Do Warehouse Stores Really Save you Money?

By brooke, September 19, 2011, Food & Dining Out, For Moms, Groceries

It seems that shopping at a warehouse club like Sam’s Club or a Costco can actually replace going to a grocery store. While shopping at a warehouse club can save you money at times, other times it can lead to wasting money and cabinet space. Unless you are hosting a party, do you really need a year’s worth of hot dog buns just because you can get them cheaper when you buy in bulk? That is where a helpful strategy comes in handy to allow you to buy what you want at a warehouse store and leave what you don’t need behind.

Here are some tactics that the finance guru from Simple Dollar, uses when shopping at a warehouse club.

Before putting items in your cart, it’s best to ask yourself whether you can use all of it before it goes bad. If the answer is no, then put it back! It’s best to be in control of what you need vs. want or what the best deal is.

Buy the majority of non-perishable items at a warehouse. Non-perishable items such as trash bags, paper towels, toilet paper, light bulbs, etc. are good examples. Just be sure to keep in mind, whether you have the place to store these items once you bring them home.

As for perishable items, leave that to the grocery store list. Unless you are using an item multiples times a week or having a party then it’s helpful to shop at a warehouse club.

So to keep it all straight, make two lists, the warehouse list for the bulk items and everything else goes on the regular list (for the grocery store).

Be Sociable, Share!