12 Walmart Do’s and Dont’s

How Often Do You Shop At Walmart?

With nearly 5,000 locations under its belt, Walmart boasts an impressive selection of goods. You can find virtually anything on their shelves, from groceries to clothing, from electronics to pet supplies, even camping equipment.

So Walmart is basically the height of convenience. With so many items under one roof and a near guarantee that there’s a store nearby, why would you go anywhere else? However, we need to constantly remind ourselves that convenience doesn’t always equal affordability.

Some, if not most items, in Walmart’s catalog are definitively cheaper than their competitor’s, but not all. Get your shopping list ready and let’s find out which items you should definitely stock up on from Walmart and which you’d best leave behind.

Here are 12 Walmart do’s and don’ts.

Close-up of a senior's hands organizing generic medication bottles on a counter. — Senior hands carefully organize a collection of affordable generic medication jars and bottles on a bright marble surface.

Buy Generic Medications

Medication can cost an arm and a leg if you’re always reaching for popular brands, to the point where you might want to sleep off an ailment rather than pay exorbitant prices- and we’re only talking about mild aches and discomforts.

Walmart’s generic medication makes stacking up on 30-day supplies for $4 and 90-day supplies for $10 a no brainer! You can even pick up vitamins and contraceptives at a fraction of the price.

So make sure you’re well taken care of! During your next shopping trip, buy some medications that’ll last you a while. There’s nothing worse than having to head out to a pharmacy while you’re not feeling well!

A senior man using a tablet in a sunlit, comfortable living room. — A smiling man enjoys premium features for less while using a high-quality refurbished tablet in his comfortable living room.

Buy Refurbished Electronics

If you’re in the market for a new electronic device, be it a TV, laptop, smartphone, tablet or smartwatch, you should consider Walmart’s refurbished electronics section first. Why pay thousands of dollars on a brand new item when you can snag the same like-new product for a fraction of the cost?

If you’re feeling worried over the trustworthiness of your purchase, Walmart still has you covered. Each and every item comes with a 90-day warranty, not to mention they’re all tested and inspected to ensure that they’re in perfect working quality.

A senior woman admiring a high-quality wedding invitation at a desk. — A woman smiles while admiring a beautifully crafted wedding invitation featuring an elegant gold wax seal and calligraphy.

Buy Wedding Stationery

Weddings can be notoriously expensive- there’s the venue you have to think about, the dress, decorations, the cake… too many things to count. And all of them can chip away at your savings pretty quickly.

But not everything about your future wedding has to be exorbitantly priced. Leave the wedding stationery to Walmart and save big! They have fully customizable templates for engagement announcements, save the dates, invitations, wedding programs, and reception menus, so you won’t have to worry about sacrificing your own personal style.

Pricing starts at $0.48 per card, so even if you’re planning on a big wedding, you won’t spend an arm and a leg on stationery.

A senior couple putting printed photos into a family album together. — A happy couple shares a laugh while looking through physical photo prints and a vintage album on their sofa.

Buy Photo Prints

Almost everyone has a camera in their front pocket nowadays, but how often do we really look back on our old memories? Sure, we post them on social media and then proceed to forget about them for months or years to come. It seems that hanging pictures on the wall or putting them on a mantle has gone out of style.

But why? And shouldn’t we bring it back by taking advantage of amazing printing deals? With photo prints costing as little as $0.09 at Walmart, what’s stopping you from starting a new family album? Even better, you can go on Walmart’s website to customize photo collages and poster-sized prints with the added benefit of same-day pickup!

A grandfather helping his grandson with a school uniform polo shirt. — A smiling grandfather helps a young boy button his new navy school polo, making back-to-school preparations a special moment.

Buy School Uniforms

While children might moan at the prospects of being forcedto wear a school uniform, parents have to think about how to keep everything cost-effective. After all, these clothes tend to get dirty or damaged quite frequently, and dishing out tens of dollars for new uniforms every few months is not ideal.

