13 Costco Purchases You Should Skip

Shopping at Costco isn’t your typical wholesale experience; it’s almost a ritual. If you're a proud member, you already know the excitement of grabbing a giant cart, showing your membership card, and navigating through the massive aisles. But even though Costco feels like a treasure trove, not everything here is worth the buy. For large families or those catering to a crowd, buying in bulk is often a smart choice, but there are several items that might actually be better suited for your local grocery store.

Buying in bulk may feel like the best bargain, but if those items go unused before they expire, it could end up being more wasteful than just buying regular-sized portions. Believe it or not, some products like canned goods and soda are actually more affordable at the grocery store than at Costco. Your love for Costco doesn’t have to change, but it’s always helpful to know the best supermarket hacks. Read on for a list of items you should avoid buying at Costco.

1. Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Even when fruits and vegetables are stored properly, their shelf life is still limited. Most produce stays fresh for just a few days or up to a week, so buying in bulk isn’t ideal. However, if you can’t resist those plump strawberries or crisp greens, you can always freeze any leftovers to extend their freshness.

2. Bread

We’re not saying the bakery section at Costco isn’t tempting—because it absolutely is. The scent of freshly baked bread and pastries hits you as soon as you step inside. But just like produce, bread has a short shelf life and can go stale in as little as a day. If you end up with stale bread, why not turn it into a tasty panzanella salad, croutons, or homemade breadcrumbs?

3. Spices

Believe it or not, your spice collection should really be refreshed every few months, or at least annually. This is because spices can expire faster than you might realize. So unless you’re using oregano in every dish or dousing everything in garlic powder, it’s best to avoid buying spices in bulk.

4. Flour

A typical bag of flour from the grocery store will likely expire before you’ve had a chance to use it up. Costco’s flour bags are so large that to keep it fresh, you’d need to store it in a large airtight container. Unless you’re baking fresh bread and treats every day, there’s no real need for a 25-pound bag of flour from Costco.

5. Cooking Oils

Much like spices, cooking oils have a short shelf life, expiring in just a few months. And buying six quarts of oil is far too much for a single family to use before it goes bad. The silver lining is that if you do end up using expired cooking oil, it won’t make you sick, though your food may have an off taste.

6. Toilet Paper

Over the past few years, we've come to realize that keeping a good stock of toilet paper is always a smart move. However, the quality of Costco's TP isn't the best, which leads to using more of it, meaning your supply will deplete faster than you'd expect.

7. Soda

Here's a little secret: you'll often find the best soda deals at your local grocery store, not Costco (yes, we were surprised too). Unless there's a specific soda brand you can't find at your neighborhood store, it's best to skip the soda aisle during your next Costco visit.  

8. Over-the-Counter Medication

Over-the-counter medications can be pricey, even with Costco's discounts. Since most medications have a shelf life of around a year, you might waste money if you don’t use up your supply in time. It's wiser to purchase medicine as you need it from a pharmacy or local grocery store.

9. Canned Goods

Much like soda, your budget stretches further if you buy canned goods from the supermarket. While stocking your pantry with Costco's canned goods may not be the best option, it could be a smart move during the holidays or when hosting a large dinner party.

10. Milk

Costco offers conventional dairy milk in gallon-sized containers. While it's easy to use up a gallon before it expires (especially with kids around), you can probably find a better deal elsewhere. At Costco, dairy milk is priced just below $4 per gallon, but a similar gallon at Target costs as little as $3.49, and at Lidl, it’s around $3.35 or less. So, despite the convenience, it might be more cost-effective to buy milk at your local store.

11. Liquid Detergent

Grabbing a 1.5-gallon bottle of liquid laundry detergent for just under $20 might seem like a bargain, but laundry detergent is one of those household items that loses its potency and effectiveness over time. So unless you're doing laundry every day, stocking up on enough detergent for 146 loads might not be the most efficient use of your Costco membership.

12. Sunscreen

Similar to laundry detergent, sunscreen loses its effectiveness over time, which is why each sunscreen product has an expiration date. Using expired sunscreen can lead to severe sunburns, which no one wants. Costco offers a wide variety of sunscreen, including a 3-pack of Banana Boat Sport Ultra Performance Sunscreen. If your family uses sunscreen frequently, this is a good deal. However, if you don't use sunscreen often, it's probably more practical to buy a single bottle when needed.

13. Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is incredibly versatile—from enhancing a bland sandwich to creating a plate of deviled eggs—which makes it tempting to buy a massive jar. However, once opened, the condiment has a limited shelf life of just two months, meaning that a 64-ounce jar of mayo from Costco may go to waste before you can use it all. But if you're a frequent mayo user, go ahead and add it to your cart!