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.

[JaneV2.0]

I'm getting ready for a Costco stock-up as I type. I'll buy clear plastic garbage bags (useful for discards, recyclables, and many other things), a giant box of page protectors, macadamia nuts, almond flour, chia seeds, big storage bins, a vat of artichoke hearts, meat to freeze, frozen berries, and possibly a TV. In the past, I've bought towels, a TV, tires, a blender, vitamins...They have excellent quality products and a solid return policy.

[catherine]

I have a Costco opening about 3 minutes from my house, but I think it's still a month or two out. I'm looking forward to it!

[thinkgreen]

I am thinking of buying a sewing machine there because the return policy is so good. They have a Brother computerized sewing/quilting machine that gets good reviews.

[razz]

Don't forget hearing aid batteries are a lot cheaper at Costco - $12 vs 45 in my area for the same number of batteries.

[Float On]

I don't. I tried Sam's a few times years ago and it totally stressed me out - huge carts, huge towers of items, giant packaging, lots of large people pulling huge piles of food I also tried stocking up but having too much canned/boxed/ or frozen items stressed me out as well, plus I really don't use that much canned or boxed items and many went bad and I found myself preparing more meat in a week than we would normally use because "It's in the freezer, I must use it." I must prefer my current method of shopping every 3 days for a small amount of food (I've got 3 grocery options in my daily drive). I've had much less waste and actually do better on the food budget than when I tried shopping just monthly.

Also with the price of gas, to get to Sam's or Aldi is a 85 mile round trip - just not worth it any more. But if there were one in town, I might be tempted to try again where I could look at it more often and not feel like it has to be a rush food/household goods trip only. Aren't tires less expensive at Sam's? I've never been in a Costco, I think the closest is in KC.

[JaneV2.0]

I've never been to a Sam's Club, and I never will, but Costco doesn't feel crowded, with spacious aisles and all. And I'm not put off by "large people," --after all, I am one.:~)

[Gardenarian]

Oh yes, maple syrup is a steal at Costco. Vanilla extract, too. And they have some great organic jams.

[jp1]

In addition to all the various things mentioned I go to the eye doc at Costco. He does a great job for a decent price. And their contacts are cheap. When I wore mono focal gas permeable so they were $39 each instead of $80 that my previous eye doc charged. My last eye exam I switched to bifocal gas permeable sand even those were only $78 each.

Generally any big purchase that we need (like the last time we bought a tv) I look to costco first. I haven't noticed lately but I recall a couple of years ago passing the display there for caskets...

[JaneV2.0]

I forgot the eye exam/glasses--that's where I got my driving glasses. Really, Costco has a lot to offer, and they're one of the few corporate behemoths that treats their employees decently.

[ToomuchStuff]

I've bought safety glasses at Sam's. My eye doctors office (relatives work there), doesn't offer them, as his clientele is too old.
Sam's is used more then Costco (five in MO, 2 in KC area, 3 in SL area), due to what they offer (work related). Some stuff I get, gets split up, between people at work, or family.
I get tp, toothpaste, laundry detergent, ziplocks (don't go through enough, grab one from the work stuff), meat, medicine, etc.

[cdttmm]

We have both Costco and BJs in our area. For us, BJs is closer so that's what we have a membership to. A shop there about once a month or maybe once every six weeks on average. We're a two person household, plus three dogs and two cats. Here's what we typically buy at BJs:

Toilet paper
Dishwasher detergent
Cat food, occasionally, if I have a coupon that makes it cheaper than the pet food warehouse
Cheese, especially blocks of Colby Jack and Monterey Jack, also smoked Gouda, Parmesan, and sometimes fresh mozzarella
Butter
Orange juice and carrot juice
Tortilla chips
Wild rice chips
Flour
Sugar
Olive oil
Arborio rice
Canned tomatoes
Dark chocolate sea salt caramels :D

[Float On]

Oh, my own statement did come across as rude/judgemental and I didn't mean that at all (I'm larger than I want to be myself). I just had a memory of the last time I tried to shop at Sam's for supplies for a youth trip and I was 8 1/2 months pregnant at the time and was nearly run over by a family who were apparently afraid that Sam's would be running out of something or other. Sorry.

