Should You Buy Multipack Snacks at Costco?

Have you seen the funny memes popping up around the end of the school year? For example, they show a picture of the first day of school lunch vs. the last day of school lunch.

The pictures represent in the beginning we have so many ambitions to make the most amazing packed lunch for our kids. But, by the time the year is coming to a close, we are packing the most convenient options.

I admit, sometimes the lure and convenience of ordering the hot lunch sound appealing. However, after doing some calculations for our three boys, I knew I would save hundreds of dollars a month if I pack their lunch at home.

It’s important to be able to whip together packed lunches quickly.

Costco has a TON of multi-packed items that make lunch simple. BUT… are they cheaper than their full-sized options?  Could I be bagging the food into my own snack bags and saving?

I decided I had to find out.

MULTI PACK CHIPS

Frito Lay chips in the multipacks are the best price option in the club. You can get (54) 1 oz bags for $13.99. This is about 25 cents a bag.

Vs.

Family size bag of chips. You can get a 30 oz bag of Doritos for $4.99. That would be 16 cents per 1 oz serving.

DIFFERENCE: 9 cents per serving.

Note: Costco did not have many large-size bags of the flavor options available in the Frito lay variety pack. You might find value in getting many flavor options at one time.

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FISHY CRACKERS

Individual packaged Cheddar Goldfish Crackers. Box of (45) 1 oz bags for $9.99. That is 22 cents per bag.

Vs.

58 oz whole box of Goldfish crackers for $8.99. That would be approx 16 cents per 1 oz serving.

DIFFERENCE: 7 cents per serving

WHISPS

Whisps Cheese Crisps MultiPacks (14) count bag $10.99. Each 0.63 oz bag is approx 78 cents.

Vs.

Whisps Cheese Crisps 9.5 oz bag $9.79. That is approx 65 cents per 0.63 oz serving.

DIFFERENCE: 15 cents per serving.

SKINNY POP POPCORN

Skinny POP Popcorn (28) 0.65 oz bags $12.99. Each serving costs approx 46 cents per bag.

Vs.

Skinny POP Popcorn 14 oz bag $5.99. Each serving approx 43 cents.

DIFFERENCE: 3 cents.

VEGGIE STRAWS

Veggie Straw Variety (36) count Box $12.89. Each 1 oz serving costs 0.36 cents.

Vs.

Veggie Straw 25 oz bag $5.99. Each 1 oz serving costs 0.24 cents.

DIFFERENCE: 12 cents.

PIRATES BOOTY POPCORN

Pirate’s Booty Aged White Cheddar Popcorn (40) 1/2 oz bags $10.99. Each serving costs 27 cents.

Vs.

Pirates Booty Aged White Cheddar 18 oz bag $5.89. Each 1/2 oz serving costs 0.16 cents.

DIFFERENCE: 11 cents.

Oh my goodness. I literally was shocked at the difference in costs when packaging my own snacks. We tend to pack food in reusable containers, buying the bulk size bags we would save the most.

If you want to be able to pre bundle all your food, you would need to factor in the cost of plastic zip-lock bags.

You can get a 580 count box of sandwich-size ZipLock bags for $13.99 at Costco. Each bag would cost approx 0.02 cents. This cost would be meager and would still save you if you bundle your own snacks.

I admit this research crushed me a little bit. While I may not be saving hundreds at each shopping spree, the cost does add up if I purchase multiple multipack boxes at each shopping trip every week. Some savings were larger than I would have expected.

Time matters. Those multipack options are super convenient. I can easily have the kids pack their own lunch, and I do not have to spend time bagging everything myself.

Conclusion: If you want to maximize your savings at all costs, bag your own snacks. If you’re like me and love to save, but also love to save TIME, do a little bit of both!

Costco for the win; we love all your options on multipack snacks!
Looking for ideas, check out these 23 Healthy Snack Ideas at Costco.

Were you surprised about our results?

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