Costco
 

I wasn’t really sure where to put this, so I hope it fits here.

I recently got a discount on a Costco membership and have never shopped there before. What are your favorite things to buy? I’ve heard they have some good pre-made meals, which interest me, since I’m in school full-time and still homeschooling my youngest.

Re: Costco
 

We buy their TP and paper towels. Their TP is one of the one ones that still has wide sheets, and is a good price per roll. The paper towels are also well-priced.

I also buy whatever their eco friendly laundry soap is. Their dishwasher pod things aren't as good as name brand, though they recently redid them and now might be better.

In the spring and summer, you'll find really nice life vests if your fam needs to update. In winter, their kid's gloves and balaclava thingies are are great.

For groceries, I tend to wait for sales on a lot of it. Their pork carnitas and pot roast in the fridge section are so nice to keep on hand. And the pesto is GREAT. We buy those three things regardless of sales. Oh, and the sliced rosemary ham.

The mini cukes and peppers are super for easy snacks.

Re: Costco
 

We love Costco! Here are some of our favs:
- Whisps (especially the Asiago/Pepper Jack ones)
- VT Jerky
- Cauliflower thins (I use these as a gluten free option for bread on egg sandwiches, regular sandwiches, or just break them up and dip them in the $itchin' Sauce)
- $itchen Sauce (Horrible name, but soooo delicious!)
- Paper Towels. (We skip the toilet paper because we're read it's not good for septic systems and since we're not on city sewer, we don't use it.)
- Juice boxes & pre-packaged snacks like fruit snacks, Bobos, etc. for school lunches
- Fruit, tho you have to eat it fast, I've found.
- Books
- Halloween Costumes (sometimes... if they have ones the kids like)
- Easter/Christmas dresses for the girls (also got their flower girl dresses there)

I'm sure there is more. My husband is the shopper in our family, so his list would probably be more extensive than mine. :)

Re: Costco
 

Tortillaland raw tortillas
frozen berries
Artisan baby lettuce
unsweetened cocoa powder
vanilla extract
toilet paper
Kirkland trail mix
graham crackers
strawberry jelly
cereal IF it is on sale- their regular prices aren't fantastic

My daughter likes the chicken dumplings and most of my family loves their jarred pesto.

For the holidays, their pumpkin pie is amazing. Cheesecake is great, too.

Also for non-foods fresh cut Christmas trees, UV Skinz swim suits (up to size 7 kids), Speedo Swim Suits for girls and women, winter gloves, boots, and mittens, batteries, liquid hand soap.

Re: Costco
 

We don't have a membership but DH's cousin is a huge fan. She is also a big wine taster and she says their wine is legit. According to her, they buy the over production from really good wineries and relabel it as their own. You never know what you will get but she says a lot of time it is really high end stuff. I don't drink but thought it was a fun fact to throw out there.

I also love the lavender hand soap and fruity sparkling water she get's there.

Re: Costco
 

We just got a Costco in our city and bought a membership because we needed a car battery and the savings to buy it there were enough to cover the price of the membership! So win win.

I am a deep price point checker and a sales shopper. Their prices in groceries actually fluctuate regularly so it's important to keep your eye on it. For example I know my price point for cheese, and lately the cheese at our costco has been fluctuating regularly! So sometimes it dips below my price point but often it's above. So just watch.

The things I purchase pretty regularly from there are:

rice
coffee
sugar
gluten free all purpose flour
nuts
pumpkin seeds
frozen organic vegetables
greek yogurt

I also always check out their warehouse sales. Every month they put certain things within their warehouse with an additional discount. That often brings things down below my desired price point. So that's the crux of most of my purchases there (tho be careful even with the deals it's sometimes not the best price, you have to know what you pay regularly elsewhere to compare. Make sure to make a list down to the price per ounce because with different and bigger sizes it's hard to compare without knowing that)

I also always check out their clothing and household item area. They often have good deals there.

