Deal or No Deal: The Best and Worst Bargains at Costco

Average Price: $6.99/64-ounce jar
Verdict: Skip it 

If you’re a mayonnaise fan, you might want to skip buying it at Costco for the simple reason that mayo goes bad too quickly. At Costco, they sell sixty-four ounces of Hellmann’s mayonnaise (four pounds) for $6.99. While that’s cheap, remember that opened mayonnaise goes bad after two to three months.

Hellmann's mayonnaise © Heather McArdle / Shutterstock

Four pounds is a lot for a condiment. It makes more sense to just buy it in a normal quantity, even if you have to pay a little more. Ways that you can tell if mayonnaise has gone bad include patches on the sides of the jar where it is yellowish/more transparent. 

Average Price: $9.99 for a 36-Can Pack*
Verdict: Skip it

The general rule is to not buy soda at Costco. It’s usually not cheaper there, and you can actually just hit up your local grocery store, where you can buy soda in reasonable quantities. A 36-can pack is one of the smallest quantities you can get there, and that’s still usually too much for the average family.

Carbonated beverages © Pictures_n_Photos / Shutterstock.com

Our advice? Don’t bother buying soda in bulk at Costco. Instead, you’d be better served to comb through your local paper for coupons, clipping them, and heading to your grocery store. It’ll be cheaper, not to mention in a more reasonable quantity there.

Average Price: $135 for a Tire + Installation*
Verdict: Buy it

Nothing is more annoying and inconvenient than a blown tire. If it isn’t the price of the replacement tire that does you in, it’s the price of installation. Costco makes it way simpler. You can get a tire for cheap there, and, when you count the installation and disposal of your old tire there, it’s an amazing deal.

Tires©Pictures_n_Photos / Shutterstock.com

When you compare Costco to its arch-nemesis, Walmart, it’s actually much cheaper. The price of a super-sturdy Michelin Defender at Costco is $2 cheaper there than Walmart, and the installation price of $15 per tire is also quite a steal.

Average Price: $12.99 for 12 6-oz Boxes *
Verdict: Skip it

Pasta is cheaper at your local grocery store. Also, unless you don’t require any variation in your meal plan for months on end, you likely won’t be able to eat your way through the huge quantities that Costco sells pasta in. The better option is to purchase at your local grocery store.

Dried Pasta @ella777111/Pinterest

Your local store will also probably have more variety than Costco. We’re not all angel hair fans, and, if you want more variety, you should check out a non-bulk store. As always, don’t be afraid to clip some coupons from your local paper if you want extra savings.

Average Price: $12.99 for 4 Pounds*
Verdict: Buy it

As of February 2020, the average price for a pound of bacon costs $5.47. You don’t need to be Isaac Newton to figure out that a four-pound pack of bacon at Costco is an infinitely better deal than it would be anywhere else. As long as you have adequate fridge/freezer space, you can’t go wrong with purchasing your bacon at Costco.

Bacon @Eat With Kelly/Twitter.com

You also won’t be likely to find that much bacon in bulk anywhere else. Most grocery stores only sell it in one-pound increments. Anyone with a family of more than two people knows that just one pound of bacon won’t cut it.

Average Price: $34.99 for 50 Stems*
Verdict: Skip it

Buy the casket at Costco, but you ought to skip the flowers. Get your flowers somewhere else, as they’ll likely be cheaper. You can get a 50-stem rose grouping at Costco for $34.99. However, at your local corner store, a dozen roses are around $6.00. If you want flowers for around your home, the high quantities will die too quickly to justify spending $30+ on then.

Flowers © Pictures_n_Photos / Shutterstock.com

It’s similar to purchasing produce. You don’t want to buy something in bulk if that something will go bad quickly. Plus, your local florist will appreciate your business way more than a huge corporation.  

Average Price: $1.50 for a Hot Dog & Soda*
Verdict: Buy it

$1.50 for a hot dog and soda? Count us in. Buying a hot dog and soda at the food court at Costco is a great way to keep your kids quiet for five minutes while you shop. The Costco food court is actually pretty good quality too.

Food Court Hot Dogs and Soda ©Cassiohabib / Shutterstock.com

The hot dog in question is either all-beef or Polish, which will make you feel like you’re at a ballpark (except way cheaper). Other yummy items on the menu include a slice of pizza for $1.99, a whole pizza for $9.95, or a hot turkey and provolone sandwich for just $3.99, all with a free, 20-ounce drink thrown in.  

