Contest: Win a Costco Cash Card for Your Comments

1 Kate // 2009.08.17 at 8:02 am

Kirkland Signature Environmentally Friendly Laundry Detergent – Kirkland Signature (KS) is in a class by itself. It’s a great product because it works incredibly well (I use it for sheets, heavy-duty laundering, towels, etc., as well as on the delicate cycle) and has a very reasonable price. I like that it’s concentrated and only a small amount is needed for washing.

KS Coffee Beans (2-lb pack) – These are roasted by Starbucks for Costco, and a large 2-lb package of freshly roasted beans costs just $9.99 – which is less than what I would pay for one pound anywhere else!

Gift cards to use at bedandbreakfast.com – Costco charges $79.99 for a $100 gift card. These make great gifts and are an excellent value.

Costco’s Take & Bake Pizza – they sell these in the store if you are hungry after shopping (by the slice or whole pizza) already cooked, or you can buy a pre-assembled pizza to cook at home. Either way, again, incredible value and really quality pizza.

iTunes cards – again, we would be using these anyway, and Costco sells them for a few dollars below face value, so we consider this a huge benefit.

I think we would purchase all of the above items with or without Costco (with the possible exception of the bedandbreakfast.com cards) – what gets me is the combination of quality and value in all cases. Their products are simply wonderful and their generous return policy provides a money-back guarantee on literally everything you purchase!

2 Jennifer Dorff // 2009.08.17 at 8:19 am

First off, I love Costco! My father and I made it a Saturday morning ritual! Now I go with my husband and 15 month old son. We love shopping at Costco.

What products we buy…hummm…
1. Clorox wipes! My house would be so dirty if I didn’t have my Clorox wipes. I absolutely can not clean my house daily without using about 10 a day!

2. Bounty paper towel…I love to merchandise my Bounty paper towels in our laundry room. They are fantastic cleaner picker uppers! With a small child, you can see why I would need a bountiful supply of paper towels.

3. Fruit (not sure what brands) We buy all of our fruit from Costco…strawberries, rasberries, blueberries, grapes, pineapple, mangos…well you get the idea. When I was pregnant I craved fruit. I couldn’t get enough fruit…now I know why my baby loves fruit. Sometimes that is all I feel that I have fed him. Thank you Costco for the bulk fruit at AWESOME prices!

4. Fruit2O Water…I drink one every day. This allows me to get 20 ozs of water each day.

5. Trident (Tropical Twist) Gum. I love this gum! Great flavor, stays soft and is refreshing.

This is just a sampling of what I purchase!

3 Christine // 2009.08.17 at 8:28 am

Stacey’s Pita Chips – My husband is addicted to these and we never leave Costco without a bag or two.

Land O’ Lakes Half and Half – We are coffee addicts, so we go through this quickly. Costco sells huge containers of it for around $3 and the last for months! Not that we’ve ever had one that long…

KS Butter – I can’t find a better price on butter. I stock up and freeze it until I’m ready to use it.

KS Whole grain bread – Again, Costco has the best price around for the two loaf pack and it has no high fructose corn syrup!

Cheese – The brand varies because Costco has an awesome variety of cheeses and I love picking out something new to try. The prices are great!

With the exception of Stacy’s Pita Chips, which we hadn’t seen prior to shopping at Costco, I did buy all of these things before, but I paid a lot more for them!

4 LadyWild // 2009.08.17 at 8:44 am

1. Seattle Mountain Coffee – French Roast. Its roasted near our house. Its a Costco only brand, so I coudn’t buy them before going to Costco. Its very yummy coffee and so cheap. I’m a coffee snob, but I still love this. Since I have to buy so much…

2. Food Saver Vacuum Sealer bags – Because we buy so much coffee, having these bags and the Food Saver is a life saver. I bag up small bags of coffee and keep them in a dark cabinet until its needed.

3. Kirkland Rotisserie Chicken. OMG! So good. Juicy, wonderful. Its the best “fast food” dinner.

4. Kirkland Whole Wheat sandwich bread. Cheap, tasty, lots of fiber.

5. All of the Costco Produce. I can’t list out a single item. We LOVE the tomatoes, oranges, apples, spinach, lettuce, artichokes, carrots, broccoli, asparagus, all of it. I have only had fruit or veggies that were “bad” once in 6 years. Even then, I was able to return it and get something yummy in its place.

5 Erin // 2009.08.17 at 8:45 am

GoLean Crunch Honey Almond Flax Cereal – We started out with the original GoLean Crunch Cereal, which we had been purchasing at the grocery store. When Costco stopped carrying the regular flavor, we switched to the Honey Almond Flax flavor. We love it! The texture is different form the grocery store boxes – more clusters – but we love it!

Kirkland Signature Eco-Friendly Liquid Laundry Detergent – Love the clean scent. Had been looking for something green but affordable. Tried it based on reviews on other blogs, and I love it!

Einstein Brothers Bagels – We like the choice of flavors and how long they keep in the fridge or freezer. They’re not quite the same as the bagels from the Einstein storefront (which we had bought before), but they’re close enough!

Spafinder Gift Certificates – This is my #1, absolute favorite Costco product. Two $50 gift certificates for $80! I had used Spafinder before, but I use them MUCH more often now that I can buy the gift certificates at a discount at Costco. I stock up on these around the holidays, when they’re most likely to be in stock, but I’ve found them in the stores well into the summer as well. LOVE THESE!

Julie’s Organic Raspberry Sorbet Bars – We used to get the Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches, but I saw these one day and I’ve been hooked ever since. I had never tried them before seeing them at Costco, but now I LOVE them. They’re organic, the flavor is great, and they’re low call. What’s not to love??

6 Nick // 2009.08.17 at 8:50 am

The five things either my parents or I am most likely to wait and buy at Costco are:

1. Rib-eye steaks from the butcher department. They’re not as good as from a specialty butcher store, but they’re also about 40% of the price, so when I’m not entertaining, this is what I use all summer long.

2. Churros. Seriously. I cannot leave a Costco without a churro. There have been times I have not gone to Costco because I know I shouldn’t have the churro.

3. Cheerios. My dad’s standard snack food.

4. Kirkland Garbage Bags, black 33 gallon.

5. Advil.

Honorable mention: I used to buy Jimmy Dean sausage patties (larger than say McDonalds, maybe 1.5 oz each), but they discontinued selling them, and I am sad.

7 Dave // 2009.08.17 at 8:57 am

Just a reminder for people commenting: Don’t forget to indicate whether or not you purchased these items before you found them at Costco

8 Kit // 2009.08.17 at 9:05 am

Here’s my top five:
1. GAS. Far and away our biggest purchase at Costco. In SoCal, it’s worth the cost of membership if you do nothing but get your gas at Costco.
2. Organic Mixed Baby Greens (1 lb) from the refrigerated section. We get this every week, it’s a staple in our house.
3. La Brea bread mini-baguettes. This is a pack of 6 mini-baguettes you get in the bakery. Each mini-baguette is the perfect size for my husband and I (we split one for a meal), and they freeze and reheat well. I used to throw out unused/stale larger baguettes, but these are perfect for the two of us.
4. Kirkland Organic Tortilla Chips. These are great quality and an incredible price, given that they are organic. I make salsa every week, so these are also a staple.
5. Kirkland Environmentally Friendly Laundry Detergent. I used to use their “Free and Clear” version, and I think this is the next step up. It gets our clothes clean, and I’m hyper sensitive to fragrances and additives but I never have problems with this product.

I didn’t purchase these *exact* brands of items before shopping at Costco, but I did buy these products “BC” (before Costco). Well, I didn’t buy organic chips because they were too expensive, but the Costco pricing makes that a non-issue!

9 Sammy // 2009.08.17 at 9:19 am

1. The entire DVD collection. A significant percentage of my DVD library at home is from Costco. They don’t always have everything, but if they do, it’s a good price.
2. Cabot Pepperjack Cheese – This particular cheese has been a staple for quite a few years now. Costco has an amazing cheese selection, and their prices are simply unbeatable.
3. Chobani yogurt variety pack – Costco just started selling my favorite yogurt. Greek yogurt is awesome. All the flavors they include are delicious. Hopefully it will last!
4. Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Sugar – This is THE BEST for every sugar purpose…cooking, baking, coffee, tea, etc. Way better than Sugar in the Raw because it actually dissolves well. I was so sad when Costco stopped carrying it for a while but they have it back now!
5. Thomas English Muffins, 2 packages with 9 in each for some ridiculously low price (I think it’s less than $4). The only time I was able to get a better deal than this anywhere else was with a coupon for a free package of English muffins at the grocery store.

I think it’s funny how I could have picked anything from what the others already posted too. Great minds think alike!

10 Nick // 2009.08.17 at 9:20 am

Re Dave and my earlier comment:

1) Used to buy rib-eyes elsewhere. 2) I knew what a churro was, but I don’t buy them anyplace else. 3) My dad only started eating Cheerios when he saw the price at Costco, he felt it was too expensive at the grocery stores. 4) We bought other brands of bags at grocery stores before joining Sam’s Club back in 1997 and started buying their brand, then switched to Kirkland when we dropped the Sam’s Club membership (I must admit I like the Sam’s bags a little better). 5) We have used lots of Advil for years.

11 Nancy // 2009.08.17 at 9:51 am

We are relatively new to Costco shopping because there wasn’t one nearby our previous house. Now there are 2 that are equidistant from our house, but still 20 minutes each way. Maybe it’s a good thing that the stores aren’t any closer.
Anyway, here’s my top 5 at Costco:
1. Kirkland AA batteries—these last just as long as the top name brands, but cost considerably less. We used to buy the name brands.
2. Seattle Mountain Coffee beans-Sumatra blend. I don’t drink coffee, but my husband swears by this stuff. We used to buy coffee beans at Trader Joes.
3. Gasoline. Of course I used to buy it elsewhere, at any station that had a good price. I now try to time my Costco trips with needing a fill-up. I still buy gas elsewhere, but I buy gas at Costco any time I’m there or driving past.
4. Kirkland Ultra laundry detergent–the price is right, and I can’t tell the difference between this and the name brands, although I’ve never been too picky about laundry detergent. Used to buy the name brands.
5. Hershey’s chocolate milk in the “juice box” sized cartons. My daughter takes these to lunch every day. Sadly, Costco didn’t have them on my last visit (2 weeks ago) but maybe it’s the back-to-school rush. (hoping they didn’t discontinue carrying them!) Used to send juice boxes in the lunch, but prefer to send the chocolate milk. At least she’s getting some protein and calcium along with the sugar!
There’s my must-haves. Also love the bulk meats, produce, vitamins, frozen things….almost everything! I never hesitate to buy a Kirkland brand. In everything I’ve tried the quality is comparable to the more expensive name brands.

12 Sheri // 2009.08.17 at 10:10 am

Kirkland milk: I buy it at Costco because it’s a great deal. Yes, I bought milk before I started going to Costco.

Frigo Cheese Sticks: Same reason as the milk. Yes, I bought cheese sticks before I shopped at Costco.

Rotisserie Chicken: It’s a great deal and it’s good. I rarely bought rotisserie chicken before Costco because of the price.

Broccoli: For precut broccoli, it’s a pretty good deal. It also lasts a long time. Before Costco I did buy broccoli at the grocery store.

Gasoline: In my area Costco’s prices are consistently 10 cents cheaper per gallon. Before Costco I still bought gasoline.

Most things I buy at costco are things I’ve always bought, but Costco offers significant savings.

13 Laura Barnes // 2009.08.17 at 10:12 am

Kirkland Rotisserie Chicken, best buy at Costco, didn’t buy before
Costco gas, yes we bought before, but Costoc has the best price in our area
BabyBel Cheese, yes we bought before but love buying in bulk and cheaper
Banana’s, yes we bought before best price here
Salmon, yes we bought before, but price is like a third of what we were paying before

14 Diana // 2009.08.17 at 10:38 am

1. Kirkland Rotisserie Chicken – Great price for a very good sized bird, much larger and cheaper than those found at grocery stores. I did used to buy these occasionally at the grocery store but then they raised prices on them. I started buying them again once I found the Costco ones.

