Saving Money at Costco

     3 months ago Hubby and I decided to get a Costco membership. Our boys eat A LOT of fruit. Bananas at Costco are 20 cents a pound cheaper than the ones at Publix. We did the math. We go through 6 pounds of bananas a week. By buying bananas at Costco, we'd save at least $62.40 a year. Just in bananas! The membership is $55 a year, so we knew this was something that needed to happen.

     I've been told that prices at Costco aren't any better than the grocery stores. I laugh at people who try to convince me that we're wasting our money there. Yes, if you go off your list, you'll rack up a huge bill from stuff you don't need, and not everything at Costco is a great deal. However, a consumer who is aware of product costs and sticks to his/her list is likely to come out ahead when shopping at Costco. We have neither an extra freezer nor a lot of pantry storage. Hubby and I have bought exactly 2 impulse buys in our 3 months as Costco members. Even so, we've already saved enough to cover our membership and then some.

    I don't know all of the prices off the top of my head, but this is a list of things I know are cheaper at Costco than at our local grocery stores. I've included the prices for the items that I know. I'll write down the prices for the others on my next trip and update.

Coconut oil- I love this stuff! A 4 pound jar is about $16 at Costco. A 1 pound jar is $13. I go through a jar a month, so that's $12 a month in savings.
Olive Oil
Lemon juice
Baking soda
Yeast (if you bake a lot)
Rice
Annie's Mac and Cheese (I know it's not "real food," but it's a convenience food that I can live with.)
Flour (if you bake a lot)
Sugar (if you bake a lot)
Cinnamon
Garlic powder
Mrs. Dash
Dried oregano
Dried basil
Sea salt
Canned organic tomatoes
Canned mushrooms

Bananas- Costco: 3 lbs at $0.49/ lb  Publix: $0.69 / lb
Strawberries- Costco: 4 lbs at $1.99/ lb  Publix: $2.50/ lb
Onions, red and yellow
Apples
Garlic
Cantaloupes-  Costco: 3 for $6 Publix: $2.50 each on sale
Berries of any kind
Fresh organic spinach
Grape tomatoes
Mushrooms
Celery

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts- Costco :$2.99/ lb  Publix: $2.99/ lb when they're on sale. I love not having to wait for a sale!
Whole chickens- Costco: $0.99/ lb  Publix: They were just on sale for $1.29/ lb.
Ground beef- Costco- $2.99/ lb  Publix: The cheapest ground beef is $3.69/ lb. Costco's tastes much better, too.

Almond milk- Babyzilla has a dairy sensitivity, so we use a lot of this. The price works out to be buy 2 get 1 free.
Yogurt
Eggs

Freezer bags
Garbage bags
Baby wipes
Children's Tylanol (Kirkland brand)

Gasoline- We save about $0.10 a gallon by buying our gas from Costco, and it saves a trip since it's right there.

I've been told that coffee, dog food, maple syrup, and toilet paper are all good deals at Costco, but I haven't confirmed these as we don't use coffee or dog food and are still using toilet paper from my last stock up.

If your family uses any of the above, a Costco membership might be something to consider.