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I love my Costco store! I don’t shop there for everything, but I thought it would be fun to discuss what some of our Costco staples are. Please leave a comment and let us know what some of your favorite Costco items are. Here are the items I pick up at Costco on a regular basis (or on a yearly basis in some cases)
Stretch Island Fruit Leather (48 ct) $10.59 – The price on these can’t be beat!! These work out to $ .22 a piece. These are a staple at our house. Our youngest has had sensory issues since birth and he still cannot eat real fruit without freaking out. This is the best way we know to make sure he gets some fruit in his diet.
Clif Kid Z Bars (24 ct) $10.79 – Not cheap, but they are so good. I even love these!
Butter (4/1 lb) $7.79 – If there isn’t a sale at other stores I will usually always pick up butter and eggs from Costco
Eggs Extra Large (24 ct) $3.49
Pretzel Slider Buns (16 ct) $5.99 – Oh my goodness – have you tried these? Don’t! You won’t be able to stop buying them. These are so good, I put some butter and a little salt on mine. YUM! My plan is to try to make my own someday, but for now every time I head to Costco one of these bags ends up in my cart.
Whole Chicken (5 lb) $4.99 – When I stop at Costco that usually means we are having chicken for dinner. You can’t go wrong with a cooked 5 lb chicken for $4.99, that’s what it costs to buy one when they go on sale (and I didn’t have to cook it – BONUS!)
Tortilla Land Uncooked Tortillas (44 ct) $6.99 – This is another item that has become a staple at our house. Once you try these you won’t want to go back to the other tortillas. At first, I thought it would be annoying to have to cook them up, but it really doesn’t take much time at all.
Homai California Calrose Rice (25 lb) $11.99 – We love this kind of rice much better than the long white rice. We pick up a bag every once an awhile to add to our food storage.
Almonds $12.79 – Both of these nuts are regular snacks at our house and I have found Costco to be the cheapest place to buy them.
Pistachios $14.99
Red Star Yeast (32 oz) $3.99 – It is more cost effective to buy this big huge bag of yeast over those little packets. We do a lot of bread baking, so this really comes in handy.
Soy Sauce (64 oz) $4.99 – Lots of the marinades we make call for soy sauce and it just makes sense to buy a big jug of it.
Vanilla Extract (16 oz) $6.89 – I always buy my vanilla extract at Costco, it’s much cheaper than buying it at the grocery store. I kind of have a craving for chocolate chip cookies now.
Taco Seasoning (24 oz) $3.99 – This is much cheaper than buying the individual packets. I hope to eventually make my own, but for now I keep picking it up at Costco.
Worcestershire Sauce (2/20 oz) $6.89 – This is another items that we use a lot in marinades.
These are just a few of the items I pick up at Costco on a regular basis. I often get my Strawberries, Pineapple and Lettuce at Costco. I also get my bread flour at Costco too.
Let’s hear about the items that you pick up at Costco on a regular basis, maybe I can add something new to my shopping list.
Elizabeth says
Many of the same things you do! Taco Seasoning, Red Star Yeast, Almonds, Eggs, Butter and Vanilla. I also buy the boxed Soy Milk, 5 pounds of Carrots(juicing) and their Costco Brand Dishwashing Liquid.
Rachel says
The one item I buy every time we are there for fear we may run out is their Pesto. I’m also totally hooked on their new Boulder Canyon Hummus and Black Sesame Chips. Try them, or don’t because you will consume the whole bag in hiding!
Hollie says
Raspberries, Dave’s Killer Bread, dog food, batteries (Kirkland brand) and frozen chicken breasts. Thanks for sharing your list, I added a few things to mine from it!
Lucie says
I always buy the tortillas. Not the ones you list but the regular ones…oh gosh the brand has escaped me but you get 40 tortillas for $4.99. Can’t beat that.
Katie says
Holy heck…. we get a lot from costco!
Baby formula, diapers, wipes, water, cat food, cat litter, toliet paper, paper towels, butt wipes ( for the hubby!) , face wipes, cleaning wipes, laundy supplies, kitchen trash bags, smart one breakfast burritos (yum!), chicken breast, cheese sticks (awesome!), ground beef, half n half, milk, nuts, pub mix, k-cups, contacts, pictures, random things too… Clothes, underwear, pillows, ottomans!
