Costco can be of great savings to the grocery budget- if done properly! Purchasing wisely by only adding things to the cart that are 1. On your list and 2. Things you buy/use often at the grocery store, will save you time and money by not having to buy those items weekly and buying in bulk saves money because you are paying less per unit. That's the point of Costco after all, right?
It's way too easy to get a little giddy and add items to the cart that look yummy. You need to go in with your budget in mind and some self control. Do not give in to extras unless you went under budget and can splurge that day, but even then, I'd put it on your list for next time unless there's an awesome deal on the product and put the rest into savings for the month. But hey, That's just me because we are really working towards our down payment on a house in the future and we could use all the extra savings we can.
So, here's what I buy at Costco on a normal trip:
MEAT
-Grass Fed Ground Beef
Best deal in my area is at Costco
-Organic Chicken
-Hot Dogs
(Not the healthiest option but the best bang for my buck.....we eat a lot of hot dogs!)
-Lunch Meat
(Again, not the purest choice, But the best bang for the buck. I buy the Kirkland 3 pack variety. I love being able to purchase 3 different kinds of meat because everyone likes something different in my house!)
Butter
Cheese
Tortillas
Crackers
Granola Bars
Frozen Veggies
Green Organic Bananas
My oldest eats multiple bananas a day so he easily goes through a bunch a week, buying green helps them stretch a little longer so I can still buy in bulk for at least past a week.
100% Pure maple syrup
Waffle Mix
Bread/Dinner Rolls
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Juice Boxes
for the kids' lunches
Pizza
I freeze the take and bake pizzas for easy dinners. It helps us not eat fast food when I don't feel like cooking....which is at least once a week!
Street Taco Kit
Yeah......that's a thing now. Costco has tons of prepared meal kits. I pick one or two up usually. They're so yummy and easy. but definitely more of a splurge.
Eggs
We go through a lot of eggs!
Sour Cream
My kids just discovered their new found love for sour cream...
I get the basics and only splurge occasionally. The juice boxes and granola bars are my kids "treats", I try not to go too crazy on pre-made meals/snacks like freezer meals, etc. I make meals with whole ingredients as much as possible, which trims down the amount of ingredients I need to purchase.
Stay tuned for my updated family budget in my next post!
What is on your Costco list??
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