The Area Of Costco To Avoid If You're A Sucker For Impulse Buys

It's not unusual to walk into Costco and get a little dazzled. From the gigantic TVs to the eye-popping wine aisle, you can almost feel your wallet jumping out of your pocket — and that's all before you even get to the bakery for the 4-pound pies. The wholesale giant not only notices what its customers are eating, it knows exactly how to get you to buy more than you need. The key to sticking to a budget is always showing up with a list, but even the most disciplined shopper can get sidelined by a good-looking sample. There are a lot of hacks for saving money when shopping at Costco, but one of the easiest is to avoid the center aisles.

Impulse shopping is something to watch out for no matter where you buy your groceries, but the habit can become especially dangerous to a household budget when the urge for a little treat strikes at Costco. The front and center sections of the store are where seasonal items like giant backyard water slides, supersize buckets and bags of candy and snacks that aren't on the grocery list, and clothing that you didn't come to shop for in the first place are stocked, so the extra expense can really add up. The best plan of action is to avoid walking through that area as much as possible.

Just because Costco sells more than only grocery items doesn't mean you should stray from the way you shop at a regular grocery store. We've all heard by now that it's best to shop in the perimeter of the grocery store to avoid loading up on ultra-processed foods, and if you haven't, it's time to start; We think ignoring that advice is one of the biggest grocery shopping mistakes you can make. A similar principle is in play at Costco, only the goal is to avoid buying a new set of food storage containers or a pair of kayaks instead of an extra bag of chips (seriously, you have plenty of Tupperware at home).

The best way to avoid the urge to shop in the center of the store is to remind yourself right before you walk in the door to stick to the outside aisles. We all have the urge to explore every section at Costco, but be strong and stroll right past the seasonal displays as you head to one far side or the back of the store. Stick to that outer edge of the warehouse and dip in and out of aisles that you need as you pass by. This will take you past all the important basics, like the dairy, deli, and the meat counter, and with the savings from skipping the center, you can treat yourself to an extra rotisserie chicken, which is always a steal at around $4.99.