2. Kirkland or Oroweat bread – Great price for bread! I used to buy Oroweat at the grocery store but it’s almost the same price to get two loaves at Costco.

3. Fruit (all brands) – I love the fruit at Costco! Even though sometimes you can find better prices at local markets, Costco fruit has always been great in quality, size and freshness.

4. Cheese (all brands) – I like the cheese selection at Costco and it’s so much cheaper than elsewhere. I usually get feta or bleu cheese, but sometimes also like to try the other specialty cheeses. I used to get cheese at Trader Joe’s.

5. Kirkland frozen chicken – It’s a convinient item to have on hand and I like that its a big bag so you don’t have to go back to the store for a while. I didn’t start buying frozen chicken until I got it at Costco.

15 Kris // 2009.08.17 at 11:45 am

1. Foster Farms Fully Cooked Frozen Chicken Wings – Very handy when you don’t have any cooked meal at home and hate going out for food. Little spicy for kids but adults at home enjoy it thoroughly with Beer and Wine

2. Dino’s White mean Chicken Nuggets (Now Kirkland brand) – Kid’s just love them. My daughter gets this for either Dinner or Lunch, two times a week and that is the only time I see an empty plate.

3. Organic Eggs – These 18 pack carton is an excellent buy. Organic and Omega-3 eggs. Good for the whole family.

4. Yogurts – I buy a variety of yogurts. Mountain High Yogurt Can for my wife and me. Danimals or Gogurt for my daughter.

5. Napkins – All our napkins are from costco. Charmin Bath Napkins. Kirkland Kitchen towel. Kleenex all-purpose.

16 Abbey // 2009.08.17 at 12:36 pm

I am not a prolific Costco shopper, I buy a few things that I really like and use the coupons to try new things. Here are my favorite regular items:

1. KS shredded cheese. I buy the big bags of shredded cheddar and mozzeralla cheese and then portion it up at home. Pop one in the fridge and the rest in the freezer (in ziploc freezer bags) and I have shredded cheese on hand for weeks.

2. Brownie bites, not sure of the brand. I pick these up as a treat when we have company in town, which is often. They stay moist for a really long time…sooo much better then the brownie bites at Whole Foods, in my opinion.

3. Vidalla onion dressing, not sure of the brand. They were doing a demo of this once, and I loved it. Great on salad of course, but I also use as a marinade. Such great taste, I have no problem getting through the 2 bottles.

4. Pork Chops – I also freeze these individually and pull them out for meals. They are super thick, often I’ll cut one in half as dinner for my husband and I.

5. Yuengling beer – it’s my husband’s #1 choice, and the Costco price can’t be beat!

17 Adam // 2009.08.17 at 12:37 pm

Kirkland Toilet Paper – best deal around on toilet paper! High quality stuff, too. Not too thick (Charmin Ultra is like using a plush towel), not too thin. Bought TP before Costco, but not Kirkland brand obviously.

Earthbound Farm Organic Mixed Greens – 16 oz for under $7.00 is still a great deal, though I remember when Costco had this item for under $4.00. We eat these greens pretty much every night. Did/do not buy them from anywhere besides Costco, too expensive.

Swiffer Sweeper [Dry] Refills – a must in a wood laminate-floored condo! Did/do not buy outside Costco, too expensive.

S&W Canned Green Beans – not a thrilling buy, but we always have them onhand for a microwave-able dinner veggie. Yes, used to buy outside of Costco.

Tide Ultra Liquid Laundry Detergent – great deal. Yes, used to buy Tide liquid outside of Costco.

18 Anna // 2009.08.17 at 12:55 pm

1) Kirkland Diapers – Joined Costco before we had kids, so have only bought at Costco. I have twins, so I need to buy in bulk, and the price is great.
2) Kirkland Baby Wipes – Same reason for buying as the diapers
3) Earthbound Farm Organic Mixed Greens – Have bought mixed greens other places, but it is handy to pick this up when we are buying other items. I am trying to eat salad more often.
4) Kirkland Milk – I sometimes buy milk at the regular grocery store, but we go through enough milk that buying them two at a time at Costco keeps our fridge stocked up. Also, the price is good.
5) Laughing Cow low fat cheese multipack – Only buy this at costco because of the price. Nice to have around the house for a little snack.

19 Beth // 2009.08.17 at 12:57 pm

1. Kirkland Select 2% milk—very fresh-tasting milk, good dates so it keeps well, excellent price. Did buy milk before shopping at Costco, but now we buy all our milk and other dairy products there.

2. Eggland’s Best eggs—always good-tasting eggs that are supposed to be better for us, great price. Did not buy this brand before buying at Costco, but the price and taste won us over.

3. Cascadian Farms frozen Berry Blend—absolutely delicious berries, I eat them on yogurt almost every day for breakfast. Had never bought these before buying at Costco.

4. Costco gas—price is always best in our area, we time our Costco trips to be able to fill up while there. Bought gas before Costco, of course.

5. Tillamook sliced cheddar—creamy texture, yet sharp and tangy, really great cheese in convenient slices. Did not buy before we found it at Costco.

I have to add that I found it *really* hard to figure out our top 5 and to limit the list to 5! There are *so* many things we buy at Costco, it is really our main grocery shopping destination. We buy a lot of fun and special things there, and I would probably tell friends that I shop there for the fresh meats and produce and bread, but when I pulled out our receipts from the last few months these were the top 5 in terms of frequency.

20 Abbey // 2009.08.17 at 1:09 pm

Update:
I am not a prolific Costco shopper, I buy a few things that I really like and use the coupons to try new things. Here are my favorite regular items:

1. KS shredded cheese. I buy the big bags of shredded cheddar and mozzeralla cheese and then portion it up at home. Pop one in the fridge and the rest in the freezer (in ziploc freezer bags) and I have shredded cheese on hand for weeks. Bought shredded cheese BC.

2. Brownie bites, not sure of the brand. I pick these up as a treat when we have company in town, which is often. They stay moist for a really long time…sooo much better then the brownie bites at Whole Foods, in my opinion. Had tried mini brownies before, buy them more often at Costco because they’re so yummy!

3. Vidalla onion dressing, not sure of the brand. They were doing a demo of this once, and I loved it. Great on salad of course, but I also use as a marinade. Such great taste, I have no problem getting through the 2 bottles. Had never bought before, now I keep on hand always.

4. Pork Chops – I also freeze these individually and pull them out for meals. They are super thick, often I’ll cut one in half as dinner for my husband and I. Had bought before, quality and price much better at Costco.

5. Yuengling beer – it’s my husband’s #1 choice, and the Costco price can’t be beat! Had bought before, but much better price at Costco!

21 Heather // 2009.08.17 at 1:19 pm

1. Maranatha Almond Butter- I think it’s $5.99 for a huge jar, I love the consistency. Didn’t but before Costco because it was too expensive.
2. Earthbound Farms Organic Baby Carrots- less than $5 for 5 pounds! I used to buy the non-organics at Safeway, but these even cost less for better quality.
3. Activia Light Yogurt, 24 pack- Perfect sized yogurts in strawberry, blueberry and vanilla, with probiotics. I did buy these, usually at Target, before Costco.
4. Printer Paper- once again, can’t beat the price. I did buy this before Costco.
5. Disney Organic Animal Cookies- I tried them once and have been addicted ever since…they are a weakness Did not buy before Costco

22 Emily // 2009.08.17 at 2:25 pm

Coastal Cheese – it’s the best Sharp Cheddar I’ve ever had. We go through about a block of it a week… works great for everything from cheese and crackers to homemade macaroni and cheese.
Kirkland Signature Organic Milk – it tastes delicious and you can’t beat the price
Kirkland Signature Parmesan Cheese (the block, not the container) – It’s the real deal, very high end and delicious (I love cheese!).
Produce – high quality and best prices. Everything from standard Fuji apples to more unique items like chanterelle mushrooms
Seafood – can’t beat their Seafood road show prices on Lobster and Crab for special occasions
Only five?… I could go on and on!

23 Emily // 2009.08.17 at 2:29 pm

PS. I bought all these things before shopping at Costco, but not nearly as often since the prices were much higher than Costco (and the Kirkland signature brand items were obviously a different brand).

24 Pat P. // 2009.08.17 at 3:01 pm

1) Freshlooks contact lenses.
2) Gift cards/tickets (movie tickets, Starbucks, carwash, etc.)
3) Kirkland Signature Japanese Green Tea (by Ito-en, box of 100 individual tea bags). I’m a major tea drinker and would splurge big time for quality tea. This is a very good sencha for a good price.
4) Clear Care contact lenses cleaning solution (I go through this stuff pretty quickly, so Costco saves me money)
5) Pond’s Cleansweep

I only bought items #1 and 4 elsewhere before I regularly buy them at Costco now.

25 Brooke // 2009.08.17 at 3:26 pm

Stacy’s pita chips – I had never bought these before Costco, but love them now especially with…
Sabra roasted garlic hummus – Another product I had not bought before Costco, but love immensely.
Boulevard 24 pk Unfiltered Wheat – a local product I love and have bought for years, but love that I can stock up and get a 24 pack for a great price.
Kashi Granola Bars – I love these so much and had never tried them before. The perfect on-the-go breakfast.
Izze Soda – I would never buy these anywhere but Costco. The price is so much cheaper there and I love the variety.

26 Jill // 2009.08.17 at 3:50 pm

KS bath tissue
Kashi cereal – yum!
Ziploc bags
KS laundry detergent
5-hour energy – so much cheaper at Costco!

thanks for the fun giveaway!

27 Bhuvana // 2009.08.17 at 4:00 pm

No matter how tight the budget gets, you can count on one thing… you’ll always need food. Here, then, are tips for filling your stomach without emptying your wallet. Buying in bulk usually saves a few dollars further additional coupon on the bulk items, really saves a lot of money, on the other hand nobody wants to buy food or even things for that matter, of poor quality however cheap it may be. Thats the reason i buy most of things in COSTCO.My list goes on and on…but to mention a few:
Almonds: not sure of the brand
Napkins: “Always” is the brand that i buy,
Olive oil: “Kirkland” is the brand that i buy,
Body moisturizer: “Vaseline” is the brand name,
Kitchen tissue paper:” Brawny” is the brand name.

28 Jeanette // 2009.08.17 at 5:48 pm

I love Costco!It’s like Disneyland for adults!

My favorite Costco buys include:

Kirkland bottled water
Bounty paper towels
Kleenex
Costco gas
Kirkland laundry detergent

29 Robyn // 2009.08.17 at 7:12 pm

My top purchases include, and have included in the past:

1. Diapers, Wipes, and baby formula: You can’t beat the Costco price!! It was worth the two and a half hour drive to my nearest Costco *just* to stock up on these items alone when my son needed these things. I still buy wipes at Costco because I use them for lots of things. I *loved* it especially when there were coupons involved.

2. Big bags of frozen chicken breast and hamburger patties: Again, price and convenience. You can’t match the price for these locally at all, and since I travel to Costco for lots of things, it isn’t too difficult to justify bringing a cooler of ice along to stuff these babies in too.

3. Huge bags of tillamook shredded cheddar: Shredding your own cheese is the devil. I hate it! I love that I can buy a huge bag of pre-shredded cheese for not much more than a couple of pounds would be *on sale* at the local grocery store. Bonus: I store it in the freezer and it lasts forever–it’s easy to parse out as needed.

4. Gift certificates: I only wish there were more choices available! I have purchased Sees, Starbucks, Harry and David’s, and the Disney passes (even though they technically aren’t “gift” certificates, they are a total deal!) as well as iTunes. I love getting more for my money, even if I have to buy upfront in larger quantities than I may normally.

5. Housewares: From furniture to kitchen gadgets to storage solutions, most of it I pick up at Costco on coupons. I LOVE IT!! Can’t beat the price anywhere else.

What can I say? I love Costco. I know if they had one closer to me I’d buy everything there–it’s just much easier and the price is usually right.

