Are Warehouse Clubs Really Cheaper?

Does buying from a warehouse club always mean cheaper prices? Do you walk into Sam’s Club or Costco and assume everything is cheaper?

In many cases, warehouse clubs are cheaper, but don’t be fooled into thinking that everything is a great deal. You must know your price per unit!

The next time you go to the grocery, make a “cheat sheet” – list the 20 items you buy the most often (milk, bread, cheese, etc.) and write down the price per unit. If you look closely at the shelf tag, the teeny tiny print is the price per unit. It will most likely say, “price per lb.” or “price per oz.” Now the fun part, do this same exercise at Costco or Sam’s and compare!

The Budget Diet girl has done a little homework for you, and I’ve come up with a list of the Top 10 Costco Grocery Deals! These items are ALWAYS cheaper at Costco, so I no longer bother to look for coupons or wait for sales at my local grocery. Remember, warehouse clubs sell in bulk, so it’s only a good deal if you can use it before the expiration date!

Top 10 Costco Grocery Deals

Cheddar Cheese, shredded, store brand

• $2.15 per pound at Costco
• $3.25 per pound at HEB (a low price grocery)

Cheese Sticks, Name Brand

• 16¢ per cheese stick at Costco
• 28¢ per cheese stick at HEB
• 21¢ per cheese stick for store brand at HEB

Milk, store brand

• $2.50 per gallon at Costco
• $2.98 per gallon at HEB

Fresh Organic Baby Spinach

• $3.79 per pound at Costco
• $5.98 per pound at HEB

Pesto, store brand

• 36¢ per ounce at Costco
• 62¢ per ounce at HEB

Bakery Cakes & Pies

• Great Prices if you don’t want to bake it yourself!

Hillshire Farms Deli Select Lunchmeat

• $3.33 per pound at Costco
• $4.98 per pound at HEB

Nestle Chocolate Chips

• 11¢ per ounce at Costco
• 21¢ per ounce at HEB
• 13¢ per ounce for store brand at HEB

Austin Peanut Butter Crackers, individual packages

• 12¢ per package at Costco
• 20¢ per package at HEB

Duracell AA Batteries

• 43¢ per battery at Costco
• 51¢ per battery at HEB
• 23¢ per battery for store brand at Costco
• 42¢ per battery for store brand at HEB

Claritin, generic

• 3¢ per tablet at Costco
• 21¢ per tablet at HEB

You’re probably saying, it’s only a few cents! Remember, you won’t be buying 1 oz. of anything or 1 battery or 1 generic Claritin tablet! Those pennies quickly add up to dollars!

So, what are the best deals at your local grocery? If you use The Grocery Game method for grocery shopping (buying items on sale and with a coupon), you can always find these items for less than Costco or Sam’s.

• Cereal – I can almost always buy a box of name brand cereal for less than $1.50 a box!
• Cake Mix and Brownie Mix – I can always buy a box of cake mix or brownie mix for less than 50¢ a box!
• Cream Cheese – I’ve never paid more than $1 a block for Philadelphia cream cheese!
• Bread – You’ll always find a sale on bread if you’re willing to try different brands!
• Meat – learn to stock up on meat when it’s on sale!

These lists could go on and on, but I tried to stick to common grocery items to help you get started on slashing your grocery bill! I wish I could tell you that all the produce is a good deal at Costco or all the freezer items are a good deal, but there is no rhyme or reason to it! The bottom line is the only way to know a good deal is to take the time to learn your cost per unit. Don’t be tempted by those yummy samples!