Walmart is the best place for cheap stuff…or so we’ve been told. For years, we’ve heard that Walmart has lower prices than any competitor out there, but have we ever bothered to check? Most of us glance at the cost of something and notice that it could be cheaper elsewhere, but we usually forget how much it was by the time we get to the other store.
However, we did a little digging and discovered that Walmart isn’t the low-price haven it claims to be. There are actually a lot of products you shouldn’t buy there because it’s just cheaper elsewhere. Aldi, Costco, and Sam’s Club have cheaper items. Driving to different stores could play in your favor considering you could save a ton of money each year by shopping around.
Keep buying toilet paper at Walmart, since they somehow have the best, cheap toilet paper on the market, but avoid these items next time you visit this store.
Laptops
Walmart has a mix of low-quality no-name laptops. They’re not an awful choice, but don’t expect them to last very long. They’ll also have a hard time keeping up with software nowadays. Many low-end models at Walmart are available for under $200 but at that price, but you get what you pay for. Don’t expect any fancy specs or gaming abilities on these low-end laptops unless your game of choice is solitaire.
Alternatively, Walmart also has name-brand laptops, but they’re way overpriced. Expect to pay up to $500 or more on name-brands like ASUS, Acer, Lenovo, HP, Dell and more. Pick your poison–or shop online to find the name brands at lower prices. You can check out retailers like Amazon or Best Buy for other great deals on laptops. Shopping around is the best way to get the best deal possible. It’s never a good idea to rely on a retailer like Walmart for getting the lowest price. That’s how they get you!
Pet Food
Pet food is a good bulk buy. We promise that Fido won’t be able to tell the difference between Walmart and Costco. Walmart has smaller portions at a much higher price. It’s always a good idea to buy in bulk as you get more for your money. Half the size doesn’t always mean half the cost. At Amazon, you’ll also find its more economical to buy the bigger bag. If you are concerned about freshness, you can purchase sealed containers for your food.
It’s also important to note that most of the stuff in the pet food aisles isn’t really that healthy. Online, you’ll find a lot more healthy options when it comes to your pet. and they don’t need to be name-brand. A quick look at the ingredients will tell you that much. If you want name-brand food quality ingredients, talk to your vet about which brand would be best. Usually, a food that is high in protein and low on fillers like corn is going to be your best bet but every pet’s needs are different.
Batteries
Unless you’re buying store-brand, batteries are pretty much the same. There’s a negligible difference between Energizer and Duracell, but not enough for it to really matter. That being said, batteries at Walmart will cost you much more than if you purchased them at Costco or Sam’s Club. Yeah, you’ll have 50 batteries, but they’ll last forever. If you buy at Walmart you’ll be paying almost the same price for a back of 10 batteries or less.
If you are open-minded and don’t require name-brand batteries, Amazon Basics batteries are great and will last you a long time. If you have a family that games or you have children with a ton of toys that require batteries, Amazon batteries are an economical solution and they’ll last you a long time. You can purchase packages in different sizes depending on your needs and get regular shipments and save even more money with the subscribe and save option.
Furniture
Never get furniture at Walmart, because you get what you pay for. Many furniture pieces are available for under $500 on their website. Sure, it’s cheap, but it’s also made cheap – mostly made of compressed wood that can barely handle screws. It’s like low-end IKEA furniture and no matter how much you get that chair or table for, it’s simply not worth the time it takes to put it together.
What you get at Walmart is a game of “Is this going to break?” Russian roulette every time you use their furniture. It gets even worse if you’re planning to put something heavy on it. Probably the only reason to get Walmart furniture is if you happen to be a real estate agent and need some fake furniture for a home you are trying to sell. And by the time you sell that home, the furniture will last that long. Okay, maybe we are being slightly hyperbolic but the point is that Walmart furniture is no good.
“Fresh” Fruit
Fresh fruit is surely fine, right? Well, maybe if the fruit was actually fresh. Walmart fruit is about what you’d expect: questionably fresh and sometimes covered in gnats. That’s even if you’re lucky. While washing the fruit can help, there’s no saving a rotten, squishy tomato. So, roll the dice if you want; it’s only “sometimes” after all. Also, it’s best to leave all your produce in the fridge rather than leave it out. No doubt, it’s been left out long enough.
They also don’t have a great selection of fruit there either, so unless you just want apples and oranges, you aren’t likely to find what you are looking for. You can actually go to Walmart and they won’t have limes. So that pretty much ruins taco night and margaritas on Friday. We don’t know about you, but that’s all kinds of messed up to us. It’s not right and we won’t stand for it.
