• I live with my husband and two teenagers and we had a Costco membership since 2014.
• Costco has some great deals, but sometimes buying in bulk isn’t worth it for our family.
• I discovered that many ready meals were not good value and that buying cold cuts in bulk was wasteful.

When I moved from England to Texas with my husband and 4-year-old sons in 2014, one of the first things we did was get a Costco Membership.

The concept of buying groceries in bulk was not common in England, so shopping at Costco was a real novelty. We loved the channel’s offerings and what it looked like to sell everything from freshly baked croissants to electronics.

Ten years later, we still shop there and have a executive member – but I’ve learned that not everything has an impressive value and it doesn’t always make sense for our family of four to buy in bulk.

I also try to remember that a Costco membership isn’t free. Our membership recently increased to $130 per year, and while we get a 2% reward on purchases, it makes me a better shopper to not lose sight of that.

Here are some things we are used to don’t shop at Costco and why.