If you’re buying bulk, you’re likely looking for how to save money at Costco. It’s famous for its amazing deals — selling huge amounts of its stellar $1.50 hot dogs, among other great buys. However, there are times when you should take a closer look at the price tag before adding an item to your shopping cart. This is certainly true when it comes to Costco’s bulk cases of soda. Costco sells name-brand soda in packs of 30 or more cans, making it difficult to compare prices with standard 12-can or 24-can boxes. It’s worth a couple of minutes of your time to pull out your phone, bring up a calculator app, and do some math so you know how much you’re paying per can before committing to that bulk case of soda.
To figure this out, you’ll want to determine the per-unit price. Divide Costco’s bulk case price by the number of cans in the case to get the per-can price. Then, compare that per-can price to the per-can price you can get when soda goes on sale at your local grocery store. Some grocery store sales involve buy-three-get-two-free deals or discounts on 12-packs if you buy them in multiples of three, driving the per-can price even lower. By doing this, you just might find that your grocery store’s per-can sale price is better.
Disadvantages of buying soda at Costco
Aside from price, there are some other reasons why buying soda at Costco isn’t always the best choice. First, those bulk cases are heavy and awkward to handle. A 24-can case can weigh up to 22 pounds! If you have a back injury or arthritis in your hands, hefting that flat of Coke without help isn’t an easy task.
In addition, storing your bulk case of soda and drinking it while it’s still at its best quality might be a challenge. Soda isn’t really perishable, and is safe to drink even if expired, but it will eventually lose some of its taste and start to go flat. For optimal flavor and fizziness, drink diet sodas within three months after the best-by date on the package and consume regular sodas within nine months after the package date. Brand availability is another concern. Costco doesn’t try to be all things to all customers; instead, it focuses on stocking items that sell well. Your favorite soda might never make it to the warehouse shelf.
There are still times when buying bulk cases of soda at Costco is a good idea. If you’re pressed for time or if Costco’s prices are lower than or close to your grocery store’s sale price for the sodas you want, it makes sense to buy your drinks at Costco so you don’t have to do another errand. Time is money, after all.