30 brenda // 2009.08.17 at 8:35 pm

Tyson’s frozen boneless chicken breasts. I never bought them before Costco.
Hebrew National Hot dogs. Couldn’t afford them at the grocery store.
Kirkland butter. Had to buy the cheap margarine at my grocery store.
Ziplock food storage bags. Couldn’t afford them, even at Target.
Aleve. I wouldn’t buy Aleve if I had to pay full price at another store.

31 Saige // 2009.08.17 at 8:53 pm

1. Smart Water: My husband does intensive physical training for work and needs water + electrolytes to stay hydrated. Since he doesn’t want the taste or extra sugar from something like Gatorade, this water is perfect. We buy it at Costco simply for the price – 12 bottles for $9.79, and right now it’s on coupon for $1.50 off so I bought five cases to stock up. He bought it for the first time at a grocery store (to try a couple bottles) but now we exclusively purchase at Costco.

2. Kirkland Free & Clear Laundry Detergent: Before we had children, I was a Tide girl. After our baby came a couple years ago and we needed to find a detergent that did not have added scents or dyes, we tried out the Kirkland brand and love it. Won’t ever go back. Plus, it’s cheaper than what we were buying before, and especially cheaper than something like Dreft that is marketed specifically for babies clothing.

3. Amy Lu Sausage: We don’t go without the Apple & Gouda version in our house. They are delicious and make a very quick breakfast, lunch or dinner. We didn’t try it before tasting at Costco.

4. Broccoli (fresh in produce section). We buy two bags a week from Costco. We obviously have a thing for broccoli. For $3.79/bag you can’t beat the price and it’s always fresh.

5. Kirkland Egg Whites. Used to be called Egg Starts – basically the “Egg Beaters” by Kirkland. They are delicious and are wonderful in an omelet with the above two items I mentioned. I did buy this before (at the grocery store) but you can’t beat Costco’s price here.

32 Teresa // 2009.08.17 at 8:58 pm

My top Costco purchases:

1. The Costco shrimp platters, which are a fabulous value. My husband loves these…..if I’m lucky, I’ll get a shrimp or two before he devours them. No reason to buy them anywhere else.

2. Costco roast chicken. Several years ago, Julia Child mentioned that she liked the roast chickens at Costco (in Saveur magazine, IIRC). They’re huge for the price…..great for multiple meals – the leftovers make great salads, soups, sandwiches…..well you can see what they do with them at Costco! Costco is the one and only place I’ll buy roast chickens.

3. LaBrea Bakery multi-grain bread. I used to buy these at another grocery store, but I cannot bring myself to do that anymore because I can get two loaves at Costco for just about 50 cents more than one loaf elsewhere. It’s a great hearty bread – use it for sandwiches & morning toast.

4. Kirkland unsalted butter. I used to buy a name brand at the local grocery store when it was on sale, but now I just buy these. Great flavor, just like the name brand. I do a lot of baking, so it’s handy to have a few pounds in the fridge.

5. The Costco hot dogs at the snack bar. My absolute fav!!!!! I LOVE hot dogs, but usually find them too scary to buy anyplace else, unless I’m buying a whole package and can see the ingredients list. The Costco ones can’t be beat (though I preferred the Kosher ones they used to have).

33 Omar J // 2009.08.17 at 9:04 pm

1- Kirkland Signature Laundry Detergent; it’s “Environmentally Friendly” and does a fantastic job cleaning the laundry.

2- Kirkland Signature 100% Colombian Coffee (3-lb canister); best tasting premium coffee and is at a surprisingly affordable price.

3- Costco’s Take & Bake 5-Cheese Pizza; ready in 10-15 minutes at home and tastes as good as, if not better, than the best cheese pizza out there.

4- Laughing Cow Low-Fat Multi-pack Cheese; the kids love them and they are great for snacking, especially at this price.

5- Kirkland Milk; we use both skim (for the wife and I) and 2% for the kids. Best taste, consistency, very convenient, and best price found anywhere.

Except for the LC cheese, we never bought the items as much as we do now because of both price and quality.

34 Linda M // 2009.08.17 at 9:45 pm

I could easily list 20 top things from Costco, but I narrowed it to 6. I only learned about the items when I became a member. The best stuff is the house brand–Kirkland.

1. Kirkland Cat Food. It’s cheap and it’s very good quality. The first ingredient is chicken, followed by chicken meal. It’s comparable to Chicken Soup for a Cat Lover’s Soul.

2. Kirkland Normandy Vegetables. It’s easy as pie to heat. I stick it the microwave; nuke and instantly I have fulfilled my daily requirement of dietary fiber.

3. Svedka Vodka. It’s great vodka to use as a base to make infused vodka. Plus, it’s significantly cheaper than brands like Smirnoff.

4. Kirkland Signature Vodka. It’s great stuff. It’s comparable to Grey Goose at a fraction of the price. Really premium stuff.

5. The Costco freshly baked bread. I love the garlic bread is phenomenal b/c it’s chock-ful of garlic; crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The texture and taste is fabulous.

6. The Costco freshly baked pumpkin pie that comes out during Thanksgiving. It is indescribably delicious. The texture and taste is amazing. YUM. I’m salivating now.

35 Valerie // 2009.08.17 at 11:02 pm

1. KS baby wipes – These wipes are excellent and I can’t beat the price and convenience. Its a good deal everyday. No need for coupon clipping or watching the sales circulars.

2. Hot dog and soda. I can bribe my hubby into shopping with me by promising I’ll buy him a hot dog.

3. Palermos frozen pizza. I get 5Cheese or Margharita. Its an excellent deal considering that a single mediocre frozen pizza costs over $5 at the grocery store. I did not start eating these until I discovered them at Costco

4. Frozen burger patties (KS). Very tasty, cooks fast and lasts forever.

5. KS kitchen trash bags. The box is huge and they are way cheaper than everywhere else. I haven’t bought trash bags since April.

Since most of these are Kirkland Signature products, I did not use them prior to Costco.

36 Darla Baerg // 2009.08.17 at 11:31 pm

Here’s what I buy:

1. Kirkland Laundry detergent
2. Chicken Pasta Trianges (in the refrigerated section in front of the meat)
3. Spinach Pasta Triangles (in freezer section)
4. Laughing Cow cheese for my kids school lunches
5. Kirkland Trail Mix – yummo!!!

37 Peter // 2009.08.17 at 11:57 pm

1. Jarlsberg cheese. Makes a mean grilled cheese sandwich. Price per pound is much cheaper than compared to the supermarkets.

2. Kirkland canned Sockeye Salmon. Excellent substitute when the fresh wild salmon is not available.

3. Cal Eggs 24 XL eggs. Inexpensive high quality eggs are why they are a must have during my weekly Costco runs.

4. Costco rotisserie chicken. It’s convenient for when you don’t want to cook anything and just want to dig into something freshly roasted. It’s funny how they raised the price from $4.99 to $6.50, then dropped it back to $4.99 but use smaller chickens now.

5. Odwalla O.J. Because it really is the closest to tasting like fresh squeezed. The Tropicana stuff still tastes watered down compared to the Oldwalla O.J.

I’d toss in gasoline too but don’t know if that’s against the rules of the game.

38 Judy // 2009.08.18 at 12:23 am

I shop a LOT at Costco. I’m a sucker for impulse buys so I buy various things all the time. But these I listed below are the most frequent stuff that I buy.

1) Pack of Romaine Hearts (Not sure of brand, it varies): I buy these every two weeks. They are cheap and makes me look like I eat healthy all the time but in reality I have two guinea pigs that are the ones who goes through these like crazy!
2)Foster Farms Frozen Grilled Chicken Strips: I am too lazy to defrost and cook raw chicken. I work full time and go to school so when I’m hungry, I’m HUNGRY and don’t have time to really “cook” so these things are perfect! Sometimes I will just heat these with lemon pepper (costco), mr yoshida sauce (costco) or make them into a quesadilla with my massive bag of shredded cheese (also from costco).
3)Dozen pack of Bagels (Einstein Bros brand where I live): They taste awesome and they freeze well so I don’t waste them. I just defrost in the microwave and eat them with individual packets of Philiadelphia cream cheese (also from Costco);
4)Kirkland Brand Juice Two Packs: I buy pretty much all the flavors. Cranberry-Raspberry, Cranberry-Grape and the new Apple, Peach, Passion Fruit ones. They are 100% juice, tastes great, cheap and huge! I also turn them into popsicles once in a while. And if you fill a used bottle with water and freeze it, it makes a giant disposable ice block which acts as a cooler if you are on a mini road trip or planning a picnic at the beach.
5)Tampons (Tampax Pearl): I’m a girl. Enough said.

39 Judy // 2009.08.18 at 12:26 am

Oh yea, I forgot to add, I did not normally buy this stuff before I shopped at Costco. Costco made it the better deal so that is why I buy them now. Otherwise, they’d be expensive at a normal supermarket.

40 Clue // 2009.08.18 at 12:27 am

I have to choose only FIVE? Oh the agony!! What to choose, what to skip over? sigh!

All right, okay, just don’t make me rank them in order, because that would just be too cruel and impossible of a task!

~ Kirkland Chocolate Macadamia Caramel Clusters — Sweet, salty, smooth and crunchy. These incredible morsels have it all! What’s not to love here? i will make a special trip to Costco just for these, since they cannot be found anywhere else.

~ Coaches Oats Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies – flavorful, soft, chewy and loaded with oats. A nice alternative to some higher calories, less healthful snacks.

~California Style Gardenburgers ~ these brown rice and veggie burgers are a flavorful, nutritional nirvana. They’re low in fat and high in fiber with a whole slew of vitamins and minerals, so my 16 year old dog has been thriving on these almost exclusively since her near-fatal bout with pancreatitis 5 months ago. If Costco quits carrying these, I will cry, as I cannot find them elsewhere reliably and it will likely be the end of my dear, sweet old dog!!!

~Milton’s Plus Whole Grain Bread — I have waxed poetic about his bread previously on this blog. It has a hearty, slightly sweet flavor that makes for incredible toast and/or sandwiches. No high fructose corn syrup and plenty fo whole grains. This is THE bread of life! I have enjoyed Milton’s Breads for years, but can only find this awesome variety at Costco.

~ Pirate’s Booty, White Cheddar Chsses, Double-pack –Not only is this stuff soooo good, but it’s also all natural, cholesterol free, gluten free, has no trans fats and is Kosher! Eat it like popcorn…it’s better for your dental work! I have lg enjoyed Pirates Booty as a rare and pricey treat, but since Costco has been carrying it, I can easily justify the cost of the two huge bags in the double pack…every shopping trip I make at Costco!

Okay, that’ s my list. Now see? The microfiber towels, the fresh pastas and pesto, the Pita Pals Hummus, the Big Bark Bakery natural Dog Biscuits, the fresh deli spinach salads and the flank steaks Florentine, among many others, are all feeling unloved and left out. I’m sorry, beloved product-friends! I will make it up to you and buy all of you tomorrow, for sure, I promise!!

41 Tracey // 2009.08.18 at 3:31 am

I absolutely love Costco and shop there every week. Looking back, I realize that I always buy the same “necessities”:

Boca Burgers – This large box of 16 quarter-pound veggie burgers is a terrific value because each burger is actually 25% larger than the ones sold in the supermarket. Yes, I purchased these before, but I now enjoy them much more often.

Healthy Choice Fudge Bars – Once again, each of these delicious ice cream bars is 25% larger than their supermarket counterparts. Plus, a large box of 18 big bars is only $9.69 at Costc0 – versus $4 for a box of only 6 smaller bars. That’s half the price for more than twice the product! And no, I didn’t buy these before discovering them at Costco – but now I’m addicted!

Damascus Bakery Roll-Ups – These high-fiber, high-protein, low-calorie wraps are the best tasting wraps I’ve ever tried! They’re thicker than tortillas, have a square shape that holds much more filling, and provide a “breadier” fullness for more satisfaction. I never even saw these before Costco, so these are one of my greatest Costco discoveries.

