I usually get toilet paper and paper towels also so I don't go very often at all. I never thought about getting butter and keeping it in the freezer. Great idea. I do like to sample the occasional offerings though not very often. Also my Costco is not close enough to tempt me to go very often. I have a variety of various levels of expense of grocery stores, including a Trader Joe's which is very close by. My Kroger is even closer.

Toilet paper, paper towels, tylenol Tylenol, makeup removers, fixzy ice drinks.

i check out the clothes but almost never buy any.

I plan to get hearing aids there andd some extra eyeglasses. I bought my tv there long ago.

I always buy some dumb food item that eventually dies of freezer burn.

The things we get are unique and not easily found elsewhere. Or, sometimes it's items in larger quantity we can use rather than what stores carry. It's a short list.

A two roll box of white drawstring bags for kitchen trash cans

Sometimes they'll have containers of 4 giant (huge) artichokes. The only artichoke growing area in the US is nearby so when they have these in stock, the chokes are ridiculously fresh and top quality.

Frozen salmon burgers - good for a quick meal when you don't know what you want for dinner.

Large rolls (sometimes bundles of two) of Reynolds heavy duty aluminum foil

A big container (maybe two pounds?) of mushrooms. Usually quite large and clean. Usually from a local producer

Sliced smoked salmon. The package used to be two-one pound sleeves, I think they're now 12 ounces.

We don't care for their paper goods. I think this is about it. Though, my wife usually finds an article or two of clothing that she likes.

Oh, and beef jerky. Last time they had jerky made from Wagyu beef. It was good.

@dedtired, I bought my 2nd set of hearing aids, Philips, from Costco about 5 years ago, and they're still going strong! The quality is great and the customer service is phenomenal. About 2 yrs ago, I had one that quit. I took it back in, (not realizing they were still under warranty for 2 more days) and Philips replaced it for FREE. AND extended the warranty.

I am very pleased with them!

It's the 2nd pair of hearing aids for me. 1st pair were top of the line & cost $5000. And I don't recall the brand. They lasted about 2 yrs before I had to start replacing speakers on them with no warranty.

Hubs & I both recently bought our glasses there. They were a tad bit less than most places. However, the protective coating seems to collect smudges more easily. I thought it was my imagination, until hubs mentioned it as well. I asked the optical tech if they got complaints and she said all the time. I probably didn't need the protective coating as I'm not hard on my glasses, but hubs is.

Our primary household purchases from Costco are items with long shelf life and daily use needs. Those are paper goods, small batteries, supplements / vitamins /eye drops, personal care items such as lotions. Food wise the Kirkland tortilla strips are a pantry staple as is Kirkland nonfat yogurt & frozen organic blueberries - my usual daily breakfast. Otherwise food item purchases tend to be geared towards buying when we have house guests or a party type gathering. Car wise, we’ve purchased 2 vehicles using Costco’s dealer program & have gotten tires replaced. Of course we fuel up at Costco. We happen to be located equidistant between 2 Costco stores so we have choices. These stores have slightly different demographic customer base so there are some food product differences & one store is larger than the other.

ETA: we are @ 6.5 miles away from each of the two Costco stores -

When I lived near one, I would buy produce, cheese, almond milk, raw chicken breasts and printer paper, plus any interesting food item I found. For a while they were carrying Catalina Crunch in a large bag for a good price, but that's been discontinued. Now that I live further away, my visits are much less frequent, so I'm more likely to shop there around the holidays when I'm entertaining and they offer seasonal products.

We aren't Costco people, nor are we Target people - even though we fit their demographic. We much prefer Sam's Club.

There, I purchase Member's Mark paper towels and toilet paper, large jars of green olives (I eat some olives daily), a few specific OTC meds, shampoo/conditioner, Kerry Gold and Member's Mark butter, canned cat food, foaming glass cleaner spray, fizzy water, paper plates (we feed the cats on those - we don't use them ourselves), laundry and dishwasher detergent, dryer sheets, and the occasional snack food such as jerky, trail mix, or boxes of chips.

Rao’s sauce actually prompted me to join! We used to go through a ton of it, now much, much less but my mom still orders it from me. That and Jarlsberg cheese which she eats a lot of, give me an excuse to go there.

I buy paper products there but Bounty and Charmin, haven’t tried Kirkland.

I don’t typically go out of my way to buy Costco eggs, but when I’m at Costco I typically buy eggs.

Halibut, and steaks. Price savings there warrant a trip.

K-Cups. Yeah I know.

Meatballs are my only other major convenience food. (Though Elmer has me curious about the salmon burgers.) Like Rao’s we go through a lot less meatballs now but now my mom likes them so they’re back on the list. (Mom is 96, living on her own, the easier the better as far cooking goes.)