Kelley says
Starbucks Via!! One a day and so simple and yummy!! (Plus a million other things!)
Nicole says
Romaine, Organic Spinach, Half n Half, Coffee, Eggs, Organic Strawberry Jam, Whole Wheat Bread (and theirs has no Hydrogenated oils), Bananas, Grapes, Trash Bags, Cat Litter (always wait for coupons) can’t beat the price! We love their rotisserie chicken as well and kids Z bars. Taco seasoning, KS Toilet Paper and yes Tortillas. I bet there is more but those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.
Liza @ Views From the 'Ville says
I also pick up Worcestershire sauce and vanilla extract from Costco. I’m also told they now sell the V8+Energy drinks there; if that’s the case I will be buying them there as Sam’s Club no longer seems to sell them. I didn’t realize their rotisserie chickens were 5 pounds! We’ll have to give one a try next time we’re there.
clara says
Bananas! I buy 4 bags every time I go. Whole bean coffee (but Grocery Outlet’s price wins by 50 cents/# so we’re switching), half and half, sour cream (if there’s not a sale elsewhere), cream cheese (Raskas 3# – only 89 cents/8 oz), tortilla chips, toilet paper (I love their brand), trash bags, dishwasher detergent, and many of the things you listed (vanilla, yeast, nuts, and butter)
melissa says
Kirkland battiers and laundry soap. Garbage bags, whole wheat tortillas, squaw bread, frozen chicken, chicken patties, parmesan and cheddar jack cheese (both grated and in bags), string cheese, spinach ravioli and orange chicken (try to stock up when there are coupons), cookie dough (when there are coupons), whole ham to slice ourselves(their deli meat is now too much $$$), flour, artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes, protein bars and gum
Dione says
Their Kirkland giant bags of chocolate chips. It’s way cheaper than buying the smaller bags and lasts for ever!
Renee says
Extra lean hamburger chubs
TP (Kirkland brand)
Kcups (Pacific Bold Kirkland brand)
Eggs
Mission Tortilla Strips
Taco Seasoning (yes way cheaper than packets for the price of 3 packets at the grocery you get that giant container!)
Skippy peanut butter
AA & AAA batteries
Kirkland brand frozen waffles~60 for $6 WAY better tasting than Eggos!
Tillamook extra sharp cheddar cheese
Hamburger patties in the summer for BBQ nights
Also every year I get my wall calendar there. It is a Pike Place Market one that is illustrated by a local Pike Place artist, Sarah Clementson
oh and I got some really cute no show footie socks in bright colors..10 pair for $10!
GASOLINE!!!! However Costco has been known to place high dollar amount holds on your checking account that don’t clear for a few days when you use your debit at the pump so I usually load a Costco cash card with however much will fill up my tank based on the PPG that day.
Gosh I love Costco!!!! 🙂
Melissa Hansson says
Thank you for your blog!
Our Costco staples are frozen shrimp, feta cheese, goat cheese, whole bean coffee (the SF Bay french roast), Sprite, Izzy (when they have it), jasmine rice, chicken stock and pine nuts. On occasion we’ll also buy asparagus, fresh fish, flowers.
We go about once a month. And it seems like EVERY time, I’ve just filled up my car & I’m cursing myself when I see the gas prices are so much better than our cheapest neighborhood option.
Kim T. says
Costco is our main grocery store! organic spinach, romaine, bell peppers, carrots, apples, most fruit, ground beef, organic chicken, reg. frozen chicken breast, nuts, spices, diapers, napkins, detergent – keep an eye out for specials on finish dishwasher tablets…every so often they have a coupon for b1g1free, and last year at the same time the packages were b1g1 amount-wise, so i got 400 tablets for the price of 100! – brooms, eggs, cheese, bacon, carters pajamas, etc. etc. – we have noticed that the quality of non-food goods is not always the best, but the price is nice and their return policy is excellent! and save receipts as they will price match within 30 days of a purchase if they have a coupon or sale. oh and i can’t forget – we always love it when the haagen-daaz bars are on coupon! mmmm.
Heather says
I buy a lot of what you already listed, but we also love their Carters footie pjs at $8/each is a bargain and I buy 6 at a time in the next size up for the following year. We also buy their hearing aid batteries for our daughter’s aid and they run about .50cents/each (one pack lasts us a year!) and there I can pay $2/each at a regular store/drug store. I love their 1 hr photo svc while shopping around and then pick up as we walk out the door, plus the RX prices are better then our local drug stores too on my meds/vitamins.
