Oh Costco, how I love thee. I mean, where else can you go and find massive amounts of fruit and toilet paper in one spot? And sooooo needed for a family of 5?
After shopping Costco for the past few years, I’ve found I’m a creature of habit when it comes to buying certain items. As a power shopper and budgeting diva, I tend to know which stores have the best price on certain things regardless of coupons or sales. Costco is not always the cheapest option, but for some things, it’s totally worth the annual membership.
I go to Costco once per month to stock up. These items are always on my list.
20 Items To Buy at Costco
- Organic spinach. I get the big clamshell and use it in salads, in eggs, in smoothies, etc. If it’s not used after a few weeks, I freeze it in baggies.
- Kale salad. This stuff has pumpkin seeds and cranberries and is the only way to eat kale IMO. I split this up into a few meals for the week.
- Brussel sprouts. I roast all of them at once and eat them during the week for lunches. Best price!
- In-season fruit and veggies. Know what’s in-season and stick to those items. Blueberries are my favorite to get since our family plows through a pint in a day.
- Garden Fresh salsa. I’m convinced this Michigan made brand is the best salsa on earth. $4.99 for a GIANT container. I use it for recipes, on chips and my favorite snack — topped on cottage cheese.
- Stonefire mini naan bread. I love using these to make garlic bread or to make individual pizzas at our house. A pack of 18 is less than $5!
- Cereal. Costco has some awesome deals on cereal if you can find a kind you love and stick to those on sale. We also love adding stuff to McCann’s Steel Cut Oats, and they have the best price by far.
- String cheese. This is a favorite snack at our house, so we like to buy it in bulk. The 60 pack lasts us all month and is right around $10. Can’t beat it.
- Maple syrup. The Costco Kirkland brand has by far has the best price for pure and organic maple syrups.
- Salmon/fish. The price on fish is great, and they have the good stuff. When I’m feeling splurge-y, I nab the marinated mahi mahi. It’s amazing.
- Chicken nuggets. I have kids. ‘Nuff said, right? We use these for a quick lunch often, and I love using them to top salads and wraps.
- Rotisserie chicken. These decent size birds are for a great price, and are perfect for an easy dinner or to split up for lunch meat.
- Gum. I chew A LOT of gum {it’s my nervous habit}, so it’s crucial I get the big pack. Their prices provide the best value.
- Peanut Butter. For the standard ole JIF, Costco is the best. I know because both my girls refused to eat anything but PB&J for their second year, and JIF is the only brand they will eat. Nutella is a great deal too, but I know I would just eat it all myself 😉
- Jam. Costco’s organic strawberry spread is a big favorite here! The ingredients and price are perfect.
- Chocolate chips. If you bake often like I do, it just makes sense to get the giant bag. Also? You will never be out of chocolate at your house!
- Popcorn. Both microwavable and Skinny Pop. We love popcorn in our house!
- Sponges. Kitchen sponges tend to be pricey I feel. Costco’s big pack lasts a few months.
- Magic Erasers. I love getting a giant pack for a great price. Love these for cleaning everything from our shoes to our shower floor.
- Toilet Paper. Their price not always be the best, but their toilet paper is good stuff, and buying a case means peace of mind for a month. Isn’t buying TP the worst?!
Things I skip:
- Kid snack foods. Some are a decent deal, others aren’t. If there is something your kid HAS to eat, grab it. Otherwise, I find the prices at Meijer and Aldi better. I do grab occasional snacks from here for classroom treats though because it’s just so darn convenient.
- Beer. The prices aren’t any better than other stores for the kinds we like, and the selection is lacking. With that said, I do love me some Costco wine, and the price and selection is good.
- Diapers. The prices aren’t that great. I tend to just stick to Target and Meijer for the best diaper deals paired with coupons and rewards.
- Things I know we won’t eat fast enough. This is where meal planning comes in handy. I loathe waste, so do my best not to purchase fresh items I can’t use quick enough.
Other noteworthy points:
- Their sheet cakes are AMAZING, and less than $20. So great for birthday parties where you have a lot of guests.
- Feed a family of 5 for $7.50. The fact that my entire family can eat for less than $10 is noteworthy. My oldest says Costco is her favorite restaurant…She is a little obsessed with their hot dogs! And every time she sees the Pepsi symbol she thinks it’s for lemonade – ha!
- Check out the clothes area. They have some really great stuff here. I love when they have Carter’s PJ’s for kids on sale, especially. I always stock up. I’ve also nabbed a few special occasion dresses for my girls here for a great price.
- Costco Optical has awesome prices. This is where I found my specific brand of contacts to be cheapest.
- Check out the gift cards. They have a variety of discounted gift cards available. Perfect for gifts!
What are your favorite deals and finds from Costco?
Other posts about shopping:
Coming soon…Reasons to shop at Big Lots!
We are obsessed with the skinny pop…we really stocked up last month when it was on sale! I have found their cereal to be more expensive than if it’s on sale at meijer though! Typically I buy whatever’s on sale..granola bars, ritz crackers, etc., then I skip those when they’re full price! We also love their canned chicken and I use it in so many meals! Love the garden fresh salsa but they just switched to a new kind and it was $6.50 last week! Such a bummer! Sometimes we go for one item and to get the samples 🙂 They also have the BEST return policies! We love Costco!
You had me scared about Garden Fresh! Mine still has it, but it’s only the organic option. That’s OK by me…I love that salsa so much! Totally agree on just buying the snack-y stuff and cereal ONLY if it’s on sale. Not always the best price, but sometimes the convenience wins.
And YES on samples! So crucial when shopping with little ones 😉
Does Costco still sell Stonefire mini naan bread ??
Yes! I just bought it yesterday!
Any Idea why Costco has stopped selling the Stonefire mini naan bread?
Is or just me that thinks Costco is expensive? We went to see if we should get a membership. Added our standard shop up (we cycle through things, but it always sits between 80 and 120 for the week, family of 6. It really depends how many treats we buy lol) and it was much more expensive AND you have to pay a membership on top of that
It’s a tricky one for sure! There are some items that are a better deal, so for those it makes sense. The issue is getting drawn into the unneeded items. That’s where it can add up! Groceries aside, I do love shopping there for things like winter gear and even clothes — the quality is good and the prices are great!