Save Big Money By Shopping At Costco

Shopping at Costco might seem like a no-brainer to many of you savings-savvy shoppers. But I’ve always been opposed to big box stores, preferring to shop at smaller, locally-owned stores or at least franchises owned by members of the local community. Plus, as a two-person household, I thought Costco’s oversized items were unnecessary and even wasteful for me.

But with skyrocketing food prices and a feeling that I should stock up on non-perishables just in case, I’ve become a big fan of Costco. Yes, like other gigantic corporations, Costco makes astronomical profits, but they also pass on big savings to customers. Plus, they take care of their employees. In fact, I’ve learned from Costco workers that it’s hard to get a job at most Costco locations because the employees are so happy with their jobs, salary, and benefits.

And, when it comes to consumer value, Costco is hard to beat. Last week, I went to my local Safeway, and saw that a small package of fresh organic spinach cost $6.99. That spinach was also in a hard plastic container that’s not recyclable in my region. The serving size said one.

However, Costco offers a gigantic bag of fresh organic spinach for $4.99. And the Costco bag contains five servings of spinach! And although it still comes packaged in a plastic bag, it’s not a hard plastic container that takes longer to biodegrade, and it’s less likely to leach micro-plastics into the produce.

Plus, buying the Costco spinach has spurred me to eat more healthy spinach to avoid letting the spinach go to waste. Now, I use two cups of spinach nearly everyday in my recipes, although I often do throw out the last handful of spinach from Costco’s bag due to wilting and sliminess. Growing up with welfare winters, I hate wasting food, but I’d rather throw out a handful of spinach than to spend four times as much for the same amount of produce.

That’s just one example of the value Costco offers. Eggs are a staple of my diet, and I prefer pasture-raised eggs. But if you can’t raise your own chickens, store-bought pasture-raised eggs cost nearly $10 a dozen where I live. The next best thing is organic brown eggs from Costco, which run $5.99 for a carton of 18 eggs in my locality.

Low Costco Membership Costs

You do have to present a Costco membership card to get in the door and to check out at the register. A regular membership costs $60 per year, but you could save that in one trip to the store if you get the good deals, maybe even more if you’re feeding a family of four. I’m only feeding myself, and I still save a bundle.

I also like their commitment to keeping prices low for customers. When asked, “If [the price of the hot dog] ever goes up, what will it mean?” Costco co-founder and CEO’s Jim Sinegal replied, “That I’m dead.”

Subsequent CEOs have committed to keeping the price steady, with humongous, greasy and oh-so-delicious pizza slices still running $1.99 and other super-fresh, scratch-made cheap eats from wraps to salads to cold brew coffees available at the concession stand.

Of course, there are always a wide variety of in-store samples to make your shopping trip more bearable, especially with youngsters in tow. But the true draw of Costco comes in the massive savings it offers even in today’s hugely inflated economy.

If you like a good quality liquor, Costco has the best deals on top shelf liquor, beer, and wine. The Kirkland brand liquors come from some of the world’s best distilleries, but they’re able to keep the prices low by selling in bulk under the Kirkland name.

A giant bottle of Kirkland vodka is filtered 6 times and more than matches Tito’s vodka in quality. And at $12.99 per huge bottle, it’s a steal when it comes to value. The same goes for many of their other alcoholic beverages, including a very decent red wine from Portugal costing just $6.99.

Beyond Groceries – Shop Costco For All Your Household Supplies

When it comes to health and hygiene supplies, Costco’s bulk offerings for everything from diapers and feminine pads to vitamins and supplements, soap and shampoo, razors, even prescription medicines from their pharmacy can save you loads of cash.

Basically, they offer everything at a steep discount, from pet food to garden sheds to bed sheets to kitchen appliances, even mattresses and linens, shoes, and clothing. And it’s all less expensive, better quality, and will last longer than most things you’ll find at Walmart.

So, do yourself a favor and invest in a Costco membership to see a truckload of savings in household necessities and maybe even a couple of luxury items over the next year. In fact, if you’re a smart shopper, you’ll save that $60 on grocery items your very first trip. Bonus: because of their over-sized items, you’ll save yourself some time as well as money by making fewer trips to the store.