Re: Costco
 

I am a Costco regular. It’s interesting to see that some stores carry different things, for instance the two in my large city never have a gluten free flour blend, but I’ve seen it in other cities when I’ve been traveling.

I enjoy looking at seasonal things. Coats and Christmas ribbon are great buys. The pack of white tissue paper they set out for Christmas lasts me two years! They also have a large toy section before Christmas with brands like American Girl, Lego, etc.

I regularly buy
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Organic tortilla chips
Hummus
Organic chicken
Large bag of pre cut broccoli
Bag of six colorful peppers
Pasture raised eggs (lately avoiding because of the plastic packaging, but it’s hard to resist 24 for 6.99)
Canned wild planet tuna and salmon
Coconut oil, avocado oil
Gluten free bread
Pasta sauce, black beans
Trash bags
Body wash
Watch for sales on things like store brand allergy meds, vitamins, sunscreen

Re: Costco
 

We live 5 minutes from a Costco. We're there, probably too much. (My kids tease dh about it being his Happy Place. :giggle) We have several in our area and I've noticed that they don't always stock the same items. Same with the Costco near my parents in another state.

If you wear glasses or contacts, their prices are often much better than anywhere else for us. Ditto the pharmacy.

I second the Wine tip. It's similar to 90+ Cellars in that you never know what they will have, but that it will at least be decent.

Their return policy is very generous, so we buy small electronics and appliances there if possible. I got my last Kitchen Aid Mixer and Instant Pot from Costco. Same with clothing. You can't try it on, but knowing I can easily return whatever doesn't fit means that I can pick things up for the kids guilt-free.

School supplies

Rotisserie chickens
Frozen fruit - especially their 3-berry blend
flour, sugar, Himalayan pink salt, vanilla, spices (I bake a lot!)
Fish
Romano cheese
Greek yogurt

Car tires and batteries, windshield wiper blades

We first got a membership because we had a dog and what we saved on pet food over the pet store prices was enough to pay for the membership. I don't know if that's still the case because it's worth looking into if you have pets.

---------- Post added at 01:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:27 PM ----------

I just got back from the pantry and have to add:

gallons of white vinegar and baking soda (for cleaning)
dishwasher detergent

Kirkland Italian Sparkling water - a knock-off of San Pellegrino my kids much prefer

Re: Costco
 

Organic fruits and vegetables
Chicken, beef, salmon, eggs
toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags
dishwasher detergent and rinse aid, sponges
organic bone broth, organic apple cider vinegar, organic lemon juice
coconut oil
almond flour
clothing (they have the best prices on little kids pajamas)

Re: Costco
 

That's what I always drink at DH's cousin's house while everyone else is having wine. It is SO good!

Re: Costco
 

It's interesting to see what others buy there!

Here's what we buy:

organic meats
avocados
onions
melons
organic apples
organic mixed greens
mushrooms
organic carrots
pesto (yum!)
toilet paper
paper towels
office supplies (on sale only)
glasses
Cascade
water
organic eggs
Cado ice cream
frozen organic veggies
frozen organic fruits (love the smoothie blends)
Epsom Salt
Avocado, olive, and coconut oil
Batteries (on sale)
Udi's bread
Baking soda and vinegar
nuts
black olives
wet wipes

Re: Costco
 

A friend of mine jut told me today that they got their car insurance through Costco and cut the cost of their insurance in half! I had never thought of doing that...

Re: Costco
 

I love the Kirkland Protein bars. We hadn’t been for a while and I missed them. 10g per bar.

Ours was out of paper towels last week.

Re: Costco
 

Thank you SO much for all of these great suggestions. ❤️

Has anyone tried their fresh pre-made meals? I have heard good things about a couple of them, but would love to hear personal experiences. It’s not my ideal, but once my DH gets off of medical leave, I need options that are quick so we don’t resort to fast food on crazy busy days.

Re: Costco
 

We haven't tried them, but I hear the street tacos are super. I love their big vat of mashed potatoes for holidays and the same ones are in their meatloaf and mashed potato kits. My family isn't very into meatloaf so we've only had that one time.