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Costco shoppers are familiar with big box stores’ low prices, but one shopping expert warns that there are some foods shoppers would be better off buying at a local supermarket.
While $5 rotisserie chicken and $1.50 hot dogs are among Costco’s famous bargains, food writer Su-Jit Lin, who is an avowed fan of the wholesale club, writes in an article for Eating Well the stores have some food items. Those aren’t the best deals if you don’t have to buy in bulk.
Lin writes that shoppers can “save nearly half a dollar per gallon of milk” at other stores. While Costco offers milk for $4 a gallon, she says the dairy product can usually be purchased for less than $3 at Lidl, Aldi or Target.
Sandwich bread is another item that can often be found with better deals at a local supermarket, according to Lin. Instead of buying double packs of loaves of sandwich bread from Costco, Lin suggests checking out a local Publix or Krogers for their buy-one-get-one specials on premium bread brands.
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Costco prices are a staple for wholesale shoppers, but one expert says local supermarkets may have better deals on some items. (iStock/iStock)
“And you don’t actually need to buy two loaves to get half the price, saving you money and the stress of trying to find freezer space before mold appears,” Lin writes.
Salad kits in large bags at Costco can cost between $7 and $9, according to Lin, while kits in smaller sizes can be found on sale at Kroger, Publix, Sprouts, and Lidl for between $2.75 and $3. ,fifty.
According to Lin, smaller bags of bagged salad kits may be a better deal for shoppers when they are on sale at local supermarkets. (Jeff Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images2, Archive/Getty Images)
Raw chicken is another item that Lin said can be found for a slightly cheaper price at other supermarkets. At $3 a pound for breast or thighs at Costco, Lin says he’s found family packs of chicken breasts for as low as $1.79 a pound at other major supermarkets.
Depending on how often they are used, herbs and spices might be a better buy in smaller sizes than Costco’s larger containers, according to Lin. Eating Well Test Kitchen says it’s best to use ground spices within a year to prevent them from losing their color, aroma and flavor.
Stocking up on canned soup may be better for your wallet at local supermarkets, where the product can go on sale for $3 for $5, and sometimes less, and allows shoppers to get a mix of flavors, Lin says.
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Large bags of cereal at Costco can sell for between $7 and $14, while supermarkets rotate the major cereal brands that go on sale and also offer coupons for an even deeper discount, according to Lin.
Shoppers can find better deals on canned soup at local supermarkets when sales are underway. (Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images, Archive/Getty Images)
“I used this multiple savings method to get name-brand cereal for $1.50 a box when I bought six boxes,” Lin writes.
Despite the potential savings, Lin encouraged shoppers not to worry about planning their shopping trips.
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“If you’re already at Costco and need one of the things on this list but don’t want to go to another store, of course, you should buy it while you’re there — no special trip necessary.” says the expert.