Best Foods to Buy in Bulk & Freeze at Costco

As an unofficial Costco expert, I get asked a lot about the best money-saving hacks. My answer? Buy food in bulk and freeze it!

So many foods can be purchased and frozen before they go bad; the issue is that most people don’t know what to freeze and for how long. So I compiled my top seven foods that I always buy and freeze for my family to make things easier.

When they are on sale at Costco, freezing items is a great way to stock up and start meal planning. If you are struggling to shrink your grocery bill, try my favorite meal planning app here.

Looking for other options that you don’t need to freeze but will save you money? Check out this list of Kid Snacks from Costco, all under $10!

Curious to see my favorite Costco Items to Freeze? Keep Reading…

Need a Costco membership discount? Sign up online here and get a $10 or $20 Costco Shop card.

If you are wondering how to REALLY stock up your pantry to save money on groceries, check out this list with a free printable here.

Bread

You can freeze bread for up to 6 months.

As an avid Costco shopper, I can promise you that bread is my favorite item to purchase in bulk and freeze. As a family of 5, we eat a lot of bread. Think about it- toast, sandwiches, grilled cheese… endless yummy possibilities!

There is always a meal that seems to need a piece of bread. For us, the best deal is to purchase bread in bulk from Costco and freeze any extra loaves. Each month, my family eats between 4-6 loaves of bread, which saves us some major money.

Milk

You can freeze milk for up to 6 months.

Yes- you can freeze milk! This is a great hack, especially for moms like me with younger kids. At Costco, there is a lot of gallons of milk that come in packs of two. So when I have the space, I will grab up to 4 and freeze them.

This milk trick is so helpful- especially during the holidays when there are many reasons for hot cocoa.

Bananas

You can freeze bananas for up to 3 months.

Bananas are the perfect fruit and are always well-loved among kids. My only issue with them is that they go bad so fast, which is why I buy them in bulk from Costco to save money.

At Costco, I love how cheap this fruit is and that I can freeze it for my family’s smoothies. For Bananas, I will peel 6-10 bananas and freeze them in a glass Tupperware container.

Whenever my kids (or myself- if I am honest) start to get a little grouchy and need a snack, I love being able to throw a frozen banana in the blender with some milk and peanut butter. It is the perfect snack- this banana smoothie is hearty and nutritious.

Strawberries

You can freeze strawberries for up to a year.

Strawberries are so yummy! I love the color, the texture, and the amazing flavor- not to mention all of the nutritious value in them (did you know that they have more vitamin C than an orange?)

My only issue with strawberries is that they are only in season for a short amount of time, and the rest of the year, they are so expensive- it almost isn’t worth it.

That’s why I try to wait every year until June, when strawberries are in season and their cheapest. Then, I buy as many as I can from Costco and freeze them at home. Now, my family can have strawberries all year long!

To freeze strawberries, you want to place them for a few hours on some parchment paper in the freezer before you place them in a glass of Tupperware. This will help them stay separate and make your baking much easier.

Another Tip- Grow your own strawberries in containers– this is one of the easier foods to grow on your own, even with limited space.

Shredded Cheese

You can freeze shredded cheese for up to 2 months.

In my house, shredded cheese is one of those essentials. It is great for so many meals and adds in protein for those picky eaters.

We cook with shredded cheese a lot, but our top uses for shredded cheese are quesadillas and topping on chili or scrambled eggs.

At Costco, when you purchase shredded cheese, you buy a bundle of 2-3 bags of shredded cheese at a time. To help it stay fresh, I keep one in the fridge while the rest go into the freezer.

Check out our favorite FIVE Family Meals to Grab from Costco here.

Meat and Fish

You can freeze fish for up to 3 months.

You can freeze meat for up to 4 months.

One of my favorite areas inside Costco is the meat section. But isn’t it everyones?

I mean, they have so many options of different beef cuts and fish types at such great prices, so of course, I buy extra to freeze!

My family loves to fish, and it is such an amazing source of Omega-3 fatty acids! I love to buy the biggest salmon and tilapias that I can find and cut them into individual pieces before I freeze them.

That way, I can grab however many we need and cook that. It just makes life a little simpler for us moms.

Check out MORE Costco Tips:

Butter

You can freeze butter for up to a year.

When I first began shopping at Costco, I was shocked at how much butter you were required to buy at one time. I mean, it can seem like a lot at one time! But, unless I am doing my holiday baking, I probably wouldn’t be able to use that much butter before it goes bad.

Then I learned the secret- you can freeze your butter! This means that buying your butter from Costco actually makes sense. You save money, and you will always have butter when you need it.

There are so many opportunities to save money by purchasing in bulk from Costco. When you can buy food in bulk and freeze it, you will fit more food into your budget and be able to cook hearty, nutritious meals.

So tell me, what did I miss? What foods do you always buy and purchase at Costco?

Did you see these for gift ideas?

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7 of the Best Foods to Buy in Bulk and Freeze

Bread