Anonymous wrote:If you are a savvy shopper and you have a small family and you don't eat a lot of packaged food, then I really don't think Costco is worth it.

A savvy shopper means you look for and buy things on their cycle of savings. So you buy paper towels at target this week because they are on sale, and next week you buy handsoap, or you get dishwasher soap at the grocery store because it's a featured sale item, etc etc. Savvy shopping is only good if you have the time to look through the sales and then the time to shop accordingly.

This might be true for a small family with time to shop for sales. But most of our Costco shopping isn't for packaged food. A typical Costco cart for us consists of cheese, meat, fish, butter, olive oil, maple syrup, coffee, olives, freshly baked bread, and produce.

Obviously not food related, but one of the best value propositions at Costco IME is glasses. Especially if you have kids who wear them. We are a family of 5, all in glasses, and the membership is worth it just for that alone.

Whatever Iranian diplomats would want that they won't be able to easily buy soon.

Apparently the Trump administration wants to make Costco great again.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/05/middleeast/us-ban-iranians-shopping-costco-during-un-latam-intl

"The movements of Iranian diplomats are severely limited in New York, but one proposal being floated would bar them from shopping at big, members-only wholesale stores like Costco and Sam’s Club without first receiving the express permission of the State Department."

You can cancel your membership for a refund if it’s not working for you.

I have a handful of really specific favorites:

1) Kirkland's best lightly breaded chicken nuggets (frozen). It's real chicken (not mushed together byproduct). My kids like them and I also will heat them up and throw them on a salad for a quick lunch.

2) Kirkland Signature Coastal Cheddar Cheese. It is THE BEST cheddar cheese. Tastes expensive, but it is not. Great for entertaining or to have on hand. Long shelf life in the fridge.

3) Stuffed peppers in the prepared food section. I have a family of four (including two young kids, not teens) and it is not an obscene amount of food. Usually we'll have them for dinner with one or two leftover for lunch the following day.

4) Kirkland Dried Mango - My kids like these and the price is a fraction of what you pay elsewhere for dried mango.

I also really like using their app for two day delivery. I use it to order the bulky things that would take up your entire cart in the store - toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, etc.

So you, your husband, and one kid? I wouldn't be a Costco member unless you have the storage space and desire to buy in bulk.

Florastor (probiotic)
Dove bar soap
shampoo/cond
laundry detergent
Mrs. Meyers hand soap
Mrs. Meyers counter spray
seeds of change bags of quinoa/rice
black beans, chickpeas
ramen
maple syrup
coffee
eggs
milk
barre chicken nuggets
frozen pizza
low-sodium bacon
pre-cooked turkey breast
block of cheddar
block of manchego
hummus
tzazkiki
pesto
smoked salmon
berries
chicken sausage
fresh salmon
organic ground beef
organic ground turkey
cheese tortellini
bagels
croissants
english muffins
tortillas
shredded mexican cheese

We have a family of four with two teen boys and go about once a month. I sometimes pick up clothes there too. Once in a while big things like a couch or grill or christmas tree. I tend to avoid their produce. I don't find it very good quality and we get a year-round CSA, so we don't need much extra.
We easily make back our executive membership and can now shop during executive hours which is really awesome.

They have a mixed nuts bag, salted. It's like magic, we buy it, and somehow it magically disappears.

Generally we find that Costco is cheaper for the quality, not always the cheapest price overall. We generally go every couple of months and get the following as needed:

Milk
Steaks
Olive oil
Kirkland maple syrup
Kirkland honey
Parmesan
Cabot cheddar
King Arthur Flour
Castelvetrano olives
Kombucha
Kirkland Lager (made by Deschutes)
Kirkland purple label prosecco ($8 - great for parties)
Kirkland gin
Diapers
Greek yogurt (Skotidakis)

If you are a savvy shopper and you have a small family and you don't eat a lot of packaged food, then I really don't think Costco is worth it.

A savvy shopper means you look for and buy things on their cycle of savings. So you buy paper towels at target this week because they are on sale, and next week you buy handsoap, or you get dishwasher soap at the grocery store because it's a featured sale item, etc etc. Savvy shopping is only good if you have the time to look through the sales and then the time to shop accordingly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are new members (moving from apt to home) and I've been twice and it feels very much like a 1) bulk junk/snack food or 2) family size bottles of things. We're a family of three and we still live in a pretty small house so perhaps aren't the target market for many items. I'm sure there are frozen items or particular things that people love. What are some recommended food items to get at Costco? (Separately, we got a hammock chair and a kids jacket I was thrilled to find.)

If you’ve been twice and couldn’t find anything that you liked or had storage space for, then why are you a member?

Because we felt it was rite a passage with being homeowners yet didn't really find much that felt relevant for a smaller family. I appreciate all the ideas above, tho!

I was you. After several years of trying to find things, we ended up cancelling for these reasons. I just didn't need things in bulk and didn't find many prices on a per unit basis so compelling. And it is a hassle to get there and deal with.

When kids were small i did find things like pajamas and tshirt good deals and good quality.

I now just go to Wegmans.

Diapers
Liquid iv
Panko shrimp
Avocados
I love their bacon

We had the executive membership for a bit when the kids were younger, let it lapse and then signed up for a standard membership.

When the kids were younger, we were buying a ton of stuff at Costco and the large purchases paid for the executive membership - big playset especially.

Regular purchases include:
Belvita Biscuits
Coffee
Protein Bars
Protein Powder
Liquid IV
Bagged Salads
Bagels
Wine/Beer
Batteries
Cereal
Pasta Sauce
Jam
Peanut Butter
Ketchup

Occasional Stuff
Socks
Gloves
Clothes - Mens
Beach Umbrella
Beach Chairs

Glasses & contact lenses
Toilet paper, paper towel, Kleenex
Laundry detergent/fabric softener
Scrubbing bubbles cleaning products 4 pack
Dawn spray n wash
Dishwasher pods
Beverages (Starbucks tea concentrate, san Pellegrino, Gatorade)
Butter (can freeze)
Cream cheese
Cheese (their brie is a reasonable size, and the hard cheeses and feta will keep long enough to make even the large size worthwhile)
Shredded cheese (can freeze)
Veg & fruit, depending. I’ll get the big clamshell of arugula regularly but we really like arugula, the packages of carrots, cauliflower florets and corn aren’t oppressively large.
Shallots/onions
Clothes
Supplements/medications
Sunscreen / Voltaren
Contact solution
Egg bites (we like the ones with cheese and bacon)


Family of 3.

We are also a family of three. We buy:

Butter - both unsalted and salted grass fed
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Eggs
Whipped cream
Heavy Cream
Parmesan Cheese (block)
Juice Boxes
Cheerios
Maple Syrup
Whole peppercorns
Maldon Sea Salt
Ziplock bags
Aluminum foil
Croissants
Laundry soap
Dishwasher tabs
Chicken thighs and breasts - organic
Flank Steak
Salmon
Cod
Baby back ribs
Pork butt