Early in our relationship, my husband and I used to go shopping together at our local Sam’s Club. (Clearly, we knew how to get the romance going.)
I was new to warehouse club shopping and made the mistake of thinking that anything for sale within the huge store must be cheaper than at other stores.
After a couple of bad missteps — such as not finishing the ginormous container of strawberries before they went bad, and discovering that each razor replacement in the 12-pack I bought were the same cost as their 4-pack brethren at Target—I learned to be more careful about my warehouse club purchases. I’d check unit prices, keep better track of how much I spent at the regular grocery store, and go to Sam’s with a specific list of what I needed.
It’s also important to remember that some purchases will (almost) never be worthwhile at the warehouse club. Here are six examples of what not to buy at your warehouse club:
1. Toilet paper
Even though you can generally find the best deal on paper products at a warehouse club, it is not the best place to buy TP. According to Forbes, that’s because any item used on a daily basis will be offered with a deep discount pretty much anywhere it’s sold.
In particular, toilet paper usually goes on sale the first and third week of every month at your local grocery store. Add a coupon to the sale price, and you’ll definitely be paying less if you buy it at the supermarket.
2. Milk
This is another staple you don’t want to buy at your warehouse club. Groceries and discount stores keep their milk prices low and/or put it on sale often since most families buy some every week. When added to the fact that a bulk milk purchase might go bad before you have a chance to drink it all, it makes more sense to get your milk on sale from your regular store.
3. Diapers
This seems like a smart item to buy in bulk: diapers don’t spoil, and you can generally assume Junior will be wearing the same size for a couple months at a time.
It turns out, however, that the generic warehouse club diapers cost four cents more per diaper than the generic brands offered by Target and Wal-Mart.
4. Condiments
If you’ve ever run out of ketchup on burger night, you might be tempted to buy a drum of the stuff next time you stop at Costco. But most condiments are only good for six months to a year, so it’s highly unlikely you’ll use up all that mustard or ketchup before it goes to the dark side.
5. Laundry supplies
While liquid detergent and bleach are generally cheaper per ounce at the warehouse clubs, it’s important to remember there is a shelf life for these products. Generally, liquid detergent and bleach are good for about six months. (If you use powdered detergent, however, it’ll last longer and may make the bulk purchase worthwhile.)
As for drying your clothes, Forbes found that dryer sheets were two cents cheaper per sheet at Target and Wal-Mart than at Sam’s Club.
6. Sunscreen
Unless you’re a member of Jim Gaffigan’s famously pale brood, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to use a warehouse club sized bottle of sunscreen before it reaches its expiration date. In addition, you can save more money on sunscreen by timing your purchase to coincide with your local pharmacy’s sales cycle, along with using a coupon.
What other items do you avoid buying at the warehouse club?
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SAMs is the only place I’ll buy TP. I buy the big box , it last for months.
Less than $20.00. I’ll never buy TP at the grocery store again. Even with a coupon . The quality is more than acceptable and I’m not having to buy TP every trip to the store.
I would add gasoline. Gas was a big attraction to me at Sam’s because of the price and the 5% on credit card. But there is no sign of “detergent” gasoline at Sam’s. Costco has that sign. And it makes a difference, since Costco uses Top Tier gasoline, and Sam’s does not.
http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/sc-cons-0709-motormouth-20150703-column.html
Top tier is worth it. If you just buy Sam’s or Wawa gas you will end up having to clean your fuel injectors. Detergent gas such as at Sunoco, Shell, Exxon, and apparently Costco (never bought gasoline there) is better for your car and using anything else all the time is a false economy. In our area, Sunoco price matches Wawa all the time so that is a no brainer. Sam’s drops their price, but many retailers such as Sunoco has card programs as well which do not cost anything but knock off a few cents at the pump. This is not to say you cannot use the non-detergent stuff occasionally but do not use it all the time.
I love sam club don’t buy what your not going to use to me you are being unfair. I buy cups. Toilet paper Paper towels and so forth
They last longer especially in the winter time when snow hits and I
will continue to shop as well as other customers
Although I am a dedicated Frys customer, A Winco opened a block away from our house.. I had to check it out.
I am a product of habit meaning we buy the same thing every single time we shop. For just 2 of us (teenager and self) my bill is always around $160. When I went to Winco I bought way more than usual, many individually wrapped chicken, deli meat, charcoal, etc. which is not our usual purchase (to stock up). My bill was $140! How is that possible? I walked out with at least 10 bags vs. 3-4 at Frys. I am sticking with Winco from now on..
I can’t believe that everyone pays so much for milk?? Here in MN it’s expensive over $3. Sams is always cheaper than the grocery stores on milj, tp and detergent, unfortunately they don’t carry the dye free brands which my family has to use
The discount clubs have been of little use to me, other than the purchase of whole beef loins and cleaning supplies. The rest? As mentioned earlier be prepared to re-package certain items for practical use, code them and rotate your “stock”. Whole milk and other perishables make sense for those with chest freezers. But again, the big savings seem to be on toiletries and grooming products. Especially razors. Store brand razors, diapers, and coffee are futile attempts to be avoided.
Unless you are buying for a specific occasion or party or live where there is no grocery store near where you work or live… It is not very smart to spend a bunch of money at one time at the store. I am lucky enough to live within 5-10 minutes from 3 Kroger’s, Wal-Mart, Sam’s, and as of yesterday a new whole foods type place named Sprouts. I never spend more than $50 at one time and I have a family of seven. Usually we will spend $50 or so at Sam’s but most of the time I spend $20 there maybe. Every Tuesday when the ads come out for the next week I go through each one and write down everything I might need or want in that ad in a notebook (I also do the same with the ads in the Sunday paper). If something is a GOOD sale, I will buy in bulk. I have proven to many friends that going to the grocery once a week or so to buy everything you need is a huge waste of money. I have coworkers that are on food stamps. I proved this to them and they now eat WAY better than they ever have. They rarely ever run out of money on their EBT card by months end anymore.
This article is ridiculous. I buy almost every one of these items at Sam’s. You save a whole lot more money there then if I buy them at Walmart or anywhere else. For example: tp-you get more rolls and at a good price. This article
Isn’t about saving money. It’s about making sure that you spend more money driving all over the place looking for the best buy.
I agree. This is pure baloney.
I’m a fan of Sam’s Club, and I buy almost everything on this list there regularly, and it is the best price in my area. (I also coupon, and know the price comparisons well.)
My club has a gallon of milk for $2.90, which is about .30c more than a HALF gallon anywhere else. (Kroger does run specials occasionally for their store brand milk at $1.99 gallon, but it usually involves the purchase of other items to get the special price, (as in you have to buy 5, or other restrictions) and I’m not a fan of their store brand milk.
Paper products are definitely cheaper. Including paper plates, disposable cups, toilet paper, paper towels, brand name diapers,etc. I buy the select a size paper towels for about $1.20 per roll, and I have the plus membership, so at times I get an additional $3-4 off that price, bringing them under a dollar per roll. You can’t get that price on name brand paper towels, even with a sale and a coupon.
Laundry detergent also is a no brainer. A 90 pack of Tide Pods for $19.98! A 45 pack of Pods is $14+ at Kroger/Walmart. I have a kid, and husband, so I don’t have detergent going bad. (Who does?)
Condiments are cheaper by category. I buy the 3 pack (40 oz each) of Heinz Ketchup for $6. I have never had it go bad before it was used up. Salad dressing ARE generally cheaper to buy at the grocery store, as if you hit a sale, but Mayo/mustard/BBQ sauce, etc. depends on sale prices. I usually end up buying them at Kroger regardless, to get the brand I prefer in a size that fits in the fridge door.
As for produce, fruits and veggies, canned goods, pasta, etc. are cheaper at Sam’s. A 4 lb bag of Brussels sprouts are $4.50, and a 1 lb bag at Kroger/Walmart in $3.99. Apples, Clementines, Strawberries, blueberries, peaches, lemons, grapes, salad, tomatoes, avocados, potatos, etc., are all cheaper as well. Meat prices are consistent, and while you may hit a lower price on special at the grocery store, I prefer to buy in bulk and repackage to suit my needs. I cook every night, so don’t often have food go bad, but even if the last few ounces DO go to waste, it’s still cheaper per pound than buying it elsewhere.
The local Walgreens where I live, about every 6-7 weeks or so, will run 18 packs of Purex detergent pod like things for buy 1 and get 2 free. The one is $5.99. That is 54 loads of laundry for $6. That is about 5 and 1/2 cents per load. I buy about 10 or more each time which will last me till the next sale if not longer. My wife is alergic to Tide so we can’t use it and also even if I have to use twice as much of another brand, It’s still usually cheaper.
Our family goes through milk, toilet paper, and diapers quicker than a dog eats a steak.
This may be true for a couple. Add four kids, and two grandparents in a household. The less I go to the store the better. I go to Costco late Friday night, the place is practically empty. I whip through, loading up the cart, four gallons of milk lasts less than a week at our home. And a huge flat of strawberries, gone in four days.
Not all families are the same. And as for diapers, you obviously don’t have a baby. It is not about saving a few cents on a diaper, it is about the baby, my baby has very tender skin, as a redhead, she can only wear a certain brand. And as a family of redhead’s, we can use Costco size sunscreen in a week at the beach.
