I had the pleasure of visiting this giant foodie playground known as Costco last weekend and I’ll never be the same.
I like to think of myself as a grocery store extraordinaire. I pretty much know where to find the best deals on every single item I keep in my kitchen. I shop pretty much exclusively at Kroger and occasionally at Whole Foods and Aldi. Now that I’ve experienced the beauteous prices at Costco (especially on organic items), I know I’ll be purchasing certain staple items there forevermore.
I freaking love a good bargain. Like I said before, I could literally tell you the price of almond milk at five different stores. It’s just how my brain works. I live for the per-ounce pricing, the buying in bulk, and the plus cards. I clip coupons. I am totally that person.
So believe me when I say the boyf and I were literally jumping up and down when we saw how cheap our beloved frozen Wild Blueberries were at Costco (P.S. I visited the Wynan’s plant last year if you’re wondering where my obsession stems from). I still plan on buying most of our produce at Kroger along with odds and ends like frozen spinach, tofu, tempeh, certain spices, and other items we don’t need large amounts of. That said, even if you don’t have a big family, buying in bulk can save you tons of money in the long run. Keep in mind that most of the stuff we’re talking about lasts a long time.
I’m pretty confident that Costco’s pricing on natural and organic items can’t be beat. See for yourself!
Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk ($7.69 for 3 cartons)
I use almond milk daily in smoothies but also in muffin recipes, cereal, and oatmeal. We easily go through two cartons a week.
Frozen Wild Blueberries ($9.69 for 3 pounds)
We use these every single morning, either in smoothies or on top of steel-cut oatmeal. On the weekends we heat them up with chia seeds and use them as a pancake topper! They also have fabulous deals on organic frozen blueberries and pretty much every other type of frozen fruit.
Kirkland Balsamic Vinegar ($10.99 for 1 liter)
This is the BEST balsamic vinegar I’ve ever had. Seriously. We make some kind of salad every night and this stuff has majorly changed the game. Lettuce not forget about my Maple Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts! We fly through this stuff.
Kirkland Non-GMO Canola Oil Cooking Spray (2-17oz bottles for $5.69)
I know there might be some hoopla in the comments over canola oil (it has a high ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3’s which can be inflammatory), but it’s non GMO and that’s a-ok with me. I use their extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil in most of my cooking and baking, but I love cooking spray for prepping pans and baking.
Organic Coffee (2.2 pounds for $13.99)
After Italy we made it our goal to purchase organic and/or fair-trade beans whenever possible. We grind them as we go using the mill blade of our Nutribullet. This coffee is super delish!
S&W Organic Black Beans (8-15oz cans for $6.79)
These are crazy affordable for organic beans, and really just beans in general. Plus, I love never being out of them! I use these in brownies, enchiladas, veggie burgers and more. I hope they’ll offer more than kidney and black beans in the future!
Kirkland Organic Diced Tomatoes ($7.69 for 8-15oz cans)
Again, I use diced tomatoes all the time in everything from chili to soups. Tis the season!
Kirkland Almond Butter ($10.79 for 27 ounces)
This isn’t organic but since almond butter is super pricey in general, we were happy to find this large size. It’s super smooth and creamy and works perfectly as a pancake and oatmeal topping in addition to these Flourless Cranberry Chocolate Chia Cookies!
McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract ($12.99 for 16oz)
I fly through vanilla extract and it is not cheap so I always try to buy it in bulk. Anything under a dollar an ounce catches my eye. I did prefer the previous Kirkland version but apparently there’s a shortage so this is the next best thing. Still a great deal right here!
Kirkland Saigon Cinnamon ($2.65 for 10.7oz)
This is my favorite cinnamon and it’s SO affordable. I pretty much put cinnamon in everything.
Organic Maple Syrup ($11.99 for 32oz)
I forgot to take a picture of this one, but this is my go-to natural liquid sweetener in everything from muffins and cookies to pancakes and salad dressing. It’s also ridiculously cheaper than at any other grocery store.
We also love buying Costco’s extra virgin olive oil, organic peanut butter, nuts, contact solution, organic quinoa, organic apples, organic eggs, medjool dates, whole grain pasta, organic spinach, coconut oil, sprouted quinoa and rice blend, Mary’s Gone Crackers, hemp hearts, Ezekiel bread, sustainable sourced laundry detergent, eco-friendly dish soap, paper towels, kitchen trash bags, and other natural cleaning supplies at Costco. We even splurged and bought a freaking awesome (and totally on sale) Samsung TV there last week! Furreal.
Tell me, tell me! What are YOUR favorite Costco finds?!
