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Your First Costco Trip

You're going to spend more than you planned. That's fine. We all did.

Walking into Costco for the first time is a spiritual experience. The ceilings are tall. The carts are enormous. Someone is offering you a tiny cup of something delicious. You will leave with a flat-screen TV you didn't know you needed. This guide is here to make sure you also leave with the groceries that'll actually save you money.

Membership Tiers

You need a membership to shop at Costco. There are two tiers for regular humans:

Tier Cost Perks
Gold Star $65/year Basic membership. Gets you in the door. That's the whole perk.
Executive $130/year Everything above + 2% cashback on all purchases (up to $1,250/year)

Which one should you pick? Start with Gold Star. The Executive membership pays for itself if you spend about $6,500/year at Costco (~$540/month). That's a lot of rotisserie chickens. Once you've shopped for a few months and know your spending habits, you can upgrade — and Costco will even backdate your cashback reward. They're nice like that.

What to Buy First (Top 10 Staples)

These are the items that deliver the best value per dollar and form the backbone of dozens of meals. If your cart has these, you're doing it right.

  1. Rotisserie Chicken ($4.99) — The single best deal in any grocery store, period. See the Rotisserie Chicken Guide for 5+ meals from one bird.
  2. Kirkland Signature Extra Virgin Olive Oil — Restaurant-quality at a fraction of the price. See Pantry Staples.
  3. Eggs (5 dozen) — Yes, five dozen. You'll use them. See Dairy & Eggs.
  4. Kirkland Signature Bacon — Thick-cut, good smoke. Freezes beautifully. See Meat & Poultry.
  5. Butter (4-pack) — Kerrygold or Kirkland. Freeze what you won't use this week. See Dairy & Eggs.
  6. Rice (25 lb bag) — Jasmine or basmati. Lasts forever in a cool, dry spot. See Pantry Staples.
  7. Frozen Berries (Kirkland 3-pack) — Smoothies, oatmeal, baking. Always in season. See Frozen.
  8. Mozzarella Cheese — Shredded or block. You will put this on everything. See Dairy & Eggs.
  9. Chicken Thighs — Bone-in, skin-on. Cheap, flavorful, nearly impossible to overcook. See Meat & Poultry.
  10. Bread (2-pack) — Freeze the second loaf immediately. See the Freezer Guide.

What NOT to Buy at Costco

Costco is incredible, but it's not the best deal on everything. Save your cart space:

  • Fresh produce you can't use fast enough — A 5 lb bag of spinach is only a deal if you don't throw half of it away. Exception: anything you plan to freeze (see the Freezer Guide).
  • Specialty spices and sauces — Your local Asian, Latin, or international grocery store almost always has better prices and better selection on things like whole spices, curry pastes, gochujang, and specialty sauces. This is especially true for our international copycat recipes — the Costco ingredients are all standard US items, but the "Other Ingredients" often need a specialty store stop.
  • Things you don't have room to store — That 48-pack of paper towels is a great deal per roll, but not if it lives in your bathtub for six months.
  • Produce with a short shelf life — Avocados, berries (fresh), and bananas in bulk are a race against time.
  • Name-brand items when Kirkland exists — Kirkland Signature is almost always the same quality for less. Almost always.

Pro Tips

  • Bring your own bags. Costco doesn't provide them. You'll be doing the walk of shame with loose items in your cart otherwise. (They do have empty boxes near the exit — grab a few.)
  • Go on weekday mornings (Tue–Thu). Weekends are a zoo. Saturday at 1pm is Costco on hard mode.
  • Check the Costco app before you go. Current deals, warehouse-specific inventory, and your membership card are all in there.
  • Try every sample without shame. That's what they're there for. This is a judgment-free zone.
  • The treasure hunt aisles (center of the store) rotate monthly. Seasonal items, random deals, and things you absolutely do not need but will buy anyway.
  • Look for the asterisk (*) on price tags. An asterisk means that item is being discontinued or won't be restocked. If you love it, this is your last chance. Stock up or say goodbye.
  • Check the last two digits of the price. Prices ending in .97 are manager markdowns. Prices ending in .00 or .88–.89 are manufacturer deals. Both mean extra savings.

The Math

Here's why people get obsessed. Costco vs. regular grocery store, for the staples that matter most:

Item Costco Price Grocery Store Price Costco Per Unit Grocery Per Unit
Chicken thighs (bone-in) ~$17 / 6.5 lb ~$8 / 2.5 lb ~$2.60/lb ~$3.20/lb
Kirkland Olive Oil ~$14 / 2L ~$10 / 750ml ~$0.21/oz ~$0.39/oz
Eggs ~$13 / 60 ct ~$4 / 12 ct ~$0.22/egg ~$0.33/egg
Mozzarella Cheese ~$12 / 2.5 lb ~$5 / 8 oz ~$4.80/lb ~$10.00/lb
Butter (Kirkland) ~$14 / 4 lb ~$5 / 1 lb ~$3.50/lb ~$5.00/lb
Bacon (Kirkland) ~$18 / 4 lb ~$7 / 1 lb ~$4.50/lb ~$7.00/lb

Even before the Executive cashback, you're saving 25–50% on the stuff you buy every single week. Over a year, that adds up to hundreds of dollars.

See Also