That’s why it’s a good idea to shop for your school uniforms at Walmart. They’re high quality and comfortable, and cost as little as $4, as exemplified by their girls short sleeve polo shirts collection.

Buy Backpacks

Speaking of school supplies, you might be interested in buying your backpacks from Walmart as well- yet another item that children tend to damage quite frequently. And don’t worry! While backpacks might be seasonal, the massive retailer maintains their low prices all year long.

You can find them for as little as $6.99, far more affordable than Target’s cheapest backpack that sells for $12.89!

A senior man examining tires in a clean, modern garage. — A man leans thoughtfully on a stack of tires in a modern garage, questioning if he truly needs new rubber.

Don’t Buy Tires

Plenty of us have taken advantage of Walmart’s auto center while out shopping. The convenience of killing two birds with one stone is unbeatable! But don’t get roped into buying tires while you’re at it.

Both BJ’s and Costco offer sale bundles and installation deals that make getting your tires there far more affordable. So this is the first thing you should cross off your Walmart list!

A close-up of a hand holding a pack of batteries in a store. — A shopper holds packs of Energizer and Duracell batteries in a store aisle, but these disposables are often a mistake.

Don’t Buy Batteries

While you might be inclined (and rightly so) to buy various electronics from Walmart, it’s best to leave their batteries on the shelves. By comparison, you’re not getting a good deal unless you’re banking on the convenience of just picking them up while you’re at it.

But real super savers know you shouldn’t fall for such tricks! If you’re looking for convenience and great prices all wrapped into one, look no further than AmazonBasics, the equivalent of Amazon’s store brand.

Additionally, you can shop warehouse clubs for equally good deals, just don’t stop at Walmart for batteries.

A senior woman filling a reusable water bottle in a bright kitchen. — A smiling woman fills a reusable glass bottle with fresh tap water, making it easy to ditch single-use plastic.

Don’t Buy Bottled Water

Buying bottled water from Walmart is a bad idea all around. They’re not known for low prices in this category, so you’re better off heading to places like Home Depot, Kmart, and a variety of dollar stores instead.

This goes for everything, from single bottles of water to buying in bulk!

A senior man looking at a compact refrigerator in a store. — A skeptical shopper examines a compact cream refrigerator in a showroom, questioning if this small appliance is truly worth buying.

Don’t Buy Mini Refrigerators

Parents and college students alike turn to Walmart for all kinds of back-to-school essentials, especially when it comes to filling up and decorating their dorm rooms. Bedsheets, shower caddies, toasters… they’re all high on the list of must-haves.

So are mini-fridges, as no dorm room can be complete without one. But buying them from Walmart would be a disservice to your savings, so head on over to Home Depot or Best Buy for better deals!

A senior woman's hands holding a gift card in a cozy room. — Hands hold a card labeled a simple gift, showing that personal gestures are far more meaningful than plastic vouchers.

Don’t Buy Gift Cards

Buying gifts from Walmart is, in general, a good idea. You’re sure to find something your loved one likes and you’ll get a sweet deal in the process, but hold off on buying any gift cards. They carry a variety of popular subscription services like iTunes and Netflix or national restaurants.

But so do Sam’s Club and BJ’s. In fact, their prices are even better, as will annual memberships you can get your selection of gift cards for 20% off.

Still think you’re better off getting gift cards from Walmart?

Don’t Buy Wrapping Paper

Speaking of gifts to loved ones, it’s time to wrap up your present! To be honest, the recipient of your gift will appreciate what’s inside more than what’s on the outside, but we still like wrapping our presents up and putting bows on them. It’s strangely therapeutic!

But let’s not forget, these are usually things that’ll end up in the trash shortly, so it seems pointless to pay too much money for them. Walmart’s wrapping paper, from this perspective, is a bit overpriced. Dollar stores have much more decently priced paper and a selection of bows and ribbons you can use as further decorations!

If you’re looking for some REALLY great deals, Amazon has always got your back!

But they’re not the only ones! We also recommend you check out: 22 Things Dollar Stores Are Keeping Away From You