Karlie says
Saved! This list is amazing thank you, also obsessed with Costco for coffee and their Kirkland brand almond milk and oats!
Alexis says
Amazing! Costco is life.
Sarah @ BucketListTummy says
Great post idea – love Costco! We just made a big haul last weekend – also came home with the Kirkland’s almond butter and vanilla extract. I’m making a mental memory of all their pumpkin cans for next fall! Also, love their wine selection!
Alexis says
Who knew that Costco’s wine selection would kill it?! I look forward to my monthly Costco hauls now :)
Chelsey says
I love the cinnamon too!!! Not having a car is a major bummer as far as Costco shopping goes in NYC, but they have such great organic produce, I love going when I’m home with my parents!!
Alexis says
I think this cinnamon is my new favorite purchase :) and that IS a bummer! I so enjoy going with my parents as well though.
Jessica says
Girl, you will not believe that I went on Friday and found the almond butter for a crazy price of only $7.99 for the 27oz jar! I LOVE COSTCO!!! I also think their prices on oatmeal (steel and old fashioned) are really good and I stock up on those. They also have: pink himalayan salt grinders that I love, bags of organic chia seeds for only $7.99, organic quinoa, Red’s Organic Chicken, Cheese, and Bean burritos that my husband dies for, cauliflower florets that are ready to go for roasting or to rice (although not organic) for cheap, organic apples for SUPER CHEAP, they now sell organic canned coconut milk. I could go on and on I am one of those crazy Costco people that finds EVERYTHING there haha. I wish I had a big pantry to house it all!
Alexis says
OMG! What the almond butter a black friday deal? I honestly had to look online for pricing because I forgot to save my receipt, so some of them may be off. Did you find regular steel cut oats there? I only saw quick-cooking :/ Thanks for the awesome comment girl!!
Susan says
I just bought a 7lb bag of steel cuts oats at Costco, Bob’s Re d Mill. for less than $8.00.
Jessica says
So I went back today and I saw the almond butter was still $7.99! I did some sleuthing through the store and saw Whole almonds were only $11.99/3 lb bag. I think it’s due to the price of almonds going down? That’s my guess. I can’t remember if the steel cut oats were quick cooking or plain :( they definitely have rolled old fashioned oats though!
ACKTIVE LIFE says
I LOVE Costco! I was just there when I was home for Thanksgiving and loaded up some of my favorites…I love buying their spices, because they last me FOREVER! XOXO
Alexis says
TRUTH. Can’t beat the size, quality, or prices :)
Nikki Fahey says
truvia/ im obsessed!
Alexis says
Love it!
Cynthia says
This sounds crazy but Costco has amazing prices on diamonds. Not as glamorous as a real jewelry store, but I’m all about bang for your buck. Especially with a big purchase like that.
Alexis says
if it was even possible, Costco just got better :)
Sydney says
The avocado oil is an absolute staple in my kitchen. I also love the Coach’s Oats. And their giant bags of organic broccoli and green beans last forever in the fridge. I do about 85 percent of my grocery shopping at Costco.
Sydney says
Oh, and also the ground flax seed. Giant bags for so cheap.
Alexis says
Yes it’s amazing! Costco FTW.
Rebecca Lwin says
Ohhh girl, just reading this makes me drool SO much!! We’re lucky to get 1/4 of these products at 4x the price… I’m gonna start grinding my own almond butter in the mortar & pestle,, lol? Xo
Alexis says
Major props! Finding Costco was a game changer :)
Lilian Dauria says
Love everything at Costco. We’re there at least once a week. From their gas station to the food court. Getting married, did you know they sell wedding invitations, matching RSVP cards, thank you card as well as save the date cards. So reasonable.
Alexis says
Could Costco get any more perfect?!
Chelsea's Healthy Kitchen says
I wish I had a Costco membership, but I only go when I’m visiting my parents and can latch onto my mom’s Costco trip. I love the deals on Mary’s Crackers and chia seeds there!
Alexis says
Costco is AMAZE. I believe that your mom can get another card for family members to use on the same membership!
Mary says
You should do a post on how you budget
Amy says
I was just at Costco tonight. Seriously one of my favorite places to go. I love the raw honey that they sell. I feel like we go through that so fast with my kids. Also they have organic cauliflower rice that is great to throw in dishes or freeze.
Alexis says
OMG I didn’t know about the cauliflower rice! That is a must get.
Alexis says
It’s like a giant playground!! Good to know about the cauliflower, too :)
rosemary says
how bout some suggestions other than salad dressing for their delicious basalmic vinagrette
omg it was good