13 Things You Should Buy At Costco
Today it’s all about 13 things you should buy at Costco. Here’s the deal, if you want to save money and have some top quality products, Costco may just be your new favorite store. It’s too bad they are not giving out samples right now, not just because some of us go there for a mini lunch, but the person who was serving us may not be working right now because of the virus.
Another thing I miss is not being aware of products the demo personnel are demonstrating. In case you missed this post, 9 Things You Should Buy At Costco
13 Things You Should Buy At Costco
1. Ice Cream Bars
These are my favorite chocolate almond dipped vanilla ice cream bars! They cost $.170 per-ounce and come with 18 (3.1-ounce bars) for the low price of $9.49 for these delicious ice cream bars!! These are close in taste to those name brand ice cream bars dipped in chocolate with nuts, but they’re about half the price.
2. Freshly Baked Pizza
Have you tried one of their baked pizzas? I see people walking out of the store with two or three pizza boxes. Well, I had to buy one to find out why. The crust is just perfect and the pizza sauce is super yummy! Now, you may think I can’t possibly eat an 18-inch pizza. Well, I usually share mine with Mark, he loves them too.
You can freeze some in a bag (Mark & I freeze three slices to a gallon baggie). Trust me, the pizza is fabulous! We reheat in it the oven or in the microwave.
You may be able to call ahead and order a pizza or two for those hungry kids playing sports right now. Or take one to a new mother or a family who is sick and could use a hot meal.
3. Pesto Ready To Serve
Who would love fresh pesto for $.409 per ounce with 22-ounces for $8.99? When I have my Sweet Basil growing I make my own pesto and freeze it in small ice cube type trays. If you can’t use the whole bottle, freeze it the portions you desire.
4. Pure Vanilla
There is nothing better than a really good pure vanilla. This bottle costs $1.556 per-ounce with 16-ounces for $24.89. This may seem expensive, unless you have been pricing pure vanilla this past year. Pure vanilla has gone through the roof!! This is a great price!
5. Frozen Organic Strawberries
You will love seeing frozen organic strawberries cost $.151 per-ounce with 4 full pounds for $9.69!! No washing, no cutting off the stems, they are ready for your next smoothie!
6. Sliced Almonds
Now let’s look at the sliced almonds at $.212 per-ounce with 32-ounces for $6.79!! I used my FoodSaver to store these in my freezer in one-pint bags. Please keep in mind all nuts are rich in oil and subject to going rancid very quickly.
7. Walnuts
Isn’t it wonderful that you can buy walnuts at $.244 per-ounce with 48-ounces priced at $11.69? I realize walnuts are pretty healthy, but I don’t use them as much as the pecans. Here again, I freeze these in one-pint size bags using a FoodSaver.
8. Pecans
And what about pecans for $.368 per ounce with 32-ounces for $11.79. Pecans are by far my favorite nut to munch on or bake with. Have you tried making my Healthy Spicy Nuts Recipe?
9. Chocolate Chips
The cost of these chocolate chips is $.139 per ounce with 4.5 pounds for $9.99. I love the feeling I know I have chocolate chips in the pantry. I use them for my Chocolate Pudding Sour Cream Cake, cookies, and my Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, and so much more!
10. Flour Tortillas
I buy the smaller 8-inch flour tortillas for Mark and me. Each large bag comes with 40 flour tortillas (20 in each of two small bags). Now, you may think this is too many flour tortillas.
Please think again, these cost $.071 per ounce with 40 tortillas that weigh 70-ounces for a total cost of $4.99! Bargain, need I say more? So each flour tortilla costs approximately $.124 cents each!!
This is how I freeze my flour tortillas. I buy the smaller ones because the larger flour tortillas are way too big for my taste. I freeze the smaller 8-inch flour tortillas 5-6 to each gallon-size baggie.
11. Coffee
Here’s the deal with this Kirkland brand coffee bean. If you look really close it’s custom roasted by the one and only Starbuck’s, yes, you heard me right. This bag is priced at $4.796 per pound which is 2.5 pounds for $11.99. And it’s Certified Fair Trade house blend coffee.
