Costco

ydyms

Hi all! Just wondering which healthy foods/products some of you find in Costco that is worthwhile purchasing. I'm trying to figure out if I should become a member...
Thanks!!

bioklutz

I love shopping at Costco. Why not go in a take a look around and look at the prices. They should let you in if you tell them you are thinking of becoming a member.

ibamosaserreinas

I don't shop there for everything but some things are a great deal.

A lot of the produce comes in larger quantities for the same price as smaller quantities at the regular grocery store. I buy Brussels sprouts, spinach, sometimes avocados, pineapple, etc there.

I get ground turkey there, and often the chicken breasts.

One of the best deals they have are super cheap eggs, milk, or even their cartons of egg whites. I get a six pack of egg whites for about $6 whereas at the regular grocery stores around here I get one for that price.

If you watch their sales you can't beat their deals on protein powder either. I got a five pound jar of Combat protein powder for $35 last month. (That will last me for like two years... BUT it is much higher priced at other stores.)

cwgrant67

Love Costco! I can go broke saving money there.

msbinks

Costco have great deals and very health food

Rocknut53

I like to buy fresh seasonal fruits such as cherries, watermelon, strawberries, etc as well as eggs, butter (yes, I eat it in moderation), frozen fish, fresh chicken. The possibilities are endless. Sometimes however, having to buy in such large quantities isn't practical.

RoseTheWarrior

Frozen strawberries for smoothies, chicken breast, and if you can afford it, I love the filet mignon (best prices anywhere, and great for a treat). Eggs are a great deal. Basically, if it will last a while and you'll use it, most of the stuff there is a good deal. Personally, with only me and DH, we can't use most of the fresh fruits and veggies fast enough.

Purplebunnysarah

We do 90% of our grocery shopping at Costco. Produce is generally both cheaper & better quality than the local grocery store. We also buy most of our dairy, meat and eggs there. Lunch snacks for the kids. Clothing. Bread.

jadahmong

I think almond butter, nuts, seasonings ex (garlic powder), bread...., great deals

thatdesertgirl777

I buy majority of my groceries there too.

ladipoet

You can always go to Costco's website that way you'll actually be able to see the kinds of items they sell before you pull the trigger on whether or not you want to sign up and become a member with them

KetoneKaren

Tofu though I hear Asian markets are cheaper. Seaweed salad. Avocados. Raspberries. Pineapples. Sweet kale salad. Green beans. Red bell peppers. Cherry tomato medley. Romaine lettuce. Rotisserie chicken. Salmon. Eggs. Dietz & Watson deli meat without preservatives. Guacamole. Hummus. Cheese. Premier protein shakes.

sgt1372

I was a member of Price Club long before it was acquired by Costco and have been a member of Costco ever since then.

Use to buy all of most of my food and dry goods there but I have become more selective and pay much greater attention to pricing because buying at Costco is NOT always a bargain. So, like anywhere else, unless you have mo ey to burn, you need to be a careful shopper.

I buy all of my soy milk there by the case. Eggs and roasted chickens are a good value. I also buy slabs of pork loin and sirloin (uncut and in bulk) and some seafood there even if prices are a bit higher than I can find elsewhere because it's convenient. However, I never buy uncooked chicken there because I can always find it cheaper in local supermarkets.

Don't usually buy fruit/veggies there because of the quantity and the wide availability of fresher and cheaper produce in my community.

Lots of healthy food options pop up now and then but Costco will drop a product if it doesn't sell well. So, you can't always continue to find a product that you like there. Agave syrup, ground flax seed and certain "health" bars are things that I liked but later disappeared from their shelves. So, if you find something you like, it pays to stock up on it in case it's discontinued as long as it will keep well.

bethannien

Their stock can vary but they've had 100 calorie cups of hummus before that my daughter and I loved having on hand. The little babybel red wax cheese wheel things. Their salad kits are the bomb. I've found Greek yogurt there for a better price than my grocery store, string cheese. Honestly I could go on and on. I love Costco

BigTandthesquatters

Not worth it if you're single. Very worth it if you are a family of 5 or larger.

RainaProske

Just two of us, but we love it.

natalialikescookies

We are a family of 4 (two adults, two toddlers) and we love love love Costco! Especially here in Hawaii it's the cheapest place to get most produce/dairy and even shelf stable items

Every week I buy individually packed frozen chicken breast, eggs, milk, cream,cheese, deli meats, tub of organic spring mix, tomatoes, berries, bananas and bell peppers.

