When it comes to bulk shopping, Sam’s Club is often the go-to destination for snagging great deals on everyday essentials. However, while buying in bulk can save you money, it’s not always the smartest choice for certain products. According to shopping experts, stocking up on some items could lead to waste, reduced quality, or even spending more in the long run. If you’re trying to make the most of your membership, it’s essential to know which products to avoid buying in bulk.
From oversized bottles of shampoo that lose their effectiveness to cooking oils that spoil before you can use them up, there are several household items that are better purchased in smaller quantities. Finance Buzz’s Stacy Garrels recently shared insight into why some bulk buys, like spices and diapers, may not be worth the investment at Sam’s Club. Here’s a closer look at five items you might want to think twice about before adding them to your cart.
1. Shampoo
If you care about your hair, buying shampoo and conditioner in bulk may not be the best option—even if it does save you a few bucks. Sure, investing in Sam's Club's three-packs of mega shampoo bottles may give you the most bang for your buck, but here's the catch: those products won't work as well over time. Ultimately, this will leave you with shampoo and conditioner that doesn't quite do the trick when you get to the bottom of that lost bottle. Not only will your hair potentially look worse, but it could also become damaged.
2. Cooking Oil
Stocking up on kitchen essentials like cooking oil in bulk may be a good idea to save some money if you have a big family. However, for smaller households, those big bottles of cooking oil probably aren't going to be worth it. This is for the same reason you should avoid huge shampoo bottles: the cooking oil will likely go bad over time. In fact, Finance Buzz notes that olive oil is good for around four months. If you can't use a whole gallon-sized bottle within that time frame, just stick to the smaller ones at other grocery stores.
3. Diapers
Not all diapers are created equal. Garrels points out that Maker's Mark diapers, sold at Sam's Club, are priced around $0.15 each. This is the same price as Target's Up & Up brand diapers. The difference, in addition to quality (Garrels says Maker's Mark diapers tend to leak), is that Target frequently runs sales on diapers. Ultimately, by stocking up at Target, you're more likely to save more money.
4. Chicken
Looking to save the most money on your dinner ingredients? If chicken's on the menu, you may be surprised to hear that Sam's Club isn't the cheapest option. In fact, Walmart may be your best bet. "Currently, prices are nearly identical, with chicken running $2.67 per pound at Walmart versus $2.68 per pound at Sam’s Club, but at times, Walmart’s savings can be even greater," Garrels writes. Noted!
5. Spices
Can spices go bad? Well, not necessarily—but they certainly don't taste as good after a certain amount of time. Even if you leave them unopened, ground spices will usually only last about six months. After that, they'll lose their potency and flavor. That means you may be better off buying smaller jars than choosing Sam's Club-sized spices, especially when it comes to spices you're less likely to use frequently.
