Good-buy to all that.
Costco may be one of the most popular brands in America, but one disgruntled former member couldn’t terminate her relationship with the wholesale warehouse fast enough — and she’d be happy if others did the same.
In an essay penned for Insider, Sarra Sedghi ranted about her experience with the bulk retailer, complaining that her attempts to save money led to her wasting her hard-earned cash and turning her into an “impulse shopper” and “a pretty bad snacker.”
Some members love the big box store so much, they’ve catered their weddings with Costco food, while others quit their pensioned jobs to go work for the highly-regarded company. Sedghi just couldn’t buy into the hype.
“At first, being able to buy in bulk helped me plan ahead and stock up on supplies and personal-care items, like toilet paper,” she wrote.
But trying something new turned out to be a massive undertaking, as the wholesale retailer only sells products in bulk or large quantities, which, in turn, also takes up precious pantry real estate.
Sedghi was often forced to store her Costco deals “wherever they would fit,” often among her “kitchen supplies and equipment.”
“I’d often grab something because I thought it was good to have on hand, only never to use it,” she admitted.
“I still haven’t used the big pack of canned tomatoes I bought in 2022, and a jar of capers from the warehouse I got is still about three-quarters full.”
Buying in bulk also meant her two-person household couldn’t eat the supply of food quickly enough — it often soured before they could consume it, resulting in wasted food.
Sedghi, who works from home, also struggled with her newfound access to a plethora of snacks in jumbo-sized packs, finding that “large portions and boredom often made a perfect combination for mindless snacking.”
“My worst offense was having to replace a massive bag of Halloween candy that I picked up in September because we whittled the whole thing down before the holiday even came around,” she dished.
Even worse, bulk purchasing goods at Costco didn’t save her any time, and she often found herself going from store to store when the wholesale retailer didn’t carry what she needed.
“I’ve since let my Costco membership lapse and found that my pantry and kitchen have become better organized and less overrun with stuff,” she said. “I still find bulk buys I’ve never opened. “