Gift Cards
Gift cards that are sold in stores on display racks can easily be tampered with. Thieves come in and write down the numbers from the cards, wait for someone to activate it, and then use the numbers to make purchases. This scam has been going on for years and can happen in any store. To be safe, avoid buying these cards in the store and just order online gift cards. If you’re really concerned (which we wouldn’t blame you if you were), just go with cash. Cash always reigns supreme.
And then there’s a third option; don’t buy gift cards at all. The truth is that it really is the thought that counts and gift cards don’t really have that much thought into them. Sure, your friend or family member could buy whatever they want, and you don’t have to risk looking foolish for buying something they don’t really like. But it’s important to remember that gift-giving isn’t just about how it makes you feel to give a gift but rather how it makes the other person feel to receive one. plus, they have gift receipts for a reason.
Fish
Cheap and high-quality are two pretty tough to achieve. That’s precisely why Walmart’s fish should be avoided. They’re all about cheap, and that’s not what anyone wants from fish. There’s already enough risk with fish anywhere and you really don’t want to worry about getting worms from Walmart fish. The fish is usually low-quality and can sometimes even be expired depending on the location. That’s pretty disgusting if you ask us.
If you are trying to incorporate more fish in your diet you buy fresh fish from stores like Ranch 99 or even at Costco. You’ll also find plenty of frozen options too. These are usually your safest bet. If you absolutely must buy fish at Walmart, we recommend getting canned tuna. Yep, I mean, we are pretty sure nobody has gotten sick from eating an unopened can of tuna, provided it wasn’t expired. Canned tuna can last up to five years. So there’s that.
Jewelry
Okay, sure, if cheap, disposable jewelry is your thing: go nuts at Walmart. That stuff isn’t made to last too long. But expensive jewelry is another thing. The most expensive options they have are still under $1,000 and they aren’t likely to last you long. You won’t find high-quality diamonds or gold, and you likely won’t get the same perks you would get by shopping at a jewelry store.
If you’re shopping at Walmart for an engagement ring…well, you may be beyond help. You probably aren’t even really ready to get married at that point. Even if you are low on money, there are financing options available at jewelry stores and you can even try a pawn shop. Go to a jewelry store or even better, a local jeweler. You’ll pay less and may even have customizable options. If you buy a Walmart ring, your partner is more likely to say no.
Magazines
If you still buy magazines, don’t get them from Walmart. You’ll pay top-dollar for a magazine from last month that has been touched by dozens of people, so if you collect magazines, that is not the place to do it. A newsstand is the next best place to pick up a magazine if you aren’t quite sure what to look for. Because magazines are becoming rarer and rarer, the publishing company will likely have sales. You can save as much as 50% by going straight to the source.
Getting a subscription can also save you a ton of money, especially if you think you are going to want other magazines from a particular publisher. Sometimes you can get fantastic deals like 50 issues for just $20 if you buy at the right time and you don’t currently subscribe. then after your first year, you can just cancel your subscription. Barring that depending on the magazine, you could save 100% by just reading the info online.
Brand-Name Diapers
Brand-name diapers are the same across the board in quality no matter where you buy them. The only difference between buying Huggies at Walmart versus online is the price tag. On top of paying more money for diapers, you’ll also get a lot less for your money. Some babies go through several diapers per day, while others go through a new diaper every hour. Places like Walmart sell smaller package sizes which means you may have to make several trips to Walmart per month.
Amazon has the lowest price of any store, and your baby definitely won’t be able to tell the difference. Do yourself a favor and find the cheapest prices around before purchasing (unless it’s an emergency). It’s easier to buy in bulk on Amazon and save money doing it. Costco, yes again, is another terrific place to buy diapers because you can get a ton of diapers for your money. On top of that, the Kirkland Signature diapers at Costco hold in a lot so they don’t leak as easily as other brands.
Party Supplies
Cups, plates, napkins, and plasticware will be used and tossed. No one uses them more than once. Because of that, it isn’t essential to get the highest-quality party supplies. Unless you plan on carrying incredibly heavy food, which may require heavy-duty plates, go for the dollar store. The dollar store will have party supplies that are perfect for a birthday. You can just toss whatever you don’t use and not worry about saving any of it.
That’s not to say that Walmart carries high-quality party supplies but what you buy there isn’t necessarily much better in terms of durability. You might be paying more simply because the paper plates have Frozen or Star Wars characters on them. If your child wants a themed part, you can always choose to have other things at the party themed like party favors, balloons and such. And if you simply must have Avengers party plates, then shop at a party supply store that usually has that stuff at a discount.
