Okay, fellow Costco shoppers. Let’s discuss the recent dairy travesty. I’m referring, of course, to the latest butter recall.

Earlier this month, Costco was forced to recall 80,000 pounds of butter. But it wasn’t because it was accidentally poisoned or because it was past its expiration date. No — it was removed from the store because it was missing a critical disclaimer.

“This butter contains milk.” Four little words could have saved 80,000 pounds of butter. But no such luck.

Of course, everyone should know that butter contains milk. Traditional butter is milk. But regulations call for listing it as a potential allergen. Butter can be made from any number of things these days — oils, shea, almonds, oats — so labels need to be precise.

This tiny detail meant real money for Costco. It just goes to show that sweating the small stuff matters, even when you’re a giant grocer.

Similarly, when you’re buying a home, you have to be on the lookout for the little things. Property details, potential transactional pitfalls, necessary repairs, ideal improvements, information about the neighborhood and school district… These are the types of things that, when missed, can cost you dearly later.

It might not be 40 tons of butter serious, but buying a home could be the biggest financial transaction of your life.

That’s why I take my job as a realtor here in Festus so seriously. I go to bat for my clients and sweat the small stuff so they don’t have to endure the stress (or the cleanup of something getting overlooked).

The bottom line? Details matter.

Double-check the butter label before printing. Find a realtor whom you trust with the “small stuff.” These things will save you time, money, and sanity later on. Don’t underestimate them.