- I grew up in tiny NYC apartments, so the thought of shopping at Costco was a distant luxury.
- However, my partner and I recently moved into a house in Los Angeles and now love it there.
- We get gas, protein bars, batteries, frozen fruit, and more at Costco each month.
I grew up in New York City and have always lived in small apartments without much storage space. It just never made sense for me to buy groceries in bulk.
However, my partner and I recently moved to Los Angeles, and now we have a whole house to ourselves. One of the best perks of our new life is taking monthly trips to Costco for all our favorite items.
Here are my favorite things to get there.
Gas is always at the top of our shopping list.
We tend to have a Costco shopping trip at least once a month, and I also go there about once a week to fuel my car.
Gas is expensive, especially in Los Angeles, and Costco typically has unbeatable prices — particularly for premium, which is what my Mini Cooper takes.
The best part is I can easily check the rate on a daily basis when using the store's app, which helps me determine if Costco gas prices are better than competitors that day.
We often buy a five-pack of steaks to use for dinners throughout the week.
My partner is a carnivore to the max. To him, nothing beats the five-pack of the Kirkland Signature boneless New York steaks.
They taste great on the grill or in a cast-iron pan and are often the star of a delicious weekday meal for us.
Ribs are also a must-buy.
We never skip out on buying Costco's ribs, especially since we can get over 9 pounds of meat for about $35.
The store also stocks pre-seasoned ribs, which are great when we're out of our homemade dry rub. We'll make these for ourselves or when having friends over for a barbecue.
Greek yogurt is a versatile staple.
I'm a huge fan of Kirkland Signature products, and I especially like the label's organic Greek yogurt.
It's perfect for making smoothies creamy or adding protein to granola.
I have plenty of room in my freezer for frozen fruit.
Now that I live in a house, I have room in my freezer to buy staples in bulk, like frozen strawberries.
I'm usually pretty happy with the prices of frozen fruit at Costco, so I pick up mixed berries or strawberries there.
Recently, I got 4 pounds of Kirkland Signature organic strawberries for $10, which felt like a steal compared to prices I've seen at other local grocery stores.
Kirkland Signature paper towels feel like a steal.
Again, now that I have the space, I'm able to buy more household staples in bulk.
We often pick up big packs of the Kirkland Signature paper towels and store them in our shed to optimize kitchen space.
These affordable paper towels are thick and powerful. One 12-pack of rolls often lasts us over two months, especially since we supplement the use of them with microfiber cloths.
I also get my batteries in bulk.
Since we live in a house with a ton of random gadgets, we somehow always need batteries. I try to keep a few varieties on hand.
Fortunately, we've found Kirkland Signature batteries to be fairly affordable and easy to buy in bulk. They especially came in handy during the recent California wildfires, when we lost power and needed to use flashlights.
I'm so glad we've found sugar-free Liquid IV.
Working from home, I get distracted and find myself not hydrating frequently or as much as I should. So, I like that I can use Liquid IV to boost the flavor and hydration power of my water with electrolytes and sugar-free flavoring.
I'm usually not able to find sugar-free Liquid IV at my local grocery stores, but Costco always seems to have some packs in stock.
We go through a lot of Kirkland Signature protein bars.
My partner and I typically each eat one Kirkland Signature protein bar a day.
I don't eat too much meat, so these bars help me easily get 21 grams of protein when I need a boost.
We usually buy the variety pack with 10 cookie-dough and 10 brownie bars. My partner likes the cookie-dough flavor, and I prefer the brownie one — a match made in heaven.
Dates are always in my cart.
I'm a huge date girl. Dates really are nature's candy.
I love eating them raw on their own, making date bark with some peanut butter and chocolate chips, or incorporating them into a smoothie or yogurt bowl.
They're a great source of fiber, potassium, and magnesium too.
Nothing beats the Kirkland Signature three-pack of honey's flavor and price.
Kirkland Signature honey is one of our pantry staples since I'm a huge tea fan and love adding it to my drinks. I also recently got my partner into peppermint tea, which can be enhanced with a dollop of honey.
This honey tastes high-quality — and getting three 24-ounce bottles of it for under $13 feels like a bargain.
Costco sells my favorite pimple patches.
Yes, I still struggle with acne in my late 20s. I really like the pimple patches from Hero because they can hardly be seen when they're applied correctly.
I'll often wear one or two when I'm traveling on a plane, taking a between-Zoom-meeting stroll, or even having virtual calls.
The stickers help me avoid picking at my skin, and I'm a firm believer they make my pimples disappear much faster.
Having bulk containers of allergy meds has been a game changer.
As someone who deals with allergies, I always try to keep medication on hand that will help me deal with symptoms.
Name-brand options can get pricey, especially since I take tablets every day. So, I opt for Kirkland Signature allergy medicine.
The $5 bottle of 600 pills does my wallet a huge favor.
Big containers of ibuprofen can come in handy, too.
One of the first things we did when moving into our first place together was buy a first-aid kit. After that, we stocked up on some of our staple medications, like ibuprofen
I can get big tubs of CeraVe at the bulk retailer.
Since moving to Los Angeles, my skin has struggled to adjust to the dry climate. So, I've been buying bulk packs of the CeraVe moisturizing cream and using it morning and night.
Hydrating and not greasy, the cream has been my hero as of late. Plus, it's fairly affordable at Costco at $25 for two 16-ounce tubs.
I like to peruse the clothing section while I'm shopping.
Perhaps one of the best things about Costco is that it's truly a one-stop shop. I always check the retailer's clothing section and often pick up a piece or two.
My latest favorite purchase is the $18 two-piece lounge set from Honeydew. It's so cozy and especially great on long car or plane rides.
I have to end every Costco run at the food court.
Lastly, we end our shopping trip with celebratory Costco hot dogs, which cost just $1.50 each and come with a soft drink.