Other cheeses, like the Irish cheddar and Cabot and Parm Regg and Locatelli.

San Pellegrino - I go through a bunch and it’s considerably cheaper than elsewhere. This is another product that will actually prompt a visit.

Cartons of mixed chip bags, although I try to limit how much junk food I keep in the house.

For me a Costco visit is about restraint. Don’t buy what you don’t need just because of the good price. Don’t buy a big package of something if you realistically won’t get through it.

@foodonastump - I will second Elmer’s rec for the salmon burgers. I confess to those being a staple in my freezer. Trident brand Alaska wild caught salmon burgers. Convenient & great on a bun, salad or plain. But, the price over past 2 years has really gone up. About $20 package of 14 I think but used to be <$15. Rao’s - love that sauce & I have it on hand always as well as Mateo’s salsa.

I guess I buy more than I stated earlier. I do limit items to those that we’ll use before freezer burn sets in. Produce is also limited to what will be eaten before having to toss.

Yep, it’s Trident salmon burgers. They’re very tasty and quite convenient to prepare quickly.

Food, I have an alternative to Rao's sauce that I think tastes much better and doesn’t take much work

Roughly chop one onion and add it to a sauce pot with a little oil. Sauté until it’s soft, add a bit of minced garlic. Stir for 30 seconds, add one can of real San Marzano whole tomatoes. You can break up the tomatoes in advance with your fingers or use a potato masher, but leave it chunky. Add oregano and basil or Italian seasoning, let it come to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, and you have great tasting sauce. If you want meat sauce, prepare that first. Whether with ground meat or sausage, add that to the sauce with the tomatoes.

In addition to paper products (TP, paper towels and dinner-sized Vanity napkins), we get DW detergents, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, bath soap, vitamins, olives for our Friday martinis, canned tuna, coffee beans, butter (also stored in the freezer). We buy steaks, too, even at these prices, but we eat little portions.... one ribeye can be cut into three portions and the two of us share one of those because I only eat a couple of bites. I find an occasion t-shirt. Brita filters, towels, printer paper, furnace filters. In California, I'd buy booze, but it's not sold in PA. I also buy online sometimes. Might be a buck or two more, but sometimes I can't make it to the store.

Note: funny how as I've gotten older I no longer care much for meat. A couple of bites of Jim's steak, half a portion of breakfast sausage (altho I still eat 3 slices of bacon), that sort of thing.

Kirkland brand dogfood, Peet’s coffee, prescriptions(if I didn’t work at a vet clinic I would get dog rx’s there too— smart pharmacy staff) contact solution, soap, Roc retinol, raw pepitas, organic dried cranberries, organic sugar, walnuts. Our store has a cranberry walnut sourdough that is quite ok.

Elmer - I’d be prrfectly happy going through the rest of my life not tasting Rao’s again. If I’m having Italian with a red sauce at this point, chances are good I’m cooking it myself, perhaps even simpler than what you describe. We went through a lot of Rao’s back when I was dealing more with very picky eater(s) and their eratic schedules. Can’t beat the convenience of openng s jar and having a very good product. Rao’s seems to top taste tests or at least rank in the top few consistently enough that it’s practicslly objectivd to say it’s the best national brand out there.

Thanks for confirming the salmon burger brand, I look forward to trying that.

By the way, anyone else find that Costco gas is hardly worth going out of your way for anymore? Regular might be a dime less than elsewhere, but premium is just competitive with other lower priced starions here.

We have two Costcos, and we never went to the older one, but then the kids gave us a membership to the brand-new, HUGE one that opened a few months ago. It's a little overwhelming at first, but now I've got the hang of it. My son and son-in-law go every week, and I know most of my presents from my son are bought there. Surprisingly, I bought some clothes like wool socks, Calvin Klein bikini underwear, two pairs of joggers, and a GAP cardigan. Sometimes I buy cookies and freeze most of them. I bought a bag of skinny popcorn, which was about as tall as I am. I am brand loyal, so I wouldn't change cat food, and I use Brawny and Charmin products, and they don't sell them. I bought three gorgeous hanging flower baskets last week and garden soil. We get gas sometimes, but we also have a discount at our supermarket for gas. We buy Panera products and, of course, never go home without a rotisserie chicken for dinner.

“By the way, anyone else find that Costco gas is hardly worth going out of your way for anymore?“

It is worth it in our area, and the cash back rewards make it more so. Also, for us it’s convenient since both Costco and Sam’s are each a couple miles from home. I was at Sam’s today. Their gas was $5.55 for regular and $5.85 for premium. On the way home I noticed $6.60 for premium at a 76 station but didn’t catch the price for regular.

