Heatherwith4 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 We joined Costco on Saturday. I've been twice now, and have found some pretty good deals. I'm just wondering - what do you particularly like to buy there? Also, does anyone do all their shopping there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applethyme Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 I buy the bulk of our groceries there. Milk, eggs, cheese, take and bake pizzas, fruit, bread, canned goods and cleaning supplies. the cost is pretty comparable to other grocery stores here plus I have the gold star membership and get 2% back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 garbage bags, dog food (sometimes), kitty litter, laundry detergent, frozen fruit, cereal, and sometimes we pick up books there but those are the consistent things. We've gotten dresses a few times, and odds and end kitchen type things. I bought my living room rug there as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 We do most of our shopping there. I like the flexibility of one stop shopping, their prices are comparable (although I admit not always cheaper) and we get the 2% back which gives us a nice rebate at the end of each year. I think the shorter list would be what don't we buy at Costco. :D In fact, just last week I found GF bread there and it is delicious! Some of the things we DON'T get at costco: margarine (yes, we eat margarine because we are dairy free :( ), coconut milk, garlic and onions, most fresh fruit (grapes, melons, apples, oranges and bananas we get at Costco), and most fresh produce (we do get their bags of lettuce, broccoli, celery, snap peas, spinach there). Everything else? We pretty much get at Costco. I love browsing their books and I stock up on their school supplies when their stock is dwindling and they drop their prices. We've bought furniture there, (small) appliances, bikes, scooters, gardening supplies, camping gear, clothes, phones, electronics. I love Costco's return policy and their customer service is awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Jen* Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Items that we buy a lot from Costco Produce - Apples, Bananas, Oranges, Berries and Grapes (only in the summer when the prices drop), asparagus, broccoli, spring mix, Bell Peppers, Onions, Potatoes Frozen - Fruits and Veggies, Almond Milk, Orange Juice, Milk, Butter, Bacon Meats - We used to buy a lot of meat from there until we purchased a side of beef this year so now we don't need to. I still pick up rotisserie chicken and sliced turkey Other things - Chocolate chips (on sale around Christmas and I throw them into the freezer) Coconut Oil, Spices, Dog food, vitamins, diapers, cleaning supplies, cereal, a few canned goods. We've also picked up our fair share of books and movies and other odds and ends. They actually get a nice assortment of toys around Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 RXs, contacts, cheese, boneless leg of lamb, clementines, olive oil, canned salmon, coffee, big tubs of organic salad (although my current store can't regulate their cooler temps well and the bottom of the salad is always gross, so we no longer buy). The nitrate and nitrite free sausage, frozen organic Coleman chicken breasts, whole chickens and chicken thighs (Coleman), bathing suits for DD (rash guard sets), fake uggs to use as house slippers, the yoga pants are great. Tomatoes, Wholly Guacamole. Wild Salmon fillets (although my store rarely carries this anymore). Electrosol tablets, vitamin d3, trashbags, eco friendly liquid dishsoap. The boxes of greeting cards are generally a pretty good deal. They double the manufacturer's warranty on a lot of big electronics like TVs. eta: wrapping paper is the best for the price. I gave up on buying cheap, discounted paper at stores like Target a long time ago. The Costco stuff is not super cheap, but is sturdy, and usually reversible. We buy Christmas and bday paper there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2TheTeam Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 We have 6 kids. We buy as much as we can there. LOL!! We have 5 boys. I can only imagine how much we will buy there when they are all teens. I'm a little scared! :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 My BFF has a membership and occasionally she'll let me tag along with my Costco list: Socks Cheese - same fancy cheese my store carries but half the price Lasagna - best I've ever had Birthday cakes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicAnn Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Nuts, dried fruit, figs, coconut oil, produce, gf bread, organic pasta sauce and salsa, snap pea crisps, orange juice, organic corn chips, lots of stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 