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We do most of our shopping at Costco. The trick is to divide everything up into baggies the minute you get home (and to only buy items you don't mind eating/using over and over, since you're buying in bulk.
Certain items that we eat all the time periodically go on sale, so we like to wait for those sales and then really stock up.
For example, recently they had $2.50 off oatmeal squares (which were already a very good price even before the sale) so we stocked up on a year's supply. Which for us meant 9 of the super-humongo boxes, since we eat these all the time. It looked so silly we had to take a photo of our haul.
Who cares if it looks silly--we have the space to store it, we'll eat it, and we saved a ton compared to buying a year's worth at the local Food Lion. Plus I like having a really well stocked pantry, especially when the weather turns bad.
We've actually had good prices on fresh produce and meat at our local Costco. Which is not to say that everything is a bargain--you do have to comparison shop. For most items that we buy, however, Costco has been the best buy in town.
Those oatmeal squares would be gone in a day around here!
Several years ago, I bought a box of 90 pop tarts. For breakfast, I usually gave my kids one pop tart along with eggs, or ham, or some sort of protein. Rule was they had to eat the eggs first, then the pop tart. I figured I was set for awhile.
Then, one day, I couldn't find the pop tarts anywhere, finally discovered the empty box in my dd's bedroom, and a pile of wrappers in ds closet. Those two had eaten 90 pop tarts in a weekend! I found it doesn't pay for me to buy certain items in quantity, they just consume it in quantity!
2 person household here wanting to join Costo and wondering if it is worth it since we consume so little. I cook from mostly whole foods and do not normally buy name brand processed foods. it seems like the most savings in these places and in coupons is for people who consume a lot of pre made, processed foods that are already sold at a higher retail cost to begin with.
Not necessarily. You can get organic butter, frozen berries, milk, loads of organic ingredients. I started buying more chicken there, and butter and chocolate chips and things I used to buy at my local Safeway. Now my Safeway has no idea of what to load on my loyalty card -- and all they pick for me is junk food -- which I don't eat.
Your best bet is to ask your local Costco if they will give you a day pass to check it out. Go prepared -- take old receipts or lists of what you normally buy and what prices you pay and see. You need to go in prepared, because it's easy to get overwhelmed there with all the stuff (the sparkly diamond counter always get a visit from me). Books, magazines DVDs clothing shoes socks furniture, food samples.... you'll either think the whole thing is all too much or all too wonderful and you won't be able to be process it without something to actually COMPARE to.
There's just no way to do this on an online forum. For one reason -- each Costco may have pretty much the same items, they also have stock that's more localized. You have to go yourself to see.
We're a household of two and I cook almost daily, from scratch. We shop a lot at Costco. And gas is 10-25 cents cheaper a gallon there. My sister shops at Sam's Club. She's a widow, with no kids at home. She loves how much she saves there. (She doesn't have a Costco near her, and we don't have a Sam's near us)
Those oatmeal squares would be gone in a day around here!
Several years ago, I bought a box of 90 pop tarts. For breakfast, I usually gave my kids one pop tart along with eggs, or ham, or some sort of protein. Rule was they had to eat the eggs first, then the pop tart. I figured I was set for awhile.
Then, one day, I couldn't find the pop tarts anywhere, finally discovered the empty box in my dd's bedroom, and a pile of wrappers in ds closet. Those two had eaten 90 pop tarts in a weekend! I found it doesn't pay for me to buy certain items in quantity, they just consume it in quantity!
This is what I'm up against. I've had a Costco membership for years and there are certain items that I really like and do save us money but we have been slipping into buying more junky stuff and that is the stuff that kills the budget. If we have that type of stuff in the house in bulk, we will eat more of it. Especially the kids. It's expensive and not healthy. I'm not sure I'll cancel the membership but I do need to be more discerning about what we buy and more importantly, don't buy from Costco.
My favorite items are the dog food, the coffee, the uncooked flour tortillas, the blocks of cheese (Tillamook, Cabot, Kerry Gold), the big tubs of salad and spinach and the frozen fruit for smoothies.