OT…someone mentioned Rao’s that I do keep on hand ($9 for 2-pack at Sam’s), along with TJ’s Organic Marinara. I sometimes use them in place of canned tomatoes (I like Cento’s) for a sauce. Even though the jarred marinara contains flavorings, I still add onion, garlic, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes (also meatballs or ground meat for meat sauce). The jars (or tomato cans) always get rinsed out with some red wine.

" I’m cooking it myself, perhaps even simpler than what you describe. "

food - what's simpler than sauteing an onion and adding some seasoning and a can of whole tomatoes?

One thing to keep in mind with gas - all gas is not the same.

About 10+ years ago when I bought a high performance German car, the salesman cautioned me to buy only "Top Tier" gas and gas with no more than 10% ethanol. More recently, with a less high performance German car, I got the same advice.

Top Tier is a cheesy title but what it represents is a gasoline standard for gas to which much higher levels of detergent are added than is the standard practice. The effect is to reduce carbon deposits in the engine, which leads to better performance and economy.

Back then, it was only the Big Oil retail brands in the US that had Top Tier gas. Today, the list is longer but still not all. Gus's Gas Emporium may be 10 cents cheaper than the major brands but it's unlikely to be selling Top Tier gas.

Here's a link to a recent Consumers Union article on the subject. I'm not a fan of Consumers Union but that's what a search provided. Top Tier also has its own website with a list of retailers. Yes, Costco is on the list

Top Tier Gasoline Is Worth the Extra Price, Study Shows

Elmer - My husband has long been a Costco fuel fan because of their consistent grade of fuel. Part of his road trip planning for us was mapping out the Costco locations along the route. In 2005 when he got his Cooper S it was the Mini Cooper sales person who gave him the Costco fuel rec to keep engine running cleaner longer. It’s our only place to fuel up ever since for all of our vehicles.

KW, that is good to hear. I was buying it just because it was cheaper but knowing it's good stuff is a bonus. I just told my friend who has a MiniCooper. She loves that little car so much!! She doesn't currently belong to Costco though she is considering it.

I do not have a costco close enough to want to go to. Its over an hour away. But I go to Sams a couple times a month. My 14 year old doggy only likes canned food and he pretty much gets what he wants and I buy the cans at Sams because it is WAY cheaper to buy it there than anywhere else. I also like their paper plates, mainly because they have fun, seasonal designs and I like stuff like that. They are good quality as well. I like to buy butter there and the big containers of seasonings but I do not buy a LOT of food products there. The containers are just too much for the two of us. Oh, except for the holidays. I go there for a lot of my halloween candy and for snacks to go in my Christmas gift buckets I give out at work.

This year I bought some rose bushes from Sams because they looked ok. They are doing pretty good.

murraysmom, Top Tier gas is available at stations for most of the major brands and a number of others too. One compared to another, there's no difference.

Thanks, Elmer. I don't really ever consider that fact when buying gas. I usually just look for the big names when I need gas.

KW, I think as may have been mentioned by me or one of the other Californians before, sometimes the length of the lines at Costco stations, and not just during what might be expected to be peak hours, can act to encourage going elsewhere. Especially at Costco locations in SoCal but also in the Bay Area too, a 30+ minute wait with a line going across the parking lot and out and down the street is sometimes encountered. We all have different priorities but when another station a few blocks away has no wait, that's preferable for many.

I also think there's something to be said for variety too. I know that Costco stations have a lot of product through-put but imagine if the one(s) you go to exclusively were to have some kind of tank contamination or a fouled shipment leaving residue in the tanks, getting gas from the same source and only that source could cause you more of a problem than if you were to alternate where you go. And there's an opposite way to look at it - a station that has greater volume is more likely to quickly minimize and pass through diluted fouled gas than a station that's less busy and has it in a more concentrated form for longer. Who knows?

I try to not use any one station more than once every 4 times or so. I don't count or write it down but I keep casual mental track. I always get Top Tier gas no matter what or where.

" I usually just look for the big names when I need gas. "

Click on the link (if you haven't done so already) to see an article that discusses a study that showed that using Top Tier gas makes a big difference. Also in that article and on the Top Tier gas site are lists of companies that sell it.

I'd rather poke my eye out with a stick than shop at Costco, but I do it once in a while. We have 2 stores near me, maybe 10 min to one and 12 to the other. I just read they are building a 3rd supersized one nearby, too.

