I never thought I’d live to see the day where I had a Costco membership– I just assumed it wouldn’t be worth it for my small family. On top of that, I found Costco to be completely overwhelming. It’s kind of like being at Disneyland. 100% overstimulating and I usually leave feeling like I need to go sit in silence in a dark room by myself despite how many people tell me how magical it is. It turns out, there are definitely things you should buy at Costco. And! Update! I am now in the group that loves Costco! (But still get overstimulated). 

There are a few supplies my husband routinely needs for his office and so we decided to try it out for a bit (P.S. Did you know their memberships are 100% refundable at any point if you decide you’re unhappy with your membership?)

Before we got our membership I was 100% confident that a Costco membership was not going to be worth it for us. I tend to like to buy things locally if I can and I don’t like having a lot of clutter (like too many things in the fridge or pantry at once) so literally the opposite of Costco. But, since we’re on a journey paying off $650k of student loan debt, I’ve been exploring any option I can to save money. After doing a bit of research, the membership is totally worth it for us (especially since we already needed it for Danny’s business). There are definitely things you should purchase at Costco (and things you should not, but that’s another post). It didn’t take long for me to realize just how magical a Costco membership is.

THINGS YOU SHOULD BUY AT COSTCO 

MILK

Milk makes the list of things you should buy at Costco because it’s cheaper at Costco than any other retailer I’ve seen–including Aldi! Plus, coupons on milk are hard to come by, so you are almost certainly going to save the most money by buying it from Costco. You do have to buy 2 gallons at a time, so if you have a small family or don’t consume a lot of milk, be sure to freeze one of the gallons when you get home. Thaw it by letting it sit in the fridge for about 12 hours and you’ll never be able to tell that it was once frozen. (Be sure to shake it up before you open).

CHEESE

You should buy cheese at Costco, and in all its varieties– sliced, shredded, and string cheese are generally all cheaper at Costco than regular grocery stores.

BUTTER

Another thing you should buy at Costco is butter! For many of the same reasons as cheese and milk. It’s cheap, it can be frozen and used later, and coupons for butter are hard to come by, making Costco’s price one of the best you’ll find anywhere.

VANILLA EXTRACT

Vanilla extract is on the list of things you should buy at Costco because it’s $26.99 for 16 oz which is one of the best deals you can find on vanilla. Vanilla is another product that is rarely on sale anywhere and rarely has coupons. Plus, Costco’s Kirkland brand SO good, and I am picky about vanilla.

ROTISSERIE CHICKEN

The rotisserie chicken at Costco is only $4.99. That is a steal at almost half of what it costs at other grocers! 

FOOD COURT ITEMS

Costco is best known for its ridiculously cheap and delicious food court. You can get a hot dog AND a fountain drink for only $1.50. Other honorable mentions are the most giant pizza slice in the universe for $1.99 and fountain drinks for $0.49. There are healthy options too, a few salads at $3.99.

KIRKLAND DIAPERS

I definitely do not recommend name brand diapers at Costco– those are much cheaper on Amazon and or at other grocers or supermarkets paired with coupons. But Kirkland brand diapers are GREAT (unlike a lot of generic brand diapers!) and so cheap.

FROZEN FRUIT

Frozen fruit is another item you should buy at Costco. It’s cheap and you can store it for a long time!

MEDICINE

Both over the counter AND prescription medicines are both generally cheaper at Costco than they are at drug stores. And that can really add up if your family is on a lot of prescription or OTC drugs!

DOG FOOD 

Kirkland dog food costs a little more than half of what we were paying at Walmart, so if you aren’t married to your brand of dog food, it is definitely something you should buy at Costco.

PROTEIN POWDER 

If you are in to protein powder, you can get it on the cheaper at Costco than almost anywhere else (especially bodybuilding.com) the only exception is for Black Friday deals on bodybuilding.com– that’s when you should really stock up, but otherwise, Costco it is!

SOME CLOTHES

You should buy name brand clothes at Costco only when they are going on sale when there aren’t a ton left in stock. That is when you’ll find the best deals that make it totally worth it.

SPINACH

Spinach is another thing you should buy at Costco. It’s about half the cost of the grocery store. The spinach won’t be worth it if it goes bad in your fridge, so make sure it’s an amount that you can your family can eat (or that you can split the cost with someone else).

BACON

I’m not a bacon person but the dudes in my life are, and apparently bacon at Costco is delicious, thick, and is also some of the cheapest you can find!

GAS

Gas is another item that you should buy at Costco. It’s generally about 12 cents cheaper there than anywhere else, but be sure to check gasbuddy.com for the cheapest gas prices nearby you! In my area, Costco is by far the cheapest.

PRESCRIPTION GLASSES

Prescription glasses (and eye exams) are cheaper at Costco than almost anywhere else!

CINNAMON ROLLS.

Maybe the cinnamon rolls aren’t a sound financial decision, but they are DELICIOUS and HAD to be mentioned in a list of things you should buy at Costco. 🙂

What are some of the best deals you’ve found at Costco? Comment below! 

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