While shopping at Costco is usually a highlight for most people with bulk items galore, not everything at Costco should be on your shopping list. Even though millions of people consider shopping at Costco a sacred experience, the reality is that there are some things you can get a better deal or find more value in by purchasing elsewhere. 

Buying in bulk can be an effective strategy for saving for families big and small. However, as prices have gone up all around the country, buying at Costco may no longer be the best location for many items. Sorry, Kirkland superfans, but Costco isn’t the only retail option today. 

15. Kirkland Organic Eggs

This signature Kirkland product is something every family can use and likely buy weekly. Two dozen eggs for under $9 might seem expensive, but considering both the quality and how frequently you use them, it’s a fantastic value. A dozen eggs at Target is already $3.99, so you’re not spending much more for Kirkland quality. 

14. Buy: Kirkland Maple Syrup

A child and adult favorite, there is just something about Kirkland maple syrup that is organic, pure, and ready to be poured onto pancakes and waffles. A 34-ounce bottle for $15 is a ridiculously good value and will last you a long time, even with the most demanding kids who want this sticky syrup all over their hands daily. 

13. Buy: Kirkland Bottled Water

There’s a clear theme here: shopping at Costco and buying Kirkland products is the best way to get the most out of your membership. This is especially true with water bottles. Considering you can get $3.99 for 40 bottles, this is less expensive than Walmart, which is hard to do for any other big-box retailer. 

12. Buy: Kirkland Clothes

If you’re hoping to find great-value clothes comparable in quality to Target at an even bigger value, Kirkland’s clothing items at Costco are a huge favorite for good reason. You can find shirts, leggings, pants, kids’ and adult clothes, and the quality is high. 

11. Buy: Kirkland Peanut Butter

It goes without saying that everyone is in love with Kirkland peanut butter. Sorry, JIF fans, but this peanut butter might be the best way to make a PB&J sandwich. Best of all, a 2-count package costs only around $13, making it inexpensive to buy multiple times a year. 

10. Don’t Buy: Spices

One of the most agreed-upon products at Costco to skip is spices, as the bulk size may be too big to get to the end of the bottle before they lose their taste or potency for seasoning chicken, steak, or fish. The price might be good, but there is little argument in favor of bulk buying spices outside of price. 

9. Don’t Buy: Skincare Products

There is a general theme here in that buying skincare products in bulk sizes at Costco might sound terrific, but this is only if you can use them in time. Those giant bottles of beauty products look great at first glance, but with an expiration date of less than a year, will you use a giant bottle of Aveeno daily moisturizing in time? 

8. Don’t Buy: Baby Products

If buying diapers in bulk sounds great, the good news is that you can get them at Costco. The bad news is that you probably shouldn’t buy diapers in bulk as your child may grow out of a size very fast. Should this happen, you’re out of money when you can instead buy diapers at places like Walmart, pay less, and have more flexibility with going up in size. 

7. Don’t Buy: Bulk Over-the-Counter Medication

In many instances, buying items like bulk vitamins from Costco might sound like a great deal. The challenge is that because you have so many pills, you might not use them before a use-by date expires. Buying smaller quantities is better, especially if you can find generic brands at Walgreens or CVS, where discounts are often doorbuster pricing. 

6. Don’t Buy: Rotisserie Chicken

Even though Costco’s rotisserie chicken came under fire for mistreating animals in 2021, there’s still another reason not to buy them. The bottom line is that other grocery stores are tastier. Brands like Publix have some incredible seasoned rotisserie chicken options available all day long, while Costco lacks seasoning and, therefore, taste. 

5. Don’t Buy: Name-Brand Items

This one is a bit more tricky as buying brand-name items at Costco is not recommended if a Kirkland alternative exists. As Costco’s private brand, there is almost always a better deal with Kirkland pricing than any other name-brand that Costco might sell. The discount will vary, but coffee, for example, is considerably cheaper than its name-brand counterparts. 

4. Don’t Buy: Cereal 

Unless you’re feeding a family of 7, Costco’s cereal volume can quickly get out of hand. While the price might feel reliable, brands like Target, Walmart, and Publix often offer steep discounts, including Publix deals like buy one, get one, which makes Costco feel both expensive and as if you are getting an almost overwhelming amount of cereal. 

3. Don’t Buy: Canned Soda

Unless you need a significant volume of soda, you may spend far more at Costco, even if you think you’re getting more savings. A recent study showed that Costco’s pricing of $15.99 for 35 cans of Coke Classic broke down to 46 cents per can. Alternative groceries had a 12-pack of Coke Classic at $4.99 a case, or 42 cents per can. 

2. Don’t Buy: Milk

As hard as it might be to believe, buying Milk at Costco isn’t the most price-friendly option. Instead, you can go to Walmart or Target and save a dollar or two on a gallon of milk. For example, a gallon of Reduced Fat milk is $3.03 at Walmart, while the same gallon is $3.98 at a local Costco. 

1. Don’t Buy: Fresh Produce

I know this might anger a few people, but Costco isn’t the best place to purchase produce like fruits and vegetables. Instead, you may want to try an alternate shopping location or even a fresh market that might have riper products. More importantly, as most produce only stays fresh for a few days, bulk fresh produce in bulk might result in more trash than you care for.

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