True sales are few and far between. Marketing practices entice you by offering staple items at bargain prices. The truth is, they’re smarter than you and know that you will more than likely buy more than just one item. Armed with this knowledge, they lower one item’s price and raise the price to its complimentary good(s) or raise the price of an item with similar sales volume. Unless you can devote countless hours clipping coupons, you should not base your shopping trip based on the prices of a few items. Warehouses are generally time savers for large families and small businesses and are not money savers. It’s all about marketing and, unfortunately, the average American is easily fooled.
Milk is $2 a gallon at our Sam’s and nearly 3 at the grocery store. the generic Sam’s toilet paper is thick and soft and sells for less than $18. At walmart the cheapest, thin and not soft tp sells for about 16 for 24. I always buy it at Sam’s it is worth it. Most dry good dates are actually inventory to help the manufacturers and distributers move it quickly out of their warehouse. Most items last years longer than the date on the can etc.
This article is bogus and laughable. I am a chemical engineer and bleach does not expire. And laundry detergent expires after 6 months????? Ha.
If you’re trying to save money, be sure to factor in the cost of gas or fuel to get you there and back. For that reason I usually buy at my local grocery, and only go to the big box when I need a substantial amount.
Sam’s Clubs have online purchases. It is beneficial to get the membership so ya can get free shipping…no matter if you want a pk of batteries or a 50 pound of dog food. Shipping fees are free. And there’s not a dollar limit per order. However some online items have to buy 2 of like premium saltine crackers, choice original / honeynut cherrios, or 2pk of grape jelly..
But is still worth it
Plus no need to pay for ? gas either b.c. it gets delivered right to your ? door ?
**Don’t forget to disinfect your items before putting in your pantries.
honestly, does it really matter what we each purchase since everyon’s situation is unique?
Isn’t the only reason we post on forums to tough how clever we are and to see our words in writing?
Does it really matters who uses ketchup or detergent fastest, or where one buys milk or diapers? My life remains unchanged and goes on..
There’s got to be a better use of our time.
I would pay more if it means being able to avoid Walmart with all those people shopping in their pajamas. Interesting enough, it’s the only place I have seen where this happens. I shop at Target all the time versus Walmart. Regarding toilet paper, I happen to like Sams Club toilet paper than any other brand because it doesn’t dissolve in my hands while I’m still wiping. Besides, they have coupons for that every now and then. Milk is NEVER cheaper anywhere else, I don’t know where they got that from! One gallon of milk is 2.45 at Sams and 4.99 anywhere else. I think instead of going the cheap quality way, people should have a system. We buy some things at Costco, some at Sam’s club, and things like veggies and fruits at a local grocery store because we don’t need a big package when we can get them in smaller amounts. Other than that, I don’t see how this article was useful.
This story is total BS for example Milk is way cheaper by almost a dollar at SAMs. second laundry detergent is cheaper as well come to think of it so is TP. This whole story is BS and some one who hates to go to these places. People do your own research and you will see that going to SAMs or BJ’s or even costco’s is cheaper. Do your research and you will see.
Let’s all remember that on top of that price is the price of the membership for that club. So $3.99 for a gallon of milk will cost you more until you recoup your membership charge.
Overall, I found this article to be inaccurate. Sams is awesome. You can pay for your membership in savings on a year of milk purchases alone. Some of my favorite things to buy there are health and beauty items…..lotion, mouthwash, toothpaste, bar soap, and vitamins. Also trashbags! And gift items! You cannot beat their prices. Also…..for the several military people commenting…..if you pay in-club for your membership they will give you a gift card! I think that’s an awesome program to show appreciation for your service.
I disagree with everything except the milk & sunscreen. At my local Sam’s, the Sam’s brand toilet paper is cheaper than the local stores – I don’t shop at Wal-Mart, yes I know they are owned by the same company – but it’s my prerogative. The paper towels are cheaper. The diapers (Sam’s brand) are also cheaper. I will buy milk by the gallon at Sam’s -if I happen to need it – it’s the same price as the grocery store in my area. I also buy our condiments at Sam’s – we go through them fast enough. I also buy some bulk seasonings.
2 liter Diet Coke at BJs $1.25. At Walmart (on sale) $1.00.
BJs does NOT price match so there wasn’t much choice.
They also don’t carry the caffiene free variety nor a number of sizes.
I’m sorry but this article is flawed on many fronts. Granted, I shop at Costco which seems better geared to household consumer from a product quality standpoint. Kirkland products (their generic) are usually superior to the name brand or as good and the prices are always better. On Diapers specifically Kirkland diapers are so much nicer and effective than the bargain brands. Ketchup has a long shelf life due to it’s acidic nature (I know what the container says!). This article seems like it may be funded by some grocery store PAC!!!
I completely disagree with this list. I buy most of this stuff at Sam’s Club and it is cheaper. Bulk milk???? What is she talking about? They just sell gallons, and for close to a dollar cheaper than my local grocery store. I use the big laundry detergent in a month, I have a big family so… The diapers are cheapest there and do not leak, so I will continue to buy them there.
This is not true on toilet paper. We bought 45 rolls with 220 sheets each for 17.95 at Sam’s. At Wal-Mart, it is 16.97 for 36 rolls with 165 sheets each. The math breaks down to approximately 62 cents per 220 sheets at Walmart and 40 cents at Sam’s. Confused about why I keep seeing recommendations to not buy TP from Sam’s online. Actually, looking at the receipt, we got a $2 discount at Sam’s, making it 15.95 for 45 rolls. That brings the savings up even more at Sam’s.
The author does realize that Sam’s sells milk by the GALLON, right? Like a regular store?
And a conventional 4 person family can use the laundry detergent in little more than a month?
And that sunscreen should be applied daily, and every hour or two if you are swimming, and summer is three months long?
This was a waste of an article. Not well thought at all.
I’m not sure where you live, but you need sunscreen when skiing in winter and my wife, who’s skin burns easily, uses sunscreen year-round when she is going to be outside in direct sun for more than half an hour or so. ….. Three months of summer seems like a short period to be using sunscreen.
10.00 a gal for milk??? Milk is one of the items I do watch closely on price. When Corporate took over one of our local grocery stores milk jumped almost a dollar a gal. I now buy my milk at one of the other stores where it DID NOT CHANGE in price. Used to be the “My essentials” brand was the cheapest but now the name brand is MUCH cheaper.
I haven’t bought a gallon of milk at the grocery in over 8 – 9 months. 2% milk at Sams has been between $2.95 – $3.15 a gallon that whole time. At Kroger it has gone from $3.95 to a believe it was $4.35 a gallon yesterday. I am saving over a dollar per gallon.
Milk isn’t sold in bulk at Sam’s, sold in 1 gal jugs like anywhere else, and i’ve not seen it cheaper at other stores.
My husband & I do most shopping at Costco. We don’t buy 50 gal of mayo or milk. We find deals on water (we live in az &drink lots of water) we save on soda and bottled iced tea. We find the clothes are well priced. We also purchase skin products at discounts. Cat food & liter are best priced there. We do find air freshener cheaper too. We get mailing but store leave a stack on counter for anyone to take. The cashiers scan coupon for everything in book for every customer regardless of membership type or if you have book.
I like costco I don’t like the people who eat samples like they have never eaten a piece of cheese or a frozen waffle! That bugs more then anything.
Sams club has milk for 3.70, grocery stores around 4.25. That’s significant , especially with a family of six. Only thing I can add is over the years their produce is much closer to expiring than Costco. Wish they had a local Costco! One thing I think that was overlooked is additional money/gas/time spent buying in various stores to get those few cents advantage equals a lot of those cents out.
The author of this article gets bonus points from me for the Jim Gaffigan reference. 🙂 Love him!
OMG people people, dont ever believe this b.s about warehouse clubs not being worth it the savings on gas alone pays 4 your membership !the sams brand toilet paper beats out any sale priced grocery store and its the same quality. milk is cheaper at sams than at aldis whoever believes that laundry detergant expires is coocoo unbelieveable what people believe +
I’m not sure where your gettng this information from. We purchase all of these items (except milk and sunscreen) from Sam’s cheaper than anywhere else.
Especially toilet paper! Skip the fancy brand name stuff, the commercial box of toilet paper we buy for our business, has more rolls per box and more sheets per roll with the same quilted quality. Even more than grocery store generic brands.
As for milk, they don’t sell it in bulk and we would only buy it from Sam’s as a convenience purchase. So, I’m not sure why you would target that item.
Lastly, on experation dates for laundry detergent. I guess I should also check the experation dates on my salt and pepper shaker too. Clearly, not an article to benefit the general public!
That is the bottom line. Pricing at all merchandisers are based on demographics, so the consumer is responsible for being knowledgeable about what the options are. Expiration dates are guidelines to help keep the manufacturers/retailers from being sued if something accidentally gets sold/consumed after that date. Consumers are supposed to use a little common sense. Doesn’t matter what the date on the milk says, if it smells and tastes good why on god’s earth would you throw it out…I’ve seen it last three weeks past expiration. As for cheap milk over expensive milk, what is that about.. Milk fat content is one thing but those factors being equal I can’t tell if the cow was wearing lipstick and stockings and she doesn’t know if her milk went into glass or plastic. So….neither she nor I care which corner her product is being sold on. I think the $3 meal was probably Costco hotdogs, that peeps do rave about. But with judicious shopping a family could do quite nicely every nite for that price per person and quite well. And be glad of it… There’s a place, product and price point for everyone and every family. It’s ‘merica!
The Aldi’s store in Ontario, Ohio has milk, always, for $ 1.99! If you need Gluten Free items they have it. Bread for gluten Free is $ 3.99 ($ 4.99 or higher at other stores. Almost everything you need is much cheaper at Aldi’s. Great place to do your shopping.