Norseland Light Jarlsberg Cheese Slices – These 50-calorie, low-fat cheese slices are so flavorful and satisfying that you’d never know this was “light” cheese. They melt beautifully and have that signature nuttiness that all good Swiss-family cheeses possess. The convenient slices make them ideal for topping a sandwich, folding on crackers, or grabbing slice after slice straight from the fridge! I never bought these before Costco because 2 pounds of such high quality cheese can cost a fortune at the supermarket deli counter, but now I buy them every time I shop.

Acme Smoked Salmon – This is the best smoked salmon I have ever had – and I have lived on bagels and Nova my entire life! The rich flavor, rosy color, silky slices and perfect brinyness could challenge any New York deli – and it turns out that Acme actually supplies the smoked fish to may of the oldest and greatest deli’s in New York! And the price of $10.69 per pound is unbelievable, especially since my local bagel place charges $28 a pound for Nova that doesn’t even compare! I tell everybody to buy this, and they’re always grateful they did. And while I’ve always bought smoked salmon, I’ve never had access to this superior Acme brand until I found it at Costco. Another winner for Costco!

42 Maria S // 2009.08.18 at 8:50 am

Only five??? you’re kidding? Oh- and Thanks Tracey – I’ll try the Smoked Salmon.

1. Rice Works Gourmet, Sea Salt Brown Rice Crisps. Crispy, salty cracker & potato chip substitute. Way too expensive elsewhere but especially with this months coupon – I’m stocking up. Also GLUTEN FREE! Since I’m allergic to wheat, these things are a godsend and go very well with the Garlic and Herb cheese spread or hummas they also carry!
BC – I had given up on finding a wheat-free munchie that actually tasted good – other than potato chips.

2. Kirkland Environmentally Friendly Laundry Detergent and Dish Soap (okay that’s two) I love the Eco friendly since I live one block from Lake Erie – Our storm drains fall directly into the lake and you can see the equipment that draws our drinking water out (it gets purified of course) but these two products are a no brainer. Also – I love the scent and the Dish Soap doesn’t ruin my sensitive hands even after a long day of cooking and washing without a dishwasher!
BC- I was a Dawn and Wisk/Tide girl. Dawn started messing with too many anti-bacterial and ‘power’ formulas that damaged my hands. Switching to other Eco-friendly were too expensive.

3. Produce section Big-Bag-O-Garlic – I take them out of the bag and put them in a brown paper bag so they last.
BC – I bought less because they’d sprout, never taste the same (sometimes too sweet, sometimes too bitter) or simply lacked quality in the store! These babies are great – I use a lot more now! Hubby loves my Chicken with 40 cloves. I roast it and add it homemade hummas and dips. It is simply a great addition to my kitchen ‘toolkit’.

4. KS Butter. Always cheaper and fresher than the grocery stores. I have a small business and also bake for friends and family so I use a lot of butter. The solid pounds (although I’d prefer unsalted) are so much fresher at Costco because they move off the shelves.
BC – Bought at grocery or Amish farmer’s market.

5. KS Sea Salt. Sounds goofy huh? I use different kinds of salts Kosher, fine Sea, course Sea. Fine Sea Salt that doesn’t lump up without additives is surprisingly hard to find and quite expensive. This stuff is AWESOME and incredibly cheap – yes I said CHEAP not inexpensive! I bought one for my Mom who lives 3 hours away with no Costco.
BC- I ordered from Amazon.

Also – KS Batteries (BC Duracell), Roasted Soybeans (on salads!) BC -never!), Candy bars, bagels, 25lb bags of flour, sugar, brown sugar, KS Olive Oil, Milk, Frozen Whole Green Beans (OMG these are great!), KS Shreded Asiago (I vac seal small packs and freeze it), Milk, Sour Cream, I could go on and on but I’ll leave you with one more…

Veggie Burgers… I can’t remember the name I rewrap and freeze but they are not those cardboard tasting, mock-meat burger things – these are wonderful patties made of bits of many veggies that taste WONDERFUL! PUT DOWN THAT BOCA and try these!!

43 Rian // 2009.08.18 at 10:44 am

Well, it’s definitely hard to pick 5 because there are those things I always buy for necessity, and then there are those fun impulse purchases…I guess my list would have to be a combination of both…

1.) Tillamook reserve sharp white cheddar…the big block in the black wrapper. We jokingly say that the Costco membership is worth it just for that!!

2.) Kirkland Signature Supreme diapers…yes, this one definitely falls into the ‘necessity’ category!

3.) Similac Advance Formula…another ‘necessity’ but is much cheaper than anywhere else

4.) Fingerling potatoes when they have them….though the brands change and sometimes they are better than other times.

5.) For a splurge, anything from the Seafood Roadshow (usually the King Crab legs!)

Additional musts for us – KS Olive Oil, Frosted Mini-Wheats, fresh mozzerella….

44 terese // 2009.08.18 at 10:53 am

1. El Presidente (?) Feta Cheese. I buy the big block, divide it up and freeze the sections. At the grocery store, you pay the same for a tiny 4 or 6 block as you do for this giant block.
2. Aunt Safie’s Pickled Beets ( local to our Michigan store-nice to buy local at a great price)
3. Bag O’ Frozen Kirkland Chicken Breastesses
4. Kirkland Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5. Bag O’ Tortillas (not sure of brand name) comes 36 in a package. I divide them and freeze them.

45 Dan // 2009.08.18 at 11:22 am

1 – tillamook cheese, bothe the sliced Med. Chedder and the block Sharp….Best prices anywhere
2- Pork Butts – The double cryovac are awesome perfect for the smoker
3- Kirkland Environmentally Friendly Laundry Detergent, best price to performance
4- Kirkland Signature Balsamic Vinegar of Modena – Great price and excellent taste
5- Kirkland Garlic Bread – A great guilty pleasure

46 island_girl // 2009.08.18 at 12:51 pm

Wow. Just 5? We buy 80-90% of what we consume at Costco – because of price and because it is the only place we can get many of the items. I may have to group in categories Does the food court count??

1) Produce. No one can beat their price and quality on produce – not even the roadside stands.
2) Meat. The quality of the meat is far superior than anywhere else on the island.
3) Cleaning supplies. We have been wanting some “Fantastic” for 2 years – and finally Costco is stocking it.
4) Contacts and glasses. Best price around.
5) Tires – again, not a frequent purchase – but it’s alone a reason to have the membership.

47 Jessica // 2009.08.18 at 1:51 pm

We are on a very strict budget so the only things we buy every trip to Costco are;

1 Milk! You cannot beat the Kirkland milk price and taste. The fat free milk almost tastes like whole milk, very creamy and yummy.

2 Bread! Kirkland split top wheat bread. nice cheap price and the bread can last for weeks w/o getting moldy.

3 Cheese! The Kirkland 5lb cheese slices. You save a few dollars by not getting the Kraft ones and I just split the stacks up and wrap into freezer paper, then tin foil. That cheese can keep fro months like that in the fridge.

4 Kirkland lamb and rice dog food. It’s cheap and a REALLY nice quality of food! Much better than comparably prices brand elsewhere.

5 Dog beds! We get the huge Kirkland dog bed that smell like cedar. They are gigantic. We have 2 pups and 8 beds. Under $20 and so cheap that if one gets messed up sometimes it’s just easier to get another one then to wash it. Anywhere else these sized beds would be $60 each. There’s the membership fee right there!

48 Jessica // 2009.08.18 at 1:56 pm

and yes I bought dog food, milk, cheese, bread, beds all before shopping at Costco

49 Carol // 2009.08.18 at 2:01 pm

Top Five purchases always at my Costco:
1 Avacados the very best
2 King Crab Legs marvelous (all of the fresh fish)
3 Kirkland Butter
4 Lamb from the meat counter the loin chops terrific
5 KS Toliet paper tops on the market.
I have bought these items in lots of top name grocery stores. Nothing
is as cheap and doesnt surpase the quality of Costco.

50 Ana // 2009.08.18 at 2:20 pm

The following are just some of my top purchases at Costco:

1. The Rotisserie Chicken- great taste and price!

2. Fish selection and freshness.

3. Clorox Wipes-awesome price for quantity.

4. The Chiken Breast-Love the fact that they are individually wrapped, therefore, save money and time.

5. KetelOne Vodka-Like everything else great price.

There is one request I would love to make and that is to bring back Uncle Ben Rice. I used to trave a distance to buy it at the only store that Costco stocked it until it was also discontinued.

Thank you for the research and commitment made by Costco in order to get the best prices for the Costco members.

51 Jan I // 2009.08.18 at 4:12 pm

Correction (I forgot to comment on each in the previous entry, so I hope this one is accepted as my entry):

1. Frozen Steak Flautas – Don Miguel. These are crispy, tasty, and easy to pop in the oven and have a perfect appetizer. Haven’t found frozen elsewhere
2. Frozen Spanakopita – Not sure of brand; I bought several EXCELLENT trays last Christmas. (My husband lived in Cyprus for 6 years and he KNOWS Greek food and says these were wonderful and almost as good as his ex-Mother in law’s). Haven’t found frozen elsewhere
3. Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels – Anderson. (These should come with a label “WARNING: Tasting may be habit-forming”). CVS makes a similar, but not as tasty product (in my opinion)
4. Rosemary Olive or Sourdough Fresh Breads – Kirkland. (I think they make these in-house, and the breads are excellent and FRESH). Costco isn’t located close by, so if we can’t get there, we like Randalls, Whole Foods, or Central Market
5. Garden Veggie Straws – World Gourmet – (crispy, salted lightly, made from potatoes, spinach, and tomatoes and only 4 calories each). Haven’t found locally

52 Dan // 2009.08.18 at 6:34 pm

Wow, insanely difficult to choose only five. But here goes nuthin’:

1) Kirkland whole bean espresso, produced by Starbucks – Great quality & value. In the past, we bought beans from Starbucks stores, which was great quality but too expensive. Then we bought Members Mark beans from Sam’s Club, which was great price but tasted terrible. This is the best of both worlds.

2) Garden Fresh Hummus (the one that comes with the 4 toppers) – Getting harder and harder to find in stock, but it’s better than Sabra (pretty solid) and Tribes (feh). I haven’t found it anywhere else. I used to buy Sabra wherever it’s cheapest – often at my local supermarket on sale – and now that I can’t find the superior Garden Fresh, I’m back to Sabra again.

3) Kirkland Rotisserie Chicken – Cheap, delicious, convenient. What’s not to like? I used to buy at either Target or my local supermarket.

4) Bel Gioioso Fresh Mozzarella “Pearls” – My wife loves these for the Caprese salads she makes with the basil and tomatoes from our garden, and the price is great. We used to buy Mozzarella Fresca brand at the supermarket.

5) Kirkland Organic Chocolate Milk boxes – My son didn’t like the Horizon boxes we used to buy at Sam’s. Now both of my kids like the Kirkland brand better, and it’s cheaper, too!

Thanks! Love the website!

53 TK // 2009.08.18 at 7:42 pm

There are so many things we buy from Costco. It is difficult to pick top 5. However, I will give it a shot

1) Kirkland 2% reduced fat milk: 2 gallons for $3.89. This is the best price for milk around here in San Francisco Bay Area. We love taste of this milk and also like the fact that expiration date is usually more than two weeks from the day we buy. We used to buy milk from neighborhood Safeway (Lucerne brand).

2) Costco Produce: Me and my wife love fruits and salads. We buy apples, plums, nectarines, peaches, lettuce, brocolli etc from Costco. We love the quality of the produce even though they might be expensive than local Safeway.

3)Gasoline: If you are a Costco member and don’t use their Gasoline pump to refill your vehicle, you are certainly throwing extra dollars away. Costco gas is always cheapest in the neighborhood. We make a point to fill gas in our car every time we visit (usually not on weekends). We used to buy gas from Chevron & Shell stations nearby.

4) Dry Fruits: Costco cashews drive me nuts (no pun intended). We love the taste salted cashews (Kirkland), walnuts (Kirkland), raisins (Sunmaid), edamame (Seapoint Farms) & almonds (Kirkland). We also like the fact that they are priced right and of high quality. We consider Kirkland brand to be as good as the name brands. We used to buy these things from Safeway before. We never bought edamame that often before we spotted them at Costco.

