I always find myself buying pantry staples and cleaning supplies at Walmart because I can’t seem to find them cheaper anywhere else. But while Walmart is a great store for consistently low prices on lots of stuff, they’re not necessarily the cheapest place for everything on your list.
For example, greeting cards are about 80% cheaper at Dollar General compared to Walmart, and custom half-sheet cakes are 40% cheaper at Sam's Club. And for things you buy regularly, Amazon's Subscribe & Save discounts outshine what Walmart offers for subscription orders.
Of course, we always recommend checking out the latest Walmart coupon deals, but there are just some things that are cheaper if you shop at other stores instead. So before you place your next Walmart pickup order, check out this list of alternative stores where you may squeeze out some additional savings.
Download The Krazy Coupon Lady app or text HACKS to 57299 for the latest money-saving tips, deals, and coupons.
1. Dollar General
Cheaper Than Walmart: Greeting Cards
I used to buy all my greeting cards at Dollar Tree, but now that their prices are creeping up on lots of items, I've discovered it's worth checking the shelves at Dollar General to get them for just $0.50 each.
Considering basic greeting cards at Walmart will run you anywhere from $1.97 - $7.58, this is a total steal and comes out to a savings of at least 75%.
Dollar General’s individual greeting cards start at $0.50 each, but you can usually find multipacks of birthday, thank you, and everyday cards for around $1 — making the price per card even cheaper.
How to Save at Dollar General
Learn the basics of couponing at Dollar General, like how to clip a $5 off $25 Dollar General store coupon that's available to use every Saturday.
Watch for occasional in-store Dollar General Clearance Events that'll save you 50% - 75% on a select list of items.
2. Dollar Tree
Cheaper Than Walmart: Gift Bags and Party Supplies
My household has affectionately renamed this store as the "Dollar-twenty-five-Tree," as Dollar Tree raised their prices (and continue to do so). But Dollar Tree stores are still one of the cheapest places to shop for party supplies, gift bags, and wrapping paper, especially when you compare their prices to Walmart.
I always stock up on Dollar Tree's multipacks of gift bags, which come in sets of two or three for $1.25, depending on the size. For comparison, one gift bag at Walmart will run you at least $0.98, so the Dollar Tree gift bags are at least 36% cheaper.
Dollar Tree also has a great selection of themed gift wrap (again, for just $1.25) that’s perfect for things like baby showers and kids’ birthday parties when you don’t want to get stuck with a huge roll of wrapping paper after the event is over. They also have select greeting cards priced at two for $1.
How to Save at Dollar Tree
Shop from our list of the best things to buy at Dollar Tree so you'll have more room in your budget to spend on party supplies and other birthday essentials.
3. Target
Better Than Walmart: Their Rewards Program
There’s one aspect of the Target vs. Walmart debate where Target totally wins, and that's their Circle rewards program. When we crunched the numbers for Target vs. Walmart prices, we found that the Circle program lets you save some serious money at Target.
The Target Circle rewards program is free to join (in store or online), and it offers exclusive discounts and earnings opportunities that you can then apply to future purchases. And if you pay with a Target Circle Card (they have a debit card option and a reloadable option that doesn't require a credit check), you'll save 5% on practically everything you buy at Target.
The only sorta-similar rewards program at Walmart is Walmart Cash, but that's more about earning cash-back rebates than bonuses.
How to Save at Target
Strategically combine Circle Offers with Target sale prices to save even more.
Sign up for a reloadable Circle Card to get 5% back in rewards on all your purchases.
4. Amazon
Better Than Walmart: Subscribe & Save Discounts
If you frequently purchase the same items on a regular basis (think laundry detergent, shampoo, and pet food), using Amazon’s Subscribe & Save feature could be more beneficial when comparing Amazon vs. Walmart prices. And you don't need a Prime membership for Subscribe & Save, either.
Granted, you can set up repeat deliveries from Walmart, but these subscriptions usually don’t include a discount like Amazon's do. With Amazon Subscribe & Save, you’ll get a discount (easily up to 15%), and your deliveries will arrive on the cadence you choose. You can also cancel at any time pretty easily.