With eight children, we buy what we can. I buy my meats there, lettuce, mushrooms, while grain bread, condiments, spices, basmati rice, pancake mix, nutella, preserves, and various spreads when they have what I want. They have Raskas cheese (hormone free), less expensive milk, and butter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Memory cards (for cameras) and jump drives Paper Tortillas Bread Cakes for DH's office events Rotisserie chicken Organic ground beef Organic chicken Prime steaks (not all stores carry prime beef cuts) Pork tenderloins Frozen chicken breasts (Coleman? brand) Chicken ravioli Sabra hummus Dubliner cheese Avocados Grape tomatoes Bananas Cucumbers Brussels Sprouts Fresh berries Apples Kiwis (great for dehydrating!) Grapes Cut pineapple Dried fruit Nuts Mexican Cokes (glass bottles, real sugar) Multi-surface cleaning wipes Dishwasher detergent Oxyclean Parchment paper Glad Press & Seal Garbage bags Dunkin Donuts ground coffee (for iced coffee) Eggs Butter Frozen organic berries (check country of origin for frozen, organic green beans and broccoli--they switched to veggies from China where no regs on organic stuff) Powdered sugar Organic cane sugar Sugar in the Raw Maple syrup (I swear we're not elves) Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix Kirkland chocolate chips Boxes of chicken broth Freeze dried apple snacks Gum Stacey's Pita Chips Kirkland brand Claritin-D (only $6.xx for 15!) Other meds--ibuprofen, children's meds, vitamins, acid reducers Prescriptions are MUCH cheaper Seasonal things: Wool socks Contigo coffee mugs Kirkland organic cotton kids PJs Kirkland yoga pants (supposedly Lululemon) Hanna Andersson PJs, dresses Gift certificates Stamps Gift wrap, ribbon, tissue Oh, tires! Great prices and service. Gas Vodka (huge, huge bottle for $13ish for homemade vanilla, liqueurs for holiday gifts. And drinking.) Other liquor, wine, beer... What don't we buy at Costco? :) We have an Amex through Costco. No annual fee, same Amex great service, and cashback. There's also 2% cashback from the Costco executive (may have changed the name?) membership. If you pay for it, they guarantee your cashback will be at least the difference in price of the membership. These come in checks, but you don't have to use them up at Costco. You can cash them at customer service or get the difference back in cash at checkout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Everything? Lol! The freakier stuff we eat I get at the heath food co op. (I don't buy flour there, I only use King Arthur, say) Seriously, before I started shopping there regularly, for my weekly needs, I could NOT stay within my budget. There was just no way, groceries were doing the creep up and I was walking out of the grocery store with less and less. Now? We eat fantastically, the pantry is stocked and I have $ left over for the fun stuff. Plus, their kirkland brand starbucks roasted coffee is awesome and 10 bucks for 2.5 pounds....that's enough of a reason. :D We have the amex, too, and I love that check at the end of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Woods Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 organic beef, Milk, eggs, Havarti Cheese, Kerry Gold butter, Kcup coffee, Ziplock bags, trash bags, Cliff Bars, Pinapple slices, Mango slices, butternut squash cubes, Aspargus [i freeze all the veggies], bags of organic frozen fruit, DH's breakfast sandwiches, there is more I just cant remember. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weddell Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 What don't I buy there! Seriously, we have been living in India for the last two years and will be returning to the US to live in just over two months. I'm already dreaming of my costco trip! We bought our bed frame and mattress there a few years ago. We priced a very similar frame at an upscale furniture store and the Costco one was a great deal. We're going to be buying the kids' beds there when we return. Cheese Wine more cheese more wine bread salad soy milk all the things everyone else mentioned! In our area we have several regular big chain grocery stores, Aldi, an big ethnic type store, and Costco. Between Aldi, the ethnic store, and Costco I rarely would go to the regular stores because the other three were so much cheaper and covered all our needs. The ethnic store produce is a better deal for me than Costco's and I don't like how over-packaged Costco's apples are, but that is one of my few areas of complaint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn121 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 I mainly shop Costco and Trader Joe's. Bread, milk, Chicken, diaper(not anymore), juice, hot dogs, coffee, strawberries, blueberries, melon, fresh apples (off season. I have 8 trees), cheese, Amy's organic