Walmart offers a lot of mouthwatering deals that we can’t take our eyes off. But in reality, while you can get many of these products cheaper somewhere else, it isn’t worth cutting costs on certain others. Avoid going to Walmart to get these 18 items.
Party Supplies
Whether it’s a child’s birthday or a get-together with high school friends, buying party decorations and other supplies from Walmart isn’t especially cost-saving. This is because you can get cups, confetti, and balloons for five times less at dollar stores, like at Dollar Tree, for example.
Prepaid Phone Plans
Straight Talks are exclusively available at Walmart, and the store even offers a Walmart Plus membership when you go for the Gold and Platinum straight talk plans. The problem, however, is not the pricing, but that you’ll get subpar internet and customer service with this phone, as Tom’s Guide shares.
Home Appliances
Shopping at Walmart for home appliances is generally disappointing for two reasons. First, you don’t have a lot of options to choose from and will most likely not find exactly what you’re looking for. Second, you’ll get better deals (and options) at Lowe, Best Buy, and Home Depot.
New High-End Electronics
Walmart offers manufacturer-certified refurbished phones that will save you money. But when it comes to your new phones, cameras, drones, and whatnot, it’s better to head to the manufacturer’s stores or dedicated electronic stores to get them. This is because you’re most likely to find them at cheaper prices here than at Walmart.
Wrapping Paper
Dollar stores should be your go-to options here. Whether you buy wrapping paper at your local corner store or Walmart, it pretty much stays the same quality. So, why would you buy it for $20 at Walmart when you can get it for $1.25 at Dollar Tree?
Furniture
With furniture, what you save in price may cost you in quality, and Walmart puts you at this risk. You’re particularly warned against buying wooden furniture from Walmart, as it deteriorates quicker and will force you to spend more money in the future.
Kitchen Utensils
You’ll find a lot of excellent options at Walmart to get yourself a dream kitchen. However, if you only need basic kitchen utensils like plates, cutting boards, colanders, and cups, opting to go to dollar stores will save you money—and you don’t have to worry about quality.
Batteries
If you’re looking for deals on AA batteries, Walmart shouldn’t be your go-to store. This is because Consumer Reports shows you’ll find better-quality, low-cost batteries at Costco that last longer than Walmart batteries and perform comparatively similarly to brands like Duracell.
Disposable Utensils
Like wrapping paper, dollar stores give you the best value for disposable utensils like plastic spoons, paper straws, and paper plates. You’re going to throw them away anyway, and you don’t really need them to last long, so it wouldn’t hurt you to shop at cheaper one-dollar stores.
Supplements
With health supplements, it’s deeper than just price or quality and gets diabolical. CBS reports that Walmart was among the retailers found by the New York Attorney General to sell herbal supplements with unverifiable and unlisted ingredients. It’s better to be careful with your health than shop at a store with this type of history.
Jewelry
One of the last things you want to buy from Walmart is jewelry. Except you’re okay gambling on low-quality, hardly original pieces of earrings, bangles, and rings, Forbes advises that you go to affordable jewelry stores like Quince. They may not come with the most elaborate designs, but their quality is reliable nonetheless.
Baby Products
For deals on baby products like diapers, baby wipes, and moisturizing lotions, subscribing to the Amazon Family plan will pay you better. You get to enjoy deals through readily available discount codes and a Baby Registry completion discount. This can be up to $10 in discounts on $30 purchases—deals you can’t find at Walmart.
Toys
Walmart comes with an impressive catalog of play items, but you’ll find better deals on the same type and brand of toys at other places. For instance, Amazon easily sells toys for less, as it has the largest toy market share of all stores and can offer deals every day of the year.
Video Games
Video games come with the same constraints as toys; Amazon sells significantly more than other retail brands and, hence, can offer lower prices and higher discounts every day of the year. Walmart doesn’t lack so much in this regard, but other places simply come with better deals.
Gift Cards
Walmart may come with an excellent selection of gift cards (from gaming to travel, dining, and credit), but it doesn’t come with the cheapest. You can get your cards from places like CardCash, Raise, CardPool, and GiftCardGranny for much greater discounts.
Photo Services
Walmart allows you to order photos for as little as $0.14 for a four-by-five print. But why do this when you can avoid spending money entirely? Apps like FreePrints and Shutterly allow you to order your prints for free, and you only have to worry about delivery fees.
Maple Syrup
With Walmart’s selection of maple syrup, you really don’t have to worry about quality. The flip side is that you’ll find great maple syrup selections at places like Trader Joe’s and Costco for cheaper prices. Consumer Reports advises doing this when looking for top-grade maple syrups to buy.
Bedding
Humans spend a total of 26 years in bed and an additional seven years trying to fall asleep. This means your bedding determines 33 years of the quality of life you live. Now, not only does settling for cheaper options at Walmart affect your quality of life, but you also risk having sleep-related physical and mental health issues like back pain and loss of focus.
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