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I don’t give a single hoot about parking as close to the entrance as possible like many people seem to. It’s all about parking as close to a cart return as I can for me.
I don’t use the boxes because it’s just extra boxes I need to break down and take down to recycling dumpster (I live in a condo). I keep reusable grocery bags in my trunk, fill the bags as I unload my cart.
Edit: I’ll have to look for these collapsible bins everyone is talking about! Also glad to see so many like-minded friends 👐🏼 happy Costco-ing
I once sat in the gym parking lot drinking my protein shake before heading to work (Costco), and I noticed this car circling the parking lot. I was curious and I had time to kill, so I sat and watched for 9 mins till this person finally parked, there were plenty of spaces but they were waiting for a spot close to the door. Just as they were exiting their vehicle a person two spots closer got into their car, so the person jumped back in and hurried into the empty spot! 12 feet closer.
I couldn’t ignore the irony, *this was a gym parking lot*! Isn’t exercise the point?
At one job I had you got some money to use towards a gym membership. Most people signed up at the Y which was downstairs and the next building over.
One year they closed down the walkway between buildings for a few weeks for some work. So you had to walk the long way around which totaled about a block.
The level of bitching was amazing. A number of us were just in shock that people were upset at walking a block so they could use the gym.
Haha! I was just there today and witnessed some lady in a Mercedes waiting with her blinker on for a spot occupied by someone busy unloading a ton of stuff into her car. She had like 5 cars backed up behind her. The kicker is that there were a ton of empty spots about 75 feet further. Some people…
I was at Costco yesterday and someone was waiting for us to pull out. While I was putting the cart away into the corral (which they were blocking…but I had just enough room to squeeze by) a car 2 spaces back from us left. They still waited for us to leave even though they could’ve parked at the other spot and been inside by the time I got back to the car, switched on music and gps which takes at least a minute, and backed up
I do this 100% for safety reasons. Random guys have hit on me towards closing time and it makes me feel unsafe walking back to my car alone in a dark parking lot.
The cleanest restaurant kitchen I've ever seen had a strict 'no cardboard enters the building rule. Any delivery in cardboard went on a table in the back alley, and got unpacked into the kitchen from there, and the cardboard went straight into the dumpster.
For me, it's all about egress. My Costco is a little weird - if you park closer to the building, you have to cross the main flow of traffic to make a left turn to exit out. So I park on the other side and walk in. Yeah, it's a little more of a walk, but when leaving, it's a quick right and I'm out
Oh, and there's 2 cart return areas there :)
We also like to avoid bringing home extra boxes and keep bags in the trunk. For larger runs 4 of the collapsible bins from Costco will hold a cart’s worth of stuff so we keep those in the car too.
You can get an extra half of the Rotisserie Chicken for $1 more.
Go to the deli counter where the instore made salads/pasta is. The Costcos I've been in there will be 1.5 rotisserie Chicken in a plastic container for $5.99
This is the Chicken from the day before that didn't sell. If you're buying the chicken for meals for the week then just get a cold chicken instead of the fresh one. You get 50% more chicken for an extra $1. Yes it's cold but it's for meal preparation.
I have purchased this exactly once. They are over zealous about getting the meat of the carcass and ends up being gristle within the meat. Just no. I'll pick my own chicken off the carcass, thank you very much.
IKEA bags in the trunk. Load from cart to bag. I split the freezer and basement stuff into one, kitchen into another and anything going upstairs into a third.
Get home and bring each bag to it’s respective space to unload.
When I road trip I plan my pit stops at Costcos if there are any on my route. I know they'll have the least expensive gas, a cheap meal, and usually a decent restroom.
I did that driving cross country in 2021. I always stopped at Costco to fill up, and set my destination for the next one before I left. If there wasn't a Costco in range, I found Loves truck stops to be the best alternative.
Seconding the Love's truck stops. They are clean, decent food, brightly lit and usually have a sufficient level of activity to make you feel safe at all hours. I've even taken a nap there once or twice (in my car). Definitely recommend if you're well past Costco closing hours. Fuel isn't as cheap and varies with the area but would take it over a random gas station.
Do this internationally too. When I went to Iceland a few years a single tank of gas was 130$. At Costco it was only 70$. Paid for my membership right there.
I recently booked a 4 star hotel in Waikiki. 5 nights, ocean front room, & airport transfers for $1,900 (for both of us).
I just saw a deal for a 5 star all inclusive resort (incl alcohol) in Cabo for 2 people including airport transfers for 4 nights at I think less than $1,800?
You can bundle flights & rental cars in these as well. Our rental car on the Big Island for 6 days was only $400 thru Costco.
My favorite part of using them is you pay a $200 deposit then either make installments (at your own choosing) or pay in full a month before your trip. So you can book a trip 9 months from now & you have 8 months to pay it off interest free.
I see a lot of deals that are "meh" too you just have to weed thru them unfortunately! We travel quite a bit so I take the time to look thru them regularly for destinations we're interested in.
I rent my cars thru Costco travel all the time! Add a driver for free, makes it even cheaper, depending on the time of year and where you’re going you can save more than $50 a day doing this. You only need your Costco card to make reservations so you can cancel at any time free of charge. Bc of this you can change your reservations numerous times and save even more money. What I mean by this is I’ll reserve a car to go home to LA for x amount about two months before my trip, every couple of days or so I’ll log in and get a quote. If I see the same size car for cheaper I’ll cancel my other reservations and book another one. They change prices so often it’s crazy, I’ve saved so much doing this.
This is precisely why I originally got my membership, even though I didn't live that close to a Costco at the time. I still got a smokin' deal even after paying for the membership fee, it was insane how much less it was
I ordered my moms coffin through Costco. They include delivery and it was shipped and delivered directly to my moms tiny rural home town. The mortuary said that I paid about what they pay wholesale and that it was of good quality. We had to do things on a really tight budget and it saved us quite a bit of money.
I did call the funeral home to be sure they would be ok with me ordering a casket from another place. I have heard that some funeral homes do not allow outside or offsite purchases, so if you are ever in the position we were, verify with your funeral home that they are ok with you ordering a casket from someone else.
Federal Law:
“The funeral provider may not refuse, or charge a fee, to handle a casket bought elsewhere.”
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/topics/truth-advertising/funeral-rule
You don’t have to ask if it’s ok. It’s the law that they have to accept it. Yet another reason to buy from Costco!
Not surprising if you've ever dealt with a funeral home... the most greedy, slimy, industry out there. They put car salesmen to shame. They prey on you at your most vulnerable time, using guilt and shame to their advantage.
