Costco

[MsSassyBaskets]

Call me crazy, but I've never had a Costco membership before. I'm about to get one because we need new tires and people are telling me they're one of the best places for reasonably priced tires and service...

Help me make the most of it. What are your favorite things to get at Costco?

[civilspouse]

I love Costco! We just got new tires there. I shopped around and they were the best.

The things I prefer to get at Costco are milk, butter, bread, cheese, chicken breasts, bacon, toilet paper, laundry soap, shampoo and conditioner. I often get whatever popcorn, chips, cereal they have on sale. Their pesto is the best, my MIL has started to ask me to grab her a jar when I’m there.

Occasionally I’ll get clothing items. They are a great place to get electronics because of their return policy. We had a DVD player that quit working after a year. I took it back and got a full refund.

I’m sure it will take a while to find the things you like there and it can be a bit overwhelming. Also I was there this morning and it was crazy busy. I remembered that a week or two before Thanksgiving thru Christmas it’s often a madhouse.


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[MrsC]

I usually go once a month. I buy all of my meat and chicken there. Also bread, veggie chips, butter, cheese, kitchen towels, toilet paper, detergent, dishwasher tablets, animal crackers, trash bags, granola bars, kids Tylenol/ibuprofen, vitamins. They're also great for kids coats and Pj's. Kirkland brand is great and there's a good organic selection. I think the key is to stay disciplined when shopping there and only buy things you would buy otherwise.
I absolutely love that their vitamins and supplements are USP verified, along with the NatureMade ones.

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[JDAZ11]

Costco

I love their chicken skewers (we add them to stir fry, feed them to the kids etc), and they have two types of chicken meatballs that we feed the kids (basil something and pineapple teriyaki). LOVE wisps - parmigian cheese crisps. They have quiche that we like also. They have tons of organic Produce now. I also buy lots of meat there - great deal on crab meat and ground buffalo. Dave’s killer bread. I buy giant bags of pirate booty for school snack there. Their sheets and towels are really great quality for the price. Vacuums - they let you return anything, so I’ve returned like 4 Dyson animals when they stopped working well. I buy tons of plastic storage bins there. They have great trash bags. I buy all free and clear there, dishwasher tabs, Lysol wipes, charmin, bounty (if you aren’t as picky as I am about paper towels, Kirkland paper towels are pretty decent). Noosa yogurts. Gas - great prices compared to all gas stations around my house. Wine... obviously.

Mine doesn’t have it anymore, but they have a great seaweed salad. I’ve bought a ton of electronics, a mattress (which I returned three years later when it wasn’t holding up well)... wenlike their shampoo/conditioner and buy a ton of other toiletries there (tooth paste, razors, mouth wash). Some outdoor holiday decorations, wrapping paper. Printer ink. We order all of our K-cups from them (I never find peete’s in the store). I bought some really great hose boxes, chase lounge chairs, and outdoor lights there too (all of that stuff is seasonal). Oh and they have a very tasty cauliflower crust frozen pizza and awesome soups - the tortilla soup is really great, we sometimes throw in some of their packages pulled chicken. Goes very well with it.

Oh and nuts are very well priced there. Only place I would ever let myself buy pine nuts.


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[JDAZ11]

I just read the other posts - really great for kids Motrin and Tylenol. Their diapers are apparently also a great deal (I never took my kids out of pampers), people love their wipes too. Well priced pull-ups when you need that again. I bought formula there. Great all sorts of adult otc medication also.

They have really yummy protein pancake mix.

Awesome pool toys and huge packs of goggles (we constantly loose them, so worth it me). I’ve also found some great toys there.


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[scrub-jay]

Costco

Olive oil!!! Also: nuts, vanilla extract, kids PJs, paper towels, toilet paper, laundry and dishwasher detergent, meat/fish, milk, bread flour, yeast, trash bags, shredded cheese, and on and on and on....

ETA: Seriously, the olive oil is really well rated https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&sour...42414804502027

[fluffhead]

We do buy lots of stuff at costco, but I've got to say that I've been disappointed with their tires. I've had to wait hours for service, and last time one of their tires went flat shortly after purchase. DW was stuck with all the kids far from home.
But we buy snacks for kids' lunches, bags of broccoli and brussel sprouts, juice boxes, choco milk boxes, milk and OJ, topsoil, shampoo and body wash, flonase, TP, tissues, all my clothes, reading glasses, you name it. Not breakfast cereal or pasta - that's usually cheaper on sale at the supermarket.

[SoonerTexan]

I've bought three sets of tires from Costco in the past few years (and promptly sold/wrecked 2 of the cars, ugh). I always make an appointment for that. I'm not sure if they are cheaper than Discount Tire, though.

We buy milk, trash bags, olive oil, coffee, shredded cheese, butter, those meatballs JDAZZ mentioned, Cascade Complete, Diapers, Gatorade, Oxyclean, and wipes. I'll buy stuff like yogurt if it is on sale. In general, we don't buy a lot of stuff unless it is on sale. It tends to be the same price, just in bulk at regular price, but a really good deal on sale. I've found that the sales are cyclical and you usually run out about the time it is on sale again.

In the fall, I always get their $10 giant mums. At Christmas we get the giant blue tin of Belgian chocolate coins--they are actually a really good price and really tasty. We use them for stockings, etc.

DH is a wine snob and has found some really solid reds for $9-12. You just have to look.

I tend not to buy their meat or produce--it is usually much cheaper at Sprouts or on sale elsewhere. Their organic spinach and cranberries in season are exceptions. The grapes and berries can occasionally be good deals too.

Get the more expensive membership. You get a check back for a % of what you spend and if you don't hit the threshold, they give you the money to make up the difference between the two memberships.

[JDAZ11]

I agree with executive membership - just the tires would almost make it worth it. (I think tires count, it excludes gas and alcohol &#128078.


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[MsSassyBaskets]

Oh, I had no idea about the more expensive membership. I probably would have gotten the cheap one. Since we have a baby on the way I have a feeling we'll get plenty of use out of the membership so it's probably worth it to spring for the good one.

[JDAZ11]

Yes to the olive oil too (or any other kind of oil). I really like their balsamic also. And their pepper is great. They have an amazing steak rub also, but I haven’t seen it in stores for awhile (they have it online- or did- it was a six bottle pack or something. I’ll have it for the next 10 years. Lol. We put it in burgers too. Love it.).


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[MDPhDWife]

I don’t use my membership as much as most people simply because I couponed all through DH’s med school and residency years so my threshold for a good deal is different. In fact the only reason we have a membership is because DH’s practice pays for it.

That being said, I buy a lot of my booze from there. Texas is stupid, so I have to cross over to NM to do it. Their French vodka is said to be Grey Goose and I tend to agree. Avoid the American vodka and spend a few extra dollars to get the French one. I also really like their Kirkland gold margaritas, the tequila ones, not the wine based one.

We like their pulled pork, garlic and sea salt mahi, pesto, and I buy the Marie Callendar pot pies there.






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[SoonerTexan]

Oh, I had no idea about the more expensive membership. I probably would have gotten the cheap one. Since we have a baby on the way I have a feeling we'll get plenty of use out of the membership so it's probably worth it to spring for the good one.

I like the Kirkland Diapers. If the Huggies are on sale and cheaper, I'll buy those, but the Kirkland ones are really good too. Somehow we are out of the diapers stage after 7 years, though!