I Have Been A Costco Member For 6 Years. These Are The 3 Things I Would Never Buy There Again

I first signed up for a Costco Gold Star Membership six years ago, back when it was $60 a year. And even though it's only being used by a household of two, and even after a 2024 price hike to $65 annually, it still feels like a worthwhile investment. Between cheaper gas, discounted snacks, and the occasional Costco gadgets worth buying, the warehouse club easily pays for itself.

Doubt it? Just do the math: If you save just $6 a month on things you'd normally buy at the grocery store, you've covered the cost of the annual membership. Save $12 a month, and you've gone and doubled your investment. But, after six years of membership, I've learned that not every item in the store is worth the space in your cart — much less your pantry. No matter how attractive the price seems, some of Costco's bulk bargains end up being downright wasteful or just plain inconvenient once you get them home. For me, there are three random things I'll never buy there again: tortillas, produce, and bakery treats.

I won't name names, but there's a certain tortilla brand at Costco that has a deal that's hard to refuse at first glance: they'll give you 40 tortillas, two packs of 20, for less than six bucks. Compare that to about $3 for a pack of 10 at most grocery stores, it's a great unit price. That's especially if you plan on making a wrap for lunch each day and slot in a taco night or two at some point over the next couple of weeks.

But, unless you're feeding a large family (or running a taco truck), it's just too much. And for my wife and me, it's very much overkill. We've tried to make it work a few times because the deal's a great one, but the same thing happens every time: we plan a bunch of meals, maybe tacos one night, enchiladas another, and as many breakfast burritos as we can stomach. Still, we end up with some left over.

Also: maybe it's just my local store, but the packs of tortillas are always packed so tightly on the shelves that they end up sticking together in the bag and tearing apart when you try to separate them. So then you're being even more wasteful as you try to grab one tortilla and end up shredding multiple ones in the process. I'll gladly spend a little more for a smaller pack that I can actually get through.

Costco's fruit and vegetables are super fresh and the prices are hard to beat. But again, bulk buying just doesn't make sense for my house. Whether it's bananas, spinach, berries, whatever, it's going bad before we're even halfway done with it. At the first sign it's starting to turn, I find myself rushing to throw the ingredient into as many recipes as I can, just trying to beat the clock before it spoils.

I've tried splitting it up and freezing what I can, but not even the best refrigerator brands can make melons, cucumbers, or avocados freeze and thaw the same. It's just too much food going bad too fast. Instead, I've learned to just stick to Trader Joe's or another local grocery store for fresh produce. It might be more money, but that way, I can buy smaller portions and actually enjoy it before it spoils. No amount of savings is enough to justify the terrible habit of having food go to waste.

I've learned my lesson about food waste over the years, and that's why I don't even venture near the bakery section. All those muffins, cookies, and danishes look incredible, sure. The smell alone is enough to sell you on a double pack before you even realize what's happening. But here's the catch: most of Costco's bakery deals are buy one, get one free (BOGO) or some variation of it. That means you have to grab two massive packages, or they won't let you check out.

Unless you're feeding an entire party or the whole office, there's no realistic way to finish them before they go stale. You can tell yourself you'll freeze the extras, but will you really? I'd rather grab a smaller pack from the grocery store, pay a bit more per piece, and actually finish them while they're still fresh.

Nevertheless, even with these no-gos, my Costco Gold Star Membership is still very much worth it. The warehouse deals on pantry staples, household essentials, and even member-exclusive gas station access still save us far more than the $65 annual fee. Still: not everything is meant to be bought in bulk. And as any long-time Costco member knows, part of the membership experience is figuring out which deals truly work for your household and which ones just aren't worth it. No matter how good of a deal you think you're getting.