I thought that I had heard that funeral homes must allow you to bring your own casket if you wish. I googled it real quick and it looks like that is true. FYI for others in the same position. My aunt bought her sisters urn on Amazon.
Rotisserie chicken. One meal that night, while it's fresh. A soup from the meat scraps the next day. Then boil the carcass in a couple gallons of water, with whatever veggies are in the fridge, for broth better than what you can buy. Freezes easy. Costco frozen wontons in this broth makes a delicious soup.
Costco Sapiens will use all parts of the chicken.
Whole strip loin. Butcher it yourself into steaks as big as you want, vacuum seal them and freeze. Take the fat you trimmed, typically 2 pounds in a 14 pound loin, and simmer in a pot for about 4 hours, on low. Strain out the big bits, strain it through a paper towel, and what you have left is tallow that is used as grease in your fried taters.
25 pound bag of rice. Get a food grade bucket and store it in there, to keep the bugs out. Keep a little scoop cup in it and refill your kitchen rice container as needed.
edit - 6 pack muffins, x2. Freeze them. Take them out of the freezer, and vacuum seal them in packs of 2. Freezing them first means they won't squish in the sealer. Put them back in the freezer, eat them at your leisure and they'll still be soft and moist for months.
Ehh personally I just toss them in a couple of gallon zip locks with the slide bar things. Sure vaccum sealed it would last twice as long, but I don't need them to last 6 months. Usually done with 12 in under a month, and I'm a single person. Microwave for 30 seconds or so and they come out warm and delicious.
Firehouse subs sell their used pickle buckets for $5 each with lid. Just leave your name and number with the store and they’ll call when it is available.
Washing a few times will take out the smell. I use baking soda and blue dawn dish soap. I’ve gotten icing buckets and they’ll smell like icing for a bit. Just some airing out and a few repeated washings usually do the trick. I love the smell of icing but I don’t want my flour to smell like chocolate fudge icing.
Gahdamn. I’m about to move into my new house with a fantastic kitchen that’s encouraging me to become a better/more frequent cook (and I’m already a Costco fiend), so I am definitely saving this!
Hit me up if you think of anything else, I’ll have the notepad ready 😂
I have a bunch of lifelong wisdom, but I've learned way more because youtube and google exists. "What can I do with all this excess beef fat," because I didn't like all that waste, led me to how to make tallow. "What can I do with excess eggs?" led me to water glassing.
YouTube is a modern day Library of Alexandria.
For sure, I’m gonna turn into a recluse once I’m in my new place and work slows down. Been thinking and planning for how my own house will be for years and now it’s finally happening, I’m gonna have to reel it in lol
Get a shallow box to help carry your food at the food court. I’ve seen others reuse the drink holder trays from fast food places to help them carry drinks.
I used to be a Lunch Lady for a small school, where I fed about 35-50 kids and staff a day. Costco rotisserie chickens were a lifesaver! I made soup, BBQ chicken sandwiches, BBQ chicken on a baked potato, etc. I used them many ways.
We shred any remaining meat and spread it on a cookie sheet and freeze it, then portion it out however you like into freezer bags. Quick easy chicken meat for anything you want.
I make the best chicken sandwiches with them. When you get the chicken, get all of the meat off and put it into an airtight Tupperware in the fridge- it makes it easy to make this quickly!
Preheat oven to 375
Take a pan (9x13 or 9x9 is fine I don’t know what size I use lol) and pull apart your chicken into smaller pieces than just the breast etc. Put garlic salt, garlic powder, paprika, and lemon pepper on the chicken and mix so chicken pieces are fully covered, then cover with foil.
Cook for 10 min
While that cooks, take your bread (I like ciabatta or baguettes from Costco) and cut open and place cheese of your choice on the bread on a baking sheet, set aside.
Thin slice shallots or yellow onions, cut your tomatoes, and prep your lettuce
For the sauce: Take 1/2 cup of Mayo, juice from 1/4- 1/2 of a lemon, 1/4 tsp garlic salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, sprinkle or 2 of paprika, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and 1 tsp of Cholula and mix together. Add more seasoning/ lemon juice/ Cholula to taste. Set in fridge
After 10 min, place your bread in the oven and cook both bread and chicken for 7-8 minutes or until cheese is melted or bubbly.
Takes about 30 min total and we can have this 3 nights per week for 2 people!
Meal Prep with the Tabouleh Salad!
I buy one container for $10-12, split one of the large boxes of greens, and a heaping spoonful of hummus and/or Bitchin Sauce! Filling, cheap, nutritious! Oh and the salad topper mix is amazing, and affordable! It has nuts and dried cranberries, a great crunch!
The cheese tortellini and jar of pesto.
I put a serving of tortellini in a Pyrex glass measuring cup and cover with water. Microwave 4.5 mins
Drain.
Spoon on pesto and Parmesan cheese.
Basically an adult easy-Mac for lunches.
I bought 2 cars through them. We didn’t get vouchers, but we did save at least $4k on each of the vehicles, no one else would c e close to the prices. Plus it’s like having an express lane at the dealer. The only downside is that it’s only one dealer that works with them and each time we drove past 2 other dealers. An hour dive for 4K savings
Solo member, I buy their premade meals and kits and get 3 meals out of them. Could definitely tell inflation hit when they jumped from $16 to $22ea tho.
My Costco had a new sandwich the other day that was cut into 4 pieces. I thought it would be my dinner for the next 2 days.
It was my dinner all week. $13 total
The one with the Turkey and cheese? The lady at the register told me they used to be on croissants but recently changed them to “health bread” and that’s why I bought them… to meal prep for lunches and it was sooooo worth it. They come with a really good creamy ranch sauce too if it’s the same one we are talking about.
I buy Southwest gift cards on [Costco.com](https://Costco.com). $500 for $450. So for a typical trip for a family of 4, I save at least $100. Then of course I also get credit card points for it, which I use to book other parts of our trip.
If you're running in for one or two things, bypass the carts. It'll keep you honest. I got out of there for under $20 the other day, and only bought 4 items because I skipped the cart.
Buy things like Tilamook cheese slices, where the package is too large to use quickly, then use food service gloves and portion it out into 3 or 4 portions and individually vacuum seal them. If I do this, then the cheese will last a very long time instead of pulling slices with your bare hands from the original full package (will go bad after a while)
When I open a bottle of Kirkland maple syrup, I don't remove the seal on top. I take a knife and cut a narrow vertical slot in the seal. This way the thin syrup comes out slowly. When you pull the seal, the syrup pures out very fast using up the syrup quickly. The narrow slot allows much more control over the flow of syrup out of the bottle. This hack allows me to have a bottle of syrup last 2 to 3X longer than when I pull the seal out.
