Monday, September 28, 2015

Shopping at a warehouse club store can be a great way to save money, as these bulk-goods retailers offer low per-unit prices on many items such as food, wine, and paper goods. But, say the consumer editors at Kiplinger’s, they are not the low price leader on many commonly purchased items.

Avoid buying these items in particular, the shopping experts tell us, because they can generally be purchased at lower prices elsewhere:

Books and DVDs – Check before you buy. Deals on these items can often be purchased for 15percent less online than at warehouse stores.

Canned goods – Prices on these are hard to beat when they are on sale at the supermarket, when you will pay on average 20- to 40 percent less than you will at warehouse stores.

Clothing and shoes – Cheaply made clothing can be a costly mistake. Even when items at the warehouse stores have a designer label, they are often of lower quality, using cheaper fabrics and embellishments. Are they worth what you will pay? It’s up to you.

Condiments and cooking oil – A huge jar of mayo or a three-pack of ketchup may be good buy if you use lots of it quickly. But the shelf life of condiments, once they are open (including oil), is relatively short, so you may be better off buying smaller quantities at grocery store sale prices.

Milk – Studies have shown that you can usually buy a gallon of milk at the grocery store for 50 or 60 cents less a gallon than you will pay at the warehouse club store. And surprisingly, some high-end stores have the best prices on organic or soy milks.

Name brand cereals – Prices are generally pretty much the same at warehouse clubs and at grocery stores. But warehouse stores don’t have sales, so you will find better prices when they go on sale at the supermarket.

Soda – According Jeff Yeager, a frugal living expert and author of “The Cheapskate Next Store,” maintains you will always find better prices on soda when it’s on sale at the supermarket than you will at a warehouse club store. Check it for yourself.

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