5)Alcohol: Costco has good collection of wine at affordable prices. Moreover, they also have red label, black label, Chivas Regal brand of whiskey at good prices. We buy whiskey from Costco whenever we have somebody visiting from the other side of Atlantic. Recently, we bought Kirkland signature variety beer and loved it. We will be buying those 24 pack of beer again. We used to buy alcohol from Trader Joe’s or BevMo before.

54 Susie // 2009.08.18 at 7:52 pm

1. Costco Gas. – Costco is always at least 7 to 10 cents cheaper then the station across the street from them. We pretty much buy our gas only at Costco but it helps that we live fairly close. We have purchased gas before Costco.

2.Docker’s Khaki’s – Hubby wears a lot of khaki’s and Costco has THE BEST price hands down even beats the local sales. We regularly pick up a pair. We used to shop around and only get a pair when a pair went bad but at Costco prices we pickup two or three at a time.

3. Athenos *I think* Feta Cheese, sold in blocks. – Best value EVER! I can’t believe I used to buy Feta in the little 6 oz containers. I take a block or two home cut it up into piece and put it in the freezer. So easy and I get 6 or 7 meals from one block. Although sometimes I just broil a big block and eat that! I used to buy feta in the 6 oz containers but had never bought in the larger blocks before.

4. *delmonte??* pre cut Mangos – mmm just thinking about the fresh cut mangos from Costco make me drool! They are so good. Whenever I take them to places, picnic or a party I always get asked where I found such great produce. I’ve never had a bad batch. I never bought Mangos before Costco. I tried buying them after but can never find as good as the ones that Costco carries.

5. Diet Pepsi – Even if I find Pepsi on sale locally, usually Costco beats the price. It’s even better when there is a coupon in the mailer for Pepsi products. I bought Pepsi before Costco…then after I got my membership I wised up to how cheap it is!

55 Meg // 2009.08.18 at 9:54 pm

What are the top 5 items you buy at Costco? For each item, please indicate what brand it is and what makes that product great. Did you purchase any of the top 5 before shopping at Costco?

The top 5 things I buy at Costco are:
1. Yoplait Lite yogurt — I used to buy these at the grocery store, but since I found them at Costco, and the flavors are ones I really like, I’ve switched to buying them at Costco.
2. Lever 2000 bar soap — This was my brand of choice before finding it at Costco, and still is. I like having plenty on hand and never running out.
3. Chicken and Wild Rice frozen casserole — I haven’t seen this at any other stores. It’s delicious, and I like to always have at least one in the freezer.
4. SonicCare replacement brushes — We bought our original 2-pack of SonicCare toothbrushes at Costco, and now buy the replacement heads there. The price is WAY lower than getting them at a variety or drugstore.
5. Marcona Almonds — These are delicious. ‘nuf said!

56 Rickie M // 2009.08.18 at 10:33 pm

1. Kirkland extra virgin Toscano vintage olive oil – very smooth, high quality oil at a great price. I purchased other olive oils at other stores before but this is the best value.
2. Kirkland Yogurt – Lots of fruit, tastes good, always consistent and the price is good, too. I will buy other brands of yogurt at other places if I run out of Kirkland. The quality is similar but Costco’s price is better.
3. Frozen tilipia (I think it is Trident brand.. we have none in the freezer right now because they were out of it last weekend). My wife and I both love the texture, taste and also portion size. They come individually wrapped which makes it easy to deal with and also keeps them frost-free. I’ve never bought this anywhere else.
4. Kirkland frozen shrimp – this is a real deal. I like to buy the raw 21-25 count when I can find it. They don’t carry it at my usual Costco so when I am at the “alternate” one I buy this. We also get the cooked 31-40 count. I’ve bought frozen shrimp from other stores but Costco has the best value and the quality is good.
5. La Brea Bakery breads. They’re baked fresh on the premises and they simply taste great (we get the baguettes and demi-baguettes, sometimes the ciabatta). You can buy this elsewhere but again, Costco has the best prices.

That’s just 5 of many items that I could have named!

57 Tivon // 2009.08.19 at 9:33 am

We really like to buy fresh produce at Costco, especially in the summer when they have high quality, good value berries. Almost every week we buy pepers (tri color), baby cucumbers, organic spinach and grape tomatoes as well as fruit. We also stock up routinely on bags, paper towels and detergents.

58 Tivon // 2009.08.19 at 9:43 am

Ah – should have read the rules better. OK – second try
1. Berries – many brands – we bought these before Costco but the Costco ones are much bettter in quality and price.
2. Cucumbers – we really like the Baby cucumbers avail at Costco – much better than the large ones avail at the grocery store that were frequently rotten.
3. Ling Ling Potstickers – we didn’t buy these before we tried them at Costco but now they are a staple at our house.
4. Kitchen Bags – Kirkland Brand 13 gallon bags – used to buy bags in smaller quantities at the grocery store, now get these and they are great and last forever.
5. Water – Kirkland disposable water bottles – bought other store’s brands before, but again, great price and quantity.

59 Judy // 2009.08.19 at 12:08 pm

I loved reading everyone’s Top 5! Since I’ve only been a member for seven months this gives me lots of ideas to try products that I haven’t bought yet at Costco. Since I’m the Executive Member through my employer I receive the coupon booklet in the mail. My Mother and I have been shopping together at Costco once a month since I’ve become a member. It really helps with the economy to split the cost of a lot of the products we buy. We use the coupon book to save even more. We always end our trip with a stop at the Food Court!

Case of KS .5L water bottles – We have well water but it’s not the best. This a great deal at Costco – 35 bottles instead of the usual 24 – for $3.59! Before, I would buy whatever case of water was on sale at Redner’s or Giant.

Arnold Select Multigrain Sandwich Thins – Bought this once on sale at Redner’s for $2.50 for 8 pack. Been buying at Costco for $4.29 for a 16 pack. The Sandwich Thins are so good and tasty with everything I’ve thrown in them.

Doritos – My favorite junk food ever. Costco doesn’t have Doritos every time we go but when they do I’m so happy. Had pretty much stopped buying Doritos at the grocery store because the price was too high. Costco’s price is $4.99 for a huge bag.

Santa Barbara Mango Salsa with Peach – $4.99 I’m not a fan of salsa but everyone in our large family is so we end up buying this every month. Always a big hit at birthday parties and picnics. Did not buy salsa before shopping at Costco.

Tostitos Scoops – To go with the salsa. What a great price at Costco $4.59. Just like the Doritos, too expensive at the grocery store. I also use the scoops for tuna salad, egg salad, fresh tomatoes with mozzarella melted on them and in place of a spoon when eating chili. The possibilities are endless!

60 Deb // 2009.08.19 at 9:32 pm

Top 5? Seriously? Only 5?

1. Costco Gas – the savings are amazing! I bought “other” gas previously, but Costco prices help to soften the blow.

2. Non-Fat Milk – Kirkland 2 pack. Great prices and fresh stock, the sell by dates are usually about 20 days out which is much better than the “other” brands I purchased before Costco.

3. Tillamook Sharp Cheddar – 2.5 pound block (recently upgraded by Costco from a 2 pound block). Tillamook brand was a treat before Costco (even though we live in Oregon), but now it is staple. Thank you for letting us be spoiled Costco.

4. Frigo String Cheese – We love the large package and the long range sell by dates. We are a small family and it allows us plenty of time to use the products. Before Costco we only purchased when we had a coupon, now it is unlikely you will ever find our refrigerator without these healthy and delicous snacks! We love that Costoc loves cheese!

5. Kirkland Ultra Laundry Detergent HE (Dye and Fragrance free)- This is a recent addition to our must have Costco list. We ALWAYS purchased Tide before (not from Costco), but we deceided to try it when a coupon was published. We feel in love. Thank you Costco!

I know adding one more may be considered breaking the rules but I can’t help myself:

6. Nearly Back-to-Back Costco Coupon Books for a year or two!! ! COSTCO we love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

61 Kami Wright // 2009.08.20 at 11:10 am

1. Kirkland Rotisserie Chicken – So good and much bigger than any you can get in grocery stores. I became aware of how great rotisserie chicken is because of Costco.

2. Orowheat Sandwich Thins – best price at Costco. They were available at Costco before any store in my area so Costco introduced me to them. So yummy for sandwiches, burgers, egg breakfast sandwich, turned inside out for grilled cheese and last night we used them to make little pizzas. So good!

3. Kirkland milk – Best price around. I always use milk but at this price I use more!

4. Kirkland 16.9 oz. water – I don’t think the price can be beat and the water tastes very clean. I don’t like many brands but this one I love!

5. Kirkland cheese – Again, the price. I didn’t buy pre-shredded cheese before Costco. Boy – is my life easier now!!!

62 donna // 2009.08.20 at 11:14 am

1. Costco gas- a bit cheaper and very convenient with a Costco Cash Card-one swipe and your done.

2. Fruits and vegetables. Fresh, cheap and delicious.

3. I don’t know the brand, but the double pack of Sourdough bread. So good….

4. Kirkland Ultra Laundry Detergent HE- so much cheaper than TIDE and does a great job.

5. Wine, no particular brand, but we only buy wine from Costco.

63 Lanai // 2009.08.20 at 12:50 pm

We shop at Costco for everything and nowhere else other than the occasional item(s) at Target. To have to reduce the list to five items is really tough. But here it is….

1. Kirkland Diaper Wipes – Absolutely the best.
2. Kirkland Signature Milk – $3.16 for 2 gallons!
3. Books – tons and tons of children’s books.
4. Meat- the quality is great and from what I’ve ready, they test their meat for E. Coli.
5. Kirkland Bottled Water – fantastic prices onthat.

64 bk_shopper // 2009.08.20 at 12:54 pm

1. bananas – I buy at least 2 bags every time I’m there. 1 for my parents and 1 for me. I like them because they’re cheap. I went home and weighed one bag and it was 3.5 lbs! Bought bananas outside of Costco before but it’s more expensive.
2. Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon – Used to buy the frozen ones that come individually wrapped portions but I found that sometimes they would have the fresh ones in the seafood section and I would buy those if they have them. Tastes great and easy to cook in the toaster oven. Bought these before outside but was not as fresh or cheap.
3. Coleman Organic chicken – Comes 2 in a bag. Very fresh. I buy organic whenever I can. So happy my local Costco sells many organic things. Bought organic chicken from outside like (Fairways, Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods) but not the Coleman brand.
4. Kirkland dried nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans) – I always have them at home as a snack. Tastes great and all natural. Bought these outside before but not as cheap.
5. Kirkland Organic Vanilla Soy Milk – 12 – 1 quart containers. Tastes great, not too much vanilla flavor or too sweet, better than the Silk brand. Bought Silk and Pearl organic vanilla soy milk outside before finding these at Costco.

65 Suzanne Chang // 2009.08.20 at 3:31 pm

1. Wii Games – We always check out the Wii games here before searching at the retail stores. Their prices are always lower and with Costco’s generous return policy, we can always return if if we don’t like it.

2. bananas – you can never go wrong. They’re even cheaper than the 99 cent stores.

3. frozen panko fish – very crispy and yummy! great buy! only seen it at Costco!

4. baby clothes – huge selection on name brand baby clothes! very inexpensive…$6/ an outfit usually. most of my family and friends are having babies right now, so it’s such a great deal!

5. shampoo – bulky item but great price. beats out target and walmart!

66 Andrea // 2009.08.20 at 5:04 pm

Reading others’ comments gave me a few things to look for on my next trip! In the meantime, here are my family’s 5 favorites:

1) Kirkland organic whole milk – my toddler goes through this quickly!
2) Earthbound Farm organic mixed greens – bigger package/d cheaper than Who;e Foods
3) Laughing Cow Babybel cheese wheels – my husband would always eat the entire grocery store serving before my toddler and I had any, so buying at Costco ensures there are enough for everyone
4) Pacific organic chicken broth
5) Ohana House Organic Udon Noodles – I bought these on a whim several months ago, and now they’re a family staple. Since they’re already cooked, it’s a cinch to add them to a quick veggie stirfry or to my #4 choice to make noodle soup

I also really wanted to add last year’s caramel apples to my “top 5″ but don’t remember the brand. If they have them again this year though, they’d definitely make the list!

