Costco is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the U.S. where members can shop for groceries, furniture, toys, and more. Whether you're shopping their Black Friday deals, instant savings coupons, or booking your next vacation with Costco Travel, or even getting new Costco tires, we've got ya covered!
Here are a few helpful Costco posts:
If you're like me, you understand how easy it is to walk into Costco for just a few things and walk out with a cart full of groceries and a receipt a mile long – especially if you're shopping with kids or your significant other! 😉
But, while there are a lot of savings, coupons, and deals to be had, not
everything is worth adding to your shopping cart. We're sharing the best and worst things to buy at Costco!
Here are 6 things you should definitely buy at Costco:
Did you know that Costco's private label,
Kirkland Signature, includes an assortment of items that are rumored to be manufactured by
name brands at a fraction of the cost? If that wasn't enough, the quality and value are unbeatable!
Here are a few of our favorite Kirkland Signature items:
"We love Kirkland brand everything! K-cups, toilet paper, paper towels, olive oil, canned chicken, cheese – we literally love everything from that brand." -Lina
"We recently tried the Kirkland Signature Protein Bars and thought they were delicious! Plus, my kids love the granola bars in their lunches. We have tried store brand granola bars and they just never got eaten, but these are great!" -Mary
"My favorite Costco item is their Kirkland brand formula. It's priced around $16 for a huge container, which is a fraction of the price of name brands, but it has actually worked better digestion-wise for my two youngest kiddos." -Stacy
"I love all the organic/non-GMO products and many of Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand are both. My favorites are Wild Planet sustainably pole caught tuna, Organic Better than Bouillon Chicken base, Kirkland Signature extra virgin olive oil, Kirkland’s wild-caught skinless and boneless salmon, and so many more." -Jami
"I love the Kirkland brand dog food! You can get a HUGE bag for only around $30." -Lacey
"The Kirkland hearing aid batteries are $8.99 for a pack of 60. My father-in-law and grandma go through about one battery a week, if not more. They were buying the Energizer brand for 16 batteries for $11-$12 in stores. They’re saving a ton with the Kirkland brand, and they both say they last as long as Energizer." -Stacy
One of the best deals at Costco is their large 3-pound rotisserie chickens for just $4.99 each - no coupon needed. Most supermarkets sell their rotisserie chickens for $5.99-$7.99 each, and they're approximately
half the size of Costco's chicken. It makes sense why so many shoppers
flock to Costco to score this deal!
Costco sells an average of 157,000 chickens every single day and over 60 million every year, but if you think they make a profit on them, they don't. Costco reportedly loses money on their chickens but refuses to raise the price since they're one of their best-selling items (we love you, Costco!).
Costco is a great place to shop for high-quality clothing and shoes, especially on name-brands like Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole, Jessica Simpson, Levi’s, and others! We also love the Tuff Athletics leggings and found the quality to be very similar to Lululemon. They even had the same logo placement, thick Lycra spandex fabric, and an additional rear key pocket with zipper! 😱
You can also find great deals on shoes, especially during instant savings coupon sales. In fact, we've spotted
previous deals on Adidas, Skechers, Sanuk flip flops, and even TOMS shoes! While these deals are not currently available online, hopefully, they'll return in the future.
Here's what we think about Costco's clothing and shoes:
"I love the shoe deals at Costco! I have purchased Adidas slides for under $15, tennis shoes for my boys for under $20 that we later saw for $80 at a footwear store, and Sanuk flip flops for under $15! I also love Costco's leggings – they're super thick and hold up, wash after wash! While the deals change often, if you're in need of shoes or clothes, check out Costco first!" -Mary
"I’ve scored my favorite leggings and jacket at Costco... love them!" -Lina
If you’re in need of a cheap lunch or dinner idea, a quick snack to hold the kids over while shopping, OR a cheap fro-yo option for date night, Costco’s food court is a great place to go! The prices are low and no coupons are needed. Not only are the menu items an unbeatable value, but they're amazingly delicious, too!
"Sometimes my family will go to Costco just to get dessert. Instead of spending $5 per person at a local custard place, we can ALL go to Costco and get everyone in my family a 12oz yogurt for under $7 total! That's some pretty crazy savings!" -Mary
Looking to save on dining out or entertainment? Consider browsing the
gift card section at Costco first. You can find savings for restaurants, movie tickets, theme and water parks, retail stores, fitness gyms, and much more! Plus, when you make a purchase online, you can then use the digital gift cards in-store or online. And you can combine discounted gift cards with coupons to score even bigger savings!
Here are a few of our favorite Costco gift card options:
If you're in need of bath towels or bedding, Costco's highly rated
Charisma brand does not disappoint! The sheets are extremely soft, wash well, and come in a variety of colors and sizes.
The Hygro Cotton technology makes them super absorbent, and the special weave makes them incredibly soft – and they get even softer with every wash. 🙌🏻 Plus, with the Spot Stop color protection, you don't have to worry about discoloration from common cosmetic ingredients.
Read more about why Lina loves these towels!
Here are 5 things you should NOT buy at Costco:
Occasionally, the prices of TVs or electronics at Costco are worth the splurge, but you'll generally get a better deal at other retailers like
Best Buy or
Target (especially during Black Friday and around the Super Bowl when newer models are coming out).
While Costco is a great place to score deals on
certain products, you shouldn’t rely on the warehouse for the best discounts on paperback or hardcover books. You can often find better deals on
Amazon or
Barnes & Nobles with a promo code, coupon, or sale (and buying used is always a great option, too).
Unless you actually plan on using two pounds of strawberries in one week, buying fresh fruit at Costco can be a waste. Costco only sells things in bulk, so unless you're feeding a large family or are in the jam-selling business, you likely won't use the bulk fruit and vegetables before they go bad.
Most soda brands are going to be cheaper at retailers other than Costco, especially during a sale or with coupons. While Costco's price is regularly around 29¢ per can, stores like Target, CVS Pharmacy, and other grocers
often have better sales on soda, so that is generally a better time to stock up.
If you're a HIP shopper, you know that you can easily score a tube of toothpaste for $1-$2 (and even free on occasion when you pair coupons with sales). So, unless you're completely out or just don't want to make multiple stops to get the cheapest deal, you're better off
not buying toothpaste at Costco
