I love Costco more than almost any other company. Shopping at Costco is fun for me, and sometimes even therapeutic -- it's "my happy place." Going to Costco is how I always imagined that life as a modern American consumer was supposed to feel: nonstop wonderment and giddy delight, at a fair price.
And yet, not everything at Costco is worth pulling out your credit card. Buying groceries at Costco is sometimes one of those things. Even though Costco has great deals on bulk groceries, Costco groceries are sometimes just too much to deal with.
Let's look at a few reasons why you might not want to buy your groceries at Costco.
1. Portions too big to fit in your fridge
For my family, getting dinner on the table every night is a constant struggle. We're busy, we're tired, we're indecisive, and the kids are constantly changing their minds about what food they like. Costco has a lot of delicious-looking prepared meals in the refrigerated and freezer sections, things like pot stickers and ravioli. The idea of getting premade dinners at Costco that were ready to heat and eat seemed like a great solution for weeknight meals.
Unfortunately, some of these items are just too big. The portions are huge, the food is filling, but my family wasn't able to eat all of it. It just got to be overwhelming, having a huge container of ravioli on the top shelf of the fridge.
If you have a large family of non-picky eaters, and you're confident that you can eat the whole thing, then by all means, buy prepared meals at Costco. The warehouse club has great deals, and not just on rotisserie chicken. But if you hate to waste food, Costco groceries might cause you more stress than they save in your budget.
2. Food boredom sets in
Here's a problem with buying bulk groceries: no matter how delicious the food looks on the shelf at the store, you might get bored with eating the same thing over and over again for weeks. I've seen this happen in my own life with trying to eat dozens and dozens of Costco protein bars, or trying to finish an entire 20-count package of Kirkland Signature Organic Hummus before it expires.
I love hummus, but only for the first 10 or 12 bites: "Oh wow this hummus is the most delicious thing ever, nom nom nom." But right after that, I lose interest: "Get this bean paste out of my face!" Buying groceries at Costco might force you into a similar love/hate relationship with what were once your favorite foods.
3. Stuff goes bad
If you're going to buy groceries at Costco, stick to the non-perishable foods, like mixed nuts, shelf-stable snacks, baking goods, condiments, and dried fruit. If you buy fresh produce, cheese, deli meat, and other perishable food items at Costco, you're running the risk of failing to finish the food before it expires.
My family has had unfortunate luck with Costco bagged salads -- the salad mixes are tasty and the ingredients are fresh, but it's just too big of a bag. I can't eat all of that. Fruit is another problem: that big bag of mandarin oranges at Costco might seem like a great deal, but what if you fail to eat all the oranges soon enough, and they start growing mold?
Before you go grocery shopping at Costco, make sure your eyes are as big as your appetite. Or try to maximize your Costco rewards by buying a compost bin.
4. Can't find the right brands
One of the best reasons to shop at Costco is that it gives you access to the Costco "curator" experience. If you're willing to trust Costco to select great deals for you, especially through its private label Kirkland brand, you can get low prices and high-quality merchandise. But if you're loyal to certain brands of grocery products, Costco might be a frustrating place to shop.
Costco doesn't carry multiple brands of every item, and your local warehouse might not have the usual grocery product sizes, varieties, flavors or formulations you're used to. Don't assume that Costco can provide every item on your grocery shopping list. You might need to hit up a specialty food store or shop at multiple grocery stores.
Bottom line
Buying groceries at Costco can be a good deal, especially if you have a large family, if you're sharing the portions with friends, or if you're hosting a big event where you need to feed a large gathering. But sometimes the large portions and limited selection of brands can be a problem for Costco grocery shoppers.
