Five Simple Rules for Warehouse Club Shopping

It's a sign you've finally reached adulthood and some modicum of financial savvy: you've realized that stores offering the opportunity to "buy in bulk and save" may just be the path towards a frugal kind of plenty. Many an otherwise savvy consumer has been led astray while traipsing down the pallet-lined aisles at the warehouse club, though. Here's a few easy rules to remember before pushing that super-size trolley through the automatic double doors:

If you pay for membership, you need to make that money back. The first rule of warehouse club is you don't talk about warehouse club. Wait. No! The first rule of warehouse clubs is that you should feel reasonably confident that you will save at least the cost of membership. This is easy if, say, you have a kid in diapers, or if you join a club that also sells large items and you plan to snag a new discount patio set or flat-screen television right off the bat.

Stay tried and true; this is not the time to experiment. Repeat after me: I do hereby solemnly swear never to try a new brand or flavor of anything by buying the 96-pack. Oh, I know, your kids just love the raspberry X-brand cereal bars, but if you buy the giant case of raspberry Y-brand or the giant case of cherry X-brand, I can promise you they will turn up their noses. Trust me. Experiment at the grocery store, but buy what you already know you like in the economy packs, later.

Remember that everything edible expires eventually. Sure, you were smart enough to avoid the gallon-size tub of mayo, knowing there's not enough tuna in the world to make that a smart buy for you, but is buying the three-pack of smaller containers any better? Even those closed, "shelf-stable" items don't last forever. Be realistic about what you'll actually consume. It's not saved money if you end up throwing away half of what you bought. (Alternatively, buy away, then donate the overage to your local food pantry.)

Buddy up. If warehouse club prices appeal to you, but you can't possibly consume everything in such bulk, consider sharing with a friend or two. Each club has their own rules about sharing memberships, but even if you buy the membership but take a pal shopping with you (or split large packages, later), it may save you money and rescue you from overbuying.

Skip the actual warehouse altogether. Did you know that Amazon sells groceries in bulk? They often feature deals that beat most warehouse clubs in price, plus there's no membership cost and you can usually get free delivery. For many, this is the much more savvy way to go. (In fact... that sounds like another post. More to come on that.)

Image courtesy of morguefile.