Costco Shopping List

Today I am sharing a fairly comprehensive Costco shopping list, with a focus on affordable organic products. Prices and product availability may vary across the country, so please note I’m in the Seattle area.

We love Costco in our house. Costco is a Washington state company and we have been shopping there since I was a little kid. Our local store is one of the first 25 ever built in the world, and I have seen firsthand how buying in bulk can save you time and money if done correctly.

Cost of Membership

Costco offers different levels of membership that range from $60-$120 per year.  With the memberships, you get two cards.  Many friends/families split a membership and have one card per household.  It definitely reduces the yearly cost, while still allowing you access to the store.

We have the Costco Executive membership which is $120 per year.  It is similar to the $60 membership, but we get a 2% rebate back each year that actually pays the difference in the cost of the membership, plus some in many cases.  If you were to plan on big purchases like appliances, etc., you’ll receive a sizable rebate. Costco also offers discounts on travel (we’ve used it for rental cars), car insurance (we have it, and it’s wonderful), and buying new cars. In the store they have an optical section, hearing aid screening and service, photo center, and a well-stocked pharmacy. There is an infinite number of services they offer. I can’t cover them all, but each one I have used has been quality.

Here are some of the items we purchase at Costco.  Many of the prices are ranges and numbers are rounded up in most cases. Kirkland Signature is Costco’s store brand. Keep in mind, many of these prices and product availability may not be the same around the country.