12. Tortilla Chips
Here you will find the chips in a HUGE bag that costs $.083 per ounce with a 48-ounce bag for $3.99 which is a bargain. Now the bag is too large for Mark and me to purchase for just us to eat. But, if I’m going to a party, this is the bag I buy, along with a jar of the best salsa I can find.
13. Toilet Paper
This package is 2-ply bath tissue with 30 rolls for $16.49. This is approximately $.55 per roll. It has a total of 1593.7 square feet. I buy this bath tissue, it’s my all-time favorite. Remember when toilet paper used to go on sale?
Well, I have not seen any sales on toilet paper this year where I live. Yes, it’s probably because of the shortages earlier this year when people were panic buying. Gratefully that seems to be past history now.
Final Word
I love looking for good buys, some are sweet, some are practical. It’s all about having food storage and filling our pantry and our emergency preparedness supplies inventory. Please keep prepping, we must. May God Bless this world, Linda
Copyright Images: Costco AdobeStock_291096678_Editorial_Use_Only by Sundry Photography
Any suggestions if you do t have a Costco close enough to go to? I do t even k ow where the closest one is. We usually order things like this from Walmart or Amazon. There is a Sams in the next large town, but the prices are about the same as Walmart.
Deborah,
We have a Sam’s Club much closer to us than Costco. So, our purchases of virtually the same list is from Sam’s. I find the quality of many things at Sam’s to be a little better than WalMart, plus we can order from Sam’s for pickup and they bring it out to our vehicle and load it for us. This is a great feature for us being older and trying to avoid the Chinavirus. Also, our Sam’s Club membership is a Plus membership which gives us free shipping on anything we buy for delivery to our house. We have utilized this a lot which has saved us money as well as trips to the local club. Our Fedex and UPS drivers are regular visitors because of this. LOL!!! Stay warm over there in East Texas. We have been pretty chilly here in the Hill Country.
Hi Harry, I wish we had a Sam’s Club here. We only have Costco. But I use the Walmart grocery store pickup. Linda
Hey, Linda,
We have done the grocery curbside pickup at WalMart, but they only do groceries. Sam’s Club does curbside on anything in the store. Another plus for us with Sam’s. We had a Costco membership for two years quite a while ago. But with the distance vs Sam’s we only went to Costco two or three times in two years. It just did not make sense to keep both memberships. Our Sam’s Club Plus costs $100 per year, but we get a cash rebate every year based on purchases. So, far our least yearly cashback has been $160. So, we actually saved each year with the Plus membership since a regular membership with no cashback costs $40 per year.
Hi Harry, I love that we get out “cards” for free when we buy the “Plus” one. Love it! Linda
Hi Deborah, Walmart is Sam’s Club but you can buy in bulk. If you have Sam’s Club they have different stuff I can’t get at Costco. Linda
I know Sam Walton started both. We get the bigger sizes at Walmart and our local grocery store. I’ve got a good stock of most things.
Love Costco! We went Wednesday to have eye exams & shop They were giving out food samples here in Albuquerque.
Hi Roxanne, WHAT? They are giving out samples?? LOL! I’m heading to Costco early this morning before the crowds. Love hearing this! Linda
Harry, I have t even to a Sams in years. It’s 25-30 miles away and I never even go to the city it’s in unless I see my Nephrologist. And that’s every 6 months. Beside my husband does all the online ordering. I just tell him what I want. I usually do the shopping in our small town. And run the other errands. At 69, I’m not taking any chances on this Virus! He and I are both at risk, so we stay home as much as possible.
Hey Deborah,
See my reply to Linda above about the Sam’s Club Plus Membership cost vs benefits. With the Plus membership, you get free shipping on almost everything on their website that is shipable, even the big bundles of paper towels and toilet paper. I turn 72 on Sunday, so we also are staying out of stores and all. I am not trying to sell everyone on Sam’s Club, but it has been a boon to us. Have a great day!!