I buy gas there because it's usually the best price and I do online order a few things so I don't have to visit the store. One thing I like to buy there are their canned clams...they come in a large can, 2 in a package and make the perfect amount for a large pot of clam chowder. I only make that for guests, so I always make a large pot. They are wild caught and really delicious. I also try to force myself to go when I'm making a big pan of spanikopita - their big tubs of baby spinach takes the drudgery out of washing and chopping many bunches of spinach. I also buy ibuprofen and baby aspirin there. Not sure if it's cheaper, but I like the large size bottles. In the summer, I buy rum for mojitos that I am tasked with making for my friends' gatherings at their summer cabin. They have some wines that I like, too.

I recently upgraded my membership for the increased rebate benefit because I was going to buy a TV and also tires for my car before I gifted it to my grandson for his 16th birthday. I also decided I needed hearing aids and just bought some there; the same ones Pudgeder mentioned. I loved their customer service and knew there would be a good return policy if I didn't like them...only been 2 days but I'm happy so far. I also have their Visa, so I get a double rebate, one from Costco and one from the credit card company. Even with my minimal spending, I was getting $500 or so back on just the credit card, so expect with the upgraded membership, it will be a nice amount. The upgrade didn't cost much, in relation to the benefits. It gives you early access, but I'm never out and about that early, so I don't really care.

Elmer - I seek out Top Tier fuel for my usual local fill-ups, might be less picky for the more rare fill-up on the road. I buy it because I’ve seen it recommended in owners manuals and elsewhwre, but look forward to reading your linked article for more justification. Thank you.

Thank you also for the salmon burger rec. We had it for dinner and agree it’ll be nice to have on hand in the freezer.

As for what sauce is easier than what you described, I was thinking of Hazan’s famous three ingredient sauce when I wrote that. Tomatoes, onion, butter. And you don’t even chop the onion, just peel and cut in half! I do often add a stem of basil making it four ingredients, but it’s still virtually zero prep. Sometimes I’m happy with a sauce thar’s so clean and simple.

Rotating the fuel stations one uses makes good sense for the reasons you stated - the variety to avoid fuel quality issues. A friend recently told my husband he shouldn’t let our car’s tank fall too low between fill ups for some of the same reasons. In my area we don’t typically have long lines at fuel stations unless there’s a snow or ice storm in the forecast & neither are a common winter occurrence here. In any case, we’d never wait in a long line to fill up. We do vary our fuel stops between three Costco locations now. The Vancouver & Camas locations are each @ 6.5 miles from my home. The newest store is @ 17 miles north in Ridgefield & we are in that area every six weeks or so for a recurring appointment. Seems like we’re easily able to utilize the recommended best fill up practices without much effort - a good thing!

Glad you like the Trident product. A few years ago, I also found a Trident cod burger product that was even better. Sadly, it came and went after a few months and and we haven't seen it since. As a general proposition, I find Alaskan cod (AKA Pacific cod) in filet form to be inferior to Atlantic cod, the Grand Banks and North Atlantic traditional kind that I really love. They're different species and the flavor and sizes are quite different. But as with the salmon burger, the seasonings they added really made it delicious. Maybe they could do something similar with Alaskan haddock. You motivate me to contact the company to ask about what they make and what might be available in my area.

I hadn't heard of the sauce recipe you mention but it seems about the same - the biggest difference being its using a bit more butter than I'd prefer using (in the write up I found) instead of a tad bit of olive oil to saute with, and not chopping the onion. I'd speculate that the approach I describe (which I can assure you isn't original with me, I read or saw it somewhere and it's easy enough to remember and describe) cooks quicker because there's more surface area of onion exposed to liquid and the flavor transfer into the sauce can happen quicker. So less cooking time.

It thickens more if you simmer longer, of course, and also if you add some of the starchy pasta cooking water - a good reason to not salt that water. Whether one way or the other, I'm sure they're similar. What does matter is what tomatoes are used and real San Marzano's from Italy are the cat's meow.

KW, have you ever wondered how it could be that there can be 8 or more different major brands of gasoline in one area but only a few actual refineries or pipeline terminals? It's this - the basic ingredient of the products is the same and indistinguishable from one brand to the next. What differs is the additives (like detergents and other chemicals) that are unique and proprietary to each brand. If you were to park near the exit gate of a refinery or pumping station, you'd find trucks of different brands driving out. Now you know why. In larger areas there are more than one distribution sources. The majors trade product - Exxon tells Shell under arrangements made long ago and likely adjusted by current conditions - I gave you 4 million gallons in Los Angeles last week, you gave me 4 million total in Dallas and Houston, we're even for last week. The additives are provided by each to the others, as required. . Whether added in a mixing tank before transferred to trucks, or whether added directly to each truck, I don't know.

