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Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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One reason we go to Costco monthly is to get a good product at good prices in large quantities. That applies to not only food but also toilet paper, clothing, batteries, trash bags, cleaning products, motor oil and more. If there happens to be food on sale at supermarket that is not available at Costco or at an even lower price we will buy in quantity, though they will often limit it and we have to go to different check stands. We have a 20sf upright freezer to keep the additional food in. When it comes to other things, there is not that much I can think of that one would buy in quantity on sale. I have no way to stockpile gas, for example. and I wouldn't buy lumber or paint unless I needed it for a specific purpose.
At the grocery store, if my favorite flavored tea bags are on sale, I'll generally pick up 3 or 4 if I know I have only 1 or 2 in the cabinet.
Clothes-shopping, if I find a T-shirt or similar that fits well and I like the colors, I will generally buy 2 of the same color, because I always think back after a time and regret not doing so. But 5 or 10? Nope.
I don't think I've ever picked up a half-dozen or dozen pieces of the same item just because of a sale, though. At a certain point, it becomes hoarding, and that's a slippery slope. Food products, especially -- it grosses me out to even find something past its expiration date in the pantry!
OK, Hemlock's post reminds me of one reality: Costco. I do stop there every few months for the house-brand canned tuna. Their items don't go "on sale," but they are 8-packs, I believe, so I get 2 at a time, maybe 3 if it's winter and I don't want to be driving too much.
Other things at Costco, if it's a new-to-me product, I don't want to bring home a huge amount -- even if the price seems good -- in case I don't like it after trying it.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,585 posts, read 81,243,006 times
Reputation: 57825
I just thought of another one. I like pocket T-shirts and they are running $14 or more, on sale maybe $12. I found some on line direct from the (name brand) manufacturer for $6 each and ordered 6 of them.
If it is something that I use anyway, and it will store well, I will buy extra if I see a really good price on an item.
I've never bought anything just because it was on sale or cheap. There is no economy in getting a screaming good price on something that you won't use, or that will spoil before you can use it all.
Items at Costco tend to disappear, so if I find something that I really like, I buy multiples. I just bought 4 pairs of walking shoes because they are good for my difficult feet and I know that the next time I go in, Costco will be carrying a different style or brand that probably won't work well for me. Those 4 pair would store forever and the price was excellent.
Question pertains to any type of merchandise... Just interested in a discussion.
Only if it is pet related. They don't seem to change their habits, so why not.
But I on the other hand have changing tastes. I might like something one day, and can't stand it the next.
I've developed some reactions to aromatics and onions, some spices, so if I had a truckload of that stuff, it would have to go somewhere else - waste of money. Same with clothes and shoes. Last year it was tank tops, this year, cap sleeves.
We only eat one real meal a day, so no need to stock up on food. And I wonder, these people that stock up all the time, do they just like to eat a lot? Once you buy, do you feel you have to use it? They go to the store weekly, so what is the point?
I'm talking about small 2-person families. I grew up with 5 brothers and 5 sisters, so the case of bread, 25 lbs of flour etc - were standard. But we used it. I just don't see small families needing to stock up like they have an army at home.
Just bought 17 packages of grass fed organic ground beef yesterday for $0.99 each down from $5.99 ea and stuck them in the freezer. If they had any more I would have bought more - I cleaned them out. They will be all gone in a few months. Just saved close to $100.
Just bought 17 packages of grass fed organic ground beef yesterday for $0.99 each down from $5.99 ea and stuck them in the freezer. If they had any more I would have bought more - I cleaned them out. They will be all gone in a few months. Just saved close to $100.
now that I would buy!
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