Shopping at Costco is a new experience for our family. Many years ago, my husband and I had a membership to a different wholesale store. Today, shopping as a family of 6 is an entirely different story.
Eleven years and four kids later, we absolutely must find the best deals. We have been coupon clipping, meal planning, shopping second chance stores for years. After several trips with friends who had memberships at Costco, we decided to drink the kool-aid and grab one for ourselves. Buying in bulk for a family of 6 is a no brainer.
We use the Every Dollar budget app ( from Dave Ramsey) and have our money planned to the penny. When I plan my Costco trips I need to be mindful of how long things will last and not overspend. Buying in bulk means you will spend more initially, but save in the long run.
It is important to be consciences of finding the best deals. For our family, we want to get the most out of our money.
The biggest factor in our decision to grab a Costco membership was school starting. My husband and three boys all take a lunch daily during the week.
Mornings can be pretty chaotic so saving time where possible is a priority. I usually do a mixture of both pre-packaged and packing ourselves to save money and not get overwhelmed.
I decided that I would want to take advantage of any discounts happening on the individually priced items.
I have found that planning 2 weeks of meals at a time helps when sticking to a budget. After searching the pantry, I came up with a list of what we needed to pick up at Costco and also some things I wanted to price check.
Here are our meals planned for the next two weeks.
For breakfast, we will have cereal, protein pancakes, eggs, and fruit/veggie smoothies.
For lunch, I typically pack sandwiches. Thankfully our school provides microwaves for the boys, so I will be able to send some leftovers from dinner. Home lunches will be chicken nuggets and venison hot dogs.
Dinners:
- Rotisserie chicken, boxed potatoes and peas
- Spicy pork sandwiches with coleslaw, chips and raw veggies
- Meatball beef stroganoff with egg noodles and salad
- Chicken or cheese quesadillas with sour cream and frozen fruit
- Homemade pepperoni pizza
- Instant pot chicken noodle soup
- Lasagna with french bread and salad
- Pork chops, quinoa, and steamed mixed veggies
- Meal from freezer- potpie with biscuit topping
- French toast bake, and ham slices
- Beef chili with elbow noodles and cheese bread
- Leftovers will be eaten for both lunch and two dinners
If you are new to shopping monthly and creating a meal menu for longer than a week be sure to grab our FREE Monthly Shopping Printable set here.
Here is what I bought:
- Krusteaz Pancake Mix 10 lbs $6.49 Save an additional 75 cents from Ibotta.
- Kirkland 3 pack of Pepperoni Pizza on sale for $ 8.99
- Tyson Panko Chicken Nuggets on sale for $8.49 Save an additional 25 cents from Ibotta.
- Natures Bakery Fig Bars (36ct) for $10.89
- Chex Mix 40oz bag $5.79
- G.H. Cretors Popped corn mix 2 lbs bag for $6.69
- Multi-Grain Crackers $9.79 with Ibotta $2.00 savings
- Spinach 2.5lb bag for $4.99
- Kirkland Chocolate Chips 4.5lb bag for $8.99
- Bartlet Pairs bag for $6.99
- Pirates Booty 40 Ct on sale for $ 6.99. I grabbed two boxes such a great deal.
- Kirkland Tortilla Chips $3.79
- Frito Lay Fun Flavor Mix ( 54ct) on sale right now for $9.99
- Grapes 4lbs for $8.99
- Kirkland Individual Hummus servings $6.59
- Kirkland Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars $7.99
- Fage Yogurt $5.99 Save an additional 25 cents from Ibotta.
- Folgers Coffee 51oz $8.99
- Tillamoos Cheese 52 packets $8.99
- Summer Sausage 3lbs $9.99
- Orginal Carrots 4lbs $5.49
- Gala Apples 5lbs $4.49
- Mini Chicken and Cheese Tacos $9.99
- Pineapple $ 2.99
- Organic fresh cooked beets on sale for $7.99
- Two Rotisserie chickens only $4.99 each
Bulk prices are higher then what I am used to. I am constantly pulling out my phone to calculate what a regular size would be and comparing it. Costco has amazing prizes that are competitive. It did not take me long to realize why everyone loves to shop here and how they are saving money by doing so.
Every time I shop I grab new meal ideas and ways to cut costs at Costco. I hope my shopping adventure has inspired you to shop around at your local Costco.
Don’t forget to join our Costco ONLY deals Facebook group here.
If you need tips to help you meal plan get this easy to use meal planning app here.
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