6 Items You Should Never Buy in Bulk at Costco

Costco can often save shoppers money in the long haul by purchasing items in bulk. But if you lack storage space or have a small household, some items may cause more stress and hassle than the savings are worth.

That was the topic of a recent Reddit sub-thread at r/Costco. Shoppers weighed in on the foods that may not be a value in every household. What were the top culprits? Read on to find out.

The thread presented some debate over the quality of Costco produce. “I choose to spend more for better quality,” said one Redditor.

Others disagreed, with another chiming in, “[T]he produce we buy at Costco almost always lasts longer than most other chain stores.”

Regardless of quality, many Redditors agreed that it was a challenge to eat Costco quantities of produce before it went bad, especially with fragile fruits like avocados. And while there are some ways to make avocados last longer, for many people it just isn’t worth the trouble.

Multi-flavor packs of anything, from yogurt to beverages or even cat food, got a bad rap from Redditors.

“Sounds good in principal, but there was always one flavor my family didn’t like,” wrote one user. “My kids always disliked 1 of the 3 cereal flavors. My cats wouldn’t eat 1 of the Fancy Feast [cat food] flavors.”

Of course, if you’re trying to off-load Cool Ranch Doritos, you might have plenty of friends and family happy to take them off your hands.

But other items might be harder to share: “I keep telling my BF that I don’t want a case of yogurt cups because I dislike one of those flavors, and that’s 1/3 of the box. He doesn’t eat that flavor, neither does anyone at work.”

Likewise, the same user pointed out, “I’d like to buy the signature premium vanilla ice cream, but I don’t need or want TWO huge gallons in one package.”

If storage space is a concern, you probably don’t want to splurge on that 10-gallon drum of Duke’s Mayo, either. Unless you’re shopping for a big party and planning to make potato salad and macaroni salad to feed a crowd, most people just don’t use that much mayo to make it worthwhile.

Another Reddit user pointed out that most people won’t go through Costco’s giant-sized bottles of OTC medications before they expire — nor should they. “Even people with chronic pain shouldn’t be taking NSAIDs that much!” they said.

Others agreed, with one saying, “In 2019 I bought a 365-count bottle of the generic Zyrtec. Given that it was basically the same price as other stores generic 30-count or so bottles at the time, I couldn’t resist the temptation. I still have about a fifth of it left.”

Baked goods freeze well, but many Redditors don’t want the temptation of those giant muffins or delicious cakes taunting them in their freezer.

Of course, if you have tons of freezer space or want to share Costco finds with family and friends, these items could represent a tremendous value.

It’s easy to start strolling the Costco aisles and get swept up in the potential savings and the unique finds. Before you buy, it’s wise to consider these questions:

• “Do I need it?”
• “Will I use it or share it before it spoils or expires?”
• “Do I have space for it?”

If you aren’t sure, put it in your cart and continue walking around the store while you decide. You may find that you can cut your grocery bill and reduce clutter in your house with careful shopping choices.