Disciplined Shopping At Costco
Walking into Costco I find before my eyes the shelving unit with canvas baskets I had seen on my last visit. Noticed as the perfect solution to house old sheets gathered for future toothbrush rugs, I now see this desired item is on sale! Taking a moment to let my frugal senses over rule my excitement, I remind myself this unit is not for me. Perfect size to add to my guest/nursery/workroom and matching my new free to me crib, (I'll have to tell you that story some time,) I say no to my heart and yes to my pocketbook. A grand principle for living the frugal life! Too many other things are on the list for my household budget category. I am glad I have learned to shop at Costco with discipline.
I shop at Costco on a monthly basis and appreciate being able to purchase what I consider to be quality products. With all the news on gmo products, I buy organic frozen corn and tortilla chips here. Also, not one to serve lunch meat on a regular basis, but for birthday hoagies and the occasional easy to prepare lunch, I will purchase their nitrate free meat. Costco's organic spinach finds it way into our green smoothies and salads. The savings on the brand cat litter I prefer actually pays for my yearly membership.
Although to some Costco shopping would not be considered frugal, if purchasing food with some health considerations in mind, I think Costco is a big help. I will also add their cheese and milk prices are excellent and buying spices here can also bring big savings.
One of my Costco shopping goals and how I apply my disciplined shopping at Costco, is to be careful not to spend too much time perusing the aisles with non-food items. I will admit however, that there is a baby swing hanging on a wild persimmon tree in my yard recently purchased at Costco. As this swing was cheaper than those I had seen online, I felt no remorse when this purchase was made. However, I am grateful for my disciplined Costco shopping as not to buy every other item that my grandmother heart sees and knows would just be "perfect" for our yard.
By keeping my budget in mind and learning to appreciate the many items Costco carries without thinking all these items need to belong to me, I find my disciplined shopping at Costco to be a delight!
Do any others shop here? What do you purchase?
7 Responses to “Disciplined Shopping At Costco”
April 10th, 2012 at 6:49 am
We do not have a Costco near us. I think the closest one is 1 hr. away. I’m not even sure the requirement to be able to shop there. Is is a membership shop? Even if we met the requirements, I don’t know if it would cost effective to drive so far to drive when we could get what we need locally.
But, where ever I shop, I have to apply some of the same principles as you and let my frugal head shop instead of my Oma heart!
enjoy your articles, Pat
April 10th, 2012 at 7:58 am
I’m fortunate to live extremely nearby to a Costco, so I feel free to return home to think over tempting potential purchases. I buy many grocery items there. I especially appreciate the relatively affordable wild-caught fish and organic foods. Like you, I’m concerned about avoiding GMO products. My DH found that Costco had the best deal when we needed new tires.
At the Costco where I shop, items in the savings/ coupon flyer used to automatically ring up at the discounted price, but now the coupon flyer must be presented for the cashier to scan in order to get the discounted price.
April 10th, 2012 at 10:45 am
My usual Costco fare is: tuna, REAL maple syrup (cheapest anywhere!), grated cheddar, grated mozzerella, butter, Better than Bouillon, olive oil, vanilla, paper towels, and a hot dog on the way out!
April 10th, 2012 at 2:27 pm
we do not have a costco nearby but we do have a sams…i go there for things like toilet paper, paper towels, and some canned goods such as tuna, chicken, turkey, spam, soups etc.. i also buy the five lb. hunks of cheeses too-slice and divide it up when i get home and freeze it. you are absolutely right about having to use discipline when shopping at these big box places though. i always see things i would like to have but i stick with that list i made and very rarely purchase anything that is not on that list.
April 10th, 2012 at 2:46 pm
Pat:
Costco is a membership club. I did get the executive membership which pays back I believe 2% on your orders for the year. I use the payback towards my membership and so the amount I spend has been considerably less each year. I do believe I save a good portion of the cost of membership through the savings on the products I buy.
April 10th, 2012 at 9:02 pm
I forgot gas. Gas is usually ,though not always, cheaper at Costco.
April 16th, 2012 at 9:31 pm
We have both Costco and Sam’s club, and I have found that I like the brands at Sam’s better, it is just a taste preference. My mom gets a business card and puts me and one of my brother’s on it with her, making it cheaper for all of us. plus extra hours to shop without the normal crowd.
I have a list but it is buying tires that really saves the cost membership! We put alot of hard miles on our cars and usually need new tires on one car or another every year or two.
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