Soda

Forbes: What Not to Buy in Bulk

Americans love their soda, and grocery stores try to lure them in by offering frequent sales on at least one brand. The week we shopped, Pepsi drinkers were the lucky winners. Pepsi at the Chicago-area Sam's Club was 24 cents a can; at Jewel-Osco (a SuperValu-owned supermarket) 20 cents a can, and 21 cents per can at Target (with a "buy three 12-packs and get one free" in-store promotion).

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Soda Americans love their soda, and grocery stores try to lure them in by offering frequent sales on at least one brand. The week we shopped, Pepsi drinkers were the lucky winners. Pepsi at the Chicago-area Sam's Club was 24 cents a can; at Jewel-Osco (a SuperValu-owned supermarket) 20 cents a can, and 21 cents per can at Target (with a "buy three 12-packs and get one free" in-store promotion).

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Coca-Cola Beginning Monday, Atlanta's Kroger had Coke on sale for 25 cents per can when buying four 12-pack cartons. The price is identical at the nearby Sam's Club, but Kroger card holders will receive points for purchases good toward 10 cents off per gallon of gas at local Shell stations. A double deal on gas: save at the pump and avoid an extra trip to the club store.

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Snack Chips Snack chips are big promotional items for supermarkets, especially around big events like the Superbowl, national holidays and graduation time. Like with soda, major manufacturers help retailers deeply discount products on a rotating basis. The week we shopped, Frito Lay products were in the spotlight. Doritos were 22 cents per ounce at the Atlanta-area Sam's Club and 15 cents per ounce at Kroger.

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Sun Chips Sun Chips were priced at 33 cents per ounce at Sam's Club in Marietta, Ga. while the closest Kroger supermarket had the same product for 23 cents for loyalty club card holders. Downloading a digital coupon for $1 off knocks that price down to 15 cents per ounce.

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Dryer Sheets Bounce Dryer Sheets were 6 cents per sheet at a Chicago Sam's Club but just 4 cents per sheet that week at both the nearby nearby Target and Walmart stores.

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Sports Drinks Beverages are often less at the local grocery store, but you'll have to watch the sales closely. We found 32 ounce bottles of Gatorade for 79 cents each at the Chicago-area Jewel-Osco and 94 cents each at Sam's Club.

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Paper Products Paper products and cleaning supplies are almost always cheaper at the warehouse club with one exception: toilet paper. Remember this general rule: items used daily are the most likely to be sold at a deep discount everywhere, including supermarkets and discount stores. The Sam's Club in Atlanta had Quilted Northern for 51 cents per roll. The identical product was available at Kroger for a penny less per roll for loyalty cardholders. Download a digital coupon and the price goes down to 33 cents per roll.

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Office Supplies Office supplies are almost always cheaper in bulk, except for copy paper. Unless you're brand loyal, plain white copy paper can be had for $1.61 a box less at both Staples and Office Depot than at Sam's Club.

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Produce Produce isn't exactly at the top of the list when it comes to making bulk buys, but it's often one of the best values at the warehouse club. That said, supermarkets will always feature one in-season item at doorbuster prices, like Chicago's Jewel-Osco where red grapes were 99 cents per pound compared to $2 per pound at Costco. No need to eat them at once, either. Grapes freeze well, making great warm weather snacks.

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.