=) Harry, I did see it. Happy Birthday little spook! I’m an early October baby. 4th. Hubby will be 72 on Thanksgiving day. I’ll check it out and see what we think. We like the ship to home places.
Hi Deborah! Sam’s Club & Costco are usually about the same as far as inventory & price. You do have to have the time to search out good buys….. our Sam’s Club keeps moving things around every few weeks!
I shop our Sam’s Club for bulk items. Butter right now is 4# for $9, down quite a bit from 4# / $12 a few months ago. Generic sliced cheese & shredded cheese are another great buy.
We also get the largest cans of Folgers coffee on sale for less than $8. 25# of basmati rice is $20, white rice 25# for $9, 50# is $18. Large containers of spices are also great buys. Cases of brand name canned meats, fruits, veggies are also very reasonable.
We also shop Sam’s Club for paper goods like tp & paper towels & trashbags The Members Mark brand is affordable & the equivalent of the brand names. And they periodically carry large storage containers for several dollars less than Walmart or Lowes.
Brand name men’s underwear is usually $2-3 less at Sam’s than Walmart. Name brand shoes, mocassin slippers, outerwear for the whole family are available seasonally for excellent prices.
Yes, a good share of our monthly budget gets spent at Sam’s Club…. it’s how we have built up a good supply of items for long term storage.
BDN,
I agree with everything you said about Sam’s Club. If you don’t have their Plus membership, it is well worth looking into. Along with the benefits I have put in posts above, they occasionally have extra low price buys on special purchase items that are only available to Plus members. An example of that is several years ago, when 42″ TVs were going for about $350-400, they had a special sale on a 42″ Magnavox for Plus members for $188. We bought three, one for us and two for friends who reimbursed us for the purchase price. They were elated at the price. All that being said, we love Sam’s Club and it has saved us a world of money and time.
Harry, for years I had the Sam’s Club business membership, which allowed me to shop early on my way to work & let me buy my cleaning supplies tax free. Sam’s phased that out when they began the Plus membership. I finally bit the bullet and just got the Plus membership when we renewed this year. I use the early shopping hours the most, especially with the virus issues. I’ve used the earned rewards, so far, to purchase hurricane season supplies for family members & friends on especially tight budgets this year.
And I do find Members Mark products to be a little better quality than other store brands.
Leanne, I have several older friends who are also singles. If I am going to Sam’s Club, I always ask if there’s anything they need. If needed, I split the bulk packages/cases with them, as Sam’s Club prices are much more reasonable.
Good Morning! On a different note I was wondering if you had heard anything about Ready Hour food and/or Survival Shot supplement from Emergency Essentials? I just saw them when I was reading about Faraday Cages. Just another thing to think about. Have a good day.
Hi Cheryl, I have not heard about that group, let’s see if anyone else has. Linda
I have bought lots of tp since 2008 and I always go back to DG for Angel Soft….37¢ a roll.
Hi JayJay, it’s all about the cost and savings for sure. Linda
About Sam’s…I stopped years ago with the membership. My purchases weren’t cost effective.
For years, I purchased a daily shopping permit @ 6/7 percent of purchase total.
That was a bargain for me. The store in Bowling Green doesn’t offer it now.
I definitely saved on paper products and I miss that now.
I still didn’t save $45 to justify the membership, though.
Paper towels–DG
Angel Soft-DG
Paper cups–Amazon(they are identical to Sam’s)
Napkins..GFS (Gordon Food Supply)
Can’t find paper plates anywhere.
Hi JayJay, I just got back from Costco and they had paper plates. I didn’t need them because I have stocked a lot over the years. Crazy times, Linda
I don’t shop at Costco much anymore. Living single has its pros and its cons!! I like the prices and there are a couple of things I do get from Costco but the sizes of most things are simply not good for singles living in small apartments!
The 2 main things I get at Costco are the roasted chickens and my coffee pods (San Francisco brand because they are more biodegradeable). Otherwise, most things are just in quantities too large for me to deal with.
