Save and Shop at Costco: Grocery Shopping Tips for Doomsday and Pantry Prepping

Sometimes my friends and family make fun of us for shopping the way we do but this time solely shopping at Costco has really paid off when dealing with social isolation and the COVID-19 epidemic. Shopping at Costco allows our family household to have a reserve, never running out of toiletries and food staples. Costco is a must for growing families and gym fanatics.

Costco Wholesale Membership 

Inside Costco Wholesale

Costo makes it their mission to look for brands and items that their customers desire and offer it in bulk at a lower cost. This is great for their loyal members. Yes, Costco does come with a membership that may seem hefty starting at $60/annually but if you utilize all their departments you are going to get a more bargain for your buck! I prefer the executive membership at $120/annually, it also gives me a 2% cashback which usually covers the annual renewal cost and giving me an additional $150-300 to spend on my regular groceries, which equals a free grocery trip. Costco offers household staples through their inhouse brand Kirkland, we always look out for Kirland brand products because we are ensured to receive quality items with the best price per unit.

We try to enjoy our trips to Costco because the anxiety of spending a lot on groceries can be overwhelming. We often stop by Costco's food court for a giant vanilla-chocolate twist cone or grabbing fries and chicken strips after checkout for our drive home. Customer service is always great, employees are often commenting on how much they love the new chocolate cake in our checkout experience or suggesting a must-try for next time. The must-try new items are what we look forward to the most, Costco always offers seasonal specialty fruits and soups for the season and specialty holiday cakes. They also offer great finds in books, like the Rupi Kaur's The Sun and Her Flower and Milk and Honey Box Set for $20, or my super cute pink Bench teddy sweater also purchased for under $20! Costco is always on-trend with their product selections. You can always find something extra for yourself.

Costco caters to its customers and will have unique products based on the area. In Markham, Ontario, Canada, where the population is mainly Asian, Costco offers more Asian desserts and facial creams like SK-II Facial Treatment Essence for $240/bottle, special products that are not offered elsewhere, but Markham's Costco's protein and produce was sparse, probably due to the fact that Asians usually shop for meat and produce at their local Chinese grocery stores. This is the opposite for the Costco in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, where fresh produce is stacked pile high since people in the area prefer to purchase their produce at Costco due to the lack of grocery store selections. Costco will get unique items, but the supply will be limited and it may not come back, so if you see something you want, grab it or it might not be restocked.

The Difference

Stockpiling toiletries and food items from Costco may seem frivolous and at times seemingly very expensive, but I really believe that it pays off. For example, Costco's Kirkland toilet paper rolls are two-ply, also four times the size of regular toilet paper and come in a pack of 30. The roll is too large for a standard wall toilet paper roll holder, we have to use it 1/4 down before we can even place it in the toilet paper holder. I can honestly say that a pack of Kirkland toilet paper will last us, two grown adults, a month. We also enjoy having Kirland flushable toilet wipes, which cut down a lot on toilet paper use while ensuring that everyone is extra clean. I also use them on my dog and cleaning in general, they're super useful. Thankfully for Costco, we have yet to experience toilet paper anxiety and have yet needed to purchased toilet paper during this toilet paper shortage. This goes for other toiletries like 4L of Softsoap handsoap, that we simply refill into a smaller Softsoap pump bottle, or Aveeno body wash that comes in a 3 pack, and Sensodyne toothpaste, they come in a 4 pack. I also a huge fan of the Costo feminine products like the pack of 96 Always pads for $15. These toiletry items never expire and will always be useful, when we break down the cost per unit, it's much cheaper to purchase the larger pack since the Costco's Kirkland version is also usually much larger in proportion. Aveeno and Sensyodne toothpaste at Costco is sold in much larger bottles compared to the same item sold at a higher price and smaller bottle in different stores.

Growing up as an immigrant, we were always short on the basics like cereal, bread, eggs, milk..etc. pretty much everything. So it's nice to always have food staples. Shopping at Costco, I can always rely on having peanut butter (it comes in a two-pack), bread (it comes in a two-pack we freeze the second loaf), flour (5L, we have containers for flour, rice, pasta to store smaller portions). We generally portion out or place items in our larger pantry which holds most of our Costco overstock. We simply refill spices, sauces, drinks, and other overstocks whenever we see that the items have been used up. This eliminates the need to repurchased staple items too often, you will always have another ketchup and mustard, tomato paste, or chicken broth, items you use regularly, on hand in your Costco overstock pantry.

