I am originally from the West coast, Costco’s birthplace. I grew up shopping at Costco and have always loved the membership only, bulk shopping warehouse. As I have grown up, I have fallen more in love with my favorite store. It also helps that my husband is equally enthusiastic about shopping at Costco. Sometimes, when we have the chance for family fun, we take a trip to just walk the aisles.
Staple Items
My weekly shopping trips always begin at Costco. No matter what is on my schedule for weekly meals, I can find almost every item I need at Costco. Every week I buy the following items: organic milk, cage free eggs, GMO free sliced ham, romaine lettuce, spinach, berries, apples, and wine! And then every few trips I buy: toilet paper, paper towels, diapers, wipes, chicken and beaf Better Than Bouillon, sugar, flour (white, wheat, and almond), quinoa, batteries, etc. These are my staple items.
New Favorites
No matter how many trips I’ve made to Costco, I always find a new favorite item. It’s like a scavenger hunt. On my last trip I found this delicious stir fry with broccoli, carrots, kale, snap peas, and a sweet ginger sauce. We ate the entire bag in two meals. It was soooo good!
Samples
Let’s be honest, shopping with a toddler is never easy. But when there is a fun treat every other aisle, shopping becomes much more exciting. My son loves the samples, almost as much as I do. And it’s often the samples that help me find new favorites!
Lunch
After all the fun samples, we stop for a great lunch before we head home. Sometimes we get the hot dog and soda combo that is only $1.50! Other times we share a slice of pizza, a BBQ sandwich, or a turkey melt. We also love the churros and frozen yogurt.
Returns
Because Costco is a members only warehouse, every purchase you make is tracked by your membership. Over the years I have returned so many items without any questions asked. I recently returned a battery charger that was no longer working. I couldn’t remember when we bought it so it took a while to find. Once the staff member helped me find the item, she informed me it had been seven years since the purchase and then refunded me the original amount. WHAT?!?! No one can beat that return policy!
Pharmacy
I have used the Costco Pharmacy for years. They also have some mediations for animals. I find it convent and I really enjoy getting all of my errands done in one place.
Flowers
Don’t you just love a fresh bouquet of flowers? What about when the entire bouquet is only $8.99! We are on a tight budget but every few trips to Costco I know I can splurge for some flowers that will make me so happy and truly brighten our house.
Baby Items
Since before my son was born, we started buying items for him at Costco. We have found maternity clothes, diapers, wipes, toys, pajamas, snacks, medication, and bathroom supplies. Costco sells snack items in pouches including GoGo Squeeze apple sauce, Yo Kids yogurt, and Annie’s snack bags.
Appliances
With excellent pricing and a wonderful return/exchange policy, we default to getting our household items at Costco. Our vacuum, TV, printer, and mini fridge are all from Costco.
Kirkland Brand
Kirkland is a suburb of Seattle, the location of Costco’s headquarters. The Kirkland brand is Costco’s brand. These items are usually cheaper than name brands and often just as good. I find the Kirkland brand diapers to be just as soft and absorbable as leading brands. When given the choice I always try the Kirkland brand. You can learn more about Costco “pricing” here.
Organic & Gluten Free Items
I am the first to admit that I have a lot to learn about shopping organic. I know not to buy an item just because it has a gluten free label. But I have done some research on specific items at Costco and I am very happy with The Great Harvest Bread Company wheat bread that only has six ingredients, Timpone’s Mom’s spaghetti sauce that only has seven ingredients, Better Than Bouillon, Earthly Choice quinoa, Kerrygold Imported Irish butter, and Kirkland brand pesto. A few of the food blogs I follow have their own Costco shopping lists 100 Days of Real Food and Against All Grain.
Food Shows
I have always liked a good demonstration. I love that Costco almost always has a live display. I especially enjoy the VitaMix demo and wine tasting.
Meat & Eggs
We like to eat a lot of meat and we really love eggs. At Costco I get four dozen organic and locally sourced eggs each week. I buy organic chicken breasts which come in packs of two and are convenient for freezing. There is also organic ground beef which is also conveniently packaged to use some and freeze some.
Pictures & Ink
I have the Costco app on my phone. Sometimes I order pictures straight from my phone minutes before arriving at Costco. I have ordered prints, Christmas cards, books, and enlargements from my phone. And the price is unbeatable! I also take my empty ink cartridges to get filled for around $7!
Coupons
Costco offers coupons three weeks out of the month. As a member you can get the coupons mailed to your house, on your phone through the app, or at the warehouse. You don’t need to clip separate coupons because they all have the same barcode and every cashier scans the coupon book no matter what!
Inside Secrets
- You can only shop with cash, check, debit, and American Express.
- There are a few options in membership. Consider sharing a membership with a friend or getting the upgraded account to get a cash return at the end of every year.
- Most online orders come with free shipping!
- When you are checking out, you can add your lunch items to your shopping cart and just have one bill. When you go to the deli counter for your lunch you just have to show your receipt.
- You can order pizza by the slice or whole. It’s delicious and cheap!
- The rotisserie chicken is amazing!
- The prepared dinners are also amazing! Meatloaf, calzones, chicken alfredo, and burritos are all good choices.
:: Costco is obviously awesome for SO MANY reasons. Are you a Costco shopper? ::
Ali, I KNEW you wrote this blog as soon as I saw the title!! I hope Costco starts giving you commission 😉
I love Costco, too! My favorite staple item is Jack’s Fresh Salsa – we buy a couple containers every time we go to Costco because it’s our favorite snack!