10 Things You Should Never Buy at the Grocery Store

Save money by rethinking where you shop for these items

Matt Alderton,

AARP

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Published April 30, 2026

different items at a grocery store with red xs around them

AARP (Getty Images,7)

Key takeaways

Supermarkets often mark up nonfood items significantly more than other retailers.
Many cleaning supplies, pet products and kitchen goods are cheaper at warehouse or big-box stores.
Drugstores can be better places to shop for health and personal care items.

Many supermarkets don’t just sell groceries — they also sell over-the-counter medications, soaps and shampoos, makeup and a variety of other products. But these items are often marked up significantly, says Bobby Ghoshal, CEO of Dupe.com, an AI shopping tool that helps consumers find lower-cost versions of popular products.

“Honestly, anything other than food can likely be found much cheaper at a discount store or wholesale store,” Ghoshal says. “I recommend only purchasing items that you’re going to consume at grocery stores. They don’t have an incentive to mark down items like diapers, greeting cards and other nonperishable items that won’t expire. Most are banking on the fact that consumers are busy and would rather save on time than money.”

Chip Carter, producer and host of the television show Where the Food Comes From, agrees, drawing this comparison: “Don’t order fish at a steakhouse, and don’t order steak at a seafood restaurant,” he says. “Grocery stores are literally telling you, ‘This is a grocery store; what you buy here is groceries.’”

Of all the overpriced nonfood items on supermarket shelves, these are among the worst offenders.

1. Cleaning products

Bleach, sponges and other cleaning supplies are supermarket staples, but you’re typically better off buying them in bulk from a warehouse store. “You will not find a better deal on Lysol at your local grocery store than you would at Costco or Sam’s Club,” Ghoshal says.

2. Pet products

Many grocery stores charge a premium for pet supplies, including food, treats and essentials like poop bags and cat litter, says Clay Cary, senior trends analyst at CouponFollow, a website that tracks coupon codes from online merchants to help consumers save money.

To find the lowest prices, he recommends buying pet goods from online retailers like Chewy or Amazon, which offer discounts for using their “autoship” and “subscribe & save” programs, respectively.

“You can get a really good deal,” Cary says. “Amazon and Chewy almost always will offer 5 percent off on a subscription for pet food.” PetSmart and Petco also offer discounts on auto-ship orders.

Tip: Because unit prices are typically lower on big packages, buying larger bags of dry pet food will “get you more bang for your buck,” says budgeting coach Andrea Woroch.

3. Greeting cards

The best deals on greeting cards are at dollar stores, Woroch says. “Look for the two-for-$1 options,” she recommends.

Don’t be afraid to load up. “Pick up generic birthday or blank greeting cards so you always have some on hand,” Woroch suggests. “This way, you don’t find yourself running to the closest store to grab a card that will likely be overpriced.”

4. Health and personal care items

When you need vitamins, over-the-counter medications, shampoo, toothpaste or other health and personal care products, steer clear of the grocery store, Ghoshal says. “The markup is insane,” he says.

Big-box stores sell many of these products at notable discounts. Drugstores like Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid can also be good places to shop for health and personal care items.

“Our supermarket has a phenomenal pharmacy, and they give us great service,” Carter says, “but when it’s time to look at lotions and face creams and decongestants and cough syrups and antacids — things like that — I don’t want to go there. I want to go to the drugstore.”

5. Beauty products and cosmetics

Drugstores are also often superior places to buy beauty essentials and cosmetics, Woroch says. “Drugstore beauty brands are a great option on a budget, and many stores like CVS offer rewards and coupons based on your purchases, so you can stack those to save more on your favorites,” she says.

6. Kitchen supplies

Buying kitchen staples like foil, plastic wrap and paper towels at the grocery store is usually a costly mistake, Ghoshal says. Unless your supermarket is offering a buy-one-get-one deal, “you’ll find much better discounts at your local dollar store,” he says. Warehouse clubs also offer competitive deals on household and kitchen essentials.

7. Cookware

Among the things to “absolutely never” buy at a supermarket, “pots and pans first among them,” Carter says. “Even if it’s a known name, it’s a lower-level entry in that lineup. You’ll never find anything of value or quality.”

Instead, consider shopping for cookware at discount department stores like HomeGoods, Marshalls or TJ Maxx, where “you can get quality kitchen goods from name brands for up to 60 percent off retail,” Woroch says. “Look for the red sticker for extra clearance savings.”

8. Batteries

“Batteries are one of the most egregiously priced items at the grocery store,” Carter warns. Warehouse clubs and big-box stores are a better choice, he says. Because batteries are long-lasting and easy to store, buying them in bulk can help maximize savings.

9. Magazines and books

Talk is cheap, but reading matter isn’t when it’s sold at the grocery store. Take People magazine. Although it costs $6.99 per issue on newsstands, a one-year subscription (48 issues) costs $48 — just $1 per issue.

As for books? That’s another no-brainer: “Just borrow from your local library for no cost,” Woroch says.

10. Seasonal items

Whether it’s Valentine’s Day chocolate in February, Easter candy in the spring, swim goggles in the summer or pumpkin carving kits for Halloween, the seasonal aisle at the supermarket is usually a bum deal, Cary says.

“At Christmastime, my grocery store sells Christmas trees and Santa statues and all kinds of stuff, and it’s marked up five times what it costs at Walmart,” he says.

Woroch recommends shopping for seasonal items at dollar stores, especially for decorations that don’t need to last.

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The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Matt Alderton is a contributing writer who specializes in health and wellness, travel and technology. His work has also appeared in USA Today, Forbes and The Washington Post.