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8 Reasons to Never Shop at Costco

Stop loading your cart. Not everyone needs to buy in bulk.

By Heather Bien , Edited by Calista Headrick

Updated Nov. 8, 2026

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Costco is a great place for so many families to save money on groceries. A weekly Saturday trip lets them stock up on everything from pasta to berries to shampoo and hand soap. There are deals to be had, particularly when you pay attention to the per-unit price as compared to a grocery store.

But shopping at Costco doesn't come free. Costco runs on a warehouse model that includes membership tiers that give you access to certain savings. If you're someone who likes to shop in bulk, the low prices on large quantities make total sense. It won't take long for you to rack up the cost savings and make up for your membership fee.

Not everyone shops that way, however, and if you're sold the promise of savings, yet you don't have the space for a 48-pack of paper towels or the appetite for pounds of chicken salad, then it simply doesn't make sense.

Here are eight good reasons to never shop at Costco (and one reason you should!).

You only have one or two people in your home

While there are people who have lots of storage or strategies for freezing meat who will tell you a Costco membership is worth it no matter the size of your family, the reality is, it's not a no-brainer for those who live in smaller households. Fresh food will often go bad before you put a dent in it, and apartment living isn't conducive to keeping backstock of household items.

However, there are some areas where it may make sense. Clothing and electronics are two areas where the savings add up quickly, and you don't need bulk storage to accommodate these purchases.

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You don't shop for groceries often

To justify paying for the Costco membership, you need to start spending. To start spending, you need to go to Costco. If you don't like shopping for groceries often, then it'll take longer to hit the break-even point. Splurging on the executive membership means spending $3,250 a year to make it worth it over the regular membership, and that means strolling the warehouse aisles on a regular basis.

You don't use ingredients in bulk

If you have time and significant freezer space, then it makes all the sense in the world to stock up on chicken breasts from Costco, freeze them, and set yourself up for weeks of protein on hand for dinner. But if you don't have time or freezer space, then buying affordable ingredients, like chicken, in bulk makes zero sense. The same goes for cheese, fruit, and other grocery items you'll find at Costco.

You don't buy large quantities of packaged food

Peanut butter, Cheerios, and dried pasta are among the items you'll find the best per-unit cost on at Costco. But if these items aren't on your usual grocery list, don't try to force a membership. You might be better off adding them to your normal shopping trip, where you can pick up a smaller package on the occasion you actually need a box of rigatoni.

You have specific items or brands you need

If you have specific name-brand food items that you always have in your pantry, then you might end up doing a second grocery run after Costco. And is that worth it? Costco carries some name brands, but they don't have the same range as a normal grocery store. Many aren't carried in lieu of their Kirkland Signature brand.

You like couponing

Do you love the thrill of clipping coupons, doubling coupons, and saving the most money possible? Then Costco may not be your place. Sure, there are the savings that come directly from Costco, but when you consider the alternative of stacking grocery store deals with coupons, you might find lower prices elsewhere.

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You are a hike from the closest Costco

For residents of Wyoming, West Virginia, and Rhode Island, there's not a Costco within a stone's throw…in the entire state. Driving miles to save on bulk toilet paper makes the deals less appealing, and the gas money and time can quickly eat up the actual dollars and cents you're saving. Proximity is always a piece of the cost-saving puzzle.

You don't like crowds

Weekends are when most people have time to hit the grocery store — or Costco. And if you don't like crowds, yet you don't have time to shop during the week, then it might be best to skip Costco. The best days to go, for those who would rather not get caught up in the frenzy, are Tuesday and Thursday.

But before you write off Costco, consider this

A standard Costco membership is $65 a year. An executive membership is $130 a year. Even if you don't buy enough bulk groceries to make those numbers make sense, many people are able to justify it because of the other services. For example, if you buy your tires at Costco, not only are they installed for free, but you get lifetime maintenance. You save up to 30 cents a gallon on gas. Pharmacy savings are up to 40%, while optical offers savings via the Kirkland brand.

Depending on your spending for the year across these categories, it won't take long to justify $65 annually, then anything you save on groceries (or clothing, toiletries, and everything else you can buy at Costco!) is just icing on the cake.

Bottom line

If you want to get more out of your Costco membership, make sure you're positioned to use it wisely. Do you have enough people in your household? Do you buy groceries in bulk? Do you live close enough to a Costco that you can get there easily, without spending significant time and gas money? If all of these considerations align, then a Costco membership makes sense for you.

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