There are many different club stores available, including Sam’s Club, BJ’s, Costco, and more. All of these stores want you to believe that they can offer you significant savings on your food purchases. However, there are some trade offs when purchasing groceries at a club or discount store. This article will describe the advantages and disadvantages of discount store shopping as well as outline a strategy so that you can make the most of these opportunities.
Buying Groceries in Bulk
While it might be obvious that a club store can save you money, it is not always obvious how it will do that. Many club stores sell the same brand-name items that you will find at a regular grocery store, however, they are often packaged in larger quantities. For example, instead of buying one can of green beans, you will buy a package of six cans of green beans all bundled together. This is great if you have favorite foods that you eat in large quantities anyways. However, if you really only need one can of green beans, then this might not be the route for you. Consider your storage space before you make your purchases.
How Much Does It Really Cost?
Just like you would at a typical grocery store, you need to compare prices when discount shopping as well. The easiest, and most accurate, way to compare prices is to look at the unit price for something. For example, look at the price per ounce or price per pound of an item. Then, compare those prices to see how much you are really saving. While the name-brand items might be cheaper at a discount store, you might be able to find an even cheaper item at your normal grocery store simply by purchasing a store-brand item instead of name-brand.
Don’t Limit Yourself
Often, the best way to save money on your overall grocery bill is to shop at more than one store. Plan a monthly trip to the discount or club store to stock up on the items you use all the time (and that you know are less expensive there). Then, have a weekly shopping trip to your normal grocery store for the other items, including perishables such as fruits, breads, and milk. This way you will save money by purchasing the bulk items once per month, but you will also have the variety of food that a typical grocery store offers.
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