This article is nonsense. For one thing the laundry detergent savings alone pays for a membership. Toilet paper, seriously who wants to stand in line at Walmart to save one dollar with a coupon? Condiments… Well if you’re onto going to use them within the expiration date don’t buy them. Sure there are some things at Costco and SAMs that are not cheaper but this list looks like the writer was bored or had to write a random article for school. This list is dumb.
Hey guys, don’t be fooled by expiration dates. Do you really think these manufacturers really conduct trials on their products to see when they “expire”? Not really, an expiration date, even on pharmaceuticals, is the date that “a manufacturer will no longer guarantee a product”. They are pretty much free to make that ANY date they desire. Thirty years ago, when I became a pharmacist, most drugs only had a lot number and no expiration date. Then, expiration dates began showing up on labels. And, I thought the manufacturers really do run tests on these items. At that time, most of the expiration dates were, in many cases, 5 to 10 years. But, about 5 years ago with new rules, expiration dates began to become shorter and shorter. Now, we are lucky if a product arrives with an expiration date of more than a year. So, before you toss something like soap liquid away or heaven forbid, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) which is a preservative in itself (the active ingredient in Fruit Fresh used in canning for fruits) give it a try. Things absolutely do not go 100 percent bad the day after an expiration date. The manufacturers simply want you to throw an item away so you will purchase another one.
Another good example, several years ago, the powdered form of Tamiflu used to make a liquid form for children by adding water, was not available. In the state where I reside, our pharmacy received several boxes of 24 bottles each from the state saying we could use this shipment for medicaid and indigent patients at no charge to these people. The expiration date on these boxes was over a year out of date.
I’m not referring to milk here. But, you could by organic milk instead. Next time you are in the grocery store check out the difference in expiration dates. You will be amazed.
It has also been shown multiple times that pharmaceuticals and other household agents do expire. No, they won’t necessarily hurt you, but they are not helping either. Supplements and medications do expire and after a while, they lose their effectiveness.
Lovely point! 🙂
I have NEVER found Costco milk to be more expensive than regular grocery store milk. As long as you can drink (before it expires) the two gallons they force you to buy at one time.
How is it not a good thing to buy a gallon of milk at Sam’s Club?? It’s $2.98 a gallon…..cheaper than ANY grocery store around. And that’s it’s regular price. Geez, did you try shopping there first? :-/
I know a lot of people worries about stuff that they go buy go bad in stores such as Sam’s; but, groups of people will often go in together and split stuff. I know several people that puts x number of dollars in every month (or two) and then will go in together and buy essentials and split them.
Don’t you people have Aldi’s stores? Milk runs between $2.25 and$2.85 per gallon and they never run sales. It’s that price every day! All their other products are comparably cheap as well except meat. Great quality too!
I disagree with the article. I have found pricing at Costco great for TP and ketchup as well as meats, milk and some of their produce. You just need to know pricing, quality and have time to package bulk by yourself. I do shop at both the Costco Wholesale and Business. I price compare with Safeway, Albertson, Fred Meyer and QFC. Where can you find 2.5 lbs of mushrooms at $5.99 or baby back ribs for $2.59 lbs. or flank steaks at $5.06 lbs. or tater tots as low as $5.99 for 6 lbs as regular pricing? Did you know you can buy deli meats like ham, turkey, and roast beef between $2.09 to $2.99 a pound and store them slicked in the freezer? Did you know you can freeze shredded cheese as well as bulk cheese sliced in the freezer without problems. My spouse and I have worked out how to package and keep things like bulk cheese, meats, and other items in the freezer section of the fridge. Also, we do take advantage of Costco sales where 26-30 size prawns were recently purchased at less than $5.00 per pound. And that ketchup, on Costco sale, the bulk costs as little as $2.99 and fills three 64 ounce ketchup bottles that last a long time in the fridge. Try buying one bottle of ketchup of similar size for that amount.
Yes you could do better with coupons but the amount of time spent, storing and prepping and travel from store to store is a bit much for me.
We tried freezing cheese ?
Yuck!!! We’ll never do that again… We wasted a whole: we call it “leg of cheese”. aka a whole pound box. The texture was crumbly and the taste was disgusting. Had to throw it out.
We still buy it but we divide it up in sandwich bags. Goes in the refrigerator never the freezer.
PS
Yes !! we’ve eaten it past expiration date and yes its still good. No extra green fungus (mold) either LoL
** Please wear mask and gloves when you go shopping. Be safe and healthy
Posted Dec 1.2021
Expiration dates are nothing but a marketing ploy. Grandma and Grandpa never had them and we did and are doing pretty well. Use your eyes and nose to tell if something is good or not. Expiration dates on powdered detergent, come on give me a break. I’m still using detergent from my mom’shhouse that she had when she passed away 7yrs ago. We used to by it pallet in 30lb drums. Cleans as good today as it did when my mom bought it in like 2004. Bounce is another one. I won a “life time” supply in 1999 and still have plenty even after having to give half to the ex in the divorce settlement. Yep she even wanted half of that. I don’t expect to ever have to buy Bounce again. My daughter will have plenty after I am long gone also. Point is expiration dates are a joke. Just to make you buy more. Even on medication.
I disagree with everything on this list. We buy milk when it’s the cheapest, and often times Sams has it the cheapest. We freeze it. You have to pour off a little because it expands (we use a clean milk carton), and that’s all their is to it. When you need another gallon, go to the freezer and get it out. Thaw it in the sink about a day. We’ve never had mustard go bad. We don’t use sunscreen, so I wouldn’t buy that in bulk, anyway.
Did it ever occur to some of you leaving negative comments about pricing that every area (region, state, county, community) is different? Just because milk never goes on sale in YOUR town doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen elsewhere. Be gentle, folks, we’re all trying to help each other out here.
I am retired from the military (Army), have a family of 5, and live in South East Texas. I think the bottom line for all of this (shopping for food items, house hold goods, clothing/gear, anything else not covered) is basic consumer education. We as consumers must educate ourselves, about each store we use, the products they carry (especially the ones we get there). Everyone should know how to do a price comparison, based on the per unit / per item bar code/ label. Our Sam’s Club, sends directly to my iPhone, any of the products we buy there are listed, if they have any specials, or price cuts. At Walmart, I joined the price match program (which is ran by an outside source, not Walmart). Between this and my iPhone, I save a bunch. At the Commissary on base, there are some items that are cheaper there as well. When it is time for “restock” for our home, I already know what and where I need to go, and there are usually three of us in the group doing this at the same time. All of us are retired military, all of us are stay at home Dads. We do a weekly check of the stores we use to see what is on sale and what is the standard pricing on our regular items. We got smart about shopping (we took over from our wives, and they ensured we could do this without bankrupting or starving us all to death).. So many of you posted the answer to all of this already……. be smart about where you are shopping, what you are buying, when do you buy it, and what if any are your variables that are specific to where you live, how many live in your home, and finances. To some of you, thank you for the tips you gave (I will share with RDSC: Retired Dads Shopping Club). To some of you out there, get a darn grip on things, use by and spoil/bad by dates are not connected… To the rest out there, we all started out on this behind the eight ball, its now time to chalk up your cue, and take a shot……
The moral of the story is to know the prices at the stores in your area. We don’t have a Costco, so I have no idea what they are like. We shop at Sam’s for 90% lean hamburger in a 10lb tube for $3.18/lb, boneless/skinless chicken breasts for $1.88/lb, pkg of 48 tortillas for $2.49, and 3lbs of bananas for $1.29. The other thing I buy at Sam’s that I cannot buy anywhere else is a powdered chai tea mix. My splurge. That’s about it. During the holidays when we are having tons of family gatherings and everyone loves black olives, we buy a large commercial can for about $6-$7. Otherwise, we shop Walmart for some items and Dillons for other items. Milk is ALWAYS a Dillons item, as it is produced locally and typically on runs $2.99/gallon and many times on sale for $1.99/gallon. Knowing your prices always pays off in the long run. Assuming you are getting a better buy in big box bulk store is rarely a good idea.
Laundry detergent goes bad?!? Give me a break….
I don’t buy 2 liter bottles of pop there as they are usually $1.25 or more each and you have to buy 4. Dillons usually runs their pop once or twice a month for $1.00 each. I drink Diet Coke like water so this is a huge savings for me. The main things I buy for my family at Sam’s Club are the frozen Tyson Teriyaki Chicken Filets and the fresh boneless, skinless, chicken breasts.
Soda pop is always more expensive at a warehouse club than it is at my local grocery store. It’s sometime cost half as much at my local Walmart!
This really depends on where in the country you live. I live in Honolulu. It is significantly cheaper to buy milk at Sam’s or Costco than sale prices ANYWHERE else here, even factoring in the cost if it goes bad before used completely. We need sunscreen all day every day, so buying it in bulk at a warehouse store is cheaper for us than getting it anywhere else. We get three large bottles for the same price as one small one costs other place.
Instead of making generalizations and acting like the price structure and living conditions are the same everywhere in the US, you should instead focus on the consumer to learning the price structure in their own area, and that they should make buying decisions based upon that. Before you go making generalizations acting like the price structure and living conditions are the same everywhere in the US, you might want to put a disclaimer about that. The takeaway should be that just because it is at the warehouse store, it might not be the cheapest price found, and even when it is, that the sizes required to buy in bulk might not be the best purchasing decision for any particular family.
