One Type Of Food Is So Much Cheaper At Costco Than Anywhere Else
Shoppers can save approximately $82.41 a year by opting to purchase eggs at Costco instead of a grocery chain such as Stop & Shop.
Costco is a members-only big box retailer that offers an array of grocery items and household products at competitive prices. But how much money do shoppers really save by buying food in bulk? That depends on several factors like product shelf life and how many people live in a particular household. Since eggs are a staple for most people, it’s a good item to use for comparison.
Based on a hypothetical bi-weekly and yearly consumption for a household of two, CNET came up with the approximate cost of eggs for each. Costco’s bulk prices were compared with Stop & Shop, representing a conventional grocery retailer. Priced per item, 12 boxes of 26 dozen eggs will cost $6.39 at Stop & Shop. But for almost the same price ($6.21) folks can get 24 boxes at Costco.
The yearly savings are even larger as shoppers will pay $166.14 for eggs at Stop & Shop, and just $83.73 at Costco. Inflation-weary folks may want to take advantage of those deals since eggs are generally easy on the wallet. They also serve as a healthy, protein-rich food that’s perfect for anyone on a budget. However, depending on the size of your family this isn’t necessarily the steal you think it is.
Sometimes buying in bulk from Costco just means you’re wasting money on food you will never be able to eat. In 2010, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said food wastage in the country was estimated between 30 and 40% of the total supply. That’s approximately 133 billion pounds of groceries costing $161 billion.
Moreover, throwing away food and money is just not good for the environment and your wallet. So when buying at Costco, it’s important to shop wisely. According to Mashed, folks who need a small quantity can get 24 extra large eggs at Safeway for pretty much the same price as the big box retailer. There’s also a save 50-cent per dozen savings if you buy them at a regular retailer and not a bulk specialist store.
Additionally, depending on the size of your household, you probably won’t use more than a dozen eggs before they expire. Meanwhile, inflation has caused the price of some Costco products to rise this year. And if you’re wondering if your favorite bulk items will have a higher price tag in 2023, it really depends on economic trends. If the general cost of groceries remains high, then retailers will spend more to procure the items they sell.
As a result, even stores like Costco will likely pass the added costs onto consumers in the form of higher prices. But if inflation levels fall in 2023, the opposite applies. It will be cheaper for retailers to procure their stock and shoppers may end up with a lower credit card tab. Fortunately, there’s good reason to believe that inflation will cool down next year.
The Federal Reserve has been aggressively implementing interest rate hikes to encourage a decline in consumer spending. That needs to happen to bridge the gap between supply and demand that caused inflation to soar and the price of groceries in stores like Costco to increase.