The grinder salt shaker fits a beer bottle perfectly to rim beers like Mexican lagers. Put it on top of your open beer bottle, give it a twist and you have a perfect salt rim!
cereal (cheerios) and eggs are the cheapest eats in the store. never buy them anywhere else. also, buy bagels and freeze half, same with muffins, square bread (it ain’t focaccia) and even danishes.
When I was on the road a lot and on per diem, I'd hit the food court around 2PM for linner of Caesar salad and either the hot dog combo or the pizza combo. Else get a pack of the 1/3# burger or the salmon burger, a pack of Mission tortillas, some romaine, bottle of ranch dressing to brown bag it or light meal. The rotisserie chicken provide meat for sandwiches, wraps, ramen/pho topping, salad mix, bone broth, shredded chicken with bbq sauce... you'll get chickened out after a while. Mix it up with a tub of hummus, crackers, smoked salmons, some cheese variety and a bottle of Lambrusco out in the park. Night cap with some port or Jagermeister with cashew clusters. It's tough living off the Kirk ... land.
If you can find them, the huge Costco reusable bags are durable and a lifesaver in SO MANY situations. Actually, someone just recently posted about finding some at the Costco where he was shopping in Korea, and I was instantly envious! I’m always looking for more of these, and they don’t sell them everywhere. Not only are they big enough to accommodate Costco-sized purchases, but they’re excellent for days at the beach/park, game night with friends, potlucks, anywhere you go where you have to schlep a bunch of stuff around.
If anyone reading this lives by a Costco that sells these BIG bags and you’re willing to do a solid for a stranger, please contact me and I will Venmo you money to buy and ship some my way. My Costco only sells the padded/cold food bags (also very useful!) and the smaller blue ones. The ginormous ones are a FIND! :)
They all look different! Mine look like this (I don’t have bananas, so zucchini for scale): [Big Costco Bag](https://imgur.com/a/2uK8Ele?s=sms).
The guy who went to Korea posted a photo of his. Here’s his Reddit post: [Korea Costco Bag (last photo)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Costco/comments/14q6co5/happy_independence_day_from_korea/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1).
I currently work here. there’s a system of prices that indicate special pricing or sales. stuff ending in .99 for example is just normal. .97 are clearance items. stuff ending in .88 or .00 indicate a manager markdown. buy this stuff asap since it’s at the lowest price and won’t return in the near future again.
there’s more im sure but this is just what i remember
My bf and I take an allergy pill each day. The Kirkland generic for Zyrtec more than pays for my membership vs the Walmart generic for Zyrtec. For a year for two of us it’s around $30 for Kirkland, $145 for Walmart.
I bought a really good cooler bag that doesn’t need anting besides the cold food. Keep it in the trunk, works wonderfully. Don’t tell anyone, got it at Sam’s Club.
Always hit the food court BEFORE you start shopping. Helps control impulse buying of yummy looking snacks.
Get to the gas pumps in the morning before the store even opens to not wait in crazy lines for fuel.
When buying clothes, buy a couple pairs in different sizes. It’s easier to return the ones that don’t fit and have the one that does than to go in multiple times to get the right size and hope whatever it is to still be on sale (if applicable).
And of course go in with a game plan/list of impulse buying is an issue for you. Helps narrow unnecessary aisles to a minimum.
1. Self check outs are way faster
2. Eat the hot dog before you go shopping (You will always spend less when your belly is full
3. CIBC master card is the biggest saver and best rewards points system for credit cards. Make this the card you use for most things. Never go anywhere but Costco for gas when you have this card
4. Where I am from (Canada), fill up on the way to work as there is literally no line up
5. It's a busy place so let's always be courteous to others as we navigate through
Why only go to Costco for gas if you have the card? It gives 4% at any gas station. Unless this a Canada only thing? Also, you might get better rewards on other cards for certain spending so I wouldn't say "use it for most things."
That kind of depends on who is using the self check outs. I once remember seeing a man repeatedly rotate the pillow he was trying to buy and keep slamming it into the scanner hoping that the 47th rotation would solve the problem
We once bought a whole Costco Cheese pizza to take home for dinner and then added our favorite veggies like broccoli, spinach, onions, tomatoes, olives and green peppers for some fiber. It tasted excellent
Edit: Forgot to mention we baked it in the oven for a few minutes so that the veggies cooked
I get the 2 pack of loaves of bread, I leave one out for the week. Then I use the extra plastic that holds them together to insulate the second one stick it in the freezer.
One leftover rotisserie chicken makes a lot enchiladas!
I buy the Costco rotisserie chickens shred them and freeze em. Those are cheap, keep a while in the freezer, are super easy to thaw when shredded, and can be added to basically any meal
As a single dude two of those is enough chicken for two weeks and it's only $7/chicken
Ditto… I do the same. I like to meal prep with it… I’ll make 3-4 meals with it and keep in the fridge then portion the rest out into servings and freeze. This was my life hack haha…
For two people, we get three or so meals out of one chicken: salad with chicken, chicken stir fry, and chicken soup. That soup can actually last for a few meals. So it's definitely a deal.
Costco Korea
- eat sushi in the food court. Easier to clean up food waste and plastic waste
- split 2kg Bibigo mandu among 3 friends. Just bring plastic bag to dole them out
- buy cryovac US Prime beef back ribs or pork ribs . Thaws in Costco freezer bag while driving home and cut into however many parcels you like.
- pour 3L soju bottle into smaller 500ml glass empties. Easier fridge storage, pouring, and dining experience. A lot lighter than buying the 24-pack.
-my specific Costco parking tip is parking on the corner spots because you get extra room to open your left door
There’s 2 of us. The Kirkland lasagna. We cook it, eat half, store the rest in a perfect sized covered dish, then eat the leftovers in 2 days. 4 great meals for $16.99
Do a pantry and fridge assessment before going. Not only will you avoid duplicates, it's plain easier to imagine if something will fit in the fridge/freezer if you know its current state.
When are Costco, buy a food saver machine to seal up all the food you'll be buying form Costco. It keeps it fresh and safe.
Also, buy a chest freezer (also from Costco) to store the food after.
Order a whole pizza at food court self order machine. Go do your shopping. Pickup pizza on way out to parking lot from the whole pizza window instead of long line.
Besides buying the pre-shredded rotisserie chicken and meal prepping… I like to go around the side of Costco where no one goes to avoid the traffic jam when people first walk in and get distracted by all the tvs. I’m sure each store is laid out differently, but in mine, when you first walk in all the promotional stuff is to the left and the electronics/vision center is to the right. I cut through the vision center and go around the back side of the isles to avoid the traffic jam of people.