[Teacher Terry]

We have actually found that for us Winco is cheaper then Costco. We do a big grocery shop monthly & then pick up things that do not last all during the month. Because costco has so many things besides food I think it is easy to convince yourself you need something that you really do not.

[JaneV2.0]

Winco is just coming to the Seattle area, and both locations are farther than I want to go--but all my Portland friends shop at their (employee-owned) stores. I love their coconut coffee beans, personally. I would probably shop at both Winco and Costco, as they seem to have different merchandise.

[awakenedsoul]

Thanks for all the replies. I'd forgotten that I buy vanilla extract and batteries there, too. When I first went, I felt really overwhelmed and stressed. I didn't know where anything was, and I spent like $200.00. which was not affordable at that time for me.) But, now that I have a stockpile, and I know where everything is, it's much cheaper. One of my students gave me a $100.00 gift card there and I bought a nice set of pyrex dishes with lids. I use them to store my leftovers in the fridge, and I love them! It does take discipline, though. I don't look at anything but what I need...

[Simplemind]

We shop between Winco (regular grocery runs) Trader Joes (wine) and Coscto. Costco runs consist of roast chicken, salmon, halibut, cod, razor blades, Prilosec, cereal, avocados, chicken breasts, coffee beans, almonds, mushrooms, dark chocolate/almond/cherry clusters, refried beans, toilet paper, baby wipes.

[happystuff]

No membership to any of those places any more. I found when I DID shop in those places, I ended up spending 3-4 times my current grocery budget! I've found that for most items I can do just as well, and often times better, just shopping sales at my grocery store. The only thing I miss buying in bulk is honey.

[KayLR]

We buy meat there and at Winco. Prescription eyeglasses. Tzatziki (can't find it elsewhere this good). Tortilla chips (my DH eats an incredible amount of them.) We have shopped there for things we need to replace like luggage, and found good buys.

[Blackdog Lin]

Sam's Club (we have no other options in our area): dishwasher detergent, chicken/beef bouillons, canned chicken, flour, coffee, dried pasta, dried beans, soy sauce, rice, Worcestershire sauce, vitamins, bathing (bar) soap, soft soap, hand sanitizer, napkins. There's probably more.

We are far away from the Sam's Club, never remember to try taking an ice chest, so don't know much about their perishable items. Oh, yeah, gas! We always fill up the gas tank on the vehicle before we leave.

[Tiam]

I have a Costco trip planned for this weekend. I don't go often.

Gas
Aleve
Cheeses
Hummus
Chicken
Shampoo
Pita chips
Nann
Maybe a roasted chicken.
Cat food
Toliet paper


Costco has good quality. So I don't mind buying there. But the sizes are often too much for me. So, I don't buy a lot. I don't know if I'm "saving". But I like the quality of some things enough to buy them.

The last super size bag of soil was great too.

[Rosemary]

Fresh produce is what fills our cart on every trip there: organic lettuce, carrots, avocadoes, apples, bananas, pears, kiwi, organic strawberries when in season. Sometimes mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, and/or Brussels sprouts. We eat a lot of produce.

I usually go there about every 2 weeks. We eat more produce than that, and run out before. I supplement by purchasing most other produce at Aldi, because I can get smaller quantities at better prices for things like bell pepper, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, citrus. Some things at Trader Joe's: organic potatoes, organic tofu, organic unflavored & unsweetened soy milk.

I used to love the sweet potatoes that Costco had that came in a box from CA. Now they come in a plastic bag from the south and they are not as nice quality, and I am always suspicious of mold, so I now buy those elsewhere. I wish they would stock organic potatoes.

Less often: almonds, walnuts, peanut butter, peanuts, grain-free cat and dog food (so happy they finally started stocking this), canned cat food, toilet paper (I try to find recycled content, and sometimes they have it). Some canned foods: black beans, chickpeas, tomato paste. Wild rice, quinoa, oatmeal. This week they had a big package of organic silken tofu at a great price.

