It’s so easy and convenient to order whatever you need from Amazon — especially if you pay for a Prime Membership, which grants you same-day, one-day or two-day delivery on a variety of items. However, if you also pay for a membership at Costco, it’s to your advantage to comparison shop before you click the “Place Your Order” button on Amazon.
“Prices will range at both stores, but a 180-count package of diapers at Amazon will run around $53, which is about 29 cents per diaper,” said consumer analyst Julie Ramhold with DealNews. “That’s not terrible, but you can get a pack of 192 Huggies diapers from Costco for around $45, which is about 24 cents per diaper. When you’re having to buy a ton of these items, that 4-5 cents savings per diaper can really add up; plus, you’re getting more in one package, which should help to reduce how often you have to buy them when you shop at Costco.”
Alive! Women’s Multi-Vitamin
At Costco, you can purchase a bottle of 200 tablets for $22.97 or 12 cents per tablet. However, the catch is that the price is only available if you purchase the item at Costco.com, so you won’t be able to pick up the item on your regular Costco runs.
But when you compare the Costco price to what you’ll pay for the item at Amazon — only 130 tablets for $24.67, or almost 19 cents per pill — it’s a no-brainer to buy a larger quantity of these multi-vitamins at a lower price from Costco.
Baby Wipes
“This is another thing that new parents will likely be buying a lot of, and if you shop at Amazon, you can expect to find packages of around 336 wipes for about $12,” Ramhold said.
“That’s about 4 cents per wipe, which definitely isn’t bad. But if you shop at Costco, you can find boxes of 900 wipes for around $22 — that’s about 2 cents per wipe. In addition to those savings, you’re also buying a large amount, and as with the diapers, it helps to reduce the amount of times you have to purchase them.”
You’ll pay a premium to get these mac-and-cheese cups from Amazon — $19.23 for 12 cups, which equals $1.60 per cup. However, if you opt to buy them at Costco, you’ll pay just $11.09 for the same item, which equals 93 cents per cup and a savings of $8.14 overall.
Note that this is an online-only item at Costco that’s eligible for two-day delivery, so if you don’t order at least $75 worth of two-day delivery items, you’ll pay an additional $3 delivery fee, which will bring your total to $15.09. Still, you’ll save over $5 on this item at Costco as compared to purchasing from Amazon.
Charmin Toilet Paper
“At Amazon, you can expect to pay around $33 for 24 rolls, but at Costco, you can buy a pack of 30 rolls for around $31,” said Ramhold. “While the outright savings don’t seem like that much — especially if you get free shipping via a Prime membership — the price per roll works out to be much better at Costco. You’ll pay $1.03 per roll at the warehouse club versus $1.38 per roll (or more) at Amazon.”
K. Bell No-Show Sock
You can get 20 pairs of K. Bell No-Show Socks for $19.99 at Costco. Plus, Costco’s website states that you might be able to get these socks at an even lower price in your local warehouse. At Amazon, however, the pack only contains nine pairs of socks, and you’ll pay $2.44 per pair — over double the cost you’ll pay at Costco.
Dixie Ultra Paper Plates
“If you prefer to use paper plates, whether for crafts or meals, Costco is the way to go,” Ramhold said. “At Amazon, a 172-count package of the Dixie Ultra plates will cost around $36, which is about 21 cents per plate. But at Costco, you can get a package of 186 for $24, which is a much more affordable 13 cents per plate. Getting more for less makes this a no-brainer. These are specifically the 10 1/6 inch plates, but you can also buy 8 1/2 inch Dixie Ultra plates at Costco for an even better deal — $25 for 285 plates, or about 9 cents per plate.”
San Francisco Bay French Roast Coffee Pods
“Sure, Amazon offers more flavors overall, and you can get a 120-count box of the pods there for around $50, but that comes out to about 42 cents per cup,” said Ramhold. “At Costco, you’ll be restricted to a 100-count box, but it’ll only set you back $36, or 36 cents per cup. And if you wait for them to go on sale at Costco, you’ll get an even better deal — prices can drop to $30 or less when they’re on sale at the warehouse club, which means you can get this excellent coffee for about 31 cents a cup or less depending on the sale.”
Skippy Peanut Butter
If you or someone in your family is a peanut butter fan, Costco has two 48-ounce jars of Skippy SuperChunk Peanut Butter for $10.49, which is about $5.24 per jar. At Amazon, you’ll pay $11.98 or almost $1.50 more if you order the same two-pack.
Tide Pods
If Tide Pods are your go-to laundry solution, Costco definitely has a better deal. You can get 168 HE Laundry Detergent Pods in Spring Meadow scent for $35.49, which equals 21 cents per pod. At Amazon, you’ll pay $21.24 for 81 pods, which is around 26 cents per pod or a 5-cent savings per laundry load.
Quaker Instant Oatmeal
“Costco only has a couple of varieties available — Fruit & Cream or another variety pack — but they’re both much better at the warehouse club than what you’ll find at Amazon,” said Ramhold.
“The online retailer offers a 44-pack box of the Fruit & Cream variety pack for around $16, which works out to 36 cents per pack. At Costco, the same variety is $10.49, although that’s for a 40 count box; still, that comes to 26 cents per pack which beats Amazon. If you prefer the other variety pack — with classic flavors like apples & cinnamon, maple & brown sugar, and cinnamon & spice — Costco will cost you $14.49 for 52 packs, or about 28 cents per pack. At Amazon, the exact same product will cost you around $15, or 29 cents per pack.”
