The aisles seemed endless. Shopping at Costco has fittingly been called a "treasure hunt. The middle of the store had tables lined with books and magazines. Furniture displays were scattered throughout the clothes and books. Not far from the center of the store was a wall of discounted gift cards for movie theaters, restaurants, ski trips, and everything in between.
The front of the store was messy. I think this was where returns were processed, but it wasn't labeled anywhere. Costco has a liberal return policy, allowing members to return anything including a membership at any time for a full refund. The exception is electronics and major appliances, which have a day return policy with receipt. A lot of registers were closed because it was still early in the day. The lines were pretty long, and everyone had completely full shopping carts.
People were already eating there at 10 a. The last area of the store before the exit held the membership desk. Even though Costco seemed disorganized, it had tons of everything, from food and personal care to clothes and books.
The electronics section at the front of the store was very similar to Costco's in terms of both prices and products. The snack aisle definitely felt smaller than at Costco. Everything was still sold in bulk, but the variety of choices was significantly smaller. There was more candy than snacks, and the produce selection was smaller than Costco's too. Snacks weren't the only area that lacked variety.
I was finding nearly empty shelves all over the store. There was also a smaller selection of gift cards, though the stores had comparable selections online. Related: The Best Cheap Luggage. Unless you like one particular cereal and can stomach 40 to 70 ounces of it over several weeks, you're better off hitting supermarket sales and getting more variety. Sale prices often dip below even the best bulk prices if you can keep track of your ounce counts. Vegetable, corn, sunflower, canola, and olive oil are good for only three to five months after opening, according to the USDA.
Those sold at the warehouse stores are great for restaurants — you can buy 6 quarts at a time at Costco — but they're going to be tough to use at their freshest by a small family. Safeway's extra-large eggs are roughly the same price for the same amount. Meanwhile, eggs at a supermarket can typically cost up to 50 cents less per dozen at a supermarket than at a warehouse store.
Related: 13 Simple Ways to Cook Eggs. Trust a writer who's made many a regrettable trip through the candy, chocolate, and cookie aisle: If you bring it home, you're going to eat it.
You're also going to see it as an infinite supply and not take stock of how much you're snacking. Consider the higher price of smaller packaging a tax on your vices. While Clorox puts the shelf life of liquid bleach at one year, some consumers say it starts to break down well before that time. If you're a janitor, maybe a three-count box of ounce bleach bottles will come in handy.
If not, turn to small bottles of generic to save money. You can get deals on books and Blu-ray discs just about anywhere online. According to Good Housekeeping, those multipacks of mascara and liquid eyeliners go bad in just three months. Cream eyeshadows have only six months, which might also make them bad warehouse club purchases, but powder eye shadows and pencil liners are good for up to two years. There are some really gross reasons not to buy in bulk. Ointments and creams break down after three to 11 months; and stuff that comes into contact with the hands have short shelf lives and can cause bacterial infections.
Anyone who's ended up with flat bread, cookies, or pastry by accident knows the shelf life of baking ingredients is finite. The USDA gives baking powder and dry yeast six months at best after it's open, which doesn't make for great bulk purchases unless making giant batches at a time.
Like other baking items, whole grain or whole wheat flour is good for only up to six months after opening, while processed white flour gets eight months in the pantry or a year in the fridge. Even occasional bakers should resist the pound bag. You can raid the bulk vitamin section for most items, but not probiotics. Those expire after roughly a year, with some requiring refrigeration to get there.
Liquid laundry detergent starts to degrade within six months of being opened. The container sizes sold at warehouse stores can last multiple years, but will not be nearly as potent by the end of the bottle.
Dishwasher detergent fares even worse than laundry detergent. According to Good Housekeeping, dishwasher detergent retains peak effectiveness for only three months.
You're better off hand washing in dish soap, which lasts 18 months. Its locations are spread throughout the eastern United States. Costco has the Kirkland Signature label.
This beloved brand encompasses everything from clothing to food to sundries. Return policies are important anytime you buy anything at any retailer. You want to be sure you understand the terms of the warehouse club return policy you agree to when you sign up.
The one you apply for depends on what kind of membership you have. Meanwhile, none of the cards offered by any of the warehouse clubs has an annual fee, which is a big plus. Joining a warehouse club is a great way to save money, particularly if you have a family or live in a household with more than just one person.
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