Other items that I buy as needed:
Butter, bacon, beef patties, TP and paper towels, PB, jelly, all kinds of canned tomato (sauce, stewed, paste), pure vanilla extract,chia seeds, agave nectar, dried fruits, nuts, granola bars, protein powder, other meats, string cheese, yogurt, frozen fruits

I could go on and on but these are the things that I won't even consider buying somewhere else unless I have absolutely no other choice.

How beneficial a Costco membership is will depend on your location as well as your lifestyle too. Years ago when we lived in Vegas (pre-kids), we didn't use our membership nearly as much because we could get many of the same items for comparable prices (scaled down) at local stores or the commissary.
If you have an Aldi nearby you can get a lot of foods for the same price or even cheaper-though usually just their own brand (I miss Aldi!!)

That said Costco also always has great deals on a bunch of things you didn't know you needed until you saw it on sale at Costco

Aquawave

Shopping at Sams and Costco has saved us a bunch of money when our kids lived with us. With just the two of us, quantity is a problem. Some of things we buy are: Blue Mountain coffee, eggs, heavy whipping cream, cheeses, Himalayan salt, apple cider vinegar, real smoked ham that we slice ourselves, rib eyes, whole organic chickens that are not injected with salt solution, wild cod, wild salmon, wild shrimp, Norwegian smoked salmon, olives, olive oil, ghee and coconut oil.

Some of the fresh vegetables are a good deal, if you can eat it all before they spoil. We don't eat fruit anymore, but when we did the fruit was hit or miss on the quality. We prepare most of our meals from scratch since we are LCHF dieters and shop locally for most of our fresh veggies.

I don't like the naked chicken breast they sell in the frozen section, they are like cardboard. We have had two occasions where the fresh pork was spoiled and we will not buy that at Costco ever again. We go to Sams for their fresh pork and 20% fat hamburger.

Hint: If a price ends in $.97 it is on clearance, usually a pretty good deal, and a chance to stock the freezer!

zyxst

My ILs are members and are kind enough to buy me foods from there since it's cheaper and what I want is normally in stock whereas the regular grocery stores can be a mixed bag for stock. If I could afford the membership myself and lived on my own, I'd definitely buy there.

MelaniaTrump

If you live by yourself not worthwhile.
You can find similar healthy at grocery stores. You just have to look.
Or find a whole foods in your area.

AJF230

Family of 5 here, we go there once a month stock up. Keep away from the sweets bakery and you'll be fine, like anywhere else. The packages of sugary baked goods are huge, so unless you're having a party or freezing things, it either all gets eaten fast (yikes) or wasted (almost as bad). Then again, none of the packages come with a little guy that forces you to eat them, so its all up to you.

Jruzer

BigTandthesquatters wrote: »

Very worth it if you are a family of 5 or larger.

Yes indeed.

We get all kinds of stuff there - not just "healthy food." Greek Yogurt, coffee, egg whites, frozen fruit, fresh fruit, dog food, charcoal, veggie straws, frozen dinners, milk, cereal, bread, (very occasionally) bakery, cheese, etc. We even got new phones there just recently. I'm a big fan.

dubird

We do Costco for meat, mostly. They have a very good meat department. Works best with a chest freezer though. XD

We go about every other month. I also get my G2 there since they have large packs and I drink a lot of it, but there's lots of other things there. Even with just the two of us, it's been worth the cost of the membership. We don't get much perishable foods there since we won't go through it quickly enough, but packaged goods and things that can go in the freezer are really handy for us to stock up on.

And I'm going Saturday to see what eyeglasses would cost there for me. ^^

JenHuedy

For my family of 4 with two teen boys it's a lifesaver.

My must-haves:
Ham and/or turkey lunch meat
Fage O% plain Greek yogurt
Berries - Blueberries & blackberries especially
Cottage Cheese
Fresh broccoli florets
Fresh sugar snap peas
Spinach/Spring Mix lettuce
Normandy blend frozen veggies
COFFEE! Best prices anywhere on whole bean coffees
Dog food - great quality and price on the Kirkland brand
Bottled water - cheapest around
Rotisserie chicken - whole or they also have available as just hindquarters and just the breast meat. Great for quick lunches or recipes that need cooked chicken.
Salmon Burgers - love these things on the grill for a quick dinner

Watch for deals on things like detergent, deodorant, protein drinks/powders. These go on sale regularly so I stock up then.

Eggs & milk are cheaper at Aldi. And I usually get any fresh produce (with the exception of the items listed above) at Aldi because I prefer smaller quantities so I can still have a variety without worrying about using it up in time. (Plus, the apples are HUGE at Costco and I prefer smaller sized fruits so I don't have to try to cut and save for later!)

