10 Worst Items to Buy at Warehouse Clubs

Diapers

For families with young children, shopping at a warehouse club can offer huge savings. But defaulting to Costco, Sam’s Club or BJ’s without doing your due diligence could cost you — and this is especially true when it comes to diapers and baby supplies.

We looked at prices for store-brand diapers (in size 3) at Costco, Sam’s Club, BJ’s and Target. Here’s what we found: At Costco, a 198-count package Kirkland Signature Supreme diapers costs $35.99 (about 18 cents per diaper).

At Sam’s Club, you can get 234 Member’s Mark Comfort Care diapers for $39.84 (17 cents). At BJ’s, a 180-count package of Berkley Jensen Ultra Absorbent diapers totals $25.99 (14 cents). By comparison, at Target you can get a 222-count box of Up and Up diapers for $28.99 (13 cents). Based on unit price, the big-box retailer offers the better deal.

When looking for deals on other baby supplies, such as wipes and diaper ointment, consumers can score big using Amazon’s Subscribe and Save program, Offers.com’s McGrath says. The program allows parents to set up auto-delivery on everything from lotion to hair-care products for kids.

Amazon Prime members qualify for 20% off diapers and other related products when ordering at least five items per month, she notes. “You can even skip a delivery if necessary or you need to change diaper sizes. You’re not committed to the size on a giant box of diapers you purchased in bulk a month ago at a warehouse club,” McGrath adds.