Anything Organic
Most shoppers know that organic products will cost more than their non-organic counterparts, but Walmart has been known to bump up the price of these fancy products even more than other stores. Considering they’re already expensive, that’s stretching an already stretched budget. Be sure to search elsewhere for your organic goodies. You’ll save money, and you won’t have to set foot in a Walmart. It’s a win-win.
And with that said, though, it’s also time for a reality check. organic isn’t always better. While you may like the taste, sometimes an organic peach just isn’t as sweet as juicy as the GMO version. GMO’s aren’t always a bad thing, sometimes they simply make fruit better and best of all – they’re cheaper. There’s also a myth that organic fruits use little to no pesticides but that is simply not true. Farmers use pesticides so that insects don’t eat your fruits and veggies before you do.
Tires
On this one, we’re not claiming that Walmart tires are bad. Quite the opposite. They’re actually pretty good, but they’re the same quality as local stores and other major retailers. The reason you should avoid Walmart for tires is that other stores have better benefits. For example, Costco usually offers free tire balancing and rotations when tire purchases. The same can’t be said for Walmart. The point being: don’t shop around blindly at Walmart expecting the best deal.
When shopping for tires, it’s important to look around and weigh your options. In addition to auto shops, and places like Costco, you can purchase tires online and compare rates. You’ll get the tires you need, at the lowest possible price, delivered to the mechanic of your choice. Besides, sometimes you might go in-person to a retailer and you have to wait for them to order your new tires anyway because they don’t have the ones you need in stock. So, if you are waiting anyway, you might as well get a good deal.
Music
First off, we’re going to suggest that you don’t purchase physical music, like CDs. Records are cool, but CDs? Totally out of date. That isn’t the only reason that music is on the list, however. Instead of purchasing music at Walmart, go to a local business. Since records grew in popularity, many towns and cities have a record store. As for CDs, they likely carry those, too, although we still suggest avoiding them and going all digital.
To this day, it is said by shoppers that Walmart sells edited versions of CDs at their stores, which would be another reason not to shop there for music. It is said that there is no clear label indicating that the music has been censored in terms of lyric content. Whether this is true still or was true, we cannot personally verify. Regardless, it’s better to be safe than sorry and buy your music at a record store or online.
Gift Bags
Gifts bags are like wrapping paper, except they may be used more than once. Even then, there’s no reason to spend top dollar on a little paper bag. It’s just a waste of money. Unless you are in the habit of asking for the gift bags back, getting a high-quality back isn’t enough to make someone like the gift you bought any better than if you put it in a shopping bag and called it a day.
Instead, stop by your local dollar store and browse what’s on sale. They’ll do the job just as good of a job without costing twice (sometimes three times) as much. The bag alone isn’t enough to make or break the gift, so there’s no reason to go all out and spend $5 on some pretty bag. If your gift alone isn’t enough to impress the giftee, then it may be time to consider a new gift…or a new friend.
TVs
Walmart TVs are like Walmart laptops. There are crappy, low-quality off-brands, and then there are name-brand options like Samsung that are a lot more than other stores. When it comes to buying a new TV, you really do get what you pay for. Unless you are simply buying a TV because your old one broke, you probably want something better than you have. A low-end 4K TV isn’t going to be much better than your old TV.
When it comes to buying TVs, do your homework. A TV can be a huge investment. First off, we’d suggest shopping around for a good sale, especially for name brand. Second, don’t get low-quality TVs that are likely to break after a year of use. Look up reviews on TVs you are interested in because even the biggest name brands can disappoint. Lastly, be sure to look up any specs and terms associated with the TV you are interested in. Make informed decisions – always.
Wrapping Paper
This is one instance where Walmart isn’t cheap and low-quality enough. It’s just wrapping paper–it’s going in the garbage can as soon as you get it off. wrapping paper is literally design to be torn up and thrown away, so what need is there to find a wrapping paper that tears up easily? In fact, your recipients might actually be grateful that you bought lousy wrapping paper that they don’t have to struggle to open or try not to tear it like you are going to recycle it or something.
Instead, swing by the dollar store. The wrapping paper is thin and flimsy but it will do the job just as well – if not better. It’s actually a lot easier to wrap things when the paper is not too thick and you can do a cleaner job. There are also great pattern choices, so you might actually be surprised. Best of all, if you are not a good wrapper, you can mess up as many times as you want.