burritos, tortilla, lettuce, cucumbers, ground turkey, rice, flour, sugar, eggs, organic tomato sauce/paste/pasta sauce, organic pasta, organic mac & cheese, cereal, vitamins, syrup, waffles, bacon, water, peppers, potatoes, hummus, meatballs, butter, greek yogurt. I am sure there is much more I cannot think of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 milk cheese, cream cheese romaine lettuce muffins candy jeans shirts dress-pants & shirts rotisserie chicken Rx shampoo & conditioner seasonal items - plants, christmas paper, present tags, & ribbon electronics suitcases mascara cold medicine tires car batteries GAS etc. etc. etc. you know, it would probably be easier to list what we don't buy at costco. eta: dh calls is our favorite store. we spend more there than any other store. (we have an exec membership, so at least we get 2% back) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khselee Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Toss us in with pps - it's more of a "What don't we buy there?" question. When I redid the house a month or so ago, all the new furniture (Dining room table and chairs, breakfront, entertainment unit, living room tables and bookshelves, organizer, bed, dresser, nightstand), decor (frames, prints, rugs, wall organizer), and electronics (New TV, Blu-ray player, gaming console, DS new computer.) primarily came from Costco. Our new bookshelves came from Costco, too. We buy most of our meat there, it's better quality than our groceries, and cheaper to boot. Almond milk cheese canned vegetables/fruits juice boxes snack foods (granola bars, yogurt, dried fruit, etc.) most produce some clothes seasonal items gifts movie tickets attraction tickets yeast flour water paper items cleaning supplies frozen items bread... Everything? I go about twice a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 I love Costco...I get all my dairy, cheeses, meats and cleaning supplies there. Along with fruits and veggies, frozen stuff and coffee. Baby formula is a great buy there as well. Going on Friday and I've just inventoried the house....it's gonna be a big trip. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 We have the Costco Amex card and this year we got $230 to spend at Costco. :) I buy less now that we try to eat grass fed meats and organic produce, but I last week I bought: Speedo Swim suits ($12) Naked Juice Cantelope Pirate's Booty Toilet paper Dishwasher detergent Trash bags Lotion Shampoo/conditioner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Oh! And the Kirkland dog food is the BEST. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Skip the American Express offer. The sales rep wanted us to sent them copies of our bank statements. No way, never, ever, ever... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Skip the American Express offer. The sales rep wanted us to sent them copies of our bank statements. No way, never, ever, ever... We have it and they never asked us for that. I just filled out the application they ran it and that was it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 My list is small but I go once a month. toilet paper paper towels batteries kleenex cleaning wipes laundry soap some medicines like kid zyrtec but the kirkland brand napkins organic ground beef organic chicken...they have whole chickens, thighs, breasts canned fruits/veggies. A lot of these butter creamer frozen broccoli and corn yogurts cheese lunch meat--had a bad container once so haven't lately rice sugar spices syrup peanut butter jelly when they have grape honey olive oil kcups for coffee maker that is what I can think of right now. I have a master list on the fridge of items I get there. We don't do a lot of processed food so there isn't much in the freezer area we use. It's the basics I get. I did buy tires from Costco a few years ago too. Had a decent deal. Ours is over 30 min away so the once a month thing works for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Block cheese Produce Veggie Broth Quinoa Ground Flax Hempseed Pistachios Peanuts Mixed nuts Lentils Rice milk Salsa (the stuff in the fridge case is WONDERFUL) Dog food Peanutbutter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 We go about every 6 weeks. Almost always on my list: goldfish crackers cheese sticks-both string cheese and the cheddar/cheddar jack sticks Tortilla land uncooked tortillas Chobani yogurt Jimmy Dean turkey sausage Chicken breasts (Foster Farms--6 packs of 2 breasts) meat: flank steak, tritip steak, or pork tenderloin (don't need all three every trip) Aidell's teriyaki chicken meatballs take and bake pizza for dinner that night (now a tradition) fill up the car with gas (usually on the way in) Stuff that's often on the list, but not every trip: Vitamins allergy meds contact lens supplies shampoo/conditioner