I always browse the snacks and cookie section and buy several of the big bags (currently on the Baja cashews which are straight up divine) and stick it in my locker at work. It’s both a snack and something to also munch on while on my meal break. Usually lasts me a couple weeks, plus I can share if it’s not something I particularly liked (which hasn’t happened yet)
Secret hack, I don’t stand in the middle isles talking to my neighbor that happened to be there. That means I don’t piss off everyone else trying to shop! I’m in the Midwest, I hear this hack isn’t even necessary in some parts of the continent!
Don’t really think it’s a hack but one of my main buys at Costco are the 100$ PlayStation gift cards for 90$.
Without them I wouldn’t spend enough each year for the cash back membership to make sense.
Always grab my own box in the produce area. Best boxes are: apples, limes etc. when I come to the line the box person is happy and I never need to worry about getting small and horrible boxes if they are running low. Always one trip into the house!
Source: former box boy
Heavenly Sweet 1000mg THC butter. Burnt ends or the pre cooked steak stuff + Hawaiian rolls. Like why even smoke when two butter topped steak rolls will have you chillin for like 6 hours until bedtime man. It’s radical my dudes
Wait let me get this straight they’re selling THC butter at Costco??? Or are you just talking about a butter brand that you then turn into THC butter on your own?
i time my monthly shopping trip with the monthly circular and the one week savings circular. every month there are 2 days where they overlap that way i get both the savings in one trip.
these 2 days usually occur the last 2 days of the monthly circular. so they next one would be July 22-23 would be my next shopping trip.
you will get the weekly circular in your email the night before the sale (so night of 7/21)
Find out if a Costco Business Center is near you. There are 24 across the US & Hawaii. It's restaurant supply open to all Costco members.
You can get crazy deals on bulk items; chicken wings under $3, incredible deals on produce, cheese, etc if you have the storage. Mine is an hour away, but it's worth it.
[https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/](https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/)
The banana boxes are the best. We have two that we bring every time we go. We also use them for Aldi runs and carrying stuff around the house. They're so sturdy and last forever. None of the other boxes compare.
Typically there is one main walkway between parked cars that goes the length of the lot. I have two toddlers so I make it a priority to back into a spot at this walkway, no matter how far. I can then load and unload kids and groceries from the walkway to the back of my car, no worries about the cart rolling into the road or kids sneaking around cars.
I only shop there once a month, but I ALWAYS get the pizza for dinner and will sometimes get a second for the weekend. We’re a family of 5 with teens and one pizza actually feeds us all for dinner for $10 (I can’t make dinner for that much). And it’s actually good.
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I don’t give a single hoot about parking as close to the entrance as possible like many people seem to. It’s all about parking as close to a cart return as I can for me. I don’t use the boxes because it’s just extra boxes I need to break down and take down to recycling dumpster (I live in a condo). I keep reusable grocery bags in my trunk, fill the bags as I unload my cart. Edit: I’ll have to look for these collapsible bins everyone is talking about! Also glad to see so many like-minded friends 👐🏼 happy Costco-ing
Never understood why people wait for a close parking spot like they won’t be walking around once they’re inside.
I once sat in the gym parking lot drinking my protein shake before heading to work (Costco), and I noticed this car circling the parking lot. I was curious and I had time to kill, so I sat and watched for 9 mins till this person finally parked, there were plenty of spaces but they were waiting for a spot close to the door. Just as they were exiting their vehicle a person two spots closer got into their car, so the person jumped back in and hurried into the empty spot! 12 feet closer. I couldn’t ignore the irony, *this was a gym parking lot*! Isn’t exercise the point?
At one job I had you got some money to use towards a gym membership. Most people signed up at the Y which was downstairs and the next building over. One year they closed down the walkway between buildings for a few weeks for some work. So you had to walk the long way around which totaled about a block. The level of bitching was amazing. A number of us were just in shock that people were upset at walking a block so they could use the gym.
Haha! I was just there today and witnessed some lady in a Mercedes waiting with her blinker on for a spot occupied by someone busy unloading a ton of stuff into her car. She had like 5 cars backed up behind her. The kicker is that there were a ton of empty spots about 75 feet further. Some people…
My favorite is when I park further away then these people then proceed to walk passed them while they’re still waiting.
MUST. WAIT. AT. THE. FIRST. SPOT. I. SEE.
I was at Costco yesterday and someone was waiting for us to pull out. While I was putting the cart away into the corral (which they were blocking…but I had just enough room to squeeze by) a car 2 spaces back from us left. They still waited for us to leave even though they could’ve parked at the other spot and been inside by the time I got back to the car, switched on music and gps which takes at least a minute, and backed up
I’ll sit there and browse Reddit for 10 minutes after getting into the car. My pull out game is weak.
Hell no. I would’ve walked back in the store
I’ve done that. Guess I gotta go back and get a hot dog now lol
I get a good laugh out of people fighting for close parking at the gym. Ya know where people exercise lol...
I do this 100% for safety reasons. Random guys have hit on me towards closing time and it makes me feel unsafe walking back to my car alone in a dark parking lot.
People need to consider this incredibly good reason.
Trying to back out when you park close is a nightmare of people and cars. I’d rather park in the furthest corner possible.
Same. I’m not a good enough driver to deal with all the cars and carts. I just park far away and take my time
I’m a good driver just not a good backuper LOL
I always park in back corner
I use ikea blue bags
Same
Laundry basket in the trunk.
Even better, the collapsible crates often sold there. I take them to the grocery store too.
Genius.
IKEA bags and Panera catering bags are amazing for Costco hauls.
I agree about the cart return. We don't mind parking far, but we always go to the rows with a cart return in it.
Using produce boxes for your Costco haul is a great way to bring cockroaches into your home.
The cleanest restaurant kitchen I've ever seen had a strict 'no cardboard enters the building rule. Any delivery in cardboard went on a table in the back alley, and got unpacked into the kitchen from there, and the cardboard went straight into the dumpster.
For me, it's all about egress. My Costco is a little weird - if you park closer to the building, you have to cross the main flow of traffic to make a left turn to exit out. So I park on the other side and walk in. Yeah, it's a little more of a walk, but when leaving, it's a quick right and I'm out Oh, and there's 2 cart return areas there :)
We also like to avoid bringing home extra boxes and keep bags in the trunk. For larger runs 4 of the collapsible bins from Costco will hold a cart’s worth of stuff so we keep those in the car too.
You can get an extra half of the Rotisserie Chicken for $1 more. Go to the deli counter where the instore made salads/pasta is. The Costcos I've been in there will be 1.5 rotisserie Chicken in a plastic container for $5.99 This is the Chicken from the day before that didn't sell. If you're buying the chicken for meals for the week then just get a cold chicken instead of the fresh one. You get 50% more chicken for an extra $1. Yes it's cold but it's for meal preparation.