To my way of thinking, Costco A vs Costco B vs Costco C are not three different sources. It's the same source, three different locations. Maybe there's a problems with the additives put into each load taken to the different locations? Who knows?

You should do it however it makes sense to you.

I've heard the tale about not letting a tank get too low. Maybe that matters with some cars, or with older cars, and not with others. I really don't know. But I have heard a similar tale, which I can't give real provenance to either, having to do with gas stations rather than cars. It goes like this:

You should never buy gas at a station where there's a tanker truck replenishing the underground tanks. Because, it's being refilled because the tank level is low. Sediment, gunk and water sink to the bottom but when the contents is agitated because it's being refilled, it starts floating throughout the liquid again. You'll pump more junk into your car's tank. Better to wait until the next day and allow the yuck to settle back to the bottom.

Who knows? For me, Costco A, B and C are one station and if I go to one, my next visit to a Costco is several refills later.

Elmer, My husband subscribes to the practice / belief that we won’t fill our tanks when the tanker truck is filling the station’s tanks for exactly the reasons you describe. Since he also makes sure our cars are never near empty that’s not a problem to either wait a day or two & come back or go someplace else.

Here's a question. When the tanker is refilling whatever gas station, does that gas then go to all the pumps or do the pumps each have their own tanks?

murraysmom - I wondered about that too so your question made me look it up. Short answer is many pumps, one storage tank. That was my thought thinking about seeing tankers at the filling stations. Here’s part of longer answer I read:

Few Tanks, Many Grades: Most stations only have two or three main storage tanks: one for regular gasoline, one for premium, and one for diesel. When you select a "mid-grade" or "plus" fuel, the pump's internal valves simply mix the regular and premium fuels together at specific ratios as it is dispensed.

At most stations there is one tank for each grade of gas and one for diesel. At large stations like Buc-ee's that have many dozens of pumps they may have more than one tank per grade.

Salmon burgers, fish sticks, cranberry juice, maple syrup, mixed nuts, walnuts, pecans, mozzarella balls, and other cheeses, peanut butter, the rotis chicken and stuffed peppers. We also get Stacy pita chips, kirkland flavored seltzer in cans, tylenol, sometimes other vitamins, kirkland dishwasher pods, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, multi-grain crackers, kirkland laundry detergent, plastic wrap. I also get my eyeglass frames there, sometimes clothing. We also used Costco to save $ when we buy cars...get the costco pricing. And of course, gasoline. Sometimes we get fruit or salad mix there too. We go about once a month.

A cautionary tale about an interesting Costco car referral experience I had.

I decided to buy an expensive car and checked prices at several dealers to learn the market range. Then I got a Costco referral, which sent me to a different dealership.

The sales manager told me he would be happy to honor the Costco price, but because it was the end of the quarter and they were chasing manufacturer SPIFs and incentives, he could offer an even lower “special pricing” deal. It ended up being about 10% below the Costco price, which was a fair hunk of change, so I took it. He asked that I tell people I knew about their quiet promo that would end in about 10 days. I told a few people and one also bought a car there.

The takeaway: even with a Costco referral, it’s worth asking if that’s truly the best price. Sometimes dealers have temporary incentives or quotas that can save you even more.

That’s a happy car buying experience Elmer!

Thanks, KW, I appreciate you looking into the question about the storage tanks.

Elmer, that was smart use of what Costco offers. I'm glad it got you even better pricing.

It's not always easy to even know the questions to ask. It's definitely not a strong suit for me. Negotiating (which could be another topic for discussion) is not something I was ever comfortable doing.

Not a Costco member, but this essay just popped up in my feed and made me think of this thread...

https://tastecooking.com/i-want-to-live-like-costco-people/

Love Costco!

I’m not a shopper. I find Costco to be a place to go in and get your stuff, and just get it over with. Most Costco products are of decent quality.

It would be easier to list what I don’t buy at Costco.

Costco favourites are Manchego cheese, chocolate covered almonds, golf balls, golf gloves, Hawkins Cheezies and pretty much everything else.We fill up with gasoline when are there.

I avoid shopping of any kind as much as I can.

@carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10 The Costco shopper article you posted is funny. Perfect for this thread! Thanks!

I agree with roxsolid: I go to Costco to get some regular purchases, and rarely shop around. My favourites: Spanish clementines, long sweet peppers, English cucumbers, yellow potatoes, Collier's white cheddar, tzatziki, coarse ground pepper, granulated garlic, and frozen rainbow trout fillets. I wish my Costco carried Hawkins Cheezies like hers, but at Christmas they do have majorly big bags of Haribo Gold Bears, which I also love.

@carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10 that was a fabulous article! Thanks for posting it.