lotion big jar of smokehouse almonds large can of crushed tomatoes (for less than $3 I make marinara for 3 dinners and pizza sauce for 6 or 7 dinners!) fruit cups package of 4 big jars of applesauce yeast, cinnamon, vanilla, taco seasoning brown sugar GoLean Crunch skinny cows or other popsicle type products other frozen convenience foods--taquitos last month turkey bacon with no nitrates/nitrites kleenex (whenever there's a coupon) ziploc bags (once a year with coupon) gatorade during summer sports season sometimes granola bars or other convenient snack foods Occasional non-food purchases: swimsuits for kids historically other kid clothes, but only youngest is in kid clothes anymore underwear and exercise clothes for dh books/dvds Christmas lights, Christmas stamps Christmas gifts--cameras for dds, watch for dh big items very occasionally--printer, t.v. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemongoose Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 We get: paper products (TP, Diapers, kleenex, feminine products etc) vitamins contact solution bandaids 25lb bag pinto beans vanilla spices brown sugar rice milk chips dried fruit cheese butter frozen kirkland pizza grape juice detergent laundry and dishwasher cat food garbage bags hummus frozen fruit and veggies adells sausages avocado pineapples school supplies copy paper small kitchen appliances (vitamix, griddle, coffee pot etc) office supplies (laminator, laser printer) towels and sheets books and movies socks, t-shirts, yoga pants and sweatshirts for me boxers, t-shirts, button down shirts, shorts for DH baby and toddler clothing for kids coats for the family swim suits sometimes shoes storage shelves outside stuff-picnic table, water hoses, work gloves, fertilizer folding table and chairs gifts christmas supplies ...a lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heatherwith4 Posted March 13, 2013 Author Share Posted March 13, 2013 Thanks ladies! Y'all are awesome! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Skip the American Express offer. The sales rep wanted us to sent them copies of our bank statements. No way, never, ever, ever... We've had it for years. It was a simple application, just like any credit card. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Gas and milk. And almost everything else. We get money back on AmEx card that pays for the membership. The only thing I never buy there are bulk foods that I buy at our co-op. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedchaos Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 I go about once a month. I honestly don't buy a ton there, because most things I can get cheaper elsewhere. Sometimes they have good deals with their coupon booklets. Here is my list of items I commonly buy at Costco: gas, cheese (big bags of shredded), eggs (sometimes depending on pricing there and elsewhere), batteries, Speedo swimsuit, spices, vitamins, soy sauce, soy milk (if I don't have a coupon for cheaper elsewhere and we are out), flax seed, Scott's toilet paper (if I don't find a better deal elsewhere and we are low), lunchmeat, Christmas cards, photos, their big bag of generic tortilla chips, Halloween candy, frozen fruit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 on the more exotic side, I love the hemp hearts and the dried sprouted three bean mix. I couldn't find it when I ran out my three pound bag, finally gave up and ordered it off Amazon at $16, and now Costco has it again for $9. Gaaaah! I'll probably buy three bags and throw them in the freezer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Skip the American Express offer. The sales rep wanted us to sent them copies of our bank statements. No way, never, ever, ever... Really? That didn't happen with us at all, I filled it out, brought it to the front, they ran it and poof, done, 10 minutes. I would re ask--I think they did that wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksr5377 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Skip the American Express offer. The sales rep wanted us to sent them copies of our bank statements. No way, never, ever, ever... We also went for this offer and did not have to submit bank statements. Just your typical credit check. We just signed up at the beginning of February. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnificent_baby Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Really? That didn't happen with us at all, I filled it out, brought it to the front, they ran it and poof, done, 10 minutes. I would re ask--I think they did that wrong. Agreed. We love the Am Ex card. Besides the bonuses, there are many perks. I need to look them up again, but one of them (IIRC) is free roadside assistance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderchica Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Tampons! Huge box, don't have to worry about buying them every month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Meat-chicken, pork tenderloin, hamburger Milk Lettuce Canned chicken Refried beans Chicken broth Butter Cheese Almonds Bisquick Brownie mix Diapers & wipes Catfood Batteries Laundry soap Dishwasher soap Chinese chicken salad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 frozen strawberries frozen meatballs Polish hot dogs & buns take & bake pizza (love their margherita but haven't seen it lately) Sabra hummus Cucumber yogurt dip tortellini cereal coffee beans & k-cups Kirkland trail mix in the individual servings dried Philippine mangoes Food Should Taste Good multigrain chips Stacy's pita chips Instant Breakfast packets pesto olive oil dry pasta printer paper dog food toilet paper garbage bags Ziplock bags Detergent for dishwasher and clothes washer Our local grocery stores are quite expensive (we live in AK) so we stock up when we can get to Costco in Anchorage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Really? That didn't happen with us at all, I filled it out, brought it to the front, they ran it and poof, done, 10 minutes. I would re ask--I think they did that wrong. i just signed up a few weeks ago. We recently moved, had an increase in income, and do not have very good credit at the moment (will be fixed in the near future). It got flagged as incomplete and need to speak to a rep on the phone. We called while in the store and theyinsisted on copies of our bank statements. I told my husband to hang up, that there was no way in hades I would give such a thing out, especially not to a place like American Express. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Oh, and the man refused to speak to me....said he could only speak to my husband....to ask for bank statements? I handed the phone to my husband with a, "yeah, apparently he can't speak to a woman." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I buy food-safe, reuseable, 1 quart, black, plastic containers with clear lids. I use them for freezing meals and refrigerating leftovers. They come in packages of 25. I don't recall what they cost, but it is wonderful to have plenty of containers for a change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I buy food-safe, reuseable, 1 quart, black, plastic containers with clear lids. I use them for freezing meals and refrigerating leftovers. They come in packages of 25. I don't recall what they cost, but it is wonderful to have plenty of containers for a change. How have I missed these. Note to self, "look for reusable containers RoughCollie mentioned on WTM" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morningxmorning Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Skip the American Express offer. The sales rep wanted us to sent them copies of our bank statements. No way, never, ever, ever... That's never happened to me either. It took 2 minutes to sign up and we get back $100 - $200 per year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 That's never happened to me either. It took 2 minutes to sign up and we get back $100 - $200 per year. You probably have better credit than we do or haven't moved a couple of times in the past year ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violamama Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 I got organic strawberries and apples at ours last week. We often buy the big frankenberries that are not organic, but they honestly taste like vague memories of strawberries. Cashews Key lime pies Cuties We have STOPPED buying the grapes because they taste like pine mixed with deodorant Organic milk Eggs, butter, greek yogurt Sun clothes for the boys (especially love the long sleeved hoodie swimsuits for my pale freckly offspring They are by far the cheapest for our printer ink. We got the complete BOB books set there. (And within a month outgrew them after ages working on 'em...) Garbanzo bean/spinach falafel-type patties, veggie breakfast sausage, black bean burgers, morningstar patties. Turkey sausage Brown rice Birthday cakes the size of Mt. Hood... and spanx! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBS Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Particular stand-outs in quality, to me: their own brand of toilet paper, stew beef, croissant, supplements, trash bags and really excellent Kirkland coffee. I have, of course, bought a large quantity of something I just wanted to try, and had to use if forever, but I think everyone does that. I have some things I prefer from Sam's, and both are close together, so I can hit them at the same time. Tires, I compare tire brands at both to get what I want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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