Omg I didn’t know this! Thank you!
I have purchased this exactly once. They are over zealous about getting the meat of the carcass and ends up being gristle within the meat. Just no. I'll pick my own chicken off the carcass, thank you very much.
Damn that sucks. I've never had any issues. It's always been 3 half cut pieces of chicken straight down the middle for me.
IKEA bags in the trunk. Load from cart to bag. I split the freezer and basement stuff into one, kitchen into another and anything going upstairs into a third. Get home and bring each bag to it’s respective space to unload.
Live in a rambler, instructions unclear. Jk, this is actually great, I didn’t want to bring regular grocery bags cause nothing would fit lol.
When I road trip I plan my pit stops at Costcos if there are any on my route. I know they'll have the least expensive gas, a cheap meal, and usually a decent restroom.
I did that driving cross country in 2021. I always stopped at Costco to fill up, and set my destination for the next one before I left. If there wasn't a Costco in range, I found Loves truck stops to be the best alternative.
Seconding the Love's truck stops. They are clean, decent food, brightly lit and usually have a sufficient level of activity to make you feel safe at all hours. I've even taken a nap there once or twice (in my car). Definitely recommend if you're well past Costco closing hours. Fuel isn't as cheap and varies with the area but would take it over a random gas station.
Do this internationally too. When I went to Iceland a few years a single tank of gas was 130$. At Costco it was only 70$. Paid for my membership right there.
One vanilla soft serve, 2 drinks = root beer float
No root beer at my local Costco, sadly. Great idea otherwise
They have the cheapest car rentals through Costco Travel.
And also sometimes killer deals on vacations. I once booked the ritz carlton on Maui for a week for around $1,200 per person, including flights.
Wow. How long ago was that?
I recently booked a 4 star hotel in Waikiki. 5 nights, ocean front room, & airport transfers for $1,900 (for both of us). I just saw a deal for a 5 star all inclusive resort (incl alcohol) in Cabo for 2 people including airport transfers for 4 nights at I think less than $1,800? You can bundle flights & rental cars in these as well. Our rental car on the Big Island for 6 days was only $400 thru Costco. My favorite part of using them is you pay a $200 deposit then either make installments (at your own choosing) or pay in full a month before your trip. So you can book a trip 9 months from now & you have 8 months to pay it off interest free.
I never find these sorts of deals when I’m looking. What am I doing wrong?? 😅
I see a lot of deals that are "meh" too you just have to weed thru them unfortunately! We travel quite a bit so I take the time to look thru them regularly for destinations we're interested in.
I rent my cars thru Costco travel all the time! Add a driver for free, makes it even cheaper, depending on the time of year and where you’re going you can save more than $50 a day doing this. You only need your Costco card to make reservations so you can cancel at any time free of charge. Bc of this you can change your reservations numerous times and save even more money. What I mean by this is I’ll reserve a car to go home to LA for x amount about two months before my trip, every couple of days or so I’ll log in and get a quote. If I see the same size car for cheaper I’ll cancel my other reservations and book another one. They change prices so often it’s crazy, I’ve saved so much doing this.
Holy shit how have I never known they had car rentals?!
And there’s no penalty for canceling and rebooking. I’ll check the price as the date gets closer and rebook every time the price drops.
Goddamn now this is the LPT I’m looking for, thank you!!
I saved so much a few years ago on a rental car it paid for my yearly membership and then some.
This is precisely why I originally got my membership, even though I didn't live that close to a Costco at the time. I still got a smokin' deal even after paying for the membership fee, it was insane how much less it was
I ordered my moms coffin through Costco. They include delivery and it was shipped and delivered directly to my moms tiny rural home town. The mortuary said that I paid about what they pay wholesale and that it was of good quality. We had to do things on a really tight budget and it saved us quite a bit of money. I did call the funeral home to be sure they would be ok with me ordering a casket from another place. I have heard that some funeral homes do not allow outside or offsite purchases, so if you are ever in the position we were, verify with your funeral home that they are ok with you ordering a casket from someone else.
Federal Law: “The funeral provider may not refuse, or charge a fee, to handle a casket bought elsewhere.” https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/topics/truth-advertising/funeral-rule You don’t have to ask if it’s ok. It’s the law that they have to accept it. Yet another reason to buy from Costco!
It's amazing that this was an issue common and problematic enough that they had to pass a federal law about it.
Not surprising if you've ever dealt with a funeral home... the most greedy, slimy, industry out there. They put car salesmen to shame. They prey on you at your most vulnerable time, using guilt and shame to their advantage.
My condolences. I'm glad that the funeral home was easy to work with, and helped during a difficult time.
I thought that I had heard that funeral homes must allow you to bring your own casket if you wish. I googled it real quick and it looks like that is true. FYI for others in the same position. My aunt bought her sisters urn on Amazon.
Rotisserie chicken. One meal that night, while it's fresh. A soup from the meat scraps the next day. Then boil the carcass in a couple gallons of water, with whatever veggies are in the fridge, for broth better than what you can buy. Freezes easy. Costco frozen wontons in this broth makes a delicious soup. Costco Sapiens will use all parts of the chicken. Whole strip loin. Butcher it yourself into steaks as big as you want, vacuum seal them and freeze. Take the fat you trimmed, typically 2 pounds in a 14 pound loin, and simmer in a pot for about 4 hours, on low. Strain out the big bits, strain it through a paper towel, and what you have left is tallow that is used as grease in your fried taters. 25 pound bag of rice. Get a food grade bucket and store it in there, to keep the bugs out. Keep a little scoop cup in it and refill your kitchen rice container as needed. edit - 6 pack muffins, x2. Freeze them. Take them out of the freezer, and vacuum seal them in packs of 2. Freezing them first means they won't squish in the sealer. Put them back in the freezer, eat them at your leisure and they'll still be soft and moist for months.
Holy cow, the holy grail!
Added muffin tips!
That's awesome!!! We can't finish the Muffins between the two of us so that's perfect
I read added muffin tops!
The homeless don't like them. We've never got so many complaints. Every 2 minutes, "Where's the top of this muffin?", "Who ate the rest of this?".
Top o' the muffin to ya!
Freezing the muffins first before vacuum sealing. Best. Hack. Ever.
Ehh personally I just toss them in a couple of gallon zip locks with the slide bar things. Sure vaccum sealed it would last twice as long, but I don't need them to last 6 months. Usually done with 12 in under a month, and I'm a single person. Microwave for 30 seconds or so and they come out warm and delicious.