67 Rachel // 2009.08.21 at 5:03 am

1) Costco gas – a great deal!
2) Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix salad – fresh and healthy! I can finish the whole container in no time
3) pink grapefruit – don’t know the brand, but it comes in 15 lb bags and are large and juicy
4) KS smoked salmon – great flavor, a good price; i sometimes make sushi rolls with it
5) KS frozen strawberries – great for smoothies!
and there are so many other things I buy frequently: bananas, broccoli florets, hummus…

68 Stella // 2009.08.21 at 9:05 am

MY FAVS:

1 – While shopping we order the GIANT pizza, it is baked and sliced in the deli and ready to go when we are on a short shopping trip. We love the pizza, it is tasty and is great for dinner and lunch leftovers.
2 – I love the frozen chicken breasts, they are plump and delicious grilled. Each breast is individually sealed in its own wrapper. They are modestly priced, last a long time in the freezer and are quick to thaw. In comparison to other frozen chicken breasts, these are awesome just because of the size.
3 – Speaking of chicken, you cannot go wrong withthe Costco broasted chicken. They are like chickens on steroids compaired to the grocery store broasted chickens. The meat is tender, juicy and delicious, they are cooked to perfection. not all dried out and shriveled!
4 – The prices and quantitiy for the CoQ10 and Omega 3 are very reasonable. The containers protect the vitamins and they last for months.
5- The sliced ready-to-go pineapple is to die for just because of the convenience. I have also bought a whole pineapple, which I carved with ease and found the fruit juicy and yummy.

I really appreciate Costco for the clean store they maintain. Costco doesn’t seem like just a big dirty warehouse but a welcoming shopping experience. I am currently living in Independence, MO and the employees at the 40 hwy and 291 store are always helpful and friendly. AND of course nobody can deny the little taste stations througout the store what a treat while you are shopping around!

69 Mike // 2009.08.21 at 9:19 am

1 – We LOVE the Palermos frozen Margharita pizza. At first I wasn’t going for it, there’s no meat, but the girlfriend had a coupon, so we came home with three for under $7. As much as I tried not to like it, I loved it! The crust is thin and really good, and the garlic and cheese blend makes a pizza comparable to a parlor pie! Course, I was really full cause I had to eat my words for criticizing the pizza in the first place!
2 – Since I work at home, many luches are just a quick hotdog. The buns in the bakery section are a good value for the quantity and compliment any dog. Costco frequently offers coupons for hotdogs and those are a great deal.
3 – The produce area in Costco is always inviting. During the summer we have bought tomatoes and they were delicious and so many, I was able to share a few with my parents.

70 Chesney // 2009.08.21 at 11:41 am

1. Frozen chicken – I rotate between the breast strips, thighs and whole breasts.
2. Bananas – It’s hard to beat getting that many bananas for only $1.32
3. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter – people always comment on the giant tub but we always use it up
4. Eggs – Again you can’t beat the price on those anywhere
5. Kirkland Pesto – This is the most recent addition to my regular list. It tastes great and is so easy to add to pasta or chicken.

71 Dustin // 2009.08.21 at 10:08 pm

1. Ribeye steaks. $6.99/lb and are 1″+ thick each!!
2. Whole pineapples. Sweet and tasty, so good we bought an extraction tool thing.
3. Tortillaland tortillas – best refrigerated tortilla…..if you can find them.
4. Grana Padano parmesan cheese blocks. Best price for an imported item like this and its really good.
5. Kirkland Signature dishsoap. 1 drop is enough to do a small/medium load.

I cant think of anyting we have bought there we did not like, I could have put 100+ items in this list.

72 Fred // 2009.08.21 at 11:16 pm

1. Bananas. They are cheap, fresh and great tasting. A bunch lasts for 4 or 5 days. When they get over, its time for visit to Costco again. Never bought them anywhere else as Costco price beats all super markets.
2. Kirkland Skimmed Milk gallon. We buy our milk from ALDI or Costco, which ever we are visiting. ALDI’s milk is a bit cheaper.
3. Kirkland Organic Soy Milk. Its great tasting, lactose free, calcium enriched and low sugar-cane sugar(No Corn Sugar or High Fructose Corn Syrup). Never bought soymilk anywhere else because Costco price is unbeatable.
4. Kirkland All Natural, Multigrain slice bread. Cheap and delicious. It is gluten free and has no high fructose corn syrup(which most whole wheat bread have). I bought these before from ALDI and other super markets but all other brands have high fructose corn syrup. The whole idea of eating whole grain or whole wheat bread is to eat healthy. High fructose corn syrup is no healthy.
5. Honeynut Cheerios cereal. I have been buying Cheerios from Costco since forever. I never even think of buying from the super markets as they are unbelievably expensive, even with manufacturer coupons. Amazingly, the 2 Costco’s in my area have different prices for Cheerios. We compare both Costco’s and buy from the cheaper one.

Besides these top five, we purchase a lot of other stuff from Costco. It all depends on the coupons, sale or requirements. We usually shop around before buying anything expensive. Most of the times, Costco beats all other stores. Sometimes Costco price maybe a bit more then others but the product will have some added accessories or bonus items which make the deal irresistible. I am also happy to see more and more health conscious food and environmentally friendly products available here.

74 Brenda // 2009.08.22 at 1:26 pm

1. TV Ears – These are wonderful to use at night when I need the TV sound to be muted for my husband to sleep.
2. Kirkland Paper Towels – Super absorbant and I love the large sheets.
3. Fresh Pizza – Can’t beat that $9.99 price and they are so yummy.
4. Rotisserie Chicken – I usually buy two of these so I can use the extra one in a chicken pot pie the next day.
5. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee – Tantalizing aroma and tastes so good.

75 Brenda // 2009.08.22 at 1:41 pm

Re: my earlier comment (#74)
(Indicate whether or not I purchased these items before I found them at Costco)
1. My first set of TV Ears came from my ENT office. Second set was purchased at a much cheaper price at Costco.
2. I used to buy Bounty towels at Sam’s Club before I discovered the Kirkland brand.
3. Costco’s pizza is much better than the pizza I used to order from Papa John’s.
4. I used to buy my rotisserie chicken at Sam’s Club. Costco is much tastier.
5. I now buy my coffee beans at Costco. Better price and better taste than what I had bought at Sam’s Club.

76 Emily // 2009.08.22 at 2:01 pm

1. Aidell’s Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs – this is an absolute staple in our house! I would be heartbroken if they stopped selling it
2. Pasta Prima Spinach & Mozzarella Ravioli – my 3 year old loves these, and it was a great way to introduce her to spinach
3. Ming’s All Natural Chicken Potstickers – again, another staple, the kid loves these, in fact, it was her lunch request on her first day of school
4. Kirkland Toilet Paper – great thickness, not too thin, and not too thick, perfect!
5. Kirkland Baby Wipes – best baby wipes ever, durable, and scent-free

I could go on and on!

77 Emily // 2009.08.22 at 2:09 pm

re: my comment above – didn’t buy any of those items before joining Costco.

78 Diane U. // 2009.08.22 at 2:47 pm

Wow – OK I will try my best to narrow it down…..

1. Kirkland free and clear Laundry detergent. With a new baby, we use this instead of pricy Dreft. Our little guy has never had an issue. Before Costco, I always bought what was on sale, now I always buy this! The 110 load bottle lasts us a while – even doing daily loads!

2. Kirkland Baby Wipes. Again, we have found these to be indispensible with a new baby! It’s our first child so we did not find ourselves buying these before Costco.

3. Finlandia Munster Cheese Slices. We always get these every time. They make amazing grilled cheese sandwiches – and my husband uses it every days in his sandwiches for work. We did buy cheese before – just not this brand or kind.

4. Egglands Best Eggs. Great taste, Great price! Again – we bought eggs before Costco, but I bought by price and never really cared about the brand. Now I’m spoiled.

5. Kirkland signature Multigrain 100% natural bread. So yummy, 100% whole grain, and no corn syrup. What a great price! I did buy Nature’s Own before, and this is similar, now I only buy this.

That’s only the tip of the iceberg!

79 Julie B // 2009.08.22 at 3:05 pm

We too are addicted to Costco. Members since 1988 at the original store in Seattle.
1- Kirkland Signature Towels–strong-large rolls.
2-Kirkland Signature Toilet Paper–2 ply-soft-large rolls.
3-Kirkland Signature Fat Free Milk–taste is great–always fresh–enjoyed the long relationship with Wilcox farms, but this milk is great also.
4-Books–excellent price on all books–new titles every week–go by this area every week.
5-Fresh fruit–all the fruit is excellent–strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupes, etc.

I could go on and on.

80 Erich D. // 2009.08.22 at 3:33 pm

Vegetarian/ Earth Friendly Top Five:

1) Marcal Small Steps bath tissue and paper towels. My wife has convinced the school she works for to make the switch from traditional paper products to recycled products. It helps that these cost less or marginally more than the conventional alternatives in CostCo.

2) Kirkland Signature Environmentally friendly multipurpose cleaner and dish soap. Both do a fantastic job. I only wish that the spray bottle nozzle for the multipurpose cleaner stayed attached to the bottle; it’s rather frustrating.

3) Back to Nature Litter Purrfect. This is the best kitty litter we have ever used. My mom, who cat sit for us for a couple of weeks even noticed the difference.

4) Sabra hummus. Delicious and nutritious.

5)Morning Star breakfast patties. We can’t start our weekend morning without them. Yum.

We used to buy a many more Vegetarian items, but CostCo has the habit of discontinuing what we like. We are forced to find these at the usual Specialty Markets, at much higher prices. Things like firm Tofu, meat alternatives, soups… and what happened to Soy Sauce (not strictly vegetarian, I know)?

81 Colleen // 2009.08.22 at 9:33 pm

1. Six-pack of romaine hearts (brand varies by week): The lettuce is usually very fresh and lasts a long time in the fridge. One heart is just right for a side salad for 3-4 people at dinner. Also, the price is great at 50 cents a head. I rarely bought these before finding the big packs at Costco.

2. Bananas (brand varies, but usually Del Monte I think): The price is the best I’ve found on bananas. I can usually find a green bunch and a nearly ripe bunch to keep us stocked with bananas for the week. I did not buy bananas very often before finding them to be such a steal at Costco.

3. Skim milk two-gallon pack (Kirkland brand): We buy milk every week as well. It’s the lowest price in town, plus I appreciate the more efficient packaging that makes it both less expensive and more environmentally friendly. I did buy skim milk regularly before Costco, but I didn’t go through so much before.

4. Two-pound block of mild or medium cheddar cheese (Kirkland brand): Again, we choose this product for the great price. It works well in recipes. I bought cheese at the grocery store before finding this product at Costco, but now I chiefly buy this.

5. Fiber One original cereal: Fiber One cereal costs way more at the regular grocery store, so I never bought it until Costco started carrying it. It’s incredibly high in fiber, which is why we like it.

82 c.c. // 2009.08.22 at 11:57 pm

What are the top 5 items you buy at Costco? For each item, please indicate what brand it is and what makes that product great. Did you purchase any of the top 5 before shopping at Costco?

1. Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches. Low fat, delicious, and not heavy on the calories per serving. Never purchased them before shopping at Costco.

2. Kirkland Signature Brand Toilet Paper. Good quality stuff at a reasonable price. Always went with Charmin or whatever before shopping at Costco.

3. Kirkland Signature Maintenance Cat Food. It’s cheap and my cats positively thrive on it. In general the cost of cat food is pretty darn outrageous; this makes it reasonable. I bought all kinds of crazy crap for my cats before I discovered this.

4. Meat, yeah, meat. Costco’s meat is uniformly excellent, from the hamburger to the steaks to the pork, lamb and fish. It’s fresh and priced right. I hardly buy meat anywhere else anymore.

