Ways to save $$ at Costco

If you are a 'warehouse' store shopper, you know like many of us do, that it is hard to leave those stores without spending your MONTHS grocery budget. Yes, bulk can save you money on certain items, but you have to be careful when shopping at this type of a store! These stores do so well because people assume that because it is a warehouse store and they sell items in bulk, they are ALWAYS good prices. This is FAR from the truth!

Many people ask me if I have certain items I buy at Costco. Yes, I do! MOST items will go on sale for 'red' prices that will be LESS than Costco, and when that happens, I stock up. However, there are a few staple pantry/food storage items that I try to always have on hand and that if I am out of, I buy ONCE a month at Costco. I have noticed the months I go to Costco more than once (or less) a month, I spend MUCH less than other months. The reason...there are SO many fun things to buy at Costco, whether it is clothes, decorations, nonfood items, premade/quick & easy meals (that are MUCH less to make myself), etc. So..it is better and will save you money if you only go to 'warehouse' stores ONLY when necessary.

Here is a quick list however, to help you know which items are 'generally' LESS at Costco and that are great to stock up on, add to your food storage and keep in your freezer:

cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar, feta, blue cheese)
butter
string cheese
lunch meat
lettuce
mushrooms

apples/strawberries
salt
honey
flour
rice
tortillas
baking soda, powder, yeast
SOME spices (ANY spices you can buy at Walmart for .50 is BETTER than Costco's prices. The name brand spices however are MUCH less at Costco--McCormick Lemon Pepper, Montreal Steak Seasoning, etc.)
McCormick Chicken & Beef Base (One of my favorite ingredients, found by the spices! It's just like bouillon cubes but MUCH more convenient.)
soy sauce

white vinegar
olive oil & balsamic vinegar
nuts--pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc. Keep in your freezer and they will last MUCH longer.
lemon juice
raisins
garbage bags/kitchen liners
Ziploc bags
laundry detergent/softener

dishwasher detergent
batteries

Something also to consider: Some items at Costco are better quality than items you can find at Walmart or other grocery stores. Once you find those items that meet your quality and price expectations, then sometimes it is worth spending the extra money. However, if you watch the sales, you can many times find the EXACT items for LESS at other stores. Whether you buy food at Costco or somewhere else, the important things is that you are stocking up and becoming prepared ;)

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Warehouse Stores--good deals or not?

Have you ever been to Costco or Sams Club and walked out spending $150 and wondering what in the world you have bought? There is a distinct difference in the amount of money I spend each month on groceries on the months I don't go to Costco, verses the months I do. Needless to say it is always MORE when I go there! This month I swore I would not go to Costco and so far I have only spent $50 on groceries!

So..a common question asked to me is whether or not I think people should shop and have memberships to 'warehouse' stores. I do have a Costco membership (Sams Club is not close to my house), and I feel it is worth the $100 year membership (I do the 2% back because so far it has paid for itself with the Amex. card). However, there are MANY items at Costco that are NOT a good deal and several items that you should never buy there. I have a post below that tells you which long term storage items you should be buying at Costco and adding to your year supply, that are LESS than grocery stores, the LDS Cannery and Walmart. Some of the items that are a good deal and that I buy there are: rice, spices, soy sauce, lemon juice, yeast, cheeses (feta, parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar, etc.), string cheese, raisins, craisins, nuts, butter, lettuce, apples, salt and sugar. Nearly every other item will eventually go on sale for LESS if you watch the ads. If you are a member, then the RED deals are LESS than Costco, Walmart and the LDS Canneries. When items go on sale for red/great prices, the idea is that you stock up and buy your year supply of that particular item. The reason is that most grocery items only go on sale for these red/great prices once or twice a year. If you buy your years supply of these items, then you will NOT have to buy that item at regular price and it will save you TONS of money in the long run.

An example of this is pork n' beans and ketchup. At Reams this last week pork n' beans were on sale for only .29 a can--that is as low as you will see them go! Ketchup was on sale for only .59 for a 24 oz. bottle! These two items will NOT go on sale again for this low until next summer--if at all. When items go on sale for prices like these, don't just buy one--buy 24 and you won't have to buy it again for 1-2 years! For less than $20 you can have your families 1-2 year supply of ketchup and NEVER have to buy it at full price. Fabulous! Remember, the idea of food storage is that you are creating your own grocery store in your basement. Little by little as you stock up on items that are on sale, you will eventually have all of the items you need for your families cooking and necessities in your own store in the basement. Doing this saves so much money and helps you feel peace of mind that you can feed your family in ecinomic hard times or in an emergency. Food storage is for everyone--it is awesome!!

So...there is a place for warehouse stores, just don't get caught up in all of the extras you can buy there and get sucked into buying processed and expensive items. Making items from scratch will save you SOOO much money and be better for your families health in the long run. Yes...I do have frozen pizzas in my freezer, but those are for a dinner emergency--usually when my cute husband is in charge ;)

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One Stop Shopping!

I'm sure all of you already know this, but in case anyone doesn't, I want to fill you in on the BEST tip around! Walmart matches prices to ALL major grocery stores. A Walmart less than 5 minutes down the road just opened and it has been AWESOME!! With gas prices so high it wasn't worth it to me to drive the 20 min. to the nearest Walmart, but now that it is so close it has been great to be able to match all of the RED deals each week in ONE place! The 'red' deals from the weekly deal sheet you have access to if you are a member are the items in the ads that are LESS than 'warehouse' stores (Costco/Sams Club) and beat Walmart prices. These are the items each week you should be stocking up on and adding to your food storage. For those who are members (if you live in Utah and are not--visit http://www.myfoodstoragedeals.com/ ) you get a list of the weekly deals that tell you which items in the ads are GREAT (red/stock up immediatly!), GOOD (blue/okay deals, only buy if you are low) and OKAY deals (green/only buy if you are out). We make it SOO easy for you to cut your weekly food budget. If you are ONLY buying items on the 'red' list, you will be saving anywhere from 30-80% on your groceries!! Walmart now makes that easier by being able to match all prices in one place--FABULOUS!! If you haven't tried it, give it a try (bring your ads just incase they want to see verification on prices, or just bring your print out of our deals and they will match them).

Shopping is now easier than ever--and so is getting your year supply ;)

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