Andi Thomas says
Baby bells., toilet paper, gasoline, ground beef chub, sometimes ground turkey, dish detergent, gummy vitamins, mushrooms, bacon bits, batteries, and cutties
Baby bells: They are the cheapest around even when the stores put them on sale, Costco is better. My daughter goes through a bag a week.
Toilet Paper: Another blogger did a study and Costco overall wasn’t too bad. And since it is only myself and my daughter, I can just buy this a few times a year and we are good.
Gasoline: I use my Costco AmEx and get 3% back.
Ground Beef 1 lb comes out to just over $2 a lb for 90/10. Can never find it that good even on sale.
Ground Turkey. Best cost around as $2.25 a lb, problem is they package it larger than 1 lb countainers. But if you have the time to go home, and open them sort them into 1 lb increments, this is the best buy around.
Dish Detergent: I use the Kirland brand dishwasher detergent. Because I am on septic, I can’t use powder which is usually what is on sale. I’ve found the Kirkland liquid to have the best buy per volume of liquid.
Vitamins: I stock up on them when they have their $2 off coupons. I’ve not been able to find them cheaper anywhere else even with q’s.
Mushrooms: Their 2lb container of baby portabello mushrooms were $4.99. The stores usually charge this for 1 lb. and I rarely find them on sale.
Bacon Bits: They have a huge bag of Kirkland bacon bits for $9.99. This is great price by comparison.
Batteries for sure.
Cutties: I am brand specific on these and only like Cutties. Occasionally there is a q for Cutties, but Costco has the 5 lb bag for 4.99. I can only get that price in the stores when they are on sale and with a q.
Stefanie says
Those pretzel rolls are SO AMAZING! I love them!
We also sometimes buy the rotisserie chicken, when I am in the mood for it.
Otherwise, our staples from Costco are: Organic Quinoa (4# for less than $10 – best price I’ve found), Capers, Kalamata Olives, Sundried Tomatoes, Ranch Dressing, Scrubby Sponges, Clorox or Lysol 4 packs of wipes (whatever is cheapest when we go), Sauerkraut, Ibuprofen, Generic Acid Reducer pills, Batteries, Feta Cheese (occasionally its cheaper at Grocery Outlet), Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Cambozola cheese when I’m feeling splurgey, and always, always, their chocolate frozen yogurt on the way in or out of the store. It is my favorite chocolate frozen yogurt ever – its really deeply flavorful and well priced at $1.35 for a container – even my lactose-intolerant partner likes to share mine (with some lactaid pills).
Alicia says
Costco is our main store!! We love the organic spinach, sliced apple packs (for some reason apples taste better to my children when they are pre-sliced and packaged?), strawberries, celery, grapes, bananas, tomatoes, lemons, most of our meat, poulltry, and fish, shredded cheese, gogurt simple, apple sauce, pelegrino, orange juice, sour cream, kirkland laundry detergen and fabric softener. Our Costco carries Aidells sausages and we love them! Also, pirate’s booty, lara bars, and kirkland organic tortilla chips.
Nanell says
Wow I guess I don’t shop at costco for much these days. I stock up on butter when it is on sale and freeze it then just pull out a pound at a time to use. I normally pay less than 99c a pound for butter and that is I won’t pay more than that for a pound of butter. I think I have about 15 lbs in my freezer and that is running a bit low for me. I normally have 2 rows of butter in the freezer.
My albertsons still marks down hamburger when they close the butcher block so extra lean is 1.99 /lb. ANd fruit snacks for less than .40C a box on sale (that is less than .04c a pouch).
I have so much free soy sauce that my husbands friends joke we will never run out. Yet the next deal I am getting more heck it is free has a good shelf life and sometimes it is better thatn free and I get some free produce out of buying it. Same with tortilla’s and those can be frozen as well. Don’t recall the last time I paid for tortillas.
I always do every office supply deal to get the free or .01c batteries and sometimes have hubby do them also. I have no problem attaching a pack of batteries to a gift that uses batteries cause we have so many.