5. Pumpkin Pie. A seasonal, but nothing like it. And that season is almost here! Of course I bought pumpkin pies elsewhere in life but they can’t touch Costco’s pie with a ten foot pole.

Honorable mention: fish sticks, but haven’t seen them for a while.

In short, most of the stuff at Costco I’d never tried before. But it almost goes without saying anymore that any Kirkland Signature brand is usually worth trying.

83 Lin // 2009.08.23 at 12:58 am

1. Centrum Silver- Large quantity, cheap prices – make great gifts for seniors

2. Kotex Lightdays – Comes in 3 boxes of 66 liners, the price is a great deal in comparison to those offered by other stores.

3. Kirkland Milk – Inexpensive high quality eggs are why they are a must have during my weekly Costco runs.

4. Kirkland rotisserie chicken – My Dad’s absolutely favorite product from Costco.It’s convenient for when you don’t want to cook anything and just want to dig into something freshly roasted. It’s funny how they raised the price from $4.99 to $6.50

5. Renu Multiplus Multi-purpose Contact Lens Solution – Comes in two 16 oz bottles, a 2oz travel size bottle, and two contact lenses. For someone as particular about contact lens solution as myself and who goes through a couple of bottles a year, stocking up at Costco provides the most cost-saving alternative

84 Steve // 2009.08.23 at 4:29 am

Top 5 I thought of at this minute:
1) Costco gas – of course I’ve bought this elsewhere previously, but the price at Costco is as good or better than anywhere in the area.
2) Goodrich tires – Also bought elsewhere previously, but the total price and service at Costco can’t be beat especially when using a coupon.
3) Costco hot dog and soft drink combo – yes, bought elsewhere but the value at this price can’t be beat.
4) Costco rotisserie chicken – Seems like Costco was in on this trend pretty early – still taste great at a great value.
5) Various electronics e.g. iVoice ipod speakers – yes I’ve bought electronics elsewhere but even with the new return policy it’s still the best place to buy.

85 Gerry // 2009.08.23 at 10:19 am

Tough to prioritize. I’ve been shooping at Costco since it was Price Club. My spouse does most of the shopping, but Im look forward to my occasional forays into our local mothership.

1.) Oxiclean – did not use this prior to seeing it at Costco. Agree with the Author’s latest review.
2.) KS 100% Coloubian Coffee – was a Chock Full o’ Nuts fan until this brand changed my coffee habits. I buy it for work & everyone there thinks it is great!
3.) Coatco Roast Chicken – I’m not a chicken fan, but look forward to the roaster when it arrives. Good for two dinners & several lunches for 2 to 3 people.
4.) Bounty Paper Towels – Civil War broke out at our household. I’m a KS paper towel fan. Senior Management won out.
5.) KS Docusate Sodium 100 mg (200 x 2 pack) – Cheap & (keeps me) cheerful. “Nuff said!!!

86 Elspeth // 2009.08.23 at 10:41 am

Senior Management’s turn to speak. I spell better than my spouse.

1.) Garafalo Bufala Mozzarella – Best product price & quality wise. Beats the brands I used to buy at gourmet cheese shops.
2.) Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion – I bought this before, but anxiously await the coupon for this item to stock up. Exellent price even without the coupon.
3.) Reynolds Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil (150 Sq. Feet) – Cannot find this quality product anywhere in this size. Not only heavy duty, but also extra big.
4.) Dixie Paper Plates – Again, top quality. Sturdy.
5.) KS Balsamic Vinegar & KS Extra Virgin Olive Oil (tie) – Fantastic with the Mozzarella above. Product better than the same items at Trader Joe’s or Whole Check in both price & quality.

87 Gerry // 2009.08.23 at 11:05 am

Update for Gerry & Elspeth:

Gerry
3.) Did not purchase roast chicken before Costco.
4.) Used paper towels before, but always buy at Costco now.
5.) Bought at local chain drug store before, but only at Costco now due to price.

Elspeth
2.) Bought before at local chain drug store.
3.) Bought before at local supermarket, but not in the size at Costco.
4.) Bought before at local supermarket.
5.) Bought before at stores listed or gourmet shop.

Both of us agree that Costco has introduced us to a number of quality products (mozzarella) that we use on a regular basis. We would have not considered these products if we were not introducted to them at Costco.

88 mwhistle // 2009.08.23 at 1:33 pm

My top five

1. Boskovich Farms 2.5 lb bag of fresh spinach – great value for making green smoothies
2. Seattle Mountain 2.5 lb bag Whole Bean coffee – good value and always in stock
3. Kirkland Signature gallon low fat milk – best price and always in stock
4. Daisy Fresh eighteen eggs – best price and always in stock
5. MaraNatha 26 oz Almond butter – great value and substantial size jar

The MaraNatha almond butter is the only product in this list of top five that I had never purchased before shopping at Costco,

Gosh, I wish you had asked for the top 10 or 20 items. I could go on and on!

89 CJ // 2009.08.23 at 2:11 pm

We don’t buy a ton at Costco. We’re a family of four, but our kids are 3 and 6 months, so they don’t eat a lot yet.

1. Allergy medicine. This is our #1 savings. My husband uses Claritin. I use Zyrtec. We buy the Kirkland brand equivalent for each for about $15 for a year. We spend that much for a month buying generics somewhere else. We bought this before Costco, but not at this great price.
2. Organic milk 3 packs – Kirkland, I think? The price is good for organic and we use a lot. I bought organic milk before Costco and was happy to find it there.
3. Kirkland baby wipes – we used Pampers wipes before. I like these better.
4. Coffee – I buy a 2 pound bag from a local roaster that is only slightly more than a single pound would be in the grocery store. I bought the same brand before I found it at Costco.
5. Chicken breasts in the individual 2-breast packages. I find these so convenient to keep in the freezer. I obviously bought chicken before but I didn’t have these nice packages. I could probably get a better price at the grocery store when there is a really good sale going on and will buy it then, but this is a great every day price and is worth the convenience

90 amy // 2009.08.23 at 2:22 pm

1. Kirkland Signature Split Top Whole Wheat bread: no high fructose corn syrup and about $3 for two loaves. We eat one and freeze the other. It is one of the only breads I can find without high fructose corn syrup.

2. Kirkland Signature Organic Raisin Bran – Yummy and nutritious.

3. Stoneyfield Farms Organic Yogurt – 6 blueberry/6 strawberrry – no high fructose corn syrup and organic and much cheaper than the grocery store

4. Kirkland Signature Salted Sweet Cream Butter – No cheaper place for butter. I’ll never eat margarine again. It occured to me one holiday season after lots of baking that the most expensive ingredient in my treats was the butter. No longer.

5. All the fruit – We had organic Earthbound Farms apples this spring and my family must have eaten 100s of these! The produce is always very reasonably priced and when purchased in season, you can often find local growers.

I originally joined Costco for batteries, diapers, toilet paper and other things worth buying in bulk. But now I shop much more carefully and have figured out the food items that are great prices, great quality and don’t go bad before we eat them. But I still buy things like wrapping paper, tape, batteries, electronics, and books too. I just consider myself a more skilled Costco shopper now and utilize all Costco has to offer in a much more deliberate way.

91 gina kasprzak // 2009.08.23 at 7:05 pm

1) all their fruit
2)Kirkland vanilla ice cream – hormone free
3)toilet Paper
4)paper towels
5) Tillamook cheese
love love love Costco!!!

92 caren // 2009.08.23 at 7:56 pm

1. Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats – they’re great as cereal or just a quick on the go snack.

2. Deer Park Water – I am very picky about my water, but Deer Park tastes great with no aftertaste or undertones of minerals.

3. Veggie Straws – these are delicious and a bit healthier than regular potato chips. I love that they don’t have a greasiness to them, but still have a satisfying crunch.

4. Jif Peanut Butter – This has a fresh peanut taste and a nice smooth texture.

5. Bounty Paper Towels – They are the best bargain brand around because they are more absorbent than other paper towels and I use less.

With the exception of the Veggie Straws, I’ve bought all of this stuff before shopping at Costco. But it was more expensive at other stores! Another thing I love about Costco is how fresh their fruits, veggies, and bakery products are.

94 Beth // 2009.08.23 at 9:08 pm

1. Kirkland Oriental snack mix with nuts
2. Kirkland Trail Mix- with M & Ms!- we all love snack mixes in our house
3. Columbus brand peppered sliced turkey breast- delicious, I couldn’t believe we could go through 2 lbs of lunch meat, but we did!
4. Kirkland Omega 3 capsules- only need one a day1
5. Cinnamon Toast Crunch- my two boys love it.

We are brand new to Costco- just joined in July. I have lots more to learn about all their great offerings. Love your website! P.S. We also bought a new HD tv and tv stand from Costco- probably wouldn’t have bought one otherwise. All the items above we had purchased at other stores, but a much higher prices. BTW, we have not ever received any coupons in the mail from Costco… they do send them to you directly correct?

95 Christina // 2009.08.23 at 10:10 pm

WE LOVE COSTCO!

1. Costco muffins – So yummy!

2. Ice Mountain Bottled Water – Best value around!

3. Formula – Similac – Also a great value. We can always count on a good price at Costco.

4. Salsa – Pace Picante – My husbands favorite brand and the giant container lasts more than a week!

5. Pasta Prima Spinach & Mozzarella Ravioli – SO SO YUMMY! I love it and my 3 year old does too!

96 Mary-Belle // 2009.08.24 at 6:44 am

We love Costco – we shop there weekly for our home of 12 and for my father’s restaurant. The top five things I buy for home are:

KS Bath Tissue – love the stuff, and we go through plenty, so the big package is a bonus – of course we didn’t buy this before Costco.

KS Fresh Pressed Apple Juice – no better apple juice anywhere – and again, we didn’t buy this before Costco.

Organic Baby Spinach – actually I buy a lot of produce at Costco, but I go through a lot of spinach. Bought organic before Costco.

Wawona Spectrum Blend frozen fruit for smoothies – didn’t buy this before Costco.

KS butter – I bake a lot, so go through a lot of butter – love that they don’t use dairy products containing RBGH, so I buy my dairy there. Didn’t buy before Costco.

This list could go on and on, but those are the things I buy most, besides gas. Really, really love this place.

97 stephanie Jane // 2009.08.24 at 2:42 pm

Costco has become my new favorite place to shop! I do have staples I buy on a weekly basis, however, I have purchased clothes, electronics, plants, and cookware at amazing prices and exceptional quality.

Our weekly must haves-
SanFrancisco Bay French Roast coffee. This is the BEST coffee and a screaming deal! 10 clams for pounds-unheard of .

Sacramento Baking Sourdough Bread Sliced. This bread has amazing texture and sourdough taste. It freezes well and makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches.

Segue into my next must haves-CHEESES, of all sorts, domestic, imported, crumbled, sliced, wedged, shaved, aged, smoked, twisted and wheeled! The French Feta is just delightful. It is not too strong or salty like domestic varieties and it works great in salads, pastas, on pizza, in omelettes, sliced on a pannini or crumbled on greens.

Garden Burgers- The best meat alternative going. They are quite versatile, really yummy and they make great meal in about 3 minutes -bun to first bite.

This was hard to narrow down, because I do actually buy more than 5 items a week and so many of them have become such a part my families diet. My best find is Kirkland Signature Wild Alaskan canned Sockeye Salmon. This product is A. hard to find in a grocery store. B. Loaded with Omega-3’s C. Not farm-raised because they have not figured out how to farm this particular species of salmon(sustainable) D. My salmon-hating husband absolutely loves it! This is great in salmon-cakes, nicoise-style salad, in pasta or just out of the can for a quick bit of brain- food.

Other faves-Del Real Salsa Molcajete Roja-spicy, fresh, delish, restaurant quality with only 20mg of Na+!
Tortillas, cereals, nuts, olive oil and vanilla extract all represent significant savings.

I love this place.

