Call me crazy but I love a good trip to Costco. I have dabbled in Walmart and BJs over the years but I always go back to my beloved Costco. However, it can be very easy to turn a much needed trip to the store into a several hour fiasco. Have no fear! This blog post has all the tips you need and more in order to plan a successful shopping experience.
Tip # 1 – Make a list
I cannot say this enough times. You should never go food shopping without a list. It is asking for trouble. Have you seen how many aisles and products this store has? You will never leave. You may be saying, but Pam, how do I know what I need from Costco? Great question! Read tip #2!
Tip # 2 – Meal plan
If you meal plan, you will know what ingredients you need. Once you do this once or twice, making the list is very easy because generally you will be picking up similar items with some modifications depending on season or if you are making new dishes. Or if you have young children who sometimes love bananas but suddenly changed their minds and now only love strawberries. I have a list of some of my go-to-items at the end of the post.
Tip # 3 – Do a thorough house check
After you make your food list, add any household items you need. You will be tempted when you are at the store to buy 10 pairs of goggles, sheets, books for the children, and a whole new set of glass storage containers. Don’t give in and stick to your list. This part of the list includes toiletries, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, paper towels, and yes, you can add any other non-food item that you actually need. This also gets easier once you have been to the store a few times because you will become familiar with the major products they sell. One of my big disappointments is that they don’t sell the purple Swiffer cleaning solution.
#4 – Be strategic about when you go
I always go on Saturdays because after I go to Costco, I make frozen slow cooker meals and also separate a lot of meat and other items that need to be frozen. This takes a few hours and I don’t like to do it all in one day. If I go Saturday morning, I have a few hours in the afternoon to get started and can finish up the rest on Sunday (another 2 hours or so). If you don’t work or have random days off during the week, weekdays may work better for you. I like to get there when it opens at 10 AM (check your area for opening time) and then I can also catch the free samples when they get going around 11!
Tip #5 – Don’t forget bags
Costco does not have bags and they no longer have the large boxes you could put your stuff into. I like to bring my own bags now, including some coolers for the meat. Loading and unloading Costco groceries is quite the work out.
Pro tips :
- Leave the kids at home if you can (otherwise distract them with a snack from all the fun stuff that is around)
- Enjoy the $1 delicious hot dog! I do not recommend their coffee drinks.
My favorite items by category:
Toiletries: Clear care contact solution, baby wipes, Dove or Olay body wash
Dairy that can be frozen: butter, shredded cheese (split it into bags)
Non-perishable food: coffee (pods, beans, and instant), individual portions of Kraft mac and cheese, chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, apple sauce and veggie pouches (Costco brand), canned tuna, canned salmon, minced garlic
Meat: chicken breast, chicken tenderloins, chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks, and chicken wings (they all come in easy to separate small pouches), ground beef, stew meat, and chuck roast (I also separate all of these). These may be slightly more expensive than the regular grocery store but it is a huge time saver to not have to separate the chicken. It also helps to get all the meat I need for 3-4 months, which I think saves me money at the end of the day. If you get lucky, they may have a small rib rack (lollipops) and veal cutlets, which are cheaper than other places. I am not a fan of the frozen sea food they sell, so I skip buying fish there and get it fresh during my weekly shopping.
Remember they also sell vitamins and over the counter medications! It is where I get my children’s Flonase and Zyrtec.
I don’t buy too many veggies or fruit there (only what I need for my frozen meals) and I don’t buy any frozen/pre-packaged meals.
Tell me what your favorite items are below!