bounty paper towels.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Buying over-the-counter medications at CVS or Walgreens generally means you’re overpaying — even if you buy the store brand. Instead, compare your local drugstore’s prices to Walmart’s. At CVS, the CVS brand of Zyrtec tablets is $34.79 for 120 tablets or $0.29 each. At Walmart, the 90-count Equate version of Zyrtec is $0.17 per tablet.
Batteries
According to Reddit, Kirkland Batteries at Costco are repackaged Duracell batteries. Some people like them, and some don’t.
A 48-pack of Kirkland AA batteries is $16.99 or about $0.35 per battery. At Walmart, a 48-pack of Great Value AA batteries is $14.99 or about $0.31 per battery. As far as quality, the Great Value batteries have over 3,200 five-star reviews.
Laundry Detergent
Both Sam’s Club’s 196-fluid-ounce Member’s Mark Detergent and Walmart’s 154-fluid-ounce Great Value Detergent are some of most economically priced detergents at $0.08 and $0.076 per fluid ounce for size. However, Target sometimes runs sales on its up & up Laundry Detergent, which can bring its price down to between $0.05 and $0.06 per fluid ounce depending on whether you buy the 92-fluid-ounce bottle or the 40-ounce.
Office Supplies
Buying office supplies at Walmart might seem like a good idea, but Dollar Tree might be cheaper. It can pay off to compare prices. A 70-sheet, one-subject spiral notebook at Walmart costs $0.97 and a 100-sheet, one-subject spiral notebook at Dollar Tree costs $1.25. Although the Walmart price is cheaper, the Dollar Tree notebook has 30 more sheets and is slightly cheaper per sheet.
Editor’s note: Prices are accurate as of Mar. 12, 2026. Prices and availability may vary by location.
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