Title pretty much says it… I’ll be walking into a Costco and signing up for membership today for the first time in my life! Never even been inside of one before.
I’m mostly signing up to use their eyeglasses services, but I also have *a little bit* of space at home to store bulk non-perishables and what not.
The store is quite a drive for me, so I won’t be going very often. Maybe once every three months or so. And I won’t be taking advantage of the gas benefits because I just don’t use that much gas in the first place.
Any pro-tips on how to best to navigate my first time there, save some money and sign up for my membership with the least amount of investment and hassle?
First visit to Costco today! Any advice?
byu/DenverKim inFrugal
Posted by DenverKim
19 Comments
Don’t buy what you don’t need.
Buy a chest freezer. They’re not expensive and you’ll need it.
Don’t buy anything lol. Just enjoy the experience. Then go back after you’ve processed the place.
Shop with a list and bring an accountability partner. I keep a running list on phone of our “Costco essentials “
It doesn’t matter how good the deal is, stick to the food you like and actually eat.
No :’I don’t normally eat that but I could start’, or ‘I don’t really like this flavour but its a good deal.’
You’ll end up wasting money which defeats the point.
Go in and make a list of everything you think is a good deal. Leave without buying. Because I never can use the internet IN Costco. Look online for comparison pricing. Go back and buy only what is a good deal and you will use, and one extra trial purchase.
And the rotisserie chicken and hot dog meal. Those are like leaving money on the table if you walk past them.
Enjoy their $1.50 hotdog from the food court
I joined Costco last year myself. Welcome to the club!! My advice, if it something you run out of; quicker than other things like, I don’t know, paper towels. It’s best to get it from Costco if it’s something like bread, where you may not eat often. I buy my bread at the grocery store.
Get a rotisserie if you like chicken. They are good and only $5.
Just walk down every aisle, look around and understand they have everything from sink disposals, t-shirts, sona masuri rice, roasted chicken quarters, gallon freezer bags, dog food, frozen items (pack a cooler bag or buy theirs), toilet paper, Canadian whiskey, etc. It’s not all frugal but very high quality at good prices so if your using it already it can be helpful to buy some bulk items. Keep a budget in mind and a “would I use all this in 6 months” because it’s easy to get in the habit of buying large quantities when realistically you may not want it.
Weird examples are allergy meds, it’s cheaper to buy 3 packs in bulk than 1 at walmart. Will I use it all? Maybe
Will I use 1 gallon of Fabuloso cleaner at a ratio of 1tsp to 20oz? No, even though it was on sale and a great bathroom cleaner it’s far too much for us
Tldr: Only buy what you need and let the Costco lead you to other things you may not realize you wanted.
Also Costco does deliver more than what the store offers and usually the price includes shipping. It might help the in-between months if you need more dog food but don’t want to make the drive
I buy dog food, the big jars of better than bullion, and safe catch tuna
Know the cost of items in other stores for the same product to know if you really are getting a good deal. When I used to shop there occasionally there were some items I bought in bulk thinking I was getting a good deal until after getting home and breaking it the cost down per unit I found some things ended up being more expensive than buying in my regular grocery store.
I joined for the first time in March; I’ve been twice as it’s an hour away. First trip, I got:
-Advil
-croissants (they freeze beautifully)
-hot dog meal
-ziploc variety pack
-Kerrygold butter and cheese
2nd trip last weekend:
-croissants again, 2-pack of croissant bread, fancy pasta variety pack, 3-pack of Boursin, cat toy variety pack (huge hit with the kitty), and pop-up foil
It’s just a 2-person household here with no freezer chest, but I’m considering it now.
**EAT first, shop after.**
Never shop here hungry.
Try all the samples, then get a hot dog THEN shop
As it is Thursday, Go NOW before everyone gets off work and floods the place. The best day and time to come is Tuesday between 10 am and 4pm. Dead Zone.
Try to get the general layout of the store, but do not expect to come back on your next trip and see the same things on the same aisles. They change overnight. So get familiar with: produce is in the back, the coolers are over here, and the expensive stuff is in that general area. The rest is up for grabs.
Also, the “fence” is the area you pass when you first come into the store. This will be the area where the sales items are located. If it’s on sale, it is on the fence. It is NOT in its logical location. So if you are looking for those one vitamins you saw on the flyer, they will NOT be in the pharmacy area; they will be somewhere easily accessible when you first walk in the door. Getting this down and remembering it for the long term will save you a LOT of time and frustration.
Make a list of what you actually need and stick to it. This is the same rule for any shopping.
Don’t go there hungry
Buy your laundry products and dishwashing products there. Their Kirkland Signature store brand is comparable to the name brands.
Be realistic about how much space you have to store what you buy. Especially freezer space.