Costco Shopping List

• Organic apples.  Price varies depending on type of apple, but it’s typically about $7-15 for five pounds.
• Organic sliced apples, 8 6 oz bags for $7.50
• Organic whole carrots (I can’t stand baby carrots) – 10 pounds for $5.49
• Organic baby spinach, 1 pound (it’s a huge tub) for $3.99
• Brussels Sprouts, 2 pounds for $4
• Kiwi, 4 pounds for $6ish
• Pineapple, non-organic for $2.79
• Avocado, 5 pack from $3-5 depending on the time of year
• Tillamook Cheddar, 5 pounds for $15.99.  Tillamook was named the “World’s Best Medium Cheddar” in 2010, and it is a Pacific Northwest producer. We are die hard Tillamook eaters in this house. When Jack was three once spit a cheese sample out in my hand at Costco, and glared at the sample lady and said “this is not Tillamook”. And the little punk was right.
• Smoked paprika, $3-4
• Organic sugar, 10 lbs for $7.49
• Organic Better Than Bouillon, 16 oz beef $7, and 16 oz chicken for $6.  I make my own stock, but these are great to have on hand if you just need a tiny bit for a recipe.
• Rosemary flatbread crackers.  We’re obsessed with these, and they’re from a local company no less!  One big box for $7.29, but they tend to only be seasonal, around the holidays.
• Organic Triscuits, 4 boxes for $8 ish. Have you ever looked at a Triscuit box ingredient list? They only contain wheat, oil, and salt. They are our favorite every day snacking cracker.
• Environmentally friendly dish soap.  I have no idea the cost of this, but it’s a big jug for a very reasonable price.
• Cascade dish tabs.  I tried and tried and tried environmentally friendly stuff in our dishwasher, but it just isn’t working.  It worked well in our last rental, but not in our new place.  90 tabs for $13. These tend to go on rebate every other month.
• Toilet paper – I like Charmin, a giant package for $20, and every 2 months they have a $2 off coupon in their coupon books. But we now buy the Kirkland Signature which is a huge package for $16.
• Mozzarella, 2 pound Frigo loaf for $4.79 ish
• Organic dried dates, 2 pounds for $8ish.  I use dates in homemade Lara Bars
• Adams Natural Peanut butter, 5 pounds for…$9 ish???  The only two ingredients are peanuts and salt.  You do have to stir it to distribute the oil when you first open it, which is annoying, but a small price to pay.
• Kirkland Signature organic almond butter $11 ish
• Organic jam, prices vary depending on type
• Organic marinara. $8.69 for a four pack, but goes on rebate every few months.
• Organic frozen fruit – the availability and price vary throughout the year, but typically they carry organic strawberries, blueberries, mango, and cherries. I just saw our store now has frozen raspberries, but they’re not organic. Most of the berries are 4 lbs and range from $9-12.
• Organic eggs, 2 dozen for $6.29. We have our own chickens, but chickens drop egg production in winter, so we do purchase them from time to time. I currently buy my eggs through Smith Brothers Farms which is our milkman. In a pinch, I have purchased them at Costco.
• Organic butter.  I haven’t purchased it from there in awhile, but I believe Costco’s organic butter is $7.29 for two pounds. They also carry Kerry Gold, which I do love. Around Thanksgiving, the Kerry Gold has a huge rebate, so I stock up and freeze.
• Snap Ware Glass Lock containers, which to date are the only to go glass containers I’ve found that don’t leak if liquids are placed in them.  I can throw these in Troy’s work bag, and they go from the fridge to the microwave.  Costco sells a whole big kit of them in various sizes for $30.  Every so often, they have $6 off coupons in their monthly coupon packets.
• Light bulbs.  Often they had LED lights for $4.99 ($14.99, with a $10 off instant rebate), but they have a wide array of LED and CFL bulbs.
• Vinegar, two gallons for $3.79. I use this from homemade cleaner, and as a fabric softener in the wash.
• Stretch Island Fruit Leathers.  I’ve made these before, but sometimes it’s nice to have a ready to go snack.  The only ingredients are fruit purees and fruit juices.  And they’re a Washington State company! Stretch Island is an actual place southwest of Seattle.
• Stamps.  I’m not sure how they can do this, but you can buy stamps for less than the cost of getting them at the post office.  It’s not a huge price difference, and you do have to buy them in a 100 pack.
• Photos.  Their processing prices and times are reasonable.  They also print holiday cards and invites for something crazy like $14 for 50 cards and envelopes.
• Nuts.  The prices of these definitely vary throughout the season, but they have great prices on pistachios, almonds, walnuts, cashews, and peanuts.
• Organic meat, prices vary. We generally purchase our meat at a local butcher, but have purchased their chicken breasts, whole chickens, and ground beef in the past. I believe the chicken breasts are $2.99 a pound.
• Organic chicken broth.  I no longer purchase it, so I don’t know the price, but it was quite reasonable when we used to buy it by the box.
• Frozen wild caught fish, prices vary. We buy their frozen salmon and cod from time to time.
• 32 oz, Grade B pure Maple Syrup for $14.
• Coconut oil – half gallon for $17
• Organic avocado oil for about $13
• Organic olive oil, $15(ish) for about a half gallon.
• Organic strawberries in spring from $4.99-$6.49 for two pounds.
• We buy the 5 lb bag of Halos for $6.
• Nutella. Sigh, my best friend and worst enemy. Large two pack for $11.99.
• Croissants, $5.99 for 12. Often goes well with the Nutella.
• Organic flours, traditional and gluten-free. Prices vary.
• Montreal Steak Seasoning, which may be one of the most used seasonings in our house. Large container for under $6. I use it on grilled veggies, chicken, and roasted veg in the winter.
• Organic pears, prices vary, but it is usually around $9 for 5 pounds.
• Organic tortilla chips, a huge bag for under $5.
• Organic milk, prices vary.
• Organic non-cow’s milk (soy, almond, and coconut), prices vary.
• Turkey bacon, 3 lbs for $14
• Annie’s organic mac and cheese, 15 pack for $14.99
• Annie’s organic fruit snacks and cheddar bunnies. Prices vary.
• Dave’s killer bread, 2 loaves for $6.79
• Organic salsas, for about $6
• Organic hummus for $7 ish
• Organic guacamole for $12
• Organic canned tomatoes – diced, paste, and sauce. Prices vary.
• Organic canned beans, prices vary.
• Organic canned mushrooms, prices vary. Vomit.
• Organic dried fruit – cherries, mango, bananas, figs, and apricots. Prices vary.
• Organic orange juice, $7.99 for 1 gallon. They sell it in two separate containers, so you could easily freeze one. Living in California for a time, I know fresh squeezed juice, and this isn’t that. But, it is very good and not from concentrate.
• Organic frozen veggies (corn, peas, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, and butternut squash. Prices vary, but I consider them all reasonable.
• Organic bananas, 3 lbs for $1.99.
• Noosa yoghurt, which is our favorite store-bought yogurt. It is so freaking good. They sell 12 4 oz containers for $8.99.

Friends who have used disposable diapers and formula report that the deals at Costco are great.  They also carry organic brown rice and quinoa (related: Zesty Instant Pot Quinoa Salad), and really delicious rice crackers.  Naked Juice and Odwalla are also sold there, but they’re not items we purchase.  We used to buy their organic carrot juice to give to Jack because he was so anti-vegetable when little, but I didn’t like him drinking so much juice all the time.  Now I just put spinach or kale in his smoothies.

How about you, what is on your Costco shopping list?

The Costco Shopping List post was originally published in 2013, and updated in 2017. Prices have been updated to reflect my current experience.