8 Costco Items To Avoid for Your Super Bowl Party

Costco has nearly everything you need for your Super Bowl party, from aisles and aisles of yummy apps to platters of delicious cookies or pastries. But there are a few items you shouldn’t buy at Costco, either because of the price or the large quantity.

It might be tempting to make Costco your one-stop shop for your Super Bowl party and grab a few cases of Coke, Pepsi, and Sprite. But you’ll only find the mini 7.5 oz. cans online, at $19 for 30, or 54 cents a can. You can grab the regular-sized cans in your local wholesale club, but you’re likely to find them much cheaper at your grocery store or Walmart. Retailers tend to put soda pop on sale for Super Bowl Sunday. For instance, right now Walmart has 24 packs of Pepsi cans for $10. You can save even more buying 2-liter bottles and plastic cups.

Just like soda, you’ll find beer on sale at grocery stores during Super Bowl weekend and the week preceding. You’re better off not buying giant cases at Costco. Instead, grab a variety of 12 packs at your grocery store for savings, that way all your friends and family can enjoy their favorite brew.

Whether you’ve got a crock pot of chili simmering or plan to throw some burgers on the grill, you’ll find ground beef to feed a crowd at Costco. But you can find ground beef cheaper at Aldi or Walmart.

Likewise, Costco doesn’t always have the best prices for canned goods. You’ll do better at your local Dollar Tree or supermarket for things like kidney beans or pre-made chili. Plus, you can buy smaller quantities at the grocery store. You may not need (or have room to store) 8 to 12 cans of beans.

Costco offers 10-inch paper plates for just $24.99, which is a good value. But you’ll need to buy 186 of them, and they won’t match your party decorations. Instead, visit a Dollar Tree near you, where you can get eight plates in your favorite team’s colors for just $1.25. Or, snag a whole collection of football-themed partyware on Amazon for $10.

Tortilla chips have risen in price by more than 38% since last year’s Super Bowl, as previously reported by GOBankingRates. Unless you can snag a sale at your local supermarket, you’re better off skipping this snack altogether. Instead, buy potato chips, which you can find in giant bags at Costco.

Bonus: If you skip the tortilla chips, that means you can also leave queso blanco, another pricey item this year, off your Super Bowl shopping list.

Buying ready-made platters for your Super Bowl party can save time and stress leading up to the kick-off. But Costco’s shrimp tray isn’t the best value, especially when you consider how easy it is to put together your own. Purchase shrimp from Costco’s freezer section, thaw them under cold water just before your party or in the refrigerator overnight, and then arrange them on a plate with fresh-cut lemon and cocktail sauce.

Costco’s big variety pack of pre-sliced cheese is a steal for less than $15. But, grab the crackers for your charcuterie someplace else. Costco’s giant box of Ritz crackers is a great value at just $12.49 for 61 ounces. However, it’s unlikely you’ll need 18 sleeves of Ritz and your family may not finish them before they go stale.

Costco’s Ferrara’s Bakery Cannolis, either plain or dipped with Belgian chocolate, are an absolutely mouthwatering dessert. But at $110 for 24 cannolis, they aren’t the best deal. Plus, you need to eat them within two hours of defrosting for the best quality, taste and crispness.

That’s a lot of money to waste if people don’t polish these off. Costco’s giant platters of assorted cookies, on the other hand, can last for weeks after your party if stored in an airtight container.