An educated consumer is a wise consumer. This article does nothing to further consumer education.
I only have a few points to make…For me this article is way off, however, this does not mean that this is true for everyone, for it is all about demographics…my second point and this one is important to all consumers who purchase a brand name TP(not generic) buying tp at the grocery store or for that matter Target/Kmart, be aware of marketing traps…I bought a 9 pack of northern tp of the big rolls, at the grocery store because they had a sale, that saved me a bit compared to the huge pack of 36 that I normally buy at Sam’s,(also the big rolls…those rolls of tp were actually smaller than the ones in the packs that I get at Sams and the rolls were also more loosely rolled..I know for a fact that they were smaller, cause I still had tp left from the Sam’s pack, and they both were labeled as the big rolls…supposedly the same sheet count and everything…That was all it took for me, I will never ever buy TP anywhere other than Sam’s..
And 3rd and final comment, for the person who made the statement of milk being $9.99 for a gallon of milk, I am sure the hell grateful I do not live where you live, even organic milk, where I live does not even cost that much, in fact organic milk here is like $6…I feel for you, cause that is just ridiculous..
All this silliness about the “best” disposable diapers.
Two babies, a few dozen cloth diapers and plastic pants. Nothing in the landfills.
I totally agree with you, my mother used cloth diapers for 3 children and everyone survived it. I’m a cashier at Walmart and customers were telling me that plastic bags in California would be banned, I told them “are they banning disposable diapers then” complete silence after that comment.
Sam’s Club closed down near me so I shop at Costco now. What you should never buy at Costco is meat. It is very overpriced. I also avoid the frozen prepared food. It is expensive compared to just making your own meals. Plus, its usually full of fat.
The author obviously doesn’t have a family. Milk at Sam’s is at least .50 a gallon cheaper than the cheapest neighborhood Grocery, including Walmart. Costco in my area is 1.00 a gallon cheaper. I will also have to disagree on TP and Laundry supplies. Can’t beat the prices, even sale prices, and it never goes bad in my house.
Who ever wrote this article does not know what they are talking about! I shop there all the time and find this to be the most inaccurate article on almost every item you list! It’s BS! It all depends on the quantity size you actually need. Probably written by a competitor or maybe just an uniformed person who just writes articles without proper knowledge or research of the subject they are claiming to be an expert about to fill space on their blog!
No one seems to address the waste of time and gas to run all over town to save a few cents here or there on single items. That also needs to be taken into consideration when shopping.
People tend to forget (or don’t know) warehouse clubs were designed with the focus on serving small businesses with their bulk packaging needs.
If one was able to enter the store during “Business Member” hours, they would observe a very different consumer base who have a defined list of needs who have no time to casually cruise the aisles to kill time. They want to get in and out and get back to their businesses!
I buy laundry soap, Clorox, and bounce and all at Sam’s, I have had some for over 6 months and used them, can not tell any difference in my clothes. I think it is important about dates on food products, but not on most cleaning supplies. Sometimes we waste to much going by dates, we are a wasteful nation!!!!!!
Sometimes it’s just more convenient. Sometimes the stores don’t carry what you use/need.
Aldi seems to have great milk prices, BTW.
True it is not always best to buy in bulk…have to watch for sales, coupons, etc. .
But…figure in time and gas at $3+/gal…before you think it is such a great deal to drive 50 miles and 4 hours to check 5 stores for groceries.
What’s your time worth? Mine is about $40/hr.
Actually the milk is cheaper at Sam’s club. Also why worry about saving a dollar on toilet paper when you will have to go back out waste gas and time everytime you need it lol. Toiletries do not have an expiration date so why not just buy enough to last a couple months.
After reading all the comments, would you be willing to recant some of the boldness you used in the title and reasoning to write this article? Sounds like many respondents disagree with you. Like I said before, “No store can be everything to everybody”. I just don’t understand how someone can show so much negative [taking time to knock someone in internet print] energy for a company that does over $300,000,000,000 in business while having soooooooo little supporting evidence. Someone feels they are doing something right.
We quit Sam’s because it wasn’t worth it. Plus they expect you to pay to shop there.
As with any businesses, no one can be everything to everyone. Other than the desire to make money, Sam’s and Costco have different business plans. They really are not head to head competitors for everything.
You can always find things at cheaper prices if you take the time to search and drive around. [Therefore you don’t really save if your gas and time have value] The little thing called “lost leader” distorts everyday pricing.No store is perfect. I think you chose to pick on Sam’s to create drama and get some attention.
I don’t dislike your article, but you didn’t do a very good job supporting your argument. Sam’s prices can be set by region, state, community, and store. They constantly have price shoppers and study ads on competitors. They calculate which items to compete with and which to use to maintain margins. YOU would need to shop all over the country to get enough data to support your premise.
Just bought a Sam’s membership, we run a concession stand for our school group. We were dropped by our truck supplier for candy (we weren’t a 1000 dollar stop I guess…) Candy is 1/3 cheaper at sams. Period. Every single type and kind, it’s all 30% less than what we were paying.
Then your supplier did you a favor?
Couldn’t disagree more on the toilet paper, milk, condiments and laundry detergent (liquid), as nowhere in San Antonio does the grocery store come close in price as Sam’s Club. We also don’t come close to the run-out dates on the products named which assists in enhancing the savings.
Reading through these comments tells me everyone has different priorities and experiences with wholesale clubs. I am a single woman who travels for work extensiviely. I shop at Costco all the time and LOVE it. If I had to look for coupons and make several trips to grocery stores to save money I would pull my hair out. I just don’t have the time or inclination. Costco sends me money saving coupons monthly that I use to buy laundry detergent, toilet paper, paper towels, fabric softner etc. Even with me being single, I will use up the laundry detergent and fabric softner well withins 6 mos. With some of their bulk food items like salsa’s, guacomole etc I will freeze half of it to use later. I also shop with another single friend and we often split bulk items which saves even more and I don’t have to worry about items going bad. I don’t shop at Walmart or Sam’s if I can avoid it. I hate both places.The Sam’s near me gets the scariest people in it and is always dirty. I work in the apparel industry and the list of American jobs and manufacturers they have put out of business by outsourcing is huge. For me, Walmart/Sam’s Club is the big Satan. It’s not at all what Sam Walton intended it to be. The man would be turning over in his grave to see the direction his company has gone. One other thing that NOBODY mentioned is the free food tastings you get at wholesale clubs. One of my favorite things! i can fill up and save plenty of money on not having to cook or buy lunch!
I have often said that Walmart is the devil. They have put the majority of family-owned stores out of business here creating a monopoly. Our rural area has 6 Walmarts within a 20-mile radius. I would definitely try out a Costco if that was offered here. While there are a few regular items I purchase at Sam’s (chicken being one of them because it’s over $1 less per pound), I do most of my grocery shopping at Aldi. They have the best produce, though it might not be a large selection, and milk and eggs are much less there. I used to love the samples! Every time I go now they usually just have some sort of drink to try. They had Fruit2O last time I went, and organic lemonade the time before. Disappointing! That used to be my favorite part too!
Forget diapers and milk, I paid a SAMS membership because I wanted to save on big ticket items. So I bought a microwave oven, a nice one. Only to find out I over paid for it because the “Parent Company” WALMART!!!!! had it for less! A lot less! What was I paying membership for? Then I found out it was even cheaper at TARGET!! A lot cheaper! The every day price! Now I hate Walmart even MORE!
I live in Hawaii. Two places I do most of my shopping is the Navy Commesary/Exchange and Costco. Costco is cheaper than any or the regular stores and often same or cheaper than even Commesary. Gas is also always about 4 cents cheaper thatn navy exchange.
That said, that person who wrote this artical gave some poor examples.
Not everyone can go to the exchange or commisary…so you really can’t count those. Only for military and dependants.
Before the days of WalMart and Target the commisary was a great deal. May still be, but I would not know.
Basically taxpayer subsidized stores.
Depends on where you live. In expensive parts of the country, the commissary is definitely a good deal; in Hawaii, I hardly shopped anywhere else. Move to the Deep South, however, and suddenly you can find unbelievable bargains everywhere. In Georgia, I usually shop Sam’s first, then Walmart, then the commissary.
Diapers… from every mom I’ve talked to.. generic is not the way to go and every one swears by name brand diapers… Sams Club has offered instant savings of $6 per pack. But actually I know BJs is usually the best (don’t know about costco) BJs you can use coupons… and they put out a coupon book with usually $3-4 off for a pack.. and you can request more books at member services and use a manufacturer coupon for a combined total of 6-7 dollars off and less per diaper than anywhere else… The only downsize is the packs are so big that you lose transition period… and getting another pack and not using some because your baby might grow out of the size.
Condiments… have you seen families of 4 or 5??? can certainly use multiple packs of ketchup… etc. before expiration date!
sunscreen… it comes in packs of two bottles… which I can go through in a summer … or I can buy with a family member and we can each use a bottle and certainly use it in one year.
Laundry… shelf life of detergent??? what??? and what do you wear one shirt a week? or have everything drycleaned? How would you not use a thing in 6 months even if it did have a shelf life?
Milk… also never seen anything above a gallon of milk at a warehouse club… how is a gallon bulk? maybe not offered in quarts but if I’m drinking milk .. we can drink a gallon.
basically don’t read the article – look at your prices.. see if you throw anything out.. thats how to save money…
I buy the Sam’s brand of toilet paper because it is septic safe. The only other one is Angel Soft which is not soft at all. We’ve had several blockages and the plumber said the newer super-soft, extra quilted toilet papers don not dissolve and cause blockages.