I used to be able to save money by shopping at Costco, but that was when I lived in a larger house and had space to store stuff like enormous packages of toilet paper, paper towels, spaghetti sauce, etc.
I live in a very tiny place now and storage is at a premium, so it's really not worthwhile. I still buy wine, tires, and eyeglasses there, as well as the occasional electronic device.
I also buy stuff like dry pasta and canned tuna at Costco to donate to the food pantry.
Also like to buy electronics there, because you can return anything at any time for any reason - unlike Best Buy, which charges a "restocking fee" if you need to return something.
Costco has changed their policy on electronics returns. They can't be returned after 90 days.
........ we have been slipping into buying more junky stuff and that is the stuff that kills the budget. ..........
That would be easy to do, especially with the free samples to show you that you like something well enough to buy a huge bag of it. Some of the prepared stuff is a good price.
My observation is that there are two distinct types of shoppers at Costco. Look at the carts at the checkout and some are piled with convenience foods and junk food. Other carts are piled with cooking ingredients and virtually no junk food. Never the twain shall meet. It is one or the other.
If you are a careful shopper, there are good bargains on both types pf carts.
And I will confess that you will sometimes see one of those big bags of peanut M&M's on my shopping cart with the cheese, fresh produce, whole coffee beans, frozen shrimp, spices, and olive oil. That's why I said "virtually no junk food".
My observation is that there are two distinct types of shoppers at Costco. Look at the carts at the checkout and some are piled with convenience foods and junk food. Other carts are piled with cooking ingredients and virtually no junk food. Never the twain shall meet. It is one or the other.
Spot on, I see exactly the same thing.
I'm very happy buying my basic foodstuffs at Costco. Every time I go it seems they have more organic stuff too and at prices that blow away other places.
Are you sure they still have day passes? Last year a Costco opened up 50 miles away and I called up and asked them about it. They said no. Instead buy a membership and they would refund if you weren't satisfied.
Are you sure they still have day passes? Last year a Costco opened up 50 miles away and I called up and asked them about it. They said no. Instead buy a membership and they would refund if you weren't satisfied.
Does anyone know the current situation?
That has been my experience. They would NOT let me enter the store without a membership card unless I bought a membership on the spot.
Also, I have never seen gas at Costco more than 3 cents cheaper than the local stations. More often, it is higher than Sam's Club.
That would be easy to do, especially with the free samples to show you that you like something well enough to buy a huge bag of it. Some of the prepared stuff is a good price.
My observation is that there are two distinct types of shoppers at Costco. Look at the carts at the checkout and some are piled with convenience foods and junk food. Other carts are piled with cooking ingredients and virtually no junk food. Never the twain shall meet. It is one or the other.
If you are a careful shopper, there are good bargains on both types pf carts.
And I will confess that you will sometimes see one of those big bags of peanut M&M's on my shopping cart with the cheese, fresh produce, whole coffee beans, frozen shrimp, spices, and olive oil. That's why I said "virtually no junk food".
I'm actually the in between shopper of your two examples. Lots of healthy stuff and with some junk food added in. Yes, I agree, healthy bargains can be found. There are a lot of healthy things that I save money on I need to get back into sticking just with those and avoiding the rest. I started slipping when my oldest started school and I had a baby at home. Costco made it too easy to buy those junky individually packed items such as goldfish cracker and granola bars to just throw into a lunch box. Now that my youngest is older and I have more time to prepare foods from scratch, I need to get back to that and avoid the junky convenience foods.
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I found it doesn't pay for me to buy certain items in quantity, they just consume it in quantity!
Yes, I agree, healthy bargains can be found. There are a lot of healthy things that I save money on I need to get back into sticking just with those and avoiding the rest. I started slipping when my oldest started school and I had a baby at home. Costco made it too easy to buy those junky individually packed items such as goldfish cracker and granola bars to just throw into a lunch box. Now that my youngest is older and I have more time to prepare foods from scratch, I need to get back to that and avoid the junky convenience foods.