Average Price: $40 per 25-Pound Bag*
Verdict: Skip it

It’s highly unlikely that you’re going to eat twenty-five pounds of rice in a reasonable amount of time. Rice at Costco is $40 per 25 pounds, which is a little under $2 per pound. Your local grocery store likely has a deal of $0.99 per pound of rice, making it cheaper there.

Rice ©M Outdoors / Shutterstock.com

When you think about it, it’s more sensible to purchase rice in smaller quantities. Rice is usually a side dish, and taking up space in your pantry with twenty-five pounds of a side dish isn’t necessary. The practicality, plus the more expensive price, makes purchasing rice at Costco a no-go.

Average Price: $3.00 for 13.5 Pounds*
Verdict: Skip it

You don’t need 13.5 pounds of baking powder unless you are running a bakery. Even then, that high of a quantity of baking powder would last you a little while. Though $3 for 13.5 pounds sounds like a good deal (it is), it’s not really practical. We advise that you skip buying your baking powder at Costco.

Baking Powder @costco97/Pinterest

Baking soda is another story. Baking soda is a popular ingredient, and it’s also a good cleaning agent in a pinch. At Costco, you can get 13.5 pounds of baking soda (Arm & Hammer) for just $4.99. That’s $1.60 cheaper than the average price.

Average Price: $12.79 for a 27-oz Jar*
Verdict: Buy it

Absolutely buy almond butter at Costco. You can get nearly two pounds of it for $12.79. Almond butter can cost you over $10 for a sixteen-ounce jar anywhere else, making the almond butter at Costco a way better deal. Almond butter is a healthier alternative to peanut butter, according to many nutritionists.

Organic Almond Butter ©David Tonelson / Shutterstock.com

Almond butter has less protein than peanut butter, but it does have plenty of minerals, fiber, and vitamins, so it depends on what you’re trying to get in your diet. Almond butter also has no sugar, which is a huge plus for those trying to limit sweets.

Average Price: $9.99 for a 33.8-oz Bottle*
Verdict: Skip it

You probably don’t really need to buy over two pounds of shampoo. By the time you work your way through half of one bottle, you’ll already want to change it up. Shampoo at Costco is also not that much of a better deal, depending on the brand you buy. If you’re into super fancy hair care, you probably won’t be able to buy your favorite brand in bulk.

Shampoo ©David Tonelson / Shutterstock.com

If you don’t really care what brand you buy as long as it cleans your hair, you still will likely get a better deal from your local dollar store or even your local grocery store.

Average Price: $10.24 for 1 Pound*
Verdict: Buy it

Though we’ve generally warned against buying produce at Costco, organic berries might be an exception. This is because the price is so good at Costco for a bulk package. If you’re likely to eat a pound of fruit before it expires, you should buy it there.

Organic Berries @HealthierFutFnd /Twitter

Organic fruits (and vegetables) are usually more expensive than regular, non-organic produce. However, especially in the case of blueberries, eating organic is really the only way to go. Blueberries are the most susceptible to pesticides, as they have the thinnest skin. To put a number to it, non-organic blueberries contain over fifty different pesticide chemicals—eek!

Average Price: $6.99 per 125oz Bottle*
Verdict: Skip it

If this were laundry detergent, this would be an amazing (if unrealistic) deal. However, 125 ounces of dishwasher detergent is going to take up a lot of space in your home, and the high quantity doesn’t make much sense to purchase. You’re better off just buying it in smaller quantities and trying to find coupons.

Gel Dishwasher Detergent ©Lucie3 / Shutterstock.com

Also, everyone has a favorite brand of dish detergent. Not all dishwashers are the same, and you’re probably dug in with a certain detergent you like. There’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to get a deal at Costco that you couldn’t find somewhere else for a more sensible quantity. 

Average Price: $25 per 16oz Bottle*
Verdict: Buy it

Vanilla extract, which smells way better than it tastes, is a definite must-buy if you go to Costco. Vanilla extract is a staple in baking. A regular, eight-ounce bottle of vanilla extract is around $20. At Costco, you can get double that quantity for nearly the same price.

Vanilla Extract ©melissamn / Shutterstock.com

Vanilla has never been very cheap. There are times where an eight-ounce bottle costs up to $29. In terms of spices, only saffron is more expensive, and saffron is used far less frequently. Luckily, vanilla extract doesn’t expire quickly. Pure extract never goes bad, and imitation will last you two to four years.