I keep a list of basics that I stock up on:
* Eggs
* Milk
* 5 pound chubs of the 90% + lean burger (so incredibly lean that there is almost no waste). I cook and freeze in portions (with onion, garlic, and/or seasonings already in it).
* our staple produce (celery stalks, onion, spinach, organic lettuce, sliced fresh mushrooms). I cook up 2/3 of them – the onions in one crockpot (carmelizing), and the mushrooms in another, then package/freeze in use-size portions…
* frozen stir-fry veggies – very high quality
* the chickens (whole) -> cook into broth and deboned meat for recipes or soups; The flash-frozen chicken breasts.
* bananas (I often share part of these with an older man at church or our neighbor – even giving some away, at 4# for $1.30 or so, we come out ahead of the 3/$1 at the lunch counters). Other fruit (I often share)
* the coffee (I vacuum seal what I don’t use, or again, share)
* the “free and clear” store brand detergent (hubby allergic to scents).
* shredded cheese
* dried fruit
* the coffee

I watch the costco coupons for the sales they have on Britta filters, toilet paper, paper towels (I buy the store brnds), the dish detergent (dishwasher and regular). I stock up, then add it back to my list a couple months before it looks like I’ll run out.
* soy milk (the individual non-sweetened cartons do work out to $1, much less than even Trader Joes)
* their premium vanilla ice cream (full half gallons, not the 1.75 containers, and much better quality) – we add our own toppings instead of buying flavors of other brands. We enjoy the creativity now, and pretend we are a “coldstone creamery.”

If you have a business costco, they sell the Toriani coffee syrups – the full-size bottle – for $3.60. This amazing deal keeps me out of starbucks – I use Sugar-free, and paying $.50 more for a shot of syrup when I can get the flavor I actually love (Irish cream) at home, keeps me drinking “My own.”

I think my biggest shift was in simply not buying – or minimizing – processed food as much as possible. Our food bill dropped.

On the other hand, I buy bacon bits – not slices – at the Grocery Outlet (3# packages for $4), and it is better bacon; and our canned goods (tomato paste, etc). I’m careful watching “dents” (you have to know what NOT to buy) and date-labels… but basically, I don’t buy those things at Costco.

DH also has to have a Dove-type soap – but for example, the target or other store brands, are a cheap way to get exactly the same quality. (I just buy about six month’s worth at Target – I only go there about 2x a year). Same with the “store brand” Cetaphil-type cleanser and other health and beauty items.

My Costco faves:

* the wonderful rack of lamb
* the nice selection of cheap- to mid-priced wines
* shampoo
* Kirkland liquid laundry detergent
* dishwasher tabs
* blue jeans that fit a grown-up woman

I wish they sold unsalted butter.

And yeah, of course their price on gas goes up when the price of oil rises. But it’s still cheaper than anyplace else in town–often by 10 or 12 cents a gallon.

And LJ, my wife has considered the Costco shared trip with some friends but they have yet to coordinate it. I really like that idea!

The gas being cheaper is true, ours has a gas station, the only problem? It is 35 miles away, so the savings doesn’t work for me.

We buy our milk and eggs there(4 kids means LOTS of milk), and I do buy some of the bulk bag stuff-I am a pantry person, so I like to have mass quantities of “essentials”

I also buy my pet food there, the savings are huge!

I have also heard of people sharing a Costco trip, though I have never done it: Everyone chips in and buys the enormous bulk items an then splits it amongst their families, I understand that this is supposed to translate to more usable quantities at cheaper prices. Sounds good to me!

Take Care

LJ

As for fat people shopping at Costco, unfortunately, I have noticed that in EVERY store I have been in the past few years. 65% of Americans are either overweight or obese!!

Gas-they don’t have the octane we need for our truck, and I don’t want to pay more for the higher octane. Cheaper for 91 octane anywhere else, but still more expensive than 87. They only stock 85 and 91.

We do usually buy more than one gallon of milk at a time, and have never had it go bad (plus you can freeze it if need be). But I haven’t found Costco milk to be cheaper than the grocery store, especially if you watch sales.

The things that are “musts” for me at Costco are:

Pet Food
Laundry Detergent
Dishwasher Detergent
Cat Litter
Organic Peanut Butter
Frozen Broccoli (cheaper, and compared to walmart at Costco the bag is all Florets, where wally’s is all stems) and other frozen veggies. (We have a chest freezer.)
Water Softener Salt
Bulk rice, flour, sugar, brown sugar
Chocolate chips-10 lb bags, which I store in the freezer.
Organic Apples
Cheese

Here’s something I’ve noticed about Costco though-look around, most of the people in there are very overweight. Last time I was there, everyone I could see was really huge.

Maybe the mindset is that since its cheaper, you can eat more. Just because you have a lot for the same money, doesn’t mean you should eat more! It defeats the point of saving money. One Costco trip of about $175 stocks my family up for about 2 months, and I figure I save the yearly membership cost with every single visit. It’s cost effective for us. However, it would cease to be cost effective if I assumed that every price in there was a good one. There are plenty of things in there (napkins, toilet paper, paper towels) that cost a lot more than what we are already paying elsewhere.

It’s also a good place to grab a to-go meal if you are out and about and the kids are hungry. $1.50 for a hot dog & drink. Not healthy, but it can’t be worse than McDonalds, and its tons cheaper than a Happy Meal.