What do you buy at Costco?

[awakenedsoul]

A lot of us buy food and other items in bulk. I live near a Costco and it's helped me to cut my grocery bill in half. Do you shop at Costco? (or Sam's, or one of those stores?) What do you buy there?

[lmerullo]

Sam's Club: Fresh produce - lettuce, tomatoes, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, kiwi, cucumber. Sometimes a bagged salad like the asian mix or broccoli slaw.

Frozen chicken breasts; other fresh meat like steak or pork chops. Lunchmeats. Coffee.

Used to buy dog treats, but they are not carrying the type we like any longer.

Laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent.

[IshbelRobertson]

Absolutely nothing!

I believe there may be Costco or other, similar American companies here, but I've never used them.

[Dhiana]

Just received a free pass to my local Costco which is only about 1 mile away so I'm hoping to go this week to see if it will be worth it for us to sign up. It's just the two of us, so I don't have high hopes.

Japan just hiked their taxes from 5% to 8%. Wasn't sure how our food was taxed but I was expecting either a 0% increase if food wasn't taxed or a 3% tax if it already was...unfortunately many of the items are now 8% higher. Ouch! Wish me luck at Costco.

[Gardenarian]

Gas, of course.
Toilet paper, laundry and dish soap, dog food (I can't remember the brand but the vet recommended it), soy milk, cheese, beer, whatever they have in their Organic section.
I got my passport photos there.
Discount tickets to movie theaters (we go to a movie about once a month.)

[fidgiegirl]

TP, nuts, maple syrup, lunch meat, chicken thighs, canned tomatoes, some dog things, Izzys pop. Occasionally we'll get other stuff as well but those seem to be the power buys for us. Oh, and whenever we go, a bag of Angie's popcorn.

[awakenedsoul]

Thanks for all the replies. I buy my gas there, too. I try not to let my gas tank go below half a tank. I buy: coffee beans, dog food, dog treats, Uniball pens, Tillamook cheese, mozzarella cheese, sausages, rack of lamb, frozen berries, milk, soy milk, mayonnaise, worcestershire sauce, flour, sugar, agave, tuna, spices, honey, green tea, juices, nuts, pasta, canned tomatoes, Haagen daas ice cream bars, (only once a year, with a coupon,) chocolate chips, butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, white vinegar, and baking soda.

I've also bought bras, dog beds, and slippers. Oh, and a citrus tree. At first it seemed too expensive to buy food in bulk. But, once I built up my stockpile, it was like having a store in my kitchen. I also buy garbage bags and dish washing detergent there. Both have lasted for over three years! It's amazing what we pay for packaging. (I reuse garbage bags, though.) I just remembered, I buy fish oil and glucosomine tablets there, too. They're much cheaper than at the health food store.

Oh wait! I just remembered I buy chocolate truffles and jelly bellies there, too. And epsom salts. I think their best deal is the huge bags of baking soda. I use that a lot for cleaning. As you can see, I buy almost all of my groceries there...

p.s. Toiletries: lotion, Listerine, shampoo, and conditioner, too.

[rosarugosa]

Awakenedsoul: Since you're a one-person household, how do you make the large quantities of perishable items work for you? Do you have a chest freezer?
We're two people and we buy a lot of non-perishables there, but not so many perishable items.

[awakenedsoul]

Hi rosarugosa,

Well, let's see. I just the cleaned the fridge, and I did have to throw out some mozarella cheese. It was my fault, though. I usually use up one type and wait to open the other. (I was also eating cheddar at the time.) The milk and soy milk I use before they go bad. Meats I freeze, and then I eat a lot of the same thing. I guess if I were married or had kids I'd feel like I needed more variety. But, I don't mind eating meatloaf all week, or chicken, etc...The canned tomatoes come in small cans. I usually make casseroles. My mom says I cook like I'm cooking for a family. It's true. I love leftovers, and I love cooking. I've got it down to a system, but it took a while. I don't have a chest freezer.

Most of my produce I get through the organic co op. I get one box every two weeks. I do have to compost some of it. But, it's still cheaper, and the quality is excellent. I buy bananas there, too, but I go through them quickly. I have one every morning.

[iris lilies]

We are a household of two and I have a hard time finding things to buy in those large quantities. DH goes to Sam's regularly to buy milk--it's their loss leader. He can walk in and walk out with just milk. I can't do that and so no longer go to Sam's. We occasionally buy a large container of dried parmesean cheese and it lasts lasts us a year. DH is such a squirrel by nature, he could develop a real Sam's stock-up up habit if I let him. He likes to can and preserve and freeze and stockpile food items. And when he eats hard candy he makes it last for hours. His cheek pouch sticks out, just like a squirrel. It's hilarious how much like the squirrels (his mortal enemy) he is.