What do you really save on at Costco?

[RasJane]

I'm making up my grocery lists for the week (hoping to keep them minimal!). I don't do a ton of shopping at Costco, but a fair bit. I always get frozen veggies, frozen chicken, dried fruit, food service-size containers of tomatoes and applesauce, eggs, butter and our bacon. Well, not the bacon since we got our side of pork 2 months ago. For the same reason, I stopped getting most of our meat there. I have a chest freezer full now.
I have been getting some things there just for convenience, but know I need to look more carefully. Problem is, I'm also cutting way back on driving, so I can't go price check. I know lots of wise shoppers here have figured out what is really a savings there, so I'm hoping to tap that wisdom.
Even if I stopped shopping there all together, the savings from our insurance is enough to justify the fee! I think I'm right on the stuff I get, am I?

[Fuamami]

Milk, coffee, romaine lettuce, yogurt, cheese, wipes, Spray-n-Wash, lunch meat, chicken broth, frozen berries.

[lalaland42]

almond butter. I got a huge thing of almond butter for $6. (28 oz)

[tayndrewsmama]

Wyman's blueberries. They are 6.99 for three pounds and run almost 5.00 a pound everywhere else. Elmer's glue sticks, Pacific Organic Chicken stock (9.99 or so for four vs. about $4 each elsewhere), organic diced tomatos and organic tomato paste. That's about all we get from there on a regular basis. My parents have the membership. It really wouldn't be worth the money for us to have our own though. We did end up 'paying' for their membership renewal because of all of the one time big ticket items be bought with their membership though. A swingset, a couple of GPS units and some other things.

[akwifeandmomma]

Besides what's already on your list and mentioned by the pp's, I'd add spices, baking supplies, peanut butter.

[True Blue]

Organic chicken breast for like $5.99lb; organic ground beef for about $4lb. Fruit leather, healthy snacks, vanilla extract.

[jtbuko]

dog food, frozen berries, salad in a bag/ spinach, chocolate chips

[Tangled Hill]

Ooh - timely post for me. My mother just gave me a Costco membership for my birthday yesterday (wasn't that awesome of her!?!), and I'm about to go scope it out. (I've been there many times before with her, but I've never had my own family or grocery budget in mind.) I'll be :

[alegna]

Lurking for ideas as we just got a membership.

I did compare milk though and organic milk is cheaper for us at Kroger's than at costco.

-Angela

[Alyantavid]

Wine and salmon is about the only things we ever get there.

[zh97]

Yeast. It is $4.00 for this huge block that I keep in the freezer. I have a jar from buying yeast in the grocery store for $5.00 and I fill it up at least 6 or seven times from the Costco yeast. I've also had very good experiences with it. Also, organic flour, organic whole wheat bread and butter.

[Fuamami]

Originally Posted by zh97

Yeast. It is $4.00 for this huge block that I keep in the freezer. I have a jar from buying yeast in the grocery store for $5.00 and I fill it up at least 6 or seven times from the Costco yeast. I've also had very good experiences with it. Also, organic flour, organic whole wheat bread and butter.

In the freezer!?! I thought it was supposed to be kept in the fridge!

[Tangled Hill]

I keep mine in the freezer, too. In fact, I'm pretty sure it says on my jar of yeast to "refrigerate or freeze after opening." I think if you freeze it, though, it keeps longer.

[akwifeandmomma]

Annie's Mac & Cheese!

[ksera05]

yeast, for sure!

[Literate]

Another vote for CHEESE. Also, we love their 3 lb multigrain bread. I think it's $3.69 or something. It's yummy. Also, fresh pizza, BANANAs. Um. Other stuff.

[beebalmmama]

We get fruit leather, organic canned tomatoes, frozen fruit, organic spinach, coffee, contact solution, and soy milk. We sometimes buy cheese, which is cheaper (they don't always have what we buy). Organic Milk is more expensive at the Costco here than at. I think the key to Costco is to only buy the products you would typically buy.

[Fuamami]

Originally Posted by Tangled Hill

I keep mine in the freezer, too. In fact, I'm pretty sure it says on my jar of yeast to "refrigerate or freeze after opening." I think if you freeze it, though, it keeps longer.

OK, I better freeze it. I'm just trying to learn to make bread. I wonder if that's why my loaves are always so heavy. Hmm.

[alegna]

Everyone says bananas- ours didn't HAVE any bananas when we went a couple of weeks back.

-Angela

[mommajb]

vanilla and evoo

It is my parent's membership and I was surprised at how many items we would use this last visit. Many more organic options than 1 year ago.

We usually snack on fresh fruit or nuts but I did notice the almond butter and the brothers brand freeze dried fruit. Single serves are nice if you are feeding 1 toddler but a bit of waste when my 5 kids can chow down on soooo much food at once. I usually let the little girls pick out one snack item when we are there. Last time they chose Mrs Mays snacks. I got some workout clothes and fleece sweats for the kids to sleep in. My parents swear by the men's clothes. Ladies clothes seem more difficult because you cannot try them on but returns are acceptable. Big tickets items can be a good deal and are easier to price shop for.

Sorry, I am babbling.