How to Make Use of Sam's Club or Costco When You Want Cheap Food
Warehouse clubs such as Costco and Sam's Club operate on the principle of bulk savings: it costs less per unit for a 10-pound container of mayonnaise than for 20 half-pound jars because the manufacturer uses less packaging and the retailer sells more at once. The savings get passed along to you, with a few caveats. First, you need to find room for that tub of mayonnaise, and second, you need to eat it all before it spoils. To get the greatest value from a wholesale club membership, make sure that your purchases don't end up going to waste.
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Instructions
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Compare prices. Warehouse clubs don't have weekly sales like typical chain grocers, and while some offer in-house coupons, they don't typically recognize the general coupons you'd cut from inserts in the Sunday newspaper. Before you buy more than you need of an item at a wholesale club, check to see if you can find the same unit price -- the price per pound or gallon, for example, not the actual item price -- on a more manageable quantity from a grocery store.
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Know your limits. If your family can eat 10 pounds of potatoes before they sprout, it's worth stocking up. If you aren't voracious consumers of hash browns and potato salad, it might not be a wise investment. Anything you throw away raises the price you paid per unit, so consider the size of your family and the expiration date of the product.
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Team up with friends or neighbors. One way to keep food from going to waste is to divide it among more people. Agree in advance on what items you'd want to share; then split the cost. You'll still be saving money, but you won't have to worry about eating all that mayo yourself.
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Choose non-perishables or food that freezes. Paper products, cleaning supplies and hygiene items will store indefinitely if you've got the space. And if there's room in the freezer, you can make most fruits, vegetables and meat last for weeks or months.
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Supplement your shopping at typical grocery stores. Warehouse stores tend to lack variety, and no matter how many values you find, you'll probably still need to pick up a few things in smaller quantities.
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Be on guard for what the Wall Street Journal calls the "Costco Effect" -- becoming enticed by perceived value into buying more than you want or need. Buying in bulk can lead people to eat more than they normally would just to get rid of the surplus.
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Tips & Warnings
Before you shop at a warehouse club, make sure you have space for the groceries: in the fridge, on your shelves and in your car.
Be prepared to spend more -- sometimes a lot more -- than you would at a typical grocery store. The bill runs up fast when you buy two to three times what you'd normally put in the cart.
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