A small household's guide to Costco

I'm only one person... I can't shop at Costco!

I have heard a variation of that statement from SO MANY people. Maybe you're single, maybe you're a couple, maybe you have a tiny apartment or very little storage space. There are a lot of excuses not to shop at Costco. I have been a member since I moved to the Atlanta area in 1999. I have rarely had a lot of storage space, and have always been a household of 1 or 2 adults (plus anywhere from 1-3 dogs), but I have never NOT renewed my membership in all of those years. 

I previously mentioned that Groupon is having a great deal on Costco memberships. Also, Rakuten gives cash back on Groupon purchases, so you save even more - if you use my referral link to Rakuten, your purchase will qualify for you to get $50 back if you're new to Rakuten, plus the cash back from the purchase! 

One of the best things about Costco (aside from the prices) is that they treat their staff pretty well and in exchange, they are friendly and helpful. This is not the case with all warehouse clubs. Also, there are the samples! Ahh, many a lunch hour was spent eating samples while shopping. Another standout is their return policy. By far more generous than most other stores.

Another huge benefit is the Costco Anywhere Visa®  by Citi card. I will stress that this is only beneficial if you pay your bill in full every month, because their interest rates are pretty high. I am not sure if it exists outside of the US, but it has no annual fee (other than the Costco membership fee), and you can earn cash back for your purchases at Costco, but also for a bunch of other categories outside of Costco (5% back on Costco gas, 4% back on other gas, 3% back on restaurants and travel, including Costco Travel, 2% back on Costco purchases, 1% back on everything else). You also benefit from an extended warranty on some purchases. The only downside is that the cash back is only payable once per year, but they have greatly improved the process from what it used to be - after a certain cash back threshold, you can elect to deposit your cash into PayPal instead of having to to go the warehouse and carry out cash that was counted out loud with strangers standing around. I used to worry about being mugged in the parking lot, I'm not going to lie. I'm VERY happy with the new process.

If you live or work near a Costco warehouse

If you're near a Costco, which I was for many years, the gas is a great value. They always price their gas cheaper than the closest gas stations. (In my case, their gas station was also much more convenient to me than any other gas station.) Try to go on off times to avoid a crazy line, though. I would also go in and just buy a gallon of milk, because it was so much cheaper than anywhere else. The cashiers would stare at me in awe, until I told them I lived a mile away and this was my 3rd trip there in a week!

If you only go to Costco when you "need" to

I currently do not live near a Costco warehouse, and when I say that, I mean I don't have one within a mile or two of my home. Atlanta traffic is a real thing, y'all! There are some things that I will absolutely make a trip to Costco to purchase, however!

• Eye glasses - they have a different selection almost every time you go, but I have never been unable to find a pair I liked; they also have contacts, but you can order those online too.

• Lenses for existing eye glasses - if you purchased the frames at Costco, they just charge for the lenses and associated coatings/features you want; only $25 extra for frames from other vendors - this is a HUGE savings, particularly if you have an expensive prescription.

• Mobile phones - there are sometimes really good deals that are worth going to Costco for over going to your mobile provider. Also, if you're switching phone companies, you may get a better deal when you go to Costco. You can do some research before you go!

• Electronics - TVs, speakers, headphones, etc. - anything that you want to test out before you buy!

• Bakery items - Cupcakes, muffins, bread, and OMG the CROISSANTS (which you can freeze - just take one out about 45 minutes before you want to eat it and it'll taste amazing)... these are also available via Same-Day but sometimes it's nice to pick out the ones you want.

• Cheese - They have a 3-pack of Boursin that is so good (the shallot & chive is delicious in mashed potatoes!), brie, and a bunch of other cheeses at a really good value! They also have a 6-pack of cream cheese that is cheap... I go through a lot more cream cheese than the average person though, so that may not be a good value for most people! Again, also available via Same-Day but while you're there, might as well check them out!

• Wine / beer / liquor - Depending on where in the country you live, these may or may not be available. In Georgia, the liquor stores are independently owned and have a separate entrance (and not all stores have them!), but wine and beer are in the warehouse. In California, you can buy liquor, wine, and beer with the rest of your purchases. Other states have different laws.

• Cleaning supplies and paper goods - Tide pods, Swiffer dusters and sweepers, garbage bags, paper towels, toilet paper.

• Seasonal items - plants/lawn care, holiday décor, wrapping paper, cards, etc.

If you never want to go near a Costco warehouse

Maybe you don't live near a Costco. Maybe the crowds give you hives. You can still use your Costco membership to save a lot of money, even without the Visa card! NOTE: you will probably have to go once to get your card with your photo on it... but my photo is from 1999 and my membership is still valid. So go on a weekday evening and you will survive, I promise.

• Costco Travel - this is huge. I have booked most of my cruises through them. I also booked my honeymoon at an all-inclusive resort through them. They are not a full-service travel agency as they only have a limited selection of packages, cruises, hotels and rental cars, but if they have what you're looking for, they are great! I have had nothing but good service from them, and with some bookings you can even get additional freebies, and sometimes even a Costco Cash card after your trip!

• costco.com - There are some things online that are not available in the warehouse (though if they do have something online and in the warehouse, the warehouse almost always has it cheaper). You can get pretty much anything here, including nonperishable groceries, household supplies, clothing, shoes, electronics, appliances, even designer sunglasses and bags!

• Costco Same-Day via Instacart - yeah, the prices are higher than in the warehouse, but you don't have to battle crowds or fight traffic. I use this a lot now that I'm not close to a warehouse. Executive Members get $10 off a $150+ purchase once per month, also! Pro tip: if something is available on costco.com and also on Same-Day, compare the prices - sometimes same-day is actually a lot cheaper (even with the upcharge and tip) because the costco.com prices factor in shipping costs. You can also get wine and beer (and I assume liquor from warehouses that sell it), but you do need to show your ID to the delivery person. 

• Costco Next - Costco partners with a bunch of vendors to get members lower prices through this program. I have personally used it for Nomatic and verified that my price was cheaper than I could have gotten directly, even with sales/coupon codes on the regular site. I did notice that the Costco Next selection was slightly smaller than their actual website though. Not sure if that's the case for every vendor.

Happy shopping!