your fav purchases/best deals at costco

[anawhatsme]

hey!
i am a new coscto member and i'm wondering what they have to offer.
what do you usually buy at costco? what is the best deal they have for you/your family?

i got my membership based on the following:

3 kg of unpasteurized honey 16.99 (can't find 1kg for under $8)
2 kg of frozen brocolli for 6.98
4x796 ml pack of unsweetened apple sauce for 5.99
of course the kitty litter 22 kg for 7.99 - not the best in odor prevention though i've learned.

[Zonny]

Oh where do I start? Here are the things that I buy regularly - some are not as cheap as you'd get on sale or with a coupon, but the regular or sale price there is fairly good on these items IMO. I don't coupon as much as I used to, since there really aren't as many coupons out there that I'm finding.

I buy nearly all our meat there now. Chicken thighs are $5.99/kg and it's better than what I can get in the grocery store IMO. Sirloin grilling steak is I think about $12/kg, and it's better than anything I can get at Sobeys or Superstore. Ground pork is about $4/kg I think, MUCH cheaper than grocery store price.

Cereal is often on sale. Packs of three loaves of bread are a fairly good deal, depending on what you get.

Fresh mushrooms are $3.99 for two pound package. 11 oz cartons of lettuce or spinach, $2.99. Five pound bag of mini carrots are $5.99. I bought a five pound bag of sweet potatoes for I think $3.99 this week, the grocery store sells 'em for $1.49 a pound. Frozen ice cream novelties (drumsticks, ice cream sandwiches) go on sale sometimes for a good deal. If you go to movies, they sell movie tix that include popcorn/drink for less than what you'd pay at the theatre.

That's all I can think of for now!

[anawhatsme]

i wish i knew how to compare meat prices.
i don't know what typical meat prices are so i don't know when i'm getting a good meat deal.
i know costco's meat is super pricey - but of course it's large quantity.
i will have to try their steak i think

thanks for sharing!

[Zonny]

i wish i knew how to compare meat prices.
i don't know what typical meat prices are so i don't know when i'm getting a good meat deal.
i know costco's meat is super pricey - but of course it's large quantity.
i will have to try their steak i think

thanks for sharing!

You do need to be aware of what the regular price of stuff is elsewhere, as not everything in Costco is a good deal. Go to your local grocery store, see how much the chicken, etc. is per kilo and compare. Costco prices are all in kilos (at least here), while the local grocery stores post both pounds and kilos. And yes, it's pricey at Costco because of the portions. When I buy a package of chicken thighs, it's at least $17 (I think at least 20 pieces, and some of them must be from monster chickens, they're sometimes HUGE), steak is often $25, but it's a big package. I cook some now and freeze some.

One thing I've always wanted to do with steak is buy a whole striploin or tenderloin, etc. and cut my own steaks. But for that you're paying $80+ for the whole big piece, although the price per pound is less. The sirloin steaks they cut though, they're thick, just how I like them! I do sometimes buy sirloin tip beef roasts there and cut them into several smaller roasts, they have pamphlets with instructions on how to cut meats. A whole boneless pork loin (not tenderloin) is about $2 a pound as I recall with very little fat on it; I cut some of it into chops, some into small roasts, some gets cubed for kabobs. Ham is something I would never buy there - they're at least $25, and I can't see that they'd be that much better than the ham I buy for $1 a pound on sale.

[born2shop2]

i love the kirkland brand of diapers as they are the only ones that don't cause a rash for my baby. I have tried every brand of pampers/huggies on the market and after months of rashes I tried kirkland (costco brand) and she hasn't had a rash in months!

[marste]

Brown sugar 2KG bag 2.69 or 2.79, only place we buy brown sugar. Large roll of parchment paper when it is on with the in store coupon, Tin Foil 3-100ft rolls 6.49 when on sale with the in store coupon, green garbage bags and blue bags when on with the in store coupon. Costco meats are triple AAA, costs a little more but well worth the price. Produce is great too. The cooked rotisserie chickens are larger than the grocery stores and the price is lower.

[anawhatsme]

great info you guys, thanks a lot!
i forgot to mention they have an excellent price on whole wheat flour also.
something like 10kg for 7ish dollars

[marste]

I forgot to mention having your BBQ Propane tanks filled there, cheapest price we've found.

[Zonny]

I forgot to mention having your BBQ Propane tanks filled there, cheapest price we've found.

Oh yes, forgot about that, that was one of the reasons we joined in the first place! And I use the parchment paper every day.

[sara210]

My family almost buy everything here, from household to grocery. All kinds of meat are much cheaper with high quality than other gocery stores.

[Zonny]

I wouldn't say the meat is cheaper, at least not cheaper than grocery store sale prices. It rarely goes on sale at Costco, but their regular price is certainly cheaper than regular grocery price and it's definitely better quality meat!

[bargain_hunter_lola]

I don't buy a whole lot at Costco simply because we won't use huge quantities of perishable items but I do buy:

- Huggies wipes (on sale fairly regularly for $19.99)
- Books
- Movies
- Bed Sheets (their fleece ones are fantastic)
- Over the counter meds
- Party foods/munchies
- Seasonal Items (they often have great deals on Christmas wrap, decorations, etc)
- Toys

[anawhatsme]

is there ever a time to go that is isn't crazy busy?
wow!!

[joandjohnny]

We go to Costco for the following: Kirkland wipes ($19 for 900 wipes), almond butter (huge brand name jar for $7.99), steak sauce, frozen chicken breasts, great deals on books, egg whites, Bertolli olive oil, Kirkland AA batteries, vitamins, childrens advil, granola bars, and garden centre plants. Great deals if you have the space. I always tried to go during the week as soon as the store opens when I was on mat leave. The photo centre prices can't be beat and the online photo centre holds a ton of photos - I use it as a back up to my computer. Also best prices passport photos. I don't buy produce there, I believe the cold freezers make it spoil when I take it home..

[Binky5]

Ive only been to Cosco a few times with family members that are members there. Its easy to spend a ton of $$$ there lol if your not carefull. I agree meat looks the best there Ive ever seen but its expensive, not unlike regular price at the grocery store tho. There are some prices that you cant beat, depending on what it is and if you think that you can get it cheeper with a cupon at a later time. I remember buying big bottles of black pepper, peppercorns and other spices. I cant remember the prices but they were way cheeper than anything ive seen at grocery store. My best deal at cosco by far has been the Christmas wrapping paper. It is the best quality paper youll ever find. Huge rolls, I mean huge, and I think they were around $10 a roll when I got mine two years ago. I bought 4 rolls of paper 2 years ago. I have a huge family to buy for and I dont think Ill need wrapping paper for another 10 years!!! And that's using it to wrap huge gifts like flat screen tv, furnature, towels etc. All the kids big gifts, all stocking stuffers, all our families gifts for the last 2 years hasent even put a dent in my 4 rolls. Saved me millions at Walmart lol where you get crap that falls apart, unwraps itself and costs 10x more! You will not be unhappy with that wrapping paper!