1. Buying in bulk without calculating usage: Before buying, assess your family's needs and storage capacity to ensure you can use up the products before they expire.
2. Ignoring unit prices: While the overall price of bulk items at Costco might seem lower, always compare the unit price (price per ounce, pound, or other unit) to similar products in regular stores.
3. Not sticking to a list: Costco is designed to entice shoppers with a variety of products, but going in without a shopping list can lead to impulse purchases and unnecessary spending.
4. Falling for "sale" items: Costco often offers discounts on certain products, but not all sale items are genuine bargains.
5. Buying perishables in bulk: While non-perishable items can be great to buy in bulk, perishables like fruits, vegetables, and dairy products may spoil before you can use them all.
6. Not considering the membership cost: Costco requires a membership to shop there, and if you don't shop there frequently or take advantage of their services.