Scotts is also septic safe but we no longer use it because it’s like using wax paper.
If you really want to save money check with local churches. we have several food distribution programs where you get a grocery cart full of food for between $3-$25. You just have to wait in line but not any longer than if you were actually grocery shopping. If you buy in everything in bulk you must have converted an extra bedroom into pantry? Also invest in pressure canning equipment if you are going to buy or get a lot of produce or meat.
I don’t know where Bill lives that they NEVER have milk on sale- but, he needs to check out Safeway as they regularly put milk on sale…and, Walmart will match ANY sale item- so if milk is on sale at another store they will charge you the sale price. You do have to mention it, though. I never buy bags of lettuce at Sams- it goes bad very quickly…but, find their cheese to be a good buy- in volume. I prefer buying in volume even if it isn’t the best buy on earth- as I hate shopping and only want to go once every six weeks or so. It beats running all over to find that extra five cents off a roll of paper towels. Some things are just worth an extra few cents just to be able to buy in bulk and much less often.
At my local Wal Mart Express, Their milk was selling for $2.60 a gallon, it is now $2.75 a gallon, for whole milk and 2%, doesn’t matter. Eggs are also cheaper, they are $1.00 a dozen. Not sure if that’s in all the Express stores or not.
I work as a Cashier for one of the large box retailers in this story and we price match milk and toilet paper and EVERYTHING that is a printed local ad(s). I use price matching when I shop and have coupons as well and do great…I also get an Employee Discount. I would highly recommend that you use Price-Matching to get your much used items! We also have e-receipts that allows you to scan your receipt and throw it away! Your pants don’t fit or whatever, just come into the store with your phone and the receipt is there!
I have found milk much cheaper at Sam’s. I am just wondering if the person that wrote this article is using reverse psychology or something. I buy laundry detergent, peanut butter, eggs, dog food,milk and meat at Sam’s. Not much else. The meat is the best quality in our town. much much better than walmart. ugh. Our Culinary Arts teacher said Sam’s has a higher grade meat and I believe it. The tenderloin roast in the plastic sack is awful though. too much injected water and yuck stuff comes out when cooking and it is not from the meat itself. no way! NEVER buy the fish it is from China. The last I bought had worms!!!!
Thanks for the heads up on the fish. I don’t buy ANY food stuff from China- nor do I buy pet food from there. It’s time to shut China and their second rate food out of the marketplace, forever.
Have you seen that they want to send US chicken to China for processing? Then they will send it back here for sale…with no mention of it being in China for processing? Will still be sold as produce of USA.
I would stop buying chicken nuggets when this starts…buy only whole chickens or parts you can readily identify as chicken.
I bought 2 sets of sunscreen this month for my triplets who are going to day camp and may swim twice a day, or more, if the weather is really hot. They are very fair skinned, and know they need the coverage. Since they also have a home pool, it is imperative that they used the stuff regularly, and they are old enough to do it for themselves. I hope that what I bought lasts the summer!
Heck, you can add chips, protein mix. about the only thing cheaper is buying coffee in boxes of 80 K-cups to get the per unit serving around $0.50 per cup of coffee. in fact, when you take out a calculator at sam’s and figure out the per unit cost — my local FOOD LION is less expensive. anyone noticed how walmart is becoming less price competitive too?
I can get 12-pack name brand K-cups at Kroger for $5.99.
I would like to point out a blaring fact that was overlooked. Time and gas spent running all over town to save a few cents. I will buy my TP at Costco thank you.
My outlook, exactly. With the price of gas and the value of your time- I don’t quibble over a few cents extra when I can buy a volume and skip the running from store to store. Where is the bargain in that? My time is worth more than that!
My late wife and I used to shop at both Wal-Mart and Costco, and Safeway. Our local Wal-Mart did not have a complete grocery store, so cannot comment upon that. However, Wal-Mart has gotten so bad from when they were a general store for rural areas, and my stomach turns. Every time I picked up a product there I had to ask myself “What is wrong with this?”. I like beef jerky. Wal-Mart has a look-alike package made with a name brand product at a big price reduction, but with a product quantity reduction which increased the product cost to retail. For big ticket items and Pharmacy, Costco was by far superior as to product and cost. They easily beat all comers as to TV’s and they have a great return policy. The big attraction of Costco is the low prices on their luxury items (Sirloin year round at $3.99 a lb., and super deals on salmon and halibut). Remember, support Wal-Mart and you are supporting outsourcing.
I love shopping at Sams. Their brand of toilet paper is great. I buy condiments too, if need be I share with my daughter. It may not save me money but it helps her growing family. Does anyone know if their brand of powdered laundry detergent works as well as Tide Powder?
Yes, I think so. The Wind Fresh detergent is great, plus it has NO SCENT!!!
I love the Wind Fresh detergent as well. The best part is that it last my family for months, and we are a family of 8. The best advice I can give someone is that warehouses are not going to be for everybody. Buy for your family. Sam’s Club works for us because it is still one stop shopping and it lasts longer than the products at Walmart due to them being in bulk.
Consumer Report rated Sam’s Member’s Mark to be as good as Tide for half the price.
I agree with this most of this post. There are very few food or laundry, TP, condiments, ect.. these sorts of items at Sam’s club, that are actually much cheaper. I have been laid off for over a year, so when my Mother got me a membership so I could save money, I had already been paying VERY close attention to unit prices, size, oz, quantity, you name it! The exceptions are only if you purchase “name brand items,” then you get somewhat of a better deal. We largely purchase generic brands and still have comparable quality over most items, and save at LEAST hundreds of dollars per year! Obviously, you cannot penny pinch on certain things and still expect a quality item, because on certain things the old adage applies “you get what you pay for.” We are not wealthy, (considered middle class) but we know many who are wealthy, and they will not purchase “generic” because only the supposed best will do. Their are other adages that also apply “A penny saved, is a penny earned” and “Waste not, want not” I say do yourself and your Family a favor, throw out the status/name brand and go generic, and spend that extra money on your Family or helping someone in real need… I guarantee you’ll feel better about yourself, and the person/persons you’re helping, won’t care the items are generic
I know a lot of “middle class” folks that say only the best will do.$100-200,000/year family income.
Wealthy? 5 million in bank? One million? 100 million.A billion?
Clintons were dead broke with millions to their names.
This article is full of errors. I have done the math on things like toilet paper and laundry detergent and not only is it generally cheaper to buy in bulk the writer of this article forgets to factor in additional trips to the supermarket to purchase smaller sizes at increased frequency. Apparently being a reporter is similar to be a meteorologist – just make stuff up and hope it’s correct… and if it’s not, who cares, they still get paid.
Stephen,
The writer of this article is most assuredly not a reporter.
Well said Stephen. I was thinking the same thing before I read your response. Don’t forget the money you save on gas as at Costco and Sam’s Club. I usually get mine at Costco because it’s closer to my house. Lately they have been 20 – 30 cents per gallon cheaper.
I would do more shopping at COSTCO if it were closer to me than SAMS. COSTCO’s meats are great compared to SAMS. I am so tired of buying pork at SAMS and getting it home and finding out it is on the verge of spoiling. After years of buying TP, I know which ones I like. I don’t just buy what they have on sale..I check to see how many sheets on a role, and how many rolls in a pack and I even check to see how BIG THE ROLLER HOLE IS AS ONE COMPANY HAS MADE THE TUBE BIGGER AROUND! Generally SAMS and COSTCO are pretty much the same.
Sheets on a TP roll, try measuring the sheets size. Some manufactors are now making there sheets smaller so they claim to have more sheets than their competitor. Kinda like paper towel manufactors are doing.
Sams and Walmart are owned by the same company. Generally, what can be purchased at Sams can also be purchased at Wal Mart. I discovered this about ten years ago and mostly stopped shopping at Sam’s because I didn’t want to pay the membership fee. I only use my Sam’s membership to buy electronics and vitamins, which are in fact cheaper than anywhere else even Wal Mart. I have a baby and have used the Wal Mart brand of diapers for two years with no issues, in fact I prefer them to the Pampers which gave my sons a rash. Costco is the biggest rip off- I have never actually found anything that is actually cheaper there. A person needs to calculate the actual price per unit, or ounce, and actually be able to use the product before deciding where the deals are. When I had pets I bought a lot of produce to feed to them at Sam’s and it was cheaper than the grocery and we did use all of it. I bought a huge bottle of detergent and it lasted us a year. Dryer sheets- name brand ones even- can be found at 99c store as can many other kitchen staples so I also shop there. I do what I have to support my family, and we don’t suffer for lack of good food either. Just have to shop around.
Ditto! Well said Erika! I had posted a comment and little did I realize, I had said basically the same as you..I totally agree.. = }
I agree too but I buy toilet paper, Tide Power, Oxi-Clean, and some condiments and fresh vegetables at Sams. I get a lot of good buys on groceries at Walmart too.
I agree completely. I usually walk around with my phone on calculator and compare ounces at Sam’s. Our Walmart has it posted on each price tag so you don’t have to do the math. You definitely learn when you shop around. We have a Walmart, Sam’s and Dollar Tree in plazas across from each other. I buy my window cleaner, toilet cleaner, LA’s Awesome cleaning spray, dish soap, and these awesome stainless-steel wipes that come in 6 individual packets at Dollar Tree. I think it’s the most under-rated store. Sure they have some crappy stuff, but there are far too many good things there if you look around and get familiar with it.