I am heading out to Costco now

98 Erika // 2009.08.24 at 4:34 pm

1. Naturerupe Farms – blueberries
2. Southern Select – Sugar Snap Peas
3. Garden Fresh Gourmet – Jack’s Special Salsa
4. Kirkland – Real Eggs
5. Rotel – Diced tomatoes & green chiles

I definitely bought fresh fruit and veggies before becoming a Costco member, but buying produce there has helped me cut down my monthly grocery bill tremendously! As a vegan, I go through a lot of produce! As for the canned tomatoes, this is a specific brand/size I use a lot for a recipe I make all the time. Buying it in bulk at Costco, the price per can is less than HALF what it is in a regular store!

99 Nicole Zugates // 2009.08.25 at 10:45 am

Tide Laundry Detergent – the only brand I will use so I am glad that Costco sells it

Stacy’s Pita Chips – these are so good and they are baked!

Sundried Tomato Hummus – we buy it everytime we are there. It’s a big tub but we always eat it all and none goes to waste.

Costco Take and Bake Pizzas – We love the tomato and basil pizza. Better than any pizza you can buy frozen and it’s our usual dinner after a Costco run.

Vitamin Water – we love this stuff and stock up when there is a coupon for it.

100 Ally // 2009.08.25 at 11:02 am

1. Sabre Hummus – This is so good and it goes great with Stacy’s Pita Chips (also bought at Costco), as well as all the yummy veggies I also buy at Costco. I would purchase hummus before, but not as regularly as I do now.

2. Produce – We buy so many fruits and veggies at Costco. Our staples are avocados, colored peppers, snap peas, broccoli, bananas, fuji apples and pears. We purchased produce prior to joining Costco, but our membership has certainly made it more convenient and saved us lots of money.

3. Frozen fruit – We always purchase the big bags of frozen fruit. We use this to make smoothies. We rotate between the frozen strawberries, blueberries, and triple berry bags. We didn’t buy frozen fruit much before we joined Costco.

4. Kirkland Organic Tortilla chips and Kirkland salsa – These are staples we buy every time we are there. We bought chips and salsa before, but Costco’s are much better and cheaper.

5. Yogurt – We buy this every time we are there as well. We mostly buy the Kirkland Signature yogurt, but sometimes will splurge and get the Greek. While we really enjoy the yogurt I do wish that Kirkland Signature would make it without high fructose corn syrup. I keep hoping to see it change. We did buy yogurt before joining Costco.

101 Liz C. // 2009.08.25 at 11:18 am

1. Kingdom Pets Chicken Jerky – I did not buy these until I became a member because it was way too expensive, but my dog loves them and I feel good about giving them to her.

2. Kirkland Signature Take and Bake Pizza – We always buy the Margherita, the ingredients are always nice and fresh and the end result is superb.

3. Kirkland Signature Organic Tortilla Chips – The price and size of the bag would be worth it for non-organic chips so this is a bonus. I like the flavor and they are not too salty.

4. Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt – We used to buy these in the store before becoming members, but the price here usually can’t be beat.

5. Crystal Springs Water (6 gallon sized box) – During the summer our water doesn’t taste very good so we buy water, and this is the best price for any brand in our area.

I bought the Dannon Light & Fit yogurt before becoming a member for lunches during the week. I bought water before becoming a member, but I was never brand loyal. I also bought tortilla chips before becoming a member, but obviously the Kirkland Signature brand is only available at Costco.

102 Nabeela // 2009.08.25 at 7:08 pm

My top five items are:
1) Double Fiber Orowheat Bread…it’s just plain healthy
2) Oroweat’s sandwich Thins….reason ditto as above
3) Fuji Apples……always great and fresh at Costco
4) Fage Greek Yogurt…..what a deal!
5) Maranatha Almond Butter….ditto as above.

And no, I had never shopped for these items elsewhere before. The reason is because I have ALWAYS shopped at Costco since I moved to the USA

103 Dov // 2009.08.25 at 10:13 pm

Top items:
1) Tropicana Orange Juice – Family pack of 4, cheaper than all the stores.
2) Kirkland Trash bags 33 Gallon with draw string, strong and durable.
3) Kirkland liquid detergent 170 Oz. Excellent subsitute for tide.
4) Samsonite travel luggage (duffel) 30″ got it in California for great price.
5) Kirkland Canola oil 5 ltr. amazing price

all of these plus many more items save me big bucks every month as apposed to my local supermarket.

104 Monica // 2009.08.26 at 12:14 am

Kirkland Toilet Paper – best deal around on toilet paper. Especially love the individual wrapping that is recycleable. Bought TP before Costco, but not Kirkland brand obviously.

Creamy Peanut Butter – whatever brand they are currently selling. Always a better price than the grocery store. Started buying at Costco once I realize it really was cheaper and lasted a long time.

Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats — Can’t beat the Costco price. Didn’t buy before as I couldn’t justify the cost. All name brand cereals at Costco are a great bargain.

Nature Valley Salt & Sweet Granola Bars – Bought to try at grocery store. Loved them and was thrilled to find them at Costco. They are an amazing bargain at Costco!

Marie Callender’s Corn Bread Mix — Unfortunately this is a seasonal item, but we found it at Costco and love it. Can’t wait for Fall and the return of the item. Never bought before we tried at Costco.

105 suzanne c // 2009.08.26 at 12:37 am

1) Kirkland fragrance-free laundry detergent – the best.
2)Kirkland solid white albacore tuna -great quality, definitely not the canned cat food mystery mush at supermarkets.
3) Pacific Gold Beef Jerky-salty goodness.
4) Neutrogena fragrance-free facial cleanser – 4 large pump bottles for less than $10.
5)Nature’s Choice recycled toilet paper.

106 Nichole L // 2009.08.26 at 5:34 am

1)Kirkland brand chocolate covered macadamia nuts! With caramel — so so so good!
2)ground beef from the butcher section – the only ground beef we will eat.
3)Kirkland trail mix
4)Costco pizza – better (and much cheaper) than our local pizza parlors.
5)Kirkland toilet paper

107 Jack // 2009.08.26 at 10:37 am

1) Kirkland laundry detergent: my wife and kids have lots of allergies, so we use teh “free and clear” version. It’s as good as Tide, Arm & Hammer, etc, at a better price.
2) Kirkland paper towels: priced like store brand, but performs like Bounty.
3) Charmin toilet paper: best price we’ve found, and it’s the softest on our hiney’s
4) Einstein Brothers Bagels: I can’t leave Costco without these
5) Cakes from the bakery: Much better than any grocery store, at half the price.

108 gira // 2009.08.26 at 1:20 pm

kirkland multivitamins for adults
i have doctor in the family and he thinks they are the best and ofcourse can’t beat the value
kirkland brand cheese
kirkland brand walnuts
kirkland brand yogurt
i think everything is great at costco

109 gira // 2009.08.26 at 1:26 pm

i need to do it again since i put four items
kirkland multivitamins for adults
kirklans brand cheese
kirkland brand walnuts
kirkland brand yogurt
kirkland brand canola oil big can /best price/best quality

110 Janice Erickson // 2009.08.26 at 2:07 pm

Costco is about my favorite place on the planet! We purchase everything there. Food, clothing, furniture, health and household products, automotive supplies, pet items. I love browsing in the book section with a hot mocha!

It’s really tough to come up with my tough 5 favorite items to purchase, but I will give it my best shot.

1. Kirkland Signature Non-fat Milk (don’t like the newer milk jugs though!)
2. Kirkland Signature Paper towels
3. Fresh Salmon (We buy this at least once a week! Excellent on the bar-b-que!)
4. Charmin Toilet Paper…it’s been a mainstay at or house for a long time! Squeezable!
5. Kirkland Signature Yogurt with fresh fruit.

111 Dave // 2009.08.26 at 3:19 pm

Just like my reminder on comment 7, please make sure you follow the instructions in the original post!. The last few comments have forgotten to indicate whether or not they use to purchase the items prior to finding them at Costco. I’m not the contest administrator, but I think that means they don’t count as valid entries for the contest.

112 Kimberly // 2009.08.26 at 3:29 pm

There’s still plenty of time before midnight CST to get your answers completed, or added if you’re new to the contest.

But I do want to reiterate that answers that do not fully answer the question, all parts of it, will unfortunately be disqualified. While I appreciate the effort to list out your favorite 5 items to purchase, we need a little more information. For a refresher, here’s the full question again:
What are the top 5 items you buy at Costco? For each item, please indicate what brand it is and what makes that product great. Did you purchase any of the top 5 before shopping at Costco?

Don’t worry, if you didn’t answer the question completely, just add another comment to follow up with the details that you left out in your original comment.

Thanks to everyone that has responded and good luck everyone!

113 d.e. manning // 2009.08.26 at 6:47 pm

1. gardenburger brand gardenburgers; did buy before costco membership but price is much better at costco.
2. kirkland brand cheese; did not buy it before costco membership.
3. costco take and bake pizzas (can’t buy outside of costco’s).
4. kirkland brand laundry detergent, did not buy it before our costco membership.
5. vitamin water, glaceau brand; did purchase it elsewhere but costco has best price except for ‘extreme’ sales at grocery stores.

114 Dave Price // 2009.08.26 at 7:09 pm

I use costco for work and personal so, just 5?

1.) HP Printer ink cartridges
2.) Panasonic 50″ HDTV Plasma ( GREAT PRICE btw)
3.) Office Impressions Secure Envelopes
4.) GAS!!!!
5.) Men’s Skin Care

115 Kim // 2009.08.26 at 10:41 pm

1. Costco rotisserie chicken (it’s a whole meal, plus you can use leftovers in a variety of dishes, too).
2. The organic spring mix (it might be Earthbound Farm) (so good for you).
3. The organic baby spinach in the produce section (not sure of the brand) (another good for you item).
4. Kirkland laundry detergent (just as good as Tide).
5. Wine (explore the adventures of discovered wines – so many possibilities – different brands – most were delightful).
The only thing that we bought before Costco was organic spring mix and baby spinach.

116 shyni // 2009.08.26 at 11:03 pm

1. Cadet sweet potato/chicken wraps. I love that there are only two ingredients in this product – sweet potato and chicken. And our dog goes absolutely crazy for these treats, and it looks like they have been discontinued. In generaly, we buy way more dog treats than we would if not for Costco.

2.Kirkland Dishwasher Detergent – we thought our dishwasher didn’t do a good job of washing our silverware b/c the regular name brand detergents we tried never rinsed cleanly and/or left the silverware with a film or looking cloudy. The Kirkland brand totally worked though and we’ve bought this regularly since then.

3. Hacienda Vieja Tequila – this has become a regular product that we buy at Costco. It’s a great tequila, and more affordable at Costco than elsewhere.

4. Kirkland Organic 2% Milk – delicious and a great value. I don’t know that we would buy organic milk at the regular grocery store.

5. Kraft Polly-O String Cheese – these are a terrific bargain and they are perfect for dog treats.

We didn’t buy any of these products before purchasing them first at Costco.

117 Elaine Welby // 2009.08.27 at 2:59 am

We buy a lot of the Kirkland brands. 1.fish oil supplements. 2.kirkland coffee. 3. I can’t remember the brand, but frozen shrimp. 4.I get my son a lot of sweatpants and shirts. and 5.CoQ10, also for my son, who has a heart condition, and has steadily felt better since he’s taken this.

118 Elaine Welby // 2009.08.27 at 3:01 am

That’s my son here in the picture, isn’t he handsome! I use his e-mail, I don’t have one of my own.

120 Patrick D // 2009.08.27 at 5:09 pm

The five tings we always buy at Costco.
1. Tamari Almonds
2. Kirkland Laundry Detergent
3. Organic Green Beans
4. Bulk Romaine lettuce.
5. Gouda cheese

121 Kimberly // 2009.08.27 at 5:15 pm

Just so everyone knows, the contest officially closed at midnight!

122 Monica // 2009.08.27 at 7:35 pm

Thanks for running the contest. It was fun to read other comments and get ideas about things I would not normally look for at Costco! What fun.

Contest: Win a Costco Cash Card for Your Comments

August 17th, 2009 · 124 Comments

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August 17th, 2009 · 124 Comments

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