I compared the prices at various wholesale clubs (see that here). And I noted other things to consider when deciding which club to join (see that here). But there’s still normal grocery stores to factor in. Which has better prices: a wholesale club or a grocery store?
I know I get deep in the weeds with this stuff. But I do it, so you don’t have to (unless of course you want to). You can just take it in and decide what’s best for you. Here we go!
Toilet paper, paper towels, and bottled water
The clubs win here for sure, but you’ll need to consider the storage needed for this amount or paper goods in particular. I grew up in a household that consistently ran out of toilet paper. That will never happen at my house thanks to Costco.
Full disclosure, I didn’t even check grocery store prices on the paper stuff this time. With all the different brands and packages available, it’s very hard to compare. I did it once several years back so didn’t feel the need to do that particular exercise again.
Produce
I haven’t done a full check in this category but this spot check shows the clubs on top (specifically Costco), with Aldi coming in second place.
The oddball was bananas. Aldi just raised their price (and produce prices change more often than any others), so Sprouts came out as best by 4 cents per pound.
The real surprise
Aldi beat everyone on the chicken I use most – boneless breasts (40 cents less per pound) and thighs (30 cents less per pound). But I’ll be going with BJ’s or sale prices when it comes to Top Round or ground beef (used the 88% for grilled hamburgers tonight and I loved having less shrinkage).
If you are looking for ribs for summer cookouts, Aldi comes in on top again with baby back ribs 30 cents less per pound and spareribs 49 cents less per pound! I don’t do a lot of ribs, but these prices were a nice surprise for my friends who do.
Aldi is top grocery stop for me
Plain old everyday eggs were cheaper here, too – 31 cents per dozen cheaper. And in checking coffee for a friend, I found their store brand to beat the others by 14 cents per ounce (that adds up for sure!).
I’ve been an Aldi shopper for a long time. They’ve opened so many new locations, they’re now a much more viable option in our area. It’s worth checking out if you have one close by.
Other things to consider
Storage space is a real issue with club-size packages. And a larger family can definitely benefit more from their quantities than smaller families.
And don’t forget, you do pay for the membership. If you were to only buy a few things at the club, is it still cost effective when you add that in? Only you can figure that out based on your purchases.
So, wholesale club or grocery store?
All my research has convinced me of one thing – knowing the best normal price makes evaluating sales prices much easier (check out your weekly sales prices here if you’re in Mid TN, FL, or So CA). Pretty sure that’s where the real savings lie.
So, choose a club if you can benefit, but it’s certainly not a “must.” Watch out for one thing if you do go with a club. Don’t use more simply because you have more in the house. That’ll eat up any savings you might have had. I’d love to know what you decide and why. Lemme know in the comments below. For me, Aldi and sale prices are still the best bet!