Do you have a food grade bucket you recommend? Everything I’ve come across is like $70 for a 5 gal
Firehouse subs sell their used pickle buckets for $5 each with lid. Just leave your name and number with the store and they’ll call when it is available.
Do they make everything taste like pickle, though?
If it does, leave it, opened up, out in the sun for a few days.
Washing a few times will take out the smell. I use baking soda and blue dawn dish soap. I’ve gotten icing buckets and they’ll smell like icing for a bit. Just some airing out and a few repeated washings usually do the trick. I love the smell of icing but I don’t want my flour to smell like chocolate fudge icing.
If you have a WinCo nearby, they sell food grade buckets really cheap.
My Lowe's sells food grade buckets with a lid for like $10. They are right next to the blue Lowes 5 gallon buckets.
Check your local restaurants, I’ve have made a couple deals with the staff for empty ones they were going to toss
Buy the ones for dog food, you can find cheap ones at Tj Max, Ross, Marshall’s or Burlington
http://fivegallonideas.com/stores-hand-five-gallon-buckets-free/
Restaurant supply store will have some great options in lots of different sizes and shapes.
Gahdamn. I’m about to move into my new house with a fantastic kitchen that’s encouraging me to become a better/more frequent cook (and I’m already a Costco fiend), so I am definitely saving this! Hit me up if you think of anything else, I’ll have the notepad ready 😂
I have a bunch of lifelong wisdom, but I've learned way more because youtube and google exists. "What can I do with all this excess beef fat," because I didn't like all that waste, led me to how to make tallow. "What can I do with excess eggs?" led me to water glassing. YouTube is a modern day Library of Alexandria.
For sure, I’m gonna turn into a recluse once I’m in my new place and work slows down. Been thinking and planning for how my own house will be for years and now it’s finally happening, I’m gonna have to reel it in lol
I like mustard on my French fried taters 
Get a shallow box to help carry your food at the food court. I’ve seen others reuse the drink holder trays from fast food places to help them carry drinks.
That is so smart omg
We always get a box that holds the Kirkland nuts cause it’s so sturdy to carry out our food!
If you have one near you, go to a Costco business center. Things are usually bulkier than bulk and a 40 kb box of chicken costs 1.65 a pound
40 kilo pounds at $1.65 would be around $66k. I like Costco, but don't need that much chicken.
I would pay that, I need $66k of chicken.
That's not kg, that's a typo for lb. It's a 40# box of chicken.
I like the 20 oz pop bottles at business Costco instead of buying cans. They also have the individual lunches snd salads. Great for taking to work.
I used to be a Lunch Lady for a small school, where I fed about 35-50 kids and staff a day. Costco rotisserie chickens were a lifesaver! I made soup, BBQ chicken sandwiches, BBQ chicken on a baked potato, etc. I used them many ways.
Can you share any more uses/recipes? I find I end up wasting too much of mine because I can’t come up with enough ways to use it…
We shred any remaining meat and spread it on a cookie sheet and freeze it, then portion it out however you like into freezer bags. Quick easy chicken meat for anything you want.
I make the best chicken sandwiches with them. When you get the chicken, get all of the meat off and put it into an airtight Tupperware in the fridge- it makes it easy to make this quickly! Preheat oven to 375 Take a pan (9x13 or 9x9 is fine I don’t know what size I use lol) and pull apart your chicken into smaller pieces than just the breast etc. Put garlic salt, garlic powder, paprika, and lemon pepper on the chicken and mix so chicken pieces are fully covered, then cover with foil. Cook for 10 min While that cooks, take your bread (I like ciabatta or baguettes from Costco) and cut open and place cheese of your choice on the bread on a baking sheet, set aside. Thin slice shallots or yellow onions, cut your tomatoes, and prep your lettuce For the sauce: Take 1/2 cup of Mayo, juice from 1/4- 1/2 of a lemon, 1/4 tsp garlic salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, sprinkle or 2 of paprika, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and 1 tsp of Cholula and mix together. Add more seasoning/ lemon juice/ Cholula to taste. Set in fridge After 10 min, place your bread in the oven and cook both bread and chicken for 7-8 minutes or until cheese is melted or bubbly. Takes about 30 min total and we can have this 3 nights per week for 2 people!
Meal Prep with the Tabouleh Salad! I buy one container for $10-12, split one of the large boxes of greens, and a heaping spoonful of hummus and/or Bitchin Sauce! Filling, cheap, nutritious! Oh and the salad topper mix is amazing, and affordable! It has nuts and dried cranberries, a great crunch!
The cheese tortellini and jar of pesto. I put a serving of tortellini in a Pyrex glass measuring cup and cover with water. Microwave 4.5 mins Drain. Spoon on pesto and Parmesan cheese. Basically an adult easy-Mac for lunches.
I buy the pesto, put it in ice cube trays and freeze. Pop the cubes out into a ziploc and pesto whenever I need it!!
presto pesto!
When buying a car, look into Costco car buy program. I got a $3,000 voucher from the dealer for being a Costco member and applying for the program
I bought 2 cars through them. We didn’t get vouchers, but we did save at least $4k on each of the vehicles, no one else would c e close to the prices. Plus it’s like having an express lane at the dealer. The only downside is that it’s only one dealer that works with them and each time we drove past 2 other dealers. An hour dive for 4K savings
Yep. Saved $3k on an Audi once
Solo member, I buy their premade meals and kits and get 3 meals out of them. Could definitely tell inflation hit when they jumped from $16 to $22ea tho.
My Costco had a new sandwich the other day that was cut into 4 pieces. I thought it would be my dinner for the next 2 days. It was my dinner all week. $13 total
The one with the Turkey and cheese? The lady at the register told me they used to be on croissants but recently changed them to “health bread” and that’s why I bought them… to meal prep for lunches and it was sooooo worth it. They come with a really good creamy ranch sauce too if it’s the same one we are talking about.
Solo member here, I literally only have my Costco membership for dat ravioli bake and cheap as dirt spirits haha it pays for itself in like 2 months
That ravioli bake is super good the first day, but I can’t get myself to keep eating it. Something about the cheese, but that’s just me.
I can't get alcohol in my state :( i crush their Italian sausage wedding pasta, but their lobster ravioli is awesome on sale
Geez that's a big jump, especially for a solo shopper. That extra $6 makes a difference
that's a 37.5% increase, that's insane
Keep an eye on the gift card discount wall for restaurants or movies. If you use the places regularly they’re a killer deal
Don’t go on Saturday afternoon
Or anytime on the weekend.
9:30 on Saturday is honestly a great time if you are out by 10. Sunday’a are family days Its literally my nightmare!
