5 best -- and worst -- Costco deals

Worst buys

Designer clothing. Forget about finding the latest styles from the pages of Vogue. Most designers generate warehouse-only lines. The rare piece from mainstream labels graced the runways years ago.

"Pricewise, it's not bad, but you'd get the same deals at a Marshalls or TJ Maxx without paying to get in," says Kathryn Finney, the founder of The Budget Fashionista, a frugal-shopping site.

• Are you afraid to look poor?

Items that won't get fully used. If you end up throwing out half of that four-pound can of tuna or still have a full tube of sunscreen after the three-pack expires, you didn't get a good deal.

"If you have 10 kids, of course, you're going to be able to eat all of a warehouse food (you buy) before it goes bad," says Tawra Kellam, the editor of frugal-living site Living on a Dime. "But that's not realistic for the average family."

Frozen foods. Lempert recently scored a free frozen pizza from a neighbor, who had returned home from a warehouse club with a 12-pack that wouldn't fit in her freezer. "You will save money on frozen goods," he says, "but most people don't have room to store them." Unless you plan to eat that 115-count of Gorton's fish sticks or five-quart bucket of ice cream in one sitting, think twice before letting it take up freezer space.

Paper goods. Save your paper plate, paper towel and napkin purchases for the supermarket. "Toilet paper is extremely expensive at the warehouse club," says Mary Hunt, the founder of money management site Debt-Proof Living. At Sam's Club, a 36-pack of Charmin Ultra was $18.32, or 51 cents a roll. A 24-pack on sale for $9.99 at Safeway works out to 42 cents per roll -- and is easier to store.

Gasoline. When gas prices are falling, deals at the warehouse club pumps are great. But when prices are rising, be more cautious, warns Clayman, of Warehouse Club Focus. The same quick supply turnaround that allows clubs to pass along lower prices can backfire. Clubs may temporarily have higher prices than surrounding stations. Compare prices before you pull up to the pump.

• Are gas rebate cards a good deal?

This article was reported and written by Kelli B. Grant for SmartMoney.com.

Published Nov. 7, 2008

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