20 Costco Buys That Are A Waste Of Money For Small Households
Shopping at Costco can save you big bucks, but not everything is a bargain when you’re cooking for one or two. Those giant packages might seem like a great deal until they spoil before you can finish them.
I’ve learned the hard way which bulk buys lead to wasted food and money for smaller households like mine.
1. Berry Bonanza Backfire
Those massive containers of strawberries and blueberries look tempting until day three when fuzzy mold appears. I once bought the two-pound package thinking I’d eat berries every day, but ended up tossing half the container.
Small households simply can’t consume them fast enough before nature takes its course. Even refrigeration only buys you a few extra days before these juicy gems turn into science experiments.
2. Salad Kit Sadness
The enormous bags of pre-washed greens seem like a healthy choice until they transform into slimy, brown disappointment. Even with the best intentions, these bags deteriorate quickly, often before you’ve eaten even half.
The moment you open that bag, the countdown begins. For singles or couples, it’s nearly impossible to finish before the inevitable wilting and liquid pooling at the bottom creates an unappetizing mess.
3. Avocado Avalanche
The bag of six avocados from Costco presents a timing puzzle that’s nearly impossible to solve. They’re all rock-hard when purchased, then suddenly—almost overnight—they all ripen at once.
I’ve tried the fridge trick to slow them down, but still end up with more guacamole than any reasonable person could consume.
The last two inevitably turn brown and mushy, destined for the trash rather than my toast.
4. Applesauce Abundance
Those giant jars of applesauce might seem like a smart buy until they’re taking up prime refrigerator real estate for months. Once opened, the clock starts ticking, and most small households can’t finish them before spoilage.
The same goes for those multi-packs of probiotic drinks. Unless you’re committed to drinking one daily, they’ll expire before you make a dent in the package.
I learned this lesson after throwing out half a container last year.
5. Bagel Blunder
The two-pack of bagel dozens might seem like breakfast solved for weeks, but reality hits when they start growing mold before you reach bag number two. Even freezing doesn’t fully solve the problem—they never taste as good after thawing.
Those massive packages of croissants face the same fate. By day three, they’ve lost their buttery magic and turned into sad, stale shadows of their former selves. I’ve tried reviving them in the oven, but it’s never the same.
6. Cinnamon Roll Catastrophe
Those massive trays of cinnamon rolls look heavenly in the bakery section. Unfortunately, they quickly turn from soft, gooey treats to dry, disappointing doorstops within days.
The sweet loaves suffer the same fate—the first few slices are delicious, but the rest gradually harden into something barely recognizable as bread.
Last Christmas, I bought one for myself and ended up using the last half for French toast because it was too dry for normal eating.
7. Chicken Breast Burden
Those family-sized packs of raw chicken breasts might seem like meal prep gold, but they quickly become freezer space hogs in small households. The individually frozen options aren’t much better—they’re often pumped with water that escapes during cooking, leaving you with shrunken portions.
I once bought the big pack thinking I’d save money, but ended up with freezer burn on half of it. Quality suffers when you’re constantly thawing and refreezing smaller portions from these mammoth packages.
8. Lackluster Lasagna
The Kirkland frozen lasagna seems like convenient comfort food until you’re eating the same mediocre pasta for six straight meals. For singles or couples, these massive trays become monotonous leftovers that seem to multiply in your fridge.
Many versions are oddly greasy or surprisingly sweet. I made this mistake during my first Costco trip and ended up forcing myself to eat lasagna for lunch and dinner for nearly a week. Never again!
9. Rotisserie Regrets
The famous $4.99 rotisserie chicken seems like the ultimate deal until you’re staring at half a bird that’s drying out in your fridge. For singles or couples, that chicken carcass becomes a guilt-inducing reminder of food waste.
Many shoppers also complain about their overly fatty texture or strange chemical aftertaste. I tried making multiple meals from one chicken, but by day three, even my creative recipes couldn’t mask the declining quality and weird refrigerator taste it had developed.
10. Prepared Entrée Pitfalls
Those ready-to-heat entrées like Real Good enchiladas or chicken katsu look like convenient time-savers. Unfortunately, they often disappoint with bland flavors or weird textures that don’t improve with cooking.
The pupusas were my personal heartbreak—they looked amazing in the package, but turned soggy and flavorless when prepared.
For the price of these underwhelming meals, you could make something tastier from scratch or order superior takeout for a small household.
