Sometimes shopping at Costco has surprising costs and other downsides.
Shopping atCostcois an experience.
Here are 10 reasons you might want to skip that Costco membership.
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This practice is not new, and certainly not limited to Costco.
Retailers rely on behavioral economics research to make sales and grow their business all the time.
Costco tells you what you need!"
We’ve all had that experience before!
You Want to Avoid Food Waste
Buying in bulk also means there will inevitably be morefood waste.
According to theEnvironmental Protection Agency, Americans wasted about 66 million tons of food in 2019.
But it also contributes to environmental harm.
Other stores, like Trader Joe’s, offer items like olive oil at a significant discount already.
But when those items are on sale, the prices will be even lower.
But, generic couldn’t be further from the truth.
Costco partners and even co-brands with well-established brands.
And yes, these partnerships can offer customers significant savings.
But the important thing to note is that the savings are only onname-brandproducts.
Costco simply doesn’t sell generic products.
A quick look-up of Honey Nut Cheerios proved this point.
So if brand names aren’t important to you, shopping elsewhere will save you a lot more money.
You Want Curbside Pickup
The pandemic changed the game for how many of us did our regular shopping.
But there’s no curbside pickup at Costco.
Missing out on the benefits of curbside pickup alone could be a deterrent to would-be Costco customers.
If you or your loved ones are immunocompromised, this also helps mitigate contact with potential pathogens.
(Though we stand by the benefits of a goodmorning routine.)
This can lead to overbuying and over-consuming in many cases.
Instead of buying two cans of tomatoes, for example, you’re forced to buy eight.
And that doesn’t include the time spent shopping for them.
Two hours a week translates to more than 100 hours a year!
You Don’t Have a Lot of Space
But of course, it’s not just the time savings.
Time and space savings are important considerations to work through before buying in bulk.
Most warehouses are located on the outskirts of cities, resulting in commute time to travel there and back.
Costco may offer variety, but it can be a major time suck.
She shops at both Sam’s Club and Walmart.
She notes that they offer smaller bulk options than Costco and free online ordering and pickup.
Plus, she says, “every item is a couple dollars cheaper.”
Meanwhile, she says that Sam’s Club still has a lot of nonorganic options.
Costco offers a 100% satisfaction-guaranteed policy, after all.
Costco is a great option for many people.
Wherever you land, remember the old hackmembership-free Costco shopping is possible!
Just be sure to shop with care and intention.