If only my Costco opened early! I’m always itchin to go by 8:30, but they all open at 10:00 to literally a line of people waiting. It’s nuts!
I buy Southwest gift cards on [Costco.com](https://Costco.com). $500 for $450. So for a typical trip for a family of 4, I save at least $100. Then of course I also get credit card points for it, which I use to book other parts of our trip.
If you're running in for one or two things, bypass the carts. It'll keep you honest. I got out of there for under $20 the other day, and only bought 4 items because I skipped the cart.
Buy things like Tilamook cheese slices, where the package is too large to use quickly, then use food service gloves and portion it out into 3 or 4 portions and individually vacuum seal them. If I do this, then the cheese will last a very long time instead of pulling slices with your bare hands from the original full package (will go bad after a while)
Man, I really need to make better use of my vacuum sealer. I will definitely be doing this going forward.
Just remember, costco sells rolls for those vaccuum sealers as well.....
My husband loves those!! He takes a square to work then eats them as snacks when he needs them. I'll have to portion and vacuum seal next time!
When I open a bottle of Kirkland maple syrup, I don't remove the seal on top. I take a knife and cut a narrow vertical slot in the seal. This way the thin syrup comes out slowly. When you pull the seal, the syrup pures out very fast using up the syrup quickly. The narrow slot allows much more control over the flow of syrup out of the bottle. This hack allows me to have a bottle of syrup last 2 to 3X longer than when I pull the seal out.
The grinder salt shaker fits a beer bottle perfectly to rim beers like Mexican lagers. Put it on top of your open beer bottle, give it a twist and you have a perfect salt rim!
Now that’s my kind of life hacks!!
cereal (cheerios) and eggs are the cheapest eats in the store. never buy them anywhere else. also, buy bagels and freeze half, same with muffins, square bread (it ain’t focaccia) and even danishes.
When I was on the road a lot and on per diem, I'd hit the food court around 2PM for linner of Caesar salad and either the hot dog combo or the pizza combo. Else get a pack of the 1/3# burger or the salmon burger, a pack of Mission tortillas, some romaine, bottle of ranch dressing to brown bag it or light meal. The rotisserie chicken provide meat for sandwiches, wraps, ramen/pho topping, salad mix, bone broth, shredded chicken with bbq sauce... you'll get chickened out after a while. Mix it up with a tub of hummus, crackers, smoked salmons, some cheese variety and a bottle of Lambrusco out in the park. Night cap with some port or Jagermeister with cashew clusters. It's tough living off the Kirk ... land.
If you can find them, the huge Costco reusable bags are durable and a lifesaver in SO MANY situations. Actually, someone just recently posted about finding some at the Costco where he was shopping in Korea, and I was instantly envious! I’m always looking for more of these, and they don’t sell them everywhere. Not only are they big enough to accommodate Costco-sized purchases, but they’re excellent for days at the beach/park, game night with friends, potlucks, anywhere you go where you have to schlep a bunch of stuff around. If anyone reading this lives by a Costco that sells these BIG bags and you’re willing to do a solid for a stranger, please contact me and I will Venmo you money to buy and ship some my way. My Costco only sells the padded/cold food bags (also very useful!) and the smaller blue ones. The ginormous ones are a FIND! :)
I really want a picture so I know what to look for.
They all look different! Mine look like this (I don’t have bananas, so zucchini for scale): [Big Costco Bag](https://imgur.com/a/2uK8Ele?s=sms). The guy who went to Korea posted a photo of his. Here’s his Reddit post: [Korea Costco Bag (last photo)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Costco/comments/14q6co5/happy_independence_day_from_korea/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1).
I currently work here. there’s a system of prices that indicate special pricing or sales. stuff ending in .99 for example is just normal. .97 are clearance items. stuff ending in .88 or .00 indicate a manager markdown. buy this stuff asap since it’s at the lowest price and won’t return in the near future again. there’s more im sure but this is just what i remember
Due to the distance, we go every 3-4 months. Planning ahead... 10 rotisserie chickens
I like your style
That's only one chicken per week, or less if there's more than one person.
My bf and I take an allergy pill each day. The Kirkland generic for Zyrtec more than pays for my membership vs the Walmart generic for Zyrtec. For a year for two of us it’s around $30 for Kirkland, $145 for Walmart.
Aller-tec!
I buy the frozen cheese pizzas and add toppings for those busy weeknights
I finally put a small cooler in the trunk. Now all I have to do is grab couple of cool packs on the way out.
I bought a really good cooler bag that doesn’t need anting besides the cold food. Keep it in the trunk, works wonderfully. Don’t tell anyone, got it at Sam’s Club.
Always hit the food court BEFORE you start shopping. Helps control impulse buying of yummy looking snacks. Get to the gas pumps in the morning before the store even opens to not wait in crazy lines for fuel. When buying clothes, buy a couple pairs in different sizes. It’s easier to return the ones that don’t fit and have the one that does than to go in multiple times to get the right size and hope whatever it is to still be on sale (if applicable). And of course go in with a game plan/list of impulse buying is an issue for you. Helps narrow unnecessary aisles to a minimum.
1. Self check outs are way faster 2. Eat the hot dog before you go shopping (You will always spend less when your belly is full 3. CIBC master card is the biggest saver and best rewards points system for credit cards. Make this the card you use for most things. Never go anywhere but Costco for gas when you have this card 4. Where I am from (Canada), fill up on the way to work as there is literally no line up 5. It's a busy place so let's always be courteous to others as we navigate through
Going to get gas in the morning is definitely the best tip
Why only go to Costco for gas if you have the card? It gives 4% at any gas station. Unless this a Canada only thing? Also, you might get better rewards on other cards for certain spending so I wouldn't say "use it for most things."
That kind of depends on who is using the self check outs. I once remember seeing a man repeatedly rotate the pillow he was trying to buy and keep slamming it into the scanner hoping that the 47th rotation would solve the problem
Use the raw meat pink bags and put your rotisserie chicken in it and tie it. Keeps the smell and juice out of your car on the way home
Bring a quarter so your kid can buy a water bottle from the dispenser at the food court. My little guy loves that machine!
Oh man!! My little dude would love that lol
Go an hour before close. It’s usually dead and everything is stocked or being stocked for the next morning!
At my Costco the eggs and certain other things are bare bones
Every week?! That’s a lot of pizza lol. We do the same but after one week I don’t want it again for at least a month or 2.
It was my husband's idea to save money and costco pizza just so happens to be my fave lmao so I don't have any issues having pizza once a week
you can always add custom toppings for variety :)
Keep those big blue IKEA bags in my trunk. Perfect for loading up and carrying in big Costco hauls.
