Costco?!

michelletyler38

What do you guys buy there or recommend buying there?! I feel like I don't utilize my membership at all The store is so big & overwhelming! Help a sista out =0)

mpfand

We buy tons of stuff there. Everything from groceries to computers to furniture! On a regular basis I buy Laughing Cow, boneless chicken breasts, ground beef, frozen berries, fresh fruit, eggs, popcorn, oatmeal and paper products. Watch their coupons. They're great and you can really save a lot. If you learn the cycles of the coupons you can time it right and always use a coupon for stuff like dishwasher soap, Swiffer cloths, cereal, etc.

fanceegirl75

Love that store. Yummy healthy snack is this big bag of dried fruit & nuts. I also like to get the big bag of grapefruits, the foster farms boneless skinless chicken breasts and the huge bottle of Grey Goose! :drinker:

mynameiscarrie

I get dog food from there, and my mom always gets egg substitute. She's a health freak lol but you can get like 6 things of egg substitute for cheap. My parents get seafood from there (specifically smoked salmon because it's delicious and way cheaper there than anywhere else). I rarely go anymore because I live 4 hours away from my parents and theyre the ones with the memberships, but when i go home to see them we go. My usual list is:

Deodorant
Shampoo/Conditioner
Ibuprofen (and other meds like that)
Cereal
Pens (and school supplies if I need them)

It depends on what I need. Take a Saturday and just walk through the isles and see what there is and where stuff is Pick up what you need but that way you can know what they have for the next time you go!

You can buy powerbars and stuff in bulk there too which is nice.

The technology section is amazing if you're looking for laptops or tv's. I got my external hard drive there for cheap. It's a 750gb hard drive that retails for about $130 and we got it for $80ish.

joolzsd

I didn't renew my membership because I was spending way too much money on things I didn't need Completely negated any possible savings (well that plus wasted food because no, I can't eat 4 lbs of grapes in one week)

Nomomush

OMG-- I am in Costco every other day. I buy lots of healthy stuff there.

Ore Ida hash browns--fat free and so filling for breakfast
Oat meal
Silk milk
Fresh Fruit-mangos, apples, pineapple, berries
fresh veggies- green beans, asparagus, sugar snap peas, salad, broccoli, celery, potatoes
Edamame-frozen
Grilled turkey breast- whole
Frozen shrimp
Tortilla crusted tilapia-YUM
Coffee
Milk
Eggs
Cereals
toiletries
dog food
cleaning stuff


My list goes on and on and on

michelletyler38

Thanks guys!! I got laughing cow, tomatoes, feta cheese, & fiber one brownies

its_betty

Things we buy at Costco:
Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries (freeze any we can't eat before they go bad).
Romaine lettuce: 6 heads of lettuce for less than the cost of 3 at the regular supermarket. And they keep surprising well, at least 2 weeks.
Frozen Ling Ling dumplings: not super low calorie, but a lot better for an easy meal than going out to eat.
Lunch meats (black forest ham): half the price of the supermarket.
Toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent (I have no idea of the savings, but it makes my life so much easier to only have to buy these things every 4-8 months!).
Granola bars and other snacks for hungry, athletic 12-year-old.
Orowheat multigrain thins bread: freeze them and they keep for a long time; I just nuke for 10 seconds then toast when I want one.
Chicken breast and ground beef (to freeze).
Big bags of frozen fruit for smoothies.

Those are the regular items. We also like Costco for electronics, some of the prepared or quick meals (maybe not cheap, but cheaper and healthier than eating out), men's jeans (in new smaller sizes for dh), etc.

I just have to track my calories from samples!

jenniferlspies

We don't have a Costco in my town, but a Sam's Club that's pretty similar. The fish is always cheaper than a regular grocery store and I love getting Chobani greek yogurt (~$12 for a 12-pack versus $1.25 for a single container at the grocery store).

Fruits and veggies aren't always cheaper than the grocery store, but it's easier for me to figure out which is cheaper since I work at a grocery store and look at prices all the time! I know Sam's Club has all their prices up online (don't know if Costco does the same), so you could always write down the fruits/veggies you want to get and their prices at Costco, then compare prices when you go to a grocery store.

PJilly

I buy different things there depending, but I always buy my eggs and milk there. I get 5 dozen eggs at a time, at least once a week, and I buy the three-carton container of 1% organic milk.

AnnieeR

I go once a month and stock up on freezable stuff - prawns, salmon, chicken breasts, pork shoulders. I find that their fruit/veg isn't that great a bargain unless you can use it up fast - I don't know if stuff sits around for a while before it hits the shop floor, but even stuff I use daily like avocados seem to go off before I can use them up. I buy big bags of limes and peppers though - I usually manage to get through them.... I get are jars of sun dried tomatoes, big tubs of olives, and stuff like that too.

Non-food stuff I think is worth getting there: cat litter, wild bird seed, and shower gel. It seems like you have to really know what stuff costs in order to compare because on some things the savings is massive and on some it's really negligible (and you have to have the space to store it all!)

AnnieeR

Love that store. Yummy healthy snack is this big bag of dried fruit & nuts. I also like to get the big bag of grapefruits, the foster farms boneless skinless chicken breasts and the huge bottle of Grey Goose! :drinker:

FYI in the UK that dried fruit/nuts mix (Kirkland own brand) comes with warning labels pasted on it about e-numbers. As an American living in the UK I know that e-numbers aren't routinely worried about there, but they're chemical additives that studies have suggested might contribute to things like ADHD in children. I bought a bag without really paying that much attention, but about half way through I read the ingredients and threw the rest away - it's FULL of additives and sugar.

trishlambert

My list of Costco staples:

Fat Free Milk
Fage Nonfat Greek Yogurt
Tzatsiki
Grape tomatoes
Tazo Chai syrup
Oatmeal
Ramen-type soup bowls
Peanut or almond butter
Walnuts
Dried berries (Craisins, blueberries, or cherries)
Coffee
Frozen fish (tilapia, mahi mahi, salmon)
Parmigiano Reggiano
Dog food/biscuits
Vitamins
Stacy's pita chips

I used to get fresh veggies there, but now I belong to a CSA and I get plenty that way! I will buy fruit if I think I can eat it in such a large quantity before it spoils!

This doesn't count the TVs, computers, vacuum cleaners, and other nonfood items I've purchased there. Oh, and photos on canvas!

lyn267

I love Costco but be careful of the samples. Went there yesterday and a few feet inside the door was samples of chocolate covered strawberrys. Couldn't pass that by. then there were chocolate truffles, ham sandwiches, quiches, chips and dips, it just went on and on. I'm terrible. I like to try everything. But I love shopping there. If you can deal with the large quantities its great.

Jujubie

I usually pick up the fresh chili maple salmon, cooked chicken breast strips, Asian pears and maple syrup. Other food stuff I try to buy at my local grocery store.

liveyourlifex

-90 calorie special k bars (comes with 36 I think)
-nature valley 80 calorie granola thins (comes with about 40)
-del Monte 50 calorie canned fruit
-animal crackers
-pretzels
-unsalted nuts
-dried fruit
-fruit crisps

these are foods for snacking so yeah