Special Advantages

Take advantage of their specials and other departments like Optical, Pharmacy, Mobility, Travel Centre and Autocare Centre. They offer the cheapest price for daily contacts, and their pharmacy also offers the lowest deductibles. Don't forget to treat yourself to the latest skincare, they now carry a variety of Korean skincare products including facemasks, or the latest iPhone or Macbook, or how about some diamonds? Costco ensures the highest standards in all their departments, their diamonds are of the highest cut and brilliance. Costco is a great place to find cute little gold diamond pave earrings or diamond engagement rings for a fraction of the price, a gift for yourself or someone special. They all come with an authenticity card and warranty.  Costco also carries a variety of fresh floral bouquets that are lovely for your home, I always grab a bouquet of tulips or lilies. Costco florals are great for DIY brides looking to create their own stunning centerpieces for cheap, bouquets are much larger, ranging from $11-$25 +.

The Return Policy

The best part of becoming a Costco member is that Costco stands behind the quality of their products. If you're not happy with an item purchased you can return it any time. Unless it's specified, or electronic, which can only be returned within 90 days of purchase, most items are 100% refundable. I have had many instances where I needed to return something, I've even return dog treats that my pup didn't like, without any questions from customer service they took back the open bag of treats and handed me the $15. No one wants a huge bag of something they can't use and Costco understands that. Their return policy is an incentive for you to try their new products without worrying about being stuck with something you don't want.

Costco Shopping Tips:

Kirkland Meat: Costco's protein is processed in-house it is always fresh and top quality. For any protein purchase in bulk, freeze by lining a baking tray with parchment paper, place protein on the parchment and continue to layer parchment and then protein. Creating a few layers of protein divided by parchment so that they do not stick together. Place the tray in the freezer and freeze overnight. Once frozen place your protein in ziplock airtight bags, I purchase large ziplock bags from Costco. I usually can fit 10 chicken thighs or 3-6 steaks in a bag. When ready to cook simply increase the cooking time (almost doubling) and ensure protein is cooked thoroughly. If the protein is properly frozen and sealed well it will not lose its texture or flavor when being cooked from frozen. Cooking from frozen saves time, simply marinate when frozen or spice it after cooking.

Spoil yourself and invest in top sirloin or tenderloin ($100-$150). Butcher it yourself at home. Lining a baking tray with parchment paper and lay steaks down, continue to stack parchment then steak on top. Freeze the steaks overnight and place them in ziplock bags the next day. One top sirloin or tenderloin will give you about 10-20 steak depending on the thickness you want.  (It will also provide you with extra cube meat that is great for stews.) Serve with some Costco panko shrimp and enjoy restaurant-style filet minion steak dinners any day of the week.

Buying Flour, Rice or Pasta: When purchasing large quantities of food items, place a sizeable portion in a resealable airtight food-grade container or jar. Reseal the rest and place in your pantry, refill your container when you're low from your overstock pantry.

Buying Basic Toiletries and Food: If the item is something that you always use it is best to purchase it in bulk. You often end up paying only a few more dollars than the cost for one item but now you have back up.  You'll never find yourself running out of salt, pepper, ketchup, peanut butter, soups etc.

Buying in bulk ensures you are prepared for days when you're unable to go to the store because of an illness or schedule difficulty. It allows you more time for yourself when you have all the ingredients and can put together a nutritious meal quickly. You also don't have to find yourself always scrambling to go to the grocery store every day.

Costco is truly a lifestyle store offering everything; household food and goods, home appliances and furnishing(cribs, sofas, dining room sets), recreational and sports equipment (kayaks and fishing equipment), designer handbags (Prada and Burberry), jewelry (diamonds, Pandora, and Swarovski), skincare(Boscia is their latest addition), including all their various departments. Costco really carries everything you need for yourself and home for a lower cost and higher quality. Take advantage of the Costco Mastercard, gift cards to local attractions and restaurants, the Costco magazine with sweet original recipes, and they're always offering coupons.

Prepping for doomsday doesn't have to be so stressful. Always shop with a list. Try to rotate your grocery list, one grocery list focus on all the food essential, the second rotation, focus on household essentials. This ensures your stockpile is always being refilled, and you will have a consistent grocery list. You will also know what ingredients are always on hand to make delicious healthy meals at any time.

Can you tell I love Costco?

All my recipes have some Costco/Kirkland ingredients. Get inspired, check out my recipes.

Hope you find some of these tips helpful.

Let's remember to be considerate and not buy everything! Stay safe shop for groceries online - visit Costco.ca

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xxJ

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