Costco is basically like Disneyland for adults… only with more (well-priced) wine! I’m going to break it down for you and share Costco’s best and worst deals. I’ll tell you what to grab, what to walk right past, and how to make the most out of your warehouse membership. (And while you’re there, try our grocery hacks to make the shopping a little more manageable!)
1. Food basics
- I always stock up on meats because the price is often better than the buy one get one free sale at the grocery store. Costco’s also a great place to stock up on all your organic produce. You’re going to get a ton at a really low price point.
- Bread is another great deal. It comes in packs of two and it’s really easy to freeze.
- I also tend to buy lots of nuts and dried fruit which is much cheaper than the grocery store. I’m also obsessed with their freezer section. They have tons of organic berries and lots of different health foods which make great smoothies with the kids.
- Remember all the signage shows you the cost per unit so you know if you’re actually saving money compared to the grocery store.
2. Housewares
- This is one of my favorite sections of the store. The light bulbs especially when they have rebates are an incredible deal and it will give you lots of energy savings in your home.
- The sheets are some of the best deals around and they’re so comfortable.
- Don’t forget batteries! We go through so many of those.
3. Easy hosting
- The wine selection is handpicked and amazing. You can get a bottle of wine at a score of 90 or higher at $15 price points.
- The gourmet cheeses are another killer find for creating cheese platters. It’s less than half of what you pay at the grocery store.
- The flowers are the cheapest I’ve ever seen for a bouquet – just $8.50 for a dozen!
- The frozen appetizers are really inexpensive and make party prep so easy.
- And if you want to forget doing anything at home and go out on a date night they have great deals where you can spend just $79 on $100 worth of gift cards.
4. Family fun
- We’ve had amazing luck with shoes, socks, underwear, even workout gear.
- Baby pouches are $9 for twelve which is less than $1 per pouch.
- For all the stuff you have to print for the kids, the printer ink refills will save you so much money. It’s one of the best deals in the store!
5. What not to buy
- It goes without saying but buy only what you can reasonably use and eat otherwise it’s really not a good deal.
- Avoid things with a really short shelf life.
- I also avoid cleaning products, pasta, canned goods, and individually packed snacks. You’ll pay a lot more from them and normally the grocery store has much lower prices.
- I avoid laundry detergent unless there’s a rebate and then you can get an awesome score. The Kirkland brand, which is the store brand, is great for a lot of things except for toilet paper and tissue. Those got really low marks on consumer reports.
One of the best things about taking your family to Costco is the $1.50 12” hot dog! I’m pretty sure that’s the only reason they come with me. I hope these tips save you a lot on your next trip to Costco!