[awakenedsoul]

Tiam,
I didn't know they sold soil. I'll have to pick some up...I need to repot my houseplants.

Rosemary,
I wish they sold organic potatoes, too. Our organic co op has them, but they're $3.00 a lb. Seems high to me. I usually get them at Sprouts.

[Gardenarian]

My dh picked up some organic (dried) figs at Costco - they are fantastic.

[awakenedsoul]

Thanks for mentioning that, Gardenarian. I'm going to have to check and see if ours carries those. I notice they're getting in more organics. They have really good organic apple juice. I just bought a box of Magnum double caramel ice cream bars with Belgian chocolate. They were on special and I couldn't resist. (I'm sure they are not part of my anti-inflammatory eating regime, but I can have a few treats...

[Mary B.]

We buy veggie burger patties (the Kirkland brand), falafel, coffee beans, and a flax flake cereal that I really like. Also canned tomatoes, cranberry cocktail and bathing suits. (Really. They often have women's Roots or Speedo suits for something like $20-25, which is really cheap for where I live.)

And we bought the dog beds there.

[Dhiana]

Finally used the 1-day pass I had for the local Costco. Now I need therapy. What an experience :0

I couldn't find enough to make it worth buying today or for the 1/yr membership. We simply could never eat up the quantities sold, don't need another tv/bender/butcher knife set no matter the reasonable pricing. Our freezer is small and one bag of most anything would have completely filled it!

Purchasing on the 1-day pass came with a 5% surcharge, too. So I left.

Went to the regular grocery store next door and totally scored amazing prices on their perfectly good "scratch and dent" vegetable rack :)

[awakenedsoul]

I bought our dog beds there, too, Mary B. They're fabulous! For me, that and the price of dog food alone is worth the membership. I love the big loaves of Tillamook cheese. They last me a month! I picked up a pineapple there yesterday, too. Oh, and two huge bottles of grape juice for around $7.00. (I mix it half and half with water.)

I didn't like it the first time, either, Diana. A student gave me a $100. gift card for Christmas. I thought it was overwhelming. But, once I knew my way around, and had my basics stockpiled, my grocery bill for the year went down 50%. You do need space for storage. It's not for everybody...

[rosarugosa]

Kirkland brand Chardonnay and Malbec. Great stuff for only $6.99/bottle!

[rodeosweetheart]

I've never been in a Costco--never had one near by.

Are they a lot better than Sam's Club?

[awakenedsoul]

I don't think they're better...I don't know. I've never been to Sam's. I have a Costco a few miles from my cottage. I've heard that Costco treats their employees better than Sam's does.

[ToomuchStuff]

I've never been in a Costco--never had one near by.

Are they a lot better than Sam's Club?

My mother and a few other people I know, prefer Costco. Since I get stuff for business, Sam's is better for me, as they cater more to the business crowd.

[leslieann]

I bought a membership last year as I was planning a wedding and needed to feed a lot of people. I let it lapse in March as I don't think it benefited me enough to make up for the price of membership and the travel involved in getting to the Costco. It is in our town but on the other side and lately I don't go in that direction often. However, I am pretty sure I got better prices on plain Quaker oatmeal, on the Goldfish crackers my DSD 17 still loves, and I know that the meats were excellent though not local or free-range or any of that. And produce was great but the quantity was too much for me. So I regularly went for oatmeal, dates, almonds, popcorn (plain unpopped), great beef, lamb, and chicken, butter for less than $5 a pound (that's a BIG DEAL here) and olive oil. Oil was certainly a good value. Anyway, sometimes I wish I still had the membership but actually going to the store was stressful and difficult so I think I am okay with just using my local markets. But I don't think it was a bad thing to try out, not at all and if I still had three kids at home I'd be there. When I did have three kids at home, I shopped BJ's regularly.

[Gardenarian]

Costco treats their employees much better than Sam's Club, which is part of the Walmart empire.