Not really sure if it makes a difference to you or not, but for the most part there is a reason vitamins are cheaper at places like Wal mart or Sams. The generic/ store brands they carry are rated pretty poorly by Consumer Labs. For just a little more you can get a quality vitamin at almost any health supplement store. Big warehouse stores do have a lot of values, but for the most part vitamins are not one of them.
They also carry name brand vitamins and supplements at Sam’s.
Costco toilet paper is the best quality and value without question.
We personally hate the kirkland brand. It is definitely cheap and you got a ton but it breaks apart easy and not soft.
I would have to disagree in part to the above article. TP is a significantly bigger savings at Sams Club. Also less than $4 for a large can of Ketchup vs Grocery store same brand charges same price for 64 oz. bottle. Finally laundry soap, we purchase the Organic soap that is over twice the size for same cost. You people need to do your research better.
To all!!!!!!!!!!! Many’s a years ago I worked at a packing plant for food-stuffs. Every thing was the same. Only difference: PACKAGE name!!!
We used different named packaging while all the while whatever name was the same made products!!!!!!!!!!
thanks
Earleen
Thank you earleen, i laughed at all the replies knowing the same thing
Yep, same is true for brand name and store brand milks. We have a Bimbo bakery in town and they also make Walmart’s store brand breads. Unless you’re buying something with a particular formula, you’re paying for the brand.
The key is to just know your prices at your local grocery stores, and know your family. I can’t take the time to shop the sales, and when I go to Sam’s, there are only certain things I will purchase there, knowing they are cheaper. We love their stir-fry, bagel bites, canisters of nuts, fruit snacks, etc…..now I am very fortunate that I live near a Woodman’s and the prices are generally very, very good compared to a regular grocery store.
I read this article in hopes of learning something, but I have to say I am in total disagreement. The first three items diapers, milk and toilet paper are some of the main things I buy at Sam’s Club. The milk is at least a dollar cheaper and you can buy a gallon of it. The diapers are way more bang for your buck. I used to use really expensive pampers diapers that I loved and then decided to try Sam’s brand because it was $10 cheaper. They work just as well as the Pampers. Toilet paper is also something we spend a lot less on since its the Sam’s brand. We normally shop at Wal-Mart for everything else. I would do some more research before making blanket statements.
as with ANY product, membership or whatever, do you research/homework. Of course 3 lbs of lettuce for 2 people won’t work well. We always took the approach, it is our money what is the best values I can get.
Actually, on average, my wife and I go through about a pound of lettuce a day, so I frequently buy bulk. Often buying 2 bags of 3-4 pounds of salad mix at a time.
And no, we are not vegetarian, I usually have a salad for lunch, then we often have a steak or fish with a salad and nothing else for meals, and we both love salads.
That should work well with Hugh Jaynus
Detergent and bleach do not have a 6 month shelf life. Bleach lasts forever and detergent nearly that long….years in fact. Who wrote this?
I did some digging and found that the chemicals/ingredients of liquid detergents can separate after its “best use by” date, causing consistency, smell, or color issues. That of course won’t stop everybody from using it, but here’s another article for more info:
http://laundry.answers.com/detergents/buying-laundry-detergent-in-bulk-the-expiration-date-isnt-an-end-all-be-all
Kathy, opened bottles of liquid chlorine bleach DEFINITELY go bad. Once the bottle has been opened, it starts losing strength. Higher temperatures, like a hot garage/laundry room in the summer in the deep south cause it to lose strength even faster. UNOPENED bottles have a much longer shelf life.
Here are a couple of links to relevant information on the Clorox website. You can find lots of corroborating information just by googling shelf life of bleach.
http://www.clorox.com/dr-laundry/shelf-life-odor/
http://www.clorox.com/dr-laundry/bleach-shelf-life/
Has the author of this article ever been shopping? I have never seen a sale on milk at any of the grocery stores in our town. Never. And the warehouse club at which I shop sells milk in the same exact quantity as a supermarket- a gallon- at much lower prices. In addition, the author’s family must be much cleaner than my own if she doesn’t go through laundry detergent quickly enough. That being said, I do agree with the broad point of the article. Warehouse deals typically are not cheaper if you can catch an item on sale at a grocery store and especially if you also have a coupon. There is however a convenience to warehouse stores which (when combined with generally low prices) makes them attractive.
The sales must be location specific then Bill. I live in California and like Emily, find tons of sales for milk at local grocery stores whenever they want to lure us in, or when the stuff is getting close to going bad.
I recently paid $3.75 at Sams club for milk. I hadnt seen it below $4.00 ANYWHERE .
I agree. I have a local grocers in Texas, as well as a Sams Club.. frankly- the milk at Sams is just as good, and we go through it quick enough- it is easier & more cost effective to buy it under 5$- where as at the grocers I pay over 4$.
Bought milk last evening at Walgreens for $3.44 a gallon. Its about $3.80 at Walmart, and over $4 at the local HyVee Grocery.
Love the name Hugh !
Mr. Jaynus, what do you think about Sam’s toilet paper prices?
Aldi milk…$2.89/gal
We get what we pay for. There are varying levels of quality to milk. The cheaper milk is lower quality. Personally, I purchase the highest quality milk I can find. That cheap stuff that comes in the plastic gallon container is junk.
Blue you must be the person who goes to the local grocery store because of their loyalty program – spend an extra $200.00 on groceries to save $30.00 on gas.
Well good for you! I’m naturally assuming that you are imbibing said beverage in concert with your caviar and truffles!
But you do have a valid point about the life of warehouse club milk, if not the quality. I have found that it just doesn’t last as long, sometimes not even to the expiration date. In addition, I always find milk cheaper at my neighborhood Kroger store, so I buy it there.
Bleu, sounds like you just go out and buy a whole cow! I guess that is a way to save money for sure?????????
I know you are being sarcastic (and I wholly appreciate it cause that guy seems like a jerk) but I have been begging my friends to go in with me on a whole cow. There are farms local to me that sell whole, grass fed cows. I think the meat tastes better. But it is upwards of $800 to buy the cow and get it slaughtered and processed. I want to find 3-5 people to split it with me!
Damn. I guess I am a junk-buyer because the plastic container is the only one I buy. My grocery store doesn’t sell milk in glass containers with gold labels!
Milk is way overrated, try Soymilk, it’s thicker and has taste to it that is appealing.
Soymilk? Blech. Nastiest tasting stuff I have ever had. I don’t want my milk to be thick. That is cream.
I agree we live in Texas and never find milk on sale. However, we recently got an Aldi grocery store and Milk was 98 cents per gallon when they opened and they had 33 cents per dozen eggs. I would go just to save on that. They have since gone up to $1.29 per gallon and 79 cents per dozen of eggs but that is still worth it as our local stores charge about $3.69 for milk and if you buy bordens you will pay around $6 per gallon. I guess that is the designer brand milk. Eggs are always $1.29 here except at Aldis. It taste the same too!
I used to always buy my chicken at Aldi – much cheaper than any other stores here. I still go there for all of my produce and lactose-free milk. They always have cheaper eggs & egg whites. I also love a lot of their generic products; a large shaker of spices is only $1. It may not always be the greatest selection, but it’s worth it for what you can find. There are only a few things I buy regularly at Sam’s, chicken being one of them now. The store in our neighborhood has chicken breasts for $1.88/lb which is over a dollar less than anywhere else.
I had trouble with Tide clothes soap for years. It is too strong for me
and makes me itch. No fun at all!
Sam’s diapers are amazing – Goodnites is in a big box and a great deal.
Their Tide knockoff pods are great too.
The huge Charmin lasts my kids a month.
So these three work for me.
“Generally, liquid detergent and bleach are good for about six months.” I cannot even tell you how false this is.
It’s actually true. Open liquid detergents can expire quickly. Here are a bunch more expiration dates that can surprise you:
http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/surprising-expiration-dates-10000000676079/print-index.html
Just because there is an expiration date on the bottle that doesn’t mean it going to go bad. It is just there so you will throw out the “bad” product and buy more.
This has been proven over and over again with consumer products across the board.
I shop at sams all the time I disagree I buy 6 milk at a time and they have never went bad and toilet paper is cheaper I can get 45 rolls to Walmart 24 for the same price and I have never heard of laundry soap going bad lol does dates on those bottle mean there best to use before that date doesn’t mean there bad
Jeffery: You sound like the type of person who will eat yogurt if you only have to scrape a small amount of mold off the top. Good luck to you and your frugal thinking.
Actually that blue mold on top of the yoghurt is quite delicious. Its like a cheap blue cheese.
I totally agree. Expiration on detergent? Bleach? Oh please. ‘Prepared mustard’ is made from mustard seeds and vinegar. It’ll last as long as the container it’s purchased in and doesn’t even need refrigerated. Our ‘disposable’ nation will throw anything away if you put a ‘use by’ date on it. Imagine a 4 year old aged bourbon with a ‘born on’ date and having a shelf life of six months. Yep, people would throw it away.
Actually, bleach is only effective for about 6 months, then becomes less and less effective. Chlorine oxidizes over time. A lot of other things, expiration dates are guidelines, or due to regulation, not any particular problem after said date. Also, expiration dates are last sale dates, not OMG you are going to die if you use it dates. Mustard? Lasts forever, or near enough. Milk and milk products go bad fairly fast, but if you have kids, you can’t keep enough milk in the fridge for them. We by coffee, paper products in bulk, canned goods, water, etc… from sams, all cheaper per unit that wal mart or other stores.