MamaFunky

For our family of 5 (including our house bunny). We go about three times a month. These items always seem to be a better deal and better quality.

- 6 pack of romaine (our bunny goes through probably 3 packs of these every week)
- kale medley (for us and bunny)
- spinach (mostly for us and a treat for bunny)
- skim milk
- 18 pack of eggs (only .98)
- grape tomatoes
- blocks of sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 pack of mexican shredded cheese
- goat cheese
- potatoes
- strawberries
- babybell cheese
- laughing cow cheese wedges (so cheap for a 3 pack)
- coffee
- frozen veggies
- Parmesan cheese
- chicken tenderlions
- chicken breast
- whole pork tenderlion
- pam cooking spray
- seasonings (garlic powder, cajun seasoning, etc)
- brussel sprouts
- fruit that is in season (blueberries, peaches, etc)

household items
- laundry detergent
- batteries

I always look forward to our trips to Sam's. We always hope they have lots of samples that day too!

questionfear

We go once a month to Costco, here are my go-tos:

Eggs (you can get a ton of organic/free range/local eggs for cheaper than the grocery store)
Cottage cheese (Breakstone's 2% is waaaay cheaper at Costco)
Yogurt (but only if we're going to go through two huge tubs in time)
COFFEE
Seltzer
Ground meat
Protein powder
Fresh fruit depending on prices
ZYRTEC (if you buy the generic Kirkland brand, you can get a whole year's supply for $15! It's the single greatest deal ever for seasonal allergies.)

SueInAz

MelaniaTrump wrote: »

If you live by yourself not worthwhile.
You can find similar healthy at grocery stores. You just have to look.
Or find a whole foods in your area.

This isn't actually true. It's not even about the food for me. My Costco has an optical department and I started going to the optometrist there and buying my glasses and my son's and husband's contacts there a few years ago. The year before I had spent over $200 on a pair of glasses with my insurance at my old optometrist. With my insurance at Costco, a nearly identical pair the following year cost $75. That alone more than paid for our membership fee for the year.

Costco and Sam's Club are both so much cheaper than regular stores for things like:

batteries
laundry detergent and fabric softener
toilet paper
paper towels
dog food (especially the Kirkland grain free varieties)
vitamins and medications like ibuprofen and allergy pills
toothpaste
shampoo
bath soap
towels and sheets
windshield wiper blades

Many of them have their own pharmacy and their prices are very good.

Yes, they have some great deals on food but they've gone to a lot of organic stuff which has pushed the prices higher on a lot of them. Since I'm not one who believes that organic = better I will buy those things at the local grocery instead. That said, I still purchase some things that don't spoil like:

frozen vegetables
canned vegetables
rice
frozen fish (can't get fresh here in the desert often anyway)
frozen breaded chicken patties
pasta

Their price on rotisserie chickens and ready to bake pizzas can't be beat, either.

Costco sells higher quality cuts of beef at reasonable prices. I buy their ground beef and freeze it in 3/4 pound (there are three of us) and 1 pound portions in quart size freezer bags.

girl_inflames

I buy their 2.5 lb bag of spinach ($4) their frozen berries (9.99 for ...a big bag haha) and I bought my protein powder from there as well (orgain). I also buy my spring mix from there as it's a $1-2 cheaper than everywhere else. I love Costco. I also got my NutriNinja blender there.

Edit: their large Fage nonfat yogurt container is a great price too...also their chia seeds. Just...just get a membership. It's worth it.

zyxst

dubird wrote: »

And I'm going Saturday to see what eyeglasses would cost there for me. ^^

I went yesterday to price compare glasses. My optometrist - $1500. Vogue - $808 for 1 pair, $1,067 for 2 pairs. Costco - $399.97 tax included. Getting my glasses at Costco now tyvm. When my ILs die, I'm going to be screwed out of good deals.

CorneliusPhoton

We buy all of our paper products there in bulk.
Cases of Diet Dr. Pepper, Mexicoke.
Whole roasted & refrigerated turkey breasts great for making sandwiches.
Baby back ribs in packs of 3 racks.
Lots of organic produce fresh and frozen.
I spend so much money there!!!

Last night we found these "Aussie Bites" cookie things. Not made with wheat, so a bonus for me! Yum.

rsclause

They have some really good frozen fish (tuna, salmon) in individual bags. Their frozen chicken breast is a lot less salty than most. Good selection of produce, good meat counter. A rotisserie chicken the size of a turkey is $5 bucks, we eat it for dinner and cut up the rest for sandwiches.