You Might Want To Think Twice Before Buying Soda At Costco

If you've ever shopped at Costco, we don't need to tell you about the many incredible deals pretty much everywhere you look around the store. True Costco experts know that hidden among the bargains are a few items you might be better off saving for the regular grocery store. Soda is one of them.

To be sure, soda isn't a bad deal at Costco, especially for those willing to buy in packs of 30 or more. Such quantities are among those commonly seen there. This piece of advice actually has more to do with prices at your everyday supermarket. Grocery chains tend to look at soda as a "loss leader," an industry name for an item sold with little or no profit (or even a loss) in order to draw customers into their stores for other purchases. This means you'll often find even better deals at traditional supermarkets than at Costco if you're willing to keep an eye out and stock up when deals present themselves. Frequently, such sales occur around holidays, particularly summer events like Memorial Day or July 4th.

Don't worry about buying soda in bulk, regardless of where you purchase it. According to the USDA, soft drinks aren't perishable. They'll be drinkable indefinitely. Still, for best results, the agency recommends drinking diet sodas no more than three months past the expiration date on the can or bottle and regular sodas within nine months of the date.

Soda isn't the only thing Costco shoppers might be better off skipping. An excellent example is dried spices, which can lose their potency and flavor far before you finish that massive bottle of oregano or garlic powder. Other items like bread, cereal, and some meat can also have more affordable prices at the supermarket when taking advantage of sales or coupons.

If you're surprised by this revelation, you're not alone. Assuming Costco has the best prices on everything it sells is among the most common mistakes Costco shoppers make. When it comes to soda, it pays to shop around.