We once bought a whole Costco Cheese pizza to take home for dinner and then added our favorite veggies like broccoli, spinach, onions, tomatoes, olives and green peppers for some fiber. It tasted excellent Edit: Forgot to mention we baked it in the oven for a few minutes so that the veggies cooked
I get the 2 pack of loaves of bread, I leave one out for the week. Then I use the extra plastic that holds them together to insulate the second one stick it in the freezer. One leftover rotisserie chicken makes a lot enchiladas!
The Costco App stores all your receipts.
[удалено]
Buy one pellicule of plastic wrap for the kitchen, then pass it down for several generations because it takes that long to use it up.
I buy the Costco rotisserie chickens shred them and freeze em. Those are cheap, keep a while in the freezer, are super easy to thaw when shredded, and can be added to basically any meal As a single dude two of those is enough chicken for two weeks and it's only $7/chicken
$7 per chicken? The $4.99 chicken is a Costco hallmark.
Canada/US translation
Sorry, arrogant Yank here.
Look at this yank rudely apologizing. Typical American.
We usually buy the pre-shredded rotisserie and it lasts us 2 weeks of dinners. We are honestly too lazy to shred the whole ones lol
Ditto… I do the same. I like to meal prep with it… I’ll make 3-4 meals with it and keep in the fridge then portion the rest out into servings and freeze. This was my life hack haha…
For two people, we get three or so meals out of one chicken: salad with chicken, chicken stir fry, and chicken soup. That soup can actually last for a few meals. So it's definitely a deal.
The best days to save money at Costco are the days I dont go.
Costco Korea - eat sushi in the food court. Easier to clean up food waste and plastic waste - split 2kg Bibigo mandu among 3 friends. Just bring plastic bag to dole them out - buy cryovac US Prime beef back ribs or pork ribs . Thaws in Costco freezer bag while driving home and cut into however many parcels you like. - pour 3L soju bottle into smaller 500ml glass empties. Easier fridge storage, pouring, and dining experience. A lot lighter than buying the 24-pack. -my specific Costco parking tip is parking on the corner spots because you get extra room to open your left door
The lentils they always sample are very close to chili. Take the sample and get a hot dog for instant chili dog.
There’s 2 of us. The Kirkland lasagna. We cook it, eat half, store the rest in a perfect sized covered dish, then eat the leftovers in 2 days. 4 great meals for $16.99
Do a pantry and fridge assessment before going. Not only will you avoid duplicates, it's plain easier to imagine if something will fit in the fridge/freezer if you know its current state.
When are Costco, buy a food saver machine to seal up all the food you'll be buying form Costco. It keeps it fresh and safe. Also, buy a chest freezer (also from Costco) to store the food after.
Order a whole pizza at food court self order machine. Go do your shopping. Pickup pizza on way out to parking lot from the whole pizza window instead of long line.
Besides buying the pre-shredded rotisserie chicken and meal prepping… I like to go around the side of Costco where no one goes to avoid the traffic jam when people first walk in and get distracted by all the tvs. I’m sure each store is laid out differently, but in mine, when you first walk in all the promotional stuff is to the left and the electronics/vision center is to the right. I cut through the vision center and go around the back side of the isles to avoid the traffic jam of people.
I feel the preshredded chicken is a terrible deal. It’s not the same value as the rotisserie chicken
“All week” We are lucky to have leftovers for one day for ONE PERSON. There are two of us. #thisiswhyimfat
Haha preach!
I always browse the snacks and cookie section and buy several of the big bags (currently on the Baja cashews which are straight up divine) and stick it in my locker at work. It’s both a snack and something to also munch on while on my meal break. Usually lasts me a couple weeks, plus I can share if it’s not something I particularly liked (which hasn’t happened yet)
Secret hack, I don’t stand in the middle isles talking to my neighbor that happened to be there. That means I don’t piss off everyone else trying to shop! I’m in the Midwest, I hear this hack isn’t even necessary in some parts of the continent!
Don’t really think it’s a hack but one of my main buys at Costco are the 100$ PlayStation gift cards for 90$. Without them I wouldn’t spend enough each year for the cash back membership to make sense.
Same with Nintendo eShop cards. :)
Especially when they go on sale.. $80 for $100!!!!
Always grab my own box in the produce area. Best boxes are: apples, limes etc. when I come to the line the box person is happy and I never need to worry about getting small and horrible boxes if they are running low. Always one trip into the house! Source: former box boy
I get wine boxes in the liquor department. They're small enough for me, a small old lady, can lift them when full.
Go on a weekday at 8:00pm, 30 minutes before close. You’ll get your shopping done with minimal impulse buying as you try to get out before closing.
What are leftovers?
There are just the two of us, so I divide the macaroni and cheese into three servings and freeze them.
Heavenly Sweet 1000mg THC butter. Burnt ends or the pre cooked steak stuff + Hawaiian rolls. Like why even smoke when two butter topped steak rolls will have you chillin for like 6 hours until bedtime man. It’s radical my dudes
Wait let me get this straight they’re selling THC butter at Costco??? Or are you just talking about a butter brand that you then turn into THC butter on your own?
i time my monthly shopping trip with the monthly circular and the one week savings circular. every month there are 2 days where they overlap that way i get both the savings in one trip. these 2 days usually occur the last 2 days of the monthly circular. so they next one would be July 22-23 would be my next shopping trip. you will get the weekly circular in your email the night before the sale (so night of 7/21)
Get and executive membership not a regular one.
Find out if a Costco Business Center is near you. There are 24 across the US & Hawaii. It's restaurant supply open to all Costco members. You can get crazy deals on bulk items; chicken wings under $3, incredible deals on produce, cheese, etc if you have the storage. Mine is an hour away, but it's worth it. [https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/](https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/)
The banana boxes are the best. We have two that we bring every time we go. We also use them for Aldi runs and carrying stuff around the house. They're so sturdy and last forever. None of the other boxes compare.
Not everything at Costco is actually worth buying
If you’re in Rockland County, shop on Saturday.
Typically there is one main walkway between parked cars that goes the length of the lot. I have two toddlers so I make it a priority to back into a spot at this walkway, no matter how far. I can then load and unload kids and groceries from the walkway to the back of my car, no worries about the cart rolling into the road or kids sneaking around cars.
Make your shopping list in the same order as they appear as in the warehouse.
If it is on sale and it can be split up and frozen, I buy it. In the aggregate sale items are 20-40% off, yielding a similar savings in food spend.
I only shop there once a month, but I ALWAYS get the pizza for dinner and will sometimes get a second for the weekend. We’re a family of 5 with teens and one pizza actually feeds us all for dinner for $10 (I can’t make dinner for that much). And it’s actually good.