Hi Leanne, I totally get that. There are some good buys and some things are more expensive. That will be another post. The roasted chickens are the best! Linda
I can’t use the Costco brand of TP it clogs our septic system. I use Quilted Northern in the pack that is equal to 4 regular- TP size.. It seems to go a lot further with us and no clogs. We do occasionaly add some yeast to the septic system. The man that drained ours years ago told us the stuff that is sold in the stores doesn’t work. I haven’t had any problems since I took his advice. I like having the larger rolls,too.
Hi Cheryl, well, that’s who I would listen to for sure, the person who drains the septic tanks!! I will have to look for that brand, thanks for the tip! Linda
We don’t have Costco, but we do have a BJs Wholesale Club. It offers a wide variety. And with their credit card we save 10 cents a gallon on gas plus other promotions. My husband gets a Military Discount on the membership and shares it with our kids. Between BJs, Walmart and Target offering curbside pickup my husband and I are doing our best to stay safe and healthy. I have been fortunate to find staff at Yankee Candle and Bath and Body Works willing to do curbside pickups for us too. We have already voted, and it’s starting to snow so I am happy to stay home.
Hi Chris, those stores sound awesome! I love hearing people are doing curbside delivery for you!! I used Walmart curbside pickup and it’s great!! Glad you’re home now to watch the snow falling in the warmth of your home! Linda
I jokingly call myself a closet agoraphobic as I don’t go anywhere but to the grocery store and my Dr’s appts.
Linda, I hope this is okay to ask Chris about BJ’s.
Chris, I see you go to BJ’s, I have a Costco membership. Can you tell me about BJ’s. We are getting a BJ’s and I understand it’s like a Sam’s or Costco’s but they will accept manufactures coupons on top of their own store coupons? How does that work? How are the prices, the brands they carry? I’ve gone to their website but would really like to talk with someone with practical experience with the company. If it’s not okay, Linda please delete this and I apologize.
Thank you in advance Chris and Thank you Linda
Hi Kathy, I would love to know about BJ’s as well. Great question. Linda
Kathy, in my humble opinion, you will Love BJs. We have a Sam’s Club near us, and BJs is better. They offer a great variety of brand names, at prices that beat most of the regular grocery stores sale prices. Bread and baked goods are fresh, and we have always found the store clean and orderly. Unlike most warehouse stores they do take manufacture coupons, although it does require you to take your receipt into the store if you are doing curbside pickups. Watch your paper or mailers for a free 3 month trial. We use the credit card because of the additional ten cents off gas in addition to coupons that add cents off for products and gas. We never pay credit card interest so the savings are worth it to us. They carry books, some clothing, candles furniture and seasonal products. Any other questions…..ask away!!!
Chris, Appreciate you answering me. Thank you. Our BJ’s just mailed out a “founding” member offer and I was thinking about taking them up on it. I take it it’s more of a grocery store than a bulk store, right? Do they have tier memberships, IE: a premier membership or is it all one level. I didn’t see that or missed it on the website. They haven’t actually opened a store yet so I don’t know when I’d be able to use it. One is near Detroit and I’m not sure it would be worth it to truck down there yet. Is it a BJ’s credit card you use, do I HAVE to have a credit card? We try to pay cash (yes I’m a Philistine LOL) or use my checkbook. I couldn’t see anything about requiring a credit card.
Thanks again Chris, Kathy
Kathy, I think you will find more regular items in multiple packs than bulk foods, that you have to pack up yourself. They offer, fresh, frozen, canned and dry goods. They do have a business membership. They do offer a military discount on the membership. You are not required to carry their credit card. We do, because it means an additional 10 cents per gallon on gas, although not all BJs have gas pumps. We carry credit cards that have no annual fees and pay in full every month. FYI, we have used numerous credit cards over the last 47 years….. we have never paid one penny in interest, or fees, but have received over $25,000.00 in rewards.
Hi Chris, great comment how to use credit cards the RIGHT way, thank you, Linda