From the monthly archives:

August 2009

Ice Cream

August 27, 2009

This comparison is a bit different than all the others because Costco only sells one brand of ice cream: Kirkland Signature. Of course, you can pick up a box of Haagen-Dazs bars or occasionally a tub of gelato. However, for straightforward ice cream, I’ve never seen anything other than the house brand, which really is [...]

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Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion: Costco v. Target

August 27, 2009

If I wasn’t paying close attention, I would have completely missed this one. At first glance, I thought that Target sold an individual pack of Cetaphil while Costco sold a twin pack. However, upon closer inspection, I discovered that the Target was selling a 16 oz. bottle, while Costco was selling 2 x 20 oz. [...]

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Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner at Lowe’s

August 26, 2009

I already know that Costco has the best price on Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner. Who can beat $11.99 for a 1.25 gallon refill container and a 32 oz. spray bottle? Lowe’s was selling a 128 oz. container of Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner for $15.98, or $0.125 per ounce. Lowe’s price is half way between the [...]

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AA Batteries

August 26, 2009

Lowe’s sells a 16 pack of Duracell AA batteries for $9.97. Costco sells the same 16 pack for $8.49. The Target 16 pack costs $10.39.

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Allergan Refresh Plus

August 25, 2009

Previously, I had compared the price of Allergan Refresh Plus at Target and Costco. Wal-Mart sells a 30 single-use containers for $6.98 (or $0.233 per container) or 70 single-use containers for $13.94 (or $0.199 per container). Recall that Target sold the same 30-count box for $6.99, or one penny more than Wal-Mart. As usual, Costco [...]

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Brita Filters at Wal-Mart

August 24, 2009

Comparison shopping within a store is pretty easy with a calculator in hand. However, unless you store all your prices in a spreadsheet, this task can be challenging because quantities for even standard goods may differ. Case in point: Brita water filters. Costco sells a 10 pack, Target sells a 6 pack, and Wal-Mart sells [...]

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Mini-Wheats at Wal-Mart

August 24, 2009

Last month, I compared the price of Frosted Mini-Wheats at Costco and Safeway. This past weekend, I stopped by Wal-Mart to shop around. Wal-Mart sells an 18 oz. box of Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats for $2.33, or $0.129 per ounce. Costco is still the store to beat, but you have to buy a 70 oz. box. [...]

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Shout Gel

August 20, 2009

A few weeks ago, OSH was selling an 8.7 oz. bottle of Shout Gel for $4.99. So, was this a “great value” as the sign proclaimed? Target, which used to carry Shout Gel, did not have the product on its shelves. Instead, it stocked an 8.7 oz. bottle of Shout Advanced Gel for $2.64. Between [...]

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Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner

August 19, 2009

This exercise in tracking the cost of various products that I usually purchase has really focused my attention on consumer prices. I know that gas prices change daily, but what about the price of other consumer goods? Since the last post on Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner, I noticed that the Costco had changed its price. [...]

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S&W Corn

August 18, 2009

Summer is a great time for corn. Every week, I buy 10 ears of the freshest corn for $6.00 from the Mountain View Farmers Market. The yellow corn is the sweetest, but the white and the bi-color corn are delicious as well. Unfortunately, during the week, I have to turn to the canned corn stored [...]

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