11. Cereal Surplus
Those massive cereal boxes might seem like breakfast solved for months, but they start losing freshness the moment you open them. For small households, that family-sized box becomes stale long before you reach the bottom.
Surprisingly, the per-ounce pricing often isn’t better than grocery store sales. I once bought the giant Honey Nut Cheerios, thinking I’d save money, only to throw away the last third when it tasted like cardboard.
The pantry space these boxes hog isn’t worth it either.
12. Spice Cabinet Sabotage
Those enormous containers of spices seem like a bargain until you realize they lose potency long before you’re halfway through. Most dried herbs and spices maintain peak flavor for only 6-12 months.
My giant container of paprika is still sitting in my cabinet three years later, with barely a dent in it. It’s basically colored dust at this point.
Unless you’re cooking for an army or running a restaurant, these spice behemoths are a waste for small households.
13. Flour Fiasco
That 25 or 50-pound bag of flour seems like a pandemic prepper’s dream until weevils or rancidity strike. Unless you’re baking daily for multiple people, these massive bags are trouble waiting to happen.
Flour absorbs moisture and odors from your home and eventually develops that unmistakable sour smell of spoilage. I bought the big bag during my sourdough phase and ended up tossing more than half when it developed a funky smell.
Now I stick to 5-pound bags from the grocery store.
14. Soda Surplus Surprise
Those 35-packs of soda cans might seem like a steal until you compare prices with grocery store sales. Surprisingly, Costco isn’t always cheaper on these items, especially when you factor in the storage space they require.
For small households, these cases take forever to consume. My garage became a soda warehouse after one enthusiastic shopping trip.
Plus, the carbonation and flavor often fade before you reach the end of the case, leaving you with flat disappointment.
15. Milk Madness
Those gallon-sized milk jugs or multi-packs of plant-based milks become a race against the expiration date for one or two-person households. Even with daily cereal, coffee, and cooking use, finishing before spoilage is challenging.
I once optimistically bought almond milk in bulk, only to watch the last two containers expire unused. The savings quickly evaporate when you’re pouring sour milk down the drain.
For small households, the convenience store half-gallon is ironically more economical.
16. Hummus Heartache
Those twin-packs of hummus in 16-ounce tubs look appealing until you’re staring at a half-empty container growing a science experiment on top. For small households, these portions are simply too large to consume before spoilage.
Even as a hummus enthusiast, I couldn’t finish the giant tub before it developed that telltale sour smell. The texture also deteriorates after a few days, becoming watery and unappetizing.
I’ve learned that two smaller containers from the grocery store actually result in less waste.
17. Cheese Challenge
Those massive bags of shredded cheese seem like meal prep heaven until they start growing colorful mold spots. Even with religious sealing of the bag, small households struggle to use these dairy products before they spoil.
Freezing is an option, but it changes the texture dramatically. I tried the freezer method with a two-pound bag and ended up with clumpy, watery cheese that performed poorly in recipes.
The convenience factor quickly disappears when you’re picking mold off cheese or dealing with freezer-damaged texture.
18. Snack Bag Sadness
Those family-sized bags of chips, pretzels, and granola become stale disappointments long before small households can finish them. Once opened, the countdown to staleness begins, and no chip clip can fully stop it.
My pantry once held a partially eaten bag of tortilla chips that could have doubled as roof shingles after two weeks. Even transferring to airtight containers doesn’t fully preserve freshness.
For singles and couples, the regular grocery store sizes offer better value when freshness is factored in.
19. Nut and Seed Nightmare
Those giant bags of almonds, walnuts, and seeds seem like a healthy snacking solution until they develop that unmistakable rancid oil taste. The natural oils in nuts make them particularly prone to spoilage, even when properly stored.
I bought the big bag of walnuts for baking, only to discover they had turned bitter and unpleasant halfway through. Even refrigeration only extends their life so long.
For small households, the bulk bin at regular grocery stores lets you buy just what you need.
20. Pizza Predicament
The food court pizza seems like an incredible deal at $1.99 per slice or $9.99 for a whole pie. Unfortunately, the quality doesn’t match the price point, with many slices drowning in grease or featuring a bland, cardboard-like crust.
For small households, the entire pizza becomes a leftover challenge. I once bought a whole pizza thinking I’d eat it throughout the week, but the reheated slices became increasingly rubbery and unappetizing.
The initial savings quickly lost their appeal by day two.