Do you shop at warehouse stores like Costco and Sam’s Club? Personally I don’t (we’ll get to the “why” in a moment). Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of hauling home a car load of my favorite bulk items like a 4 lb. container of animal crackers, a 54 ct. box of Rice Krispies treats, or a 5.5 lb. container of Red Vines licorice, but the rational part of me just can’t commit to a warehouse store. Here’s why:
1. I don’t want to have to pay to shop at a store. If the savings were substantial enough I could get over this, but I’ve not been convinced that the savings are there… at least not for my family of three. This bring me to point #2…
2. We are a family of three. This means (at least in my book) we should not be buying a tub, container, or vat of anything. I despise wasting food and I feel like my family already throws enough food out without purchasing products in bulk.
3. We all eat different things. My husband loves seafood whereas my affinity for seafood starts and ends with canned tuna and my picky son won’t even look at it. This is just one example but there are many, so buying bulk items at a warehouse club is probably not a smart idea since the food would likely expire before we would be able to consume it.
4. The stores are huge. I am the woman in the grocery store who sprints up and down the aisles to complete my grocery shopping like I’m on an episode of Supermarket Sweep (I used to love that show by the way). I usually am trying to cram my shopping in between working out, laundry, dishes, etc. and it all needs to be completed before I have to pick my son up from preschool. This means wandering around a massive warehouse store is not an option.
5. I would overspend for sure. I know me and while I hate spending I know that something in a warehouse store is bound to catch my eye, something that I will simply have to snag. Therefore, by avoiding the store altogether, I’m avoiding temptation.
6. They are farther away. As I mentioned earlier I am a woman on a mission when I go shopping. My mission: Get all my items in the fastest time possible at the cheapest prices, so adding an extra ten minutes one way onto my shopping trip does not agree with my approach. I love being able to hop into my car, whip over to my local store, and be pushing a shopping cart within 7-10 minutes.
7. I have a toddler. I try to do all my grocery shopping when my son is in preschool or hanging with Dad, but occasionally I have to bring him along which means I sometimes pick up items I did not intend on buying. I can’t imagine taking him to a warehouse store, it would be like a Toys R Us but with food and household items. The last thing I need is to run into a store to pick up a handful of items only to come out hauling a swimming pool or a swing set. Okay, that’s a bit extreme, but you get the idea! 🙂
8. I want to fit into my clothes. That’s right my will power is nil when it comes to sweets and treats and the last thing I need is a tub of anything sitting on the couch next to me because it’ll be gone in a hot minute if I’m not careful. That means that buying bulk items at a warehouse store would probably not be a wise choice for my waistline.
Despite my reasons for not shopping at warehouse stores, I will admit I recently read an article that gave me pause. This article, “Have a Costco or Sam’s Club Membership? Here’s How to Get Your Money’s Worth,” discussed how having a very targeted approach to shopping at warehouse stores can save you money. That’s right, if you know which items are a value at warehouse stores and which items are not you can save money on groceries and household items, thousands of dollars a year in fact. Hop on over to check out this article and determine for yourself if warehouse shopping is a smart money decision for your family.
Do you shop at warehouse stores? What are your tips for saving money at warehouse stores? Please share in the comments.
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