I make my own homemade vanilla (even used a MIR on the vodka). Vanilla beans are cheap on ebay and there is a great company that sells the best beans. There ebay user is : VanillaProductsUSA I even did a side by side comparison with other cheaper beans and there beans, by far beat out the others.
I use energ egg replacer in my baking and the rest of the fam. are not big egg eaters so I normally only get eggs when they are super cheap or free. When cheese is on sale for $4.99 for a 2 lb block of tillamook (like it is this week at Fred Meyer) I stock up. The shelf life on cheese is great and you can alwasy grate and freeze the cheese and it will last even longer.
I also make homemade hummus with a friend. Last time we made up about 65 lb of hummus an freeze it then just pull out one container at a time to use. It is way better than store bought and if you have a pressure cooker soaking and cooking the dry chick peas is easy and cheap.
I also make my own homemade breads too. No Knead sourdough with garlic and rosemary (fresh off the plant of course). I guess i do buy the garlic at costco. You can’t beat $3.99 for 32 oz of minced peeled garlic. Plus it saves me all the peeling. And if I ever did run low or out of the free yeast I have gotten I would buy that at costco also.
So I guess my costco staples are: generic allegra, vitamins, garlic, spinach, feta, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts. Occasionally I will pick up olive oil, yeast, avocados, and cuties. My Costco plan is don’t ever get a cart or I leave with way more than I came in for and if at all possible don’t bring the kids they tend to add to the list.
Karen says
I always buy the $4.99 whole chicken, muffins, bagels, batteries.
mary says
we love and always get the peach mango salsa. We always buy fruit. I love getting my bread there. The potato bread loaves are longer at Costco and make more sandwiches! Milk, fruit, bread, salsa, gum, eggs, frozen pineaple chunks (these are good in smoothies and just to eat frozen), and frozen chicken breasts are our staples!
Sandy says
Yoshida sauce – marinade chicken and BBQ, or marinade and bake salmon!
Carnitas
Chinese chicken salad kit
Hawaiian bread
Maui chips
I love strolling in housewares to see their clearances! Ending in .97!!!
JM says
The Organic Disney animal crackers, vitamins/supplements, potstickers, fruits and vegies, Hawaiian teriyaki chicken and rice bowls, vanilla, nuts, artichoke hearts, potato rolls, cakes for special occasions, etc……..
My absolute favorite new item is the bags of dried coconut chunks!!! It is super yummy and it’s like candy to me – but it’s healthy!! 😉
danielle h says
GASOLINE!
Huge bag of Frozen Berries for smoothies
Bananas
Kirkland Dog Food
Rotiss. Chicken
Ink for our printer
Milk (or at Aldi)
Blueberries & Raspberries in season
Frozen Tilapia
Frozen Salmon
Hummus
big bag of dried blueberries
Birthday Cakes!!!!
Bagel Chips (for hubby!)
Josephine says
We get the yeast, chicken, milk, eggs, butter, and nuts as well. A few more for you to consider are: their big block of cheddar cheese, the 2 pack of greek yogurt (their brand), and their brand of adult allergy medicine.
Cindy says
My list keeps growing, I love their return policy! Coconut Water, Smart Water, Kirkland Sulfate Free Shampoo, Allertec, TP, Almond Milk, Chicken Stock, Angus Burgers, Buns, 100% Grape Juice, Margarita Mix (we make margarita milkshakes in the summer with vanilla icecream yum!) Tortilla Chips, Pesto (freezes perfectly) Whole Deli Ham (we slice ourselves) Pure Vanilla Extract, Chopped Onion, Saigon Cinnamon, Taco Seasoning, Calrose Rice, Pancake Mix, Organic Agave, Quinoa, Organic Spinach, Pears, Ground Turkey, Yoshidas… and once a year we get Nutella and Croissants… so bad for us and they taste soooo good! Some of my favorite misc. purchases inclue a conair flat iron that is amazing for $30 and an external hardrive 4gb for $159… you can’t beat that price.
I usually pickup a combo pizza on my way out, and it will feed my family of 6 easily, for $10.
Elisabeth says
My Costco favs:
Dark chocolate coconut bark
Milk
Tortillas
Gogurts
Polly O String cheese
Kirkland pjs
Kirkland dog food
Kirkland T.P. And paper towels
Evolution wine
King Hawaiian rolls
Mixed nuts
Nutra grain bars
Kirkland granola bars