Detergents, bleach, and other household items do expire. No, it won’t hurt anything if you use them, but it won’t help either.
I am in TOTAL disagreement almost every thing that was listed is way cheaper the my local grocery store. In my house we drink a gallon of milk in a day and a half. I don’t even bother looking at dates. Diapers were way better priced at Sam’s an they were good quality. Toilet paper is also cheaper at Sam’s I do not want to wait a half month to wipe my rear. We use a lot of ketchup in my house and they fit on my frig door shelf. I even buy 50 lbs of sugar and gallon size tea bags. I avoid fresh fruit and clothing at Sam’s they seem higher priced than my local stores. When I go to Sam’s I usually spend $600 every two months. If you buy thing at a warehouse store you need to understand the work starts when you get home. We break things down bag it and freeze or put it in a closet I put shelves in. I have been a member of Sam’s for about 35 years and never had any problems. Costco on the other hand is the complete I paid for a membership they said it you did not spend so much they refund the fee. HUGE lie the did not even send a coupon book to my address. Costco is a rip off from the word enter on the door.
Thanks for sharing Alan. If you still have your Costco executive membership, you may need to line up at the customer service line and ask for the refund. I heard good stories about getting the refund that way.
Sorry people. You don’t have to line up at Costco to get your membership money back.. Just ask..? Tell them you are unhappy shopping there and give up your card…
I must disagree, I have both memberships. They are fairly comparable to me. We also don’t get coupon books FOR EITHER membership at our home, so I ask for one when I go in, sometimes they are nice sometimes not, however Costco’s was using the same code if you look at the back and it removes all the coupons from one code. I have found many books in the basket. I use each one about once a month. When I had my second child he was allergic to any diaper except pampers. However my husband bought a thing of the kirkland diapers at costco and he was not allergic and they held up, absorbed all night and did NOT leak. We had very good experiences with them. The rest of the stuff it seems one store has one product I use slightly higher but another one slightly lower so its a wash. They are comparable price wise for the items we use often. I prefer costco because the employees at OUR location are much friendlier than Sams and the shopping experience is less stressful until check out. Seems not enough lanes at Costco to compensate the shoppers, Sams has them beat hands down on a normal day on that. I too think the laundry soap is a great deal. For instance at Target I buy a large jug of tide for around $18 at Target/Walmart. Downy I spend about $11 for a larger jug but it is not the same amount the detergent does. However, I went to Sam’s just the other day and if you bought the large jug of Tide (larger than Target/Walmart one) for $21 and a matching size Downey for $12 you got $9 off. That is a great deal. We too use a lot of laundry soap per month so expiration is not a problem. I don’t have time to make my own soap, wipes, etc. I did not want to smell diapers needing cleaning until I could do them. I am a stay at home mom but I have one child with Autism and one very young child my day stays busy so convenience is a huge plus for me. Also when we leave we tend to eat dinner for under $12 for a family of 4 (not just pizza or hot dogs either with dessert) That is a bargain all in its own! 😀
Alicia: If my mother had fed me a $3 dinner, I would have run away from home. Sounds pathetic.
When you buy in bulk, you are buying for multiple meals. If you average it out over the number of meals that you can make with what you purchased, 12.00 per meal sounds about right. You can buy chicken breasts for 1.99/lb and fix 2lbs of chicken for dinner, add small side salad and a vegetable/pasta side dish, you can easily feed your family of 4 a decent meal for under 12.00.
Wow. What an ungrateful child you must have been. Some of my students would LOVE to have a $3 meal from their mother…
What a spoiled person you must have been. My family lived on a farm and we were grateful for every mouthful no matter what the cost. We even gathered some greens from the wild. We raised, killed and processed our meats. And my mama served us veggie plates occasionally when the meats were almost gone. And I remember those days with gratitude that my belly was always full.
For curiousity’s sake how much do you spend on dinner?
I bet she fed you 3$ meals and you just didn’t know it. ; )
We can feed an entire family with less than 10 dollars. That comes out to 2 dollars a plate. If we budget it right. Including drink and dessert.
Growing up my mom manage it. So I learned from my parents. Living in the projects we did it.
You seem very ungrateful.
Also, based on your response you probably didn’t know the value of your meals anyway. Maybe you should run away now.
I wonder why the employees seem friendlier at Costco? Could it be that the company pays them a living wage and treats them like human beings unlike Walmart/Sam’s?
Costco pays a living wage because they get better quality employees. Sometimes employees do get paid what they are worth.
I know for a fact that the clientel(sp) are some of the best people ever at COSTGO! At one of my shopping trips to the store: My husband let me off at the entrence and he went to fuel up. Before my getting out of the vehicle he ask me, “Do you need money?” Well, of course, I said, “YES!” He gave me two (2) one hundred dollar bills. I did my shopping and met up with him at the check-out. I did not have the two(2) $100.00 bills. My husband even dumped my purse out on the counter to search! Finally, he said, “Go ask the clerk at that cage!” And guess what happened? My two(2) $100.00 bills had been turned in!!!!!!!!! Who wooda thunk!!!!!
Of course, you would have thought if anyone had found the money, that they certainly would not have turned it in. The clerk told me she had said, “This has to be someones Christmas money!!!!!!”
That Christmas was one of the best ever. To think there are still people of that character!!! PRAISE BE TO THE LORD
thank you,
Earleen
I have also noticed that the employees at Costco are much friendlier and more eager to be of assistance. They have a more professional appearance and demeanor. You get what you pay for and Costco, from all accounts, pays their employees much better than Sam’s; therefore, they get better employees. Because of the difference in the corporate cultures, I prefer to shop at Costco. I also find that for the things I buy, the prices are better at Costco and often the quality is much better.
We have belonged to Sams for several years and have found the employees very helpful and friendly. Even got a hug from one of the good folks the other day.
Yes, Kim, that is why. My wife and I refuse to patronize walfart or sammie’s junk club because of the rotten way they treat their workers.
Sam’s Club pays their employees quite well, with a median wage between $10-14 per hour, and BJ’s Wholesale pays at about the same. Costco does somewhat better, at $12-16. In my town, we have a Sam’s and a Costco, and I’ve been told the wages are about the same by employees; my guess is the Costco premium is more due to where their stores are located and prevailing wage in those areas.
COSTCO employees start at those wages, and go on to receive regular raises, which leads the majority of it’s employees to be paid much higher than Walmart/Sams employees do. COSTCO also provides excellent healthcare benefits at an AFFORDABLE price for both part time and full time employees after only 3 months of employment, rather than after 2 years of employment required by WM/S. COSTCO also matches 401 (k) contributions for it’s employees. The Waltons build bunkers for themselves and pay themselves the millions that could be contributed to improving the futures of so many hard working people.
Mediocre tips pointing out the obvious of expiration dates. Plus, generic diapers are poor quality for the most part…once you have a generic poo-filled diaper fall off, you don’t go back.
Yikes! Sorry to hear that a diaper has fallen off for you. I personally just don’t like the material as it constantly scratches my baby’s private areas, so I stay away too.
So did the diaper fall off YOU, or off your baby?
Now now, Hugh……enough with the high school name play. Someone just called that Prince Albert is in a can……
An unexpected laugh from you two. Thanks!
I highly recommend Walgreens diapers, I
Have used them for both of my kids with no
Problems.
Also Walgreens products are 100% guaranteed,
Don’t like the product just bring it back for a full refund.
Great tips! I just started comparing some prices and found the same thing with toilet paper and laundry detergent. It is nice, however, getting those items in bulk!!
The key really is to compare prices and not blindly trust that one is for sure better than another.
Glad you are able to find the products that actually save you money!
Well said
Milk at Costco is way cheaper than any of the supermarkets I’ve seen. Also, mustard works out well for me.
We recently started buying Milk at Costco too because we wanted to buy organic ones and Costco only started to carry them recently. It’s much cheaper and our kids run through them as if we are taking showers with milk so any little bit helps!
I agree! Milk is ALWAYS cheaper at Costco. We go through 6 gallons a week. [My huband only].
I agree. A gallon of milk at BJ’s (local club similar to Sam’s Club or Costco) costs only a little more than a half gallon at the cheapest local grocery. And I also buy
2-packs of organic Heinz ketchup (large but not superlarge bottles) and have never had any go bad.
I buy our milk at Costco as much as possible when we go to town (which is a 30 minute drive to the other side). It’s about $6 a gallon there. We don’t have a Sam’s Club here. To buy milk “on sale” at our local “chain” grocery store costs $9.99 per gallon. I think some of these things must be location specific. They certainly don’t apply where I live.
Oh my gosh Victoria!!! Where do you live that has you paying $9.00 per gallon of milk? That’s insane! That would sure force me to the powdered stuff (yuk).
My gosh!!! Someone is making a pile of gold on that milk! I pay 3.99 and think that is a great price.
Why is everyone so fixated on milk? It doesn’t even taste good. I take Vitamin D supplement and eat light calorie cheese sticks to get some calcium. The human animal as an adult doesn’t have to drink gallons of milk in droves to stay healthy, come to think about it kids don’t either as cow’s milk was meant to nourish a huge offspring for it’s original purpose.
Stephanie, milk is a staple in the majority of households. That you have to take a supplement to get the nourishment already contained in milk that most of us drink speaks volumes.
Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it doesn’t taste good. I like the taste, and don’t drink it only because of its nutritional content. Drinking as much soda or beer would be a lot worse for me, and city water tastes terrible.
Milk is for babies.
-Arnold Schwarzenegger
Wow $9.99 a gallon. What state do you live in?
$9.99? Do you live in Hawaii? I live in Alaska and we only pay $4.99 per gallon here in Anchorage at the local Kroger/Safeway affiliate. I buy milk bottled locally so we don’t buy it at the warehouse clubs but we do buy half-and-half, cream, eggs, and eggnog at Costco.
10 bucks for a gallon of milk???!!!
I pay less than $3 a gallon at Krogers.
Aldi is cheaper for milk, eggs, and almost anything they sell than Sam’s club, with the exception of meat and produce that’s not on special. I recently bought several gallons of milk for $1.19 per gallon, several dozen eggs for .59 per dozen, avocados at .29 cents each, and 8-oz packages of mushrooms for .59 each. These were all items offered at a special discount, but their regular prices (and quality) are excellent, too. I avoided shopping there for several years because I thought it was a grimy discount place, but it’s anything but — you have to bag your groceries, but the store is clean, bright, and includes interesting items imported from Europe.Sam’s has good prices on meats, salad, and some breads, and offers some products that we simply prefer. There’s no substitute for shopping the items you use to figure out who offers the best deals.
This may not be widely known, but you can freeze milk. It turns yellow once frozen, but when you in thaw it, it turns back to white. You can stock up so you don’t have to make so many trips.
NO ONE can out match Sams on their milk around here. The person who wrote this article does not know what they are talking about.
Costco definitely has the cheapest Milk in MO. But I absolutely hate the design of the their milk jugs. My kids are constantly spilling a little bit every time they pour. Does anyone else agree?
I definitely agree with you! Costco needs
to find a different supplier for their milk
containers. Horrible! The pull and peel seal
is anything but. You need a sharp knife to pierce
the seal then dig it out.
I always avoid the condiments. Not only would they go to waste, but I would find it hard to fit any of that on a pantry shelf or a fridge shelf. They are just way too large!
And plus, the openings are so large that you end up putting too much on the food!
I don’t know what they have at Costco, but Sam’s has a 3 pack of ketchup that comes out at or below the lowest sale prices in town. You don’t have to buy the giant restaurant jar.
amanduh: Just because you purchase condiments in separate containers and not by the one large bulk size does not mean they don’t have an expiration date. If a condiment expires in six months, it does not matter if it’s opened or not; it still needs to be thrown away.
People who USE ketchup go through it fast enough that normal size bottles at the regular grocery store, when shrink wrapped into a three pack at Sam’s….still get used up WAY before the expiration date. Besides, there is so much chemical crap in condiments that they would survive just fine for the “six month life span”.
I disagree there is an expiration date on containers that pertains to unopened product, 6 months pertains to opened product.
The notion of throwing something away just because the “use by” date has come and gone is so mind-boggling. Is that bottle of ketchup really going to go rancid, if properly stored, 30 seconds past midnight on the date in question? Highly unlikely.
YOU must be the owner of a company that makes that shit that goes bad exactly on the expiration date then. Throw it way because someone says it is not any good anymore after a certain date?? , IF you were my wife & tossed things because a label said it expires on such & such a date You’d be buying your food with your own money & living in “Phydeau’s” house out in the yard behind the big red barn with the horses, cows, pigs, chicken’s & BROWN ducks galore.. LOL
I buy all kinds of stuff at Same club, they have stuff for the Single family you can buy a gallon of milk, an as for the ketchup an other condiments they sell it in bulk an if you’re like me I have grown kids that I share my stuff with an even though I am giving the stuff away to my kids or friends I still end up spending less in the long run for stuff. I buy the bulk toilet paper an the laundry detergent fabric softener an all that cause either way it goes I spend way less at Sam’s for that stuff then what I do at Walmart for the same product but a smaller quantity. At Sam’s for instance I buy 240 sheets of bounce for 6.98 but at Walmart for that same thing is 8.98. So I’ll keep buying my stuff at Sam’s cause I am on a budget an I’ve always done real well doing my shopping at Sam’s. I have saved almost $900 in a years time doing my shopping at Sam’s. So I will continue to spend my money at Sam’s club.
You guys are taking expiration dates too literally. I volunteered for a food shelter through my company and they were adding 2-3 weeks past the expiration on ANY open-end item. Things like OTC drugs were given an extra ˆyearˆfor safe use. Unopened dry goods (cereal, crackers, any box item) were given 2 months. Meat was handled more carefully but companies set expiration dates to a standard where they are 99% safe well after the expiration because they want to try to achieve 100% safety within the expiration date.
That is true Logic Minded. My husband was a route salesman for a bread company. Their out-of-dates are not out-of-date. He would always bring us bread and snacks and it was good for several days after expiration date.
I agree Logic, the only thing you really have to worry about is flour and corn meal. those items can develop a fungus that can be toxic, but the chances of that are pretty slim. Most everything else is good WAY past the expiration date including medications. Even antibiotics, the only problem with those is potency begins to diminish after they are expired (like over a year past), and no one should really have left over abx because you’re supposed to take them all! In general I think it’s very clear when something is expired due to the foul smell or green fuzz.
Really it’s the mold that is scary, and just about anything can grow mold.
I do buy laundry detergent from Sam’s Club. I use the big size bottles in two months or so so I don’t have to worry about the shelf life. However, I could see this not being a good purchase for someone who’s single or doesn’t have kids who are constantly changing their clothes. 😉
I also buy diapers at Sam’s Club. My youngest still wears Pull Ups to bed. I’ve tried all the generic brands and they leak horribly so I buy the actual Pull Ups brand in bulk at Sam’s Club.
My biggest Sam’s Club mistake was buying a huge bag of salad. It went bad very quickly!
We buy diapers all over the place, but the generics do have their flaws. Some leak, but they also aren’t as soft, which can cause rashes for my younger one.
My wife used cloth diapers for our kids. Yes, it was a little less convenient, but we saved a ton of money. She made her own baby wipes also. Just the other day, with my youngest daughter in college, I used her old diaper to wax my car.
I hope your car is brown.
Cloth diapers are the perfect solution to the lost art of potty training. My kids were out of diapers before 2 1/2 because they were uncomfortable. Today’s expensive and environmentally unfriendly diapers do a great job at keeping bottoms dry- they don’t even notice it! So- financial bonus, environmental bonus, no diaper rash, and dry pants! I didn’t have the money to buy them and won in the end!
My son was out of disposable diapers at 20 months. We started with cloth diapers when he was born, but they were horrible in every possible way. We gave up after 4 weeks and two yeast infections. Glad we did it so that we’ll always know what a horrible trial it was. Anyway, back to potty training, yes, 20 months from disposables. They key isn’t their level of comfort, disposable out cloth, but rather their parents’ attention. Pay attention, notice they keys, point then out to the child, and it’s a breeze. And diapers at the club stores: toxic waste. They do not sell anything close to a decent diaper: chlorine (and thus dioxins), toluene, ethylbenzene, styrene, the list is about a dozen DNA-damaging, hormone-disrupting chemicals. Give your child a fair shot at a healthy life; pay more than 17¢/diaper!
Did you know that you could have returned the unused portion of that salad and if you had your receipt…you would get a full refund? I bought a bulk sized bag of peeled garlic. I happened to make a remark to an attendant that I probably would not be able to finish the bag before the sell by date and that they would probably go to waste. The attendant told me that I could return them if that happened. It did and I did return what was left in the bag with NO PROBLEM.
I do not consider your actions ethical, Janet. You purchased the food with the knowledge of the quantity and the freshness date.
Jody…ethical? Please. You never know when something is going to go bad. Have gotten the most beautiful strawberries only to find everything in the middle was covered with mold. Other items have outlasted their use by date. We’re talking Sam’s here…hardly the venue to correct a customers ethics.
Kat – having stuff go bad in a day or two, or be bad when you purchase it is one thing, but I have to agree with Jody, to purchase something KNOWING that it will go bad before you are able to use it all and then bringing it back when it does go bad because you didn’t use it is walking a fine line leaning toward unethical. But it’s her karma, not mine, I personally couldn’t do it, regardless of what I consider the ethical standing of the store, (again…my karma). Doing something like that would make me feel guilty for a long time. All that being said, I’m not judging, just agreeing w/Jody, I have lots of friends that do the same type of thing and I question them on it too….they don’t feel guilty about it, so whatever.
I agree, that is unethical, and tacky. The product didn’t go bad due to being inferior in quality…it went bad because she bought an excessive quantity for her needs, and then failed to use it. She may as well have stolen it, as she used what she wanted, and then returned the unused portion for a full refund. Would she go to a restaurant, order a meal, eat a few bites, and then ask for the meal to be taken off her bill because she didn’t finish it?
How much free time do you have to run a scheme like this for garlic refund money, lol
Jen,
Even tackier is commenting on other people’s ethics.
Wow. . .if you simply return because you haven’t used all of sonething, YOUR mindset is a wasteful problem. That employee must not own any stock.
Hmm well we go to Costco but we go there primarily for specific things gas being a big one but we buy both paper towels.and toilet paper store brand premium laundry detergent and dish detergent one a brand and the other store brand garbage bags milk and bacon all cheaper than anywhere else we have compared it to and some other things as well like coffee prescriptions (which are also even cheaper than buying in bulk from my insurance provider) maybe this is Sam’s because they also are owned by Walmart.
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