9 Things Dave Ramsey Says You Should Buy at Costco or Sam's Club

Ramsey believes you could save money by buying the right items in bulk.

Both Costco and Sam's Club are warehouse clubs you can join in order to benefit from discount prices on bulk items. Both of these big box stores offer some great deals, as well as products people love.  

But not every Costco or Sam's item is worth putting on your credit card, so it can be helpful to know which items will give you the most bang for your buck. 

Personal finance expert Dave Ramsey has some advice on this issue. In fact, there are nine specific things Ramsey believes it's a good idea to buy at Costco or Sam's.

Buy these items at Costco or Sam's Club

Ramsey said there are a total of nine items that it makes sense to buy in bulk from either Costco or Sam's. These nine items include:

1. Toiletries
2. Dental care items such as heads for your electric toothbrush or dental floss
3. Paper goods like toilet paper and paper towels
4. Batteries
5. Gum
6. Cereal
7. Canned goods
8. Rice
9. Dried beans

Ramsey suggested that purchasing these particular items from warehouse clubs can be the best move because you can typically get really good bargains by buying them in bulk. These items aren't likely to go bad before you can use them up -- especially things like paper products and batteries -- and many people use them in large enough quantities that the bulk-buying discount will actually provide real savings.

However, Ramsey also warned that when you go to a warehouse club to buy these items, you should make sure not to be tempted by other purchases that may not be as good of a deal. "Try to resist the temptation to stock up on things to avoid making a return trip, or the (not real) pressure to do all of your grocery shopping at the warehouse store so you 'get your money's worth' out of your membership," Ramsey said. 

Is Ramsey right? 

Ramsey is correct that you can often get really great prices on these nine items if you buy them in large quantities at either Sam's or Costco.

Of course, you want to make sure that these are actually cheaper at your warehouse club than at the grocery store or drug store -- especially during sales. There's a lot of regional variation in pricing and the deals available, and sometimes you might be able to get a better deal if you shop a store sale at a grocery store or pharmacy. That's especially true if you are able to combine a manufacturer coupon with a store deal. 

The best way to decide what you should buy at Sam's or Costco is to consider the items you use in your home and the quantities in which you use them. First, make sure you're actually going to use the item before it goes bad. If not, then you definitely shouldn't buy it in bulk unless you team up to buy and split it with friends or family. Once you've decided it could potentially be smart to buy in bulk, check the Sam's or Costco price against sales flyers in your area to see which place really has the best deal.

Ultimately, Ramsey's list has some good suggestions for items you're likely to get bargains by bulk buying, but it's up to you to do the legwork to make sure these items are actually good deals for you.