5 Things I Always Buy at Costco

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Can’t decide what to get at Costco this week? Check out this writer’s five personal favorites at his local warehouse. [[{“value”:”

With all its variety, Costco can feel like a zoo — or a jungle if we count the parking lot. That’s probably why seasoned members always go to Costco with a well-defined list, lest they want to leave with a cartload of stuff they weren’t expecting to put on a credit card. And while I definitely like trying new products at Costco, I certainly have my own favorites that I always return to. Like the following five.

1. Kirkland Signature Italian basil pesto

Price: $9.49

Kirkland basil pesto is rich and creamy, without being too heavy or too salty. Although I can name other brands that sell higher quality pesto, for the price the Kirkland Signature brand checks off two important boxes: cost and taste. We use it to make sandwiches and for pasta dishes that have a pesto sauce as the base.

2. Kirkland Signature Italian extra virgin olive oil

Price: $25.99

If you can’t tell, we cook a lot of Mediterranean food. So we always stock up on olive oil when we’re at Costco. My go-to is the Kirkland Signature Italian Olive Oil, which costs about $13 per liter. Though not the cheapest olive oil you can find, it’s worth paying slightly more for a better-tasting oil. For a cheaper alternative, you could buy the Organic Extra Virgin olive oil, which costs about $11 per liter.

3. Kirkland Signature diapers

Price: $34.99 – $44.99

According to BabyCenter, parents spend about $70 to $80 on disposable diapers each month, which comes out to about an average of $0.29 per diaper. Since many parents also go through about 2,500 to 3,000 diapers a year, saving even a penny per diaper could result in $25 to $30 in annual savings on this expense alone.

Fortunately, Costco can help parents save more than a penny per diaper. In fact, if you get Kirkland Signature diapers, you could save up to $0.11 per diaper, depending on the size you need. For example, a 192-count box of Kirkland Signature Diapers Sizes 1 – 2 costs $34.99, which comes out to $0.18 per diaper.

4. think! protein bars

Costco sells a lot of protein products, like bars and powders, at low prices. But its price for think! bars is the lowest I’ve seen. At one point, it sold an 18-count box of think! protein bars online for $24.49, or roughly $1.36 per bar. Meanwhile, on Amazon, you can buy a 30-count box for $51.24, or roughly $1.71 per bar. In this case, Costco would save you $0.35 per bar, which adds up to $10.50 per month if you eat one a day.

5. Tires

Finally, it’s hard to beat Costco’s overall price on tires and installation. While the retail price for tires isn’t always the lowest, Costco frequently runs promotions that make its prices competitive with discount tire shops. What’s more, tire installation at Costco is free. Considering that other tire shops charge $80 or more to install four tires, this often makes Costco the cheapest place to find tires, even when its prices are on par with other places.

All in all, Costco provides my household with many other staples, like eggs, trash bags, paper towels, and toilet paper. Next time you’re at Costco, take a look at some of my favorites, and see if they can help you streamline your budget.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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