How to Save at Amazon
Add at least five items to each auto-delivery so that you unlock the maximum discount (up to 15%).
Stack Subscribe & Save discounts for household essentials with other Amazon credits and clippable Amazon coupons. (We can teach you how to do this in our Amazon Subscribe & Save hacks.)
5. Sam's Club
Better Than Walmart: Bulk Groceries and Custom Cakes
The Walmart corporation owns Sam’s Club, so it makes sense that their prices are kinda similar. But if you’re able to buy things in bulk — and have the space to store bulky goods — Sam’s Club almost always has the better deals.
In fact, when we compared Sam's Club vs. Walmart deals, we found that Sam's Club had cheaper toilet paper, kitchen garbage bags, Starbucks K-Cups, and Luvs diapers, just to name a few things.
Sam’s is also known for their cheap half-sheet cakes, which cost $20.98 at the Sam's Club Bakery. The cheapest half-sheet cake from the Walmart Bakery is $34.98, so you'll save 40% if you get your cake at Sam's instead.
How to Save at Sam's Club
Opt for larger pack sizes to pay less per unit at Sam’s Club.
Take advantage of our favorite Sam’s Club hacks — like using the Scan & Save feature in their app to clip exclusive coupons in store.
KCL TIP: Since package sizes are often different from retailer to retailer, always calculate the cost per unit (per garbage bag, diaper, K-Cup, etc.) when comparing deals.
6. Hobby Lobby
Better Than Walmart: Home Decor
While we don't usually recommend buying furniture at Hobby Lobby (because it's not often a good deal), their prices on smaller home decor items are pretty competitive compared to Walmart.
Even without a Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon (those aren't offered anymore), you can still find their home decor for 50% off about every other week.
How to Save at Hobby Lobby
Plan your shopping trip around the Hobby Lobby sale schedule so you don’t overpay. You can usually score 30% off pretty regularly, but it’s worth waiting for at least 50% off.
Study our Hobby Lobby hacks to know when to hunt for clearance deals.
7. Ross
Better Than Walmart: Super-Cheap Clothing
Walmart does have a really nice selection of clothing at great prices, but Ross actually wins in this category for us. Ross not only sells name-brand clothing (while a lot of in-store clothing at Walmart is store brand), but they also sell it for up 60% off. That means you can score lower prices and steeper discounts on nicer brands at Ross.
Ross doesn't sell any products online, so you'll need to find a Ross near you to check out the current selection. I recommend browsing their Found In-Store page to see what other shoppers are finding.
How to Save at Ross
Plan to shop Ross' big January clearance sale around the first of the year.
Score better deals on Ross' already low prices with our Ross savings hacks.
8. T.J.Maxx
Better Than Walmart: Pet Toys & Accessories
I’ll be honest: I never leave T.J.Maxx without at least one cat toy in my cart. They typically have a really nice selection of pet toys and accessories, including heavily used things like beds and food dishes. And around the holiday season, they have a large selection of themed toys at super low prices.
How to Save at T.J.Maxx
Use our T.J.Maxx hacks to save even more on already discounted items.
Always check the clearance section at the back of the store (especially after major holidays).
Find out what day your local T.J.Maxx does markdowns and restocks so you know when to go.
9. Ikea
Better Than Walmart: Cheap Furniture
Ikea is known for having inexpensive furniture, and we rank them even better than Walmart in this category for both price and variety.
You can score a basic version of just about any piece of furniture at Ikea for cheaper than even the Walmart store brand, though you’ll likely have fewer choices for colors and finishes.
Keep in mind that this tip only applies if you live near an Ikea store, because their shipping is notoriously expensive. If you already know what you want, we recommend buying online and picking up at the store; it’s a much faster and easier process than finding and carrying your item through the store.
How to Save at Ikea
Shop the As-Is section in Ikea stores (or online) if you’re not dead set on a particular make and model (this is one of our best Ikea hacks). You can save up to 50% on items that have minor damage or imperfections that can often be easily fixed or hidden.
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