The Costco Shopping Hack That Saves Your (And Your Friends) Money

Items that should be shared

Shopping in bulk at Costco presents challenges beyond just splitting the grocery bill. Certain items, such as bananas, lettuce, and green onions, spoil quickly. At Costco, these items are typically sold in large quantities—dozens of bananas, multiple heads of lettuce, and 10-pound bags of onions. Often, individuals can't consume these larger amounts before they go bad. Sharing these items ensures they are eaten before the bananas become overripe and the onions spoil in the pantry.

It's not just fresh produce that comes in large sizes; Costco also offers a wide variety of frozen foods. For instance, frozen broccoli is available in a 2-kilogram bag, which is almost 5 pounds. You might find it challenging to eat all of that on your own, and it could end up sitting in the freezer until it gets freezer burn. Fortunately, you can portion it out as well. Simply divide the bag into equal servings and place those portions into smaller zip-top bags, which you can then distribute to everyone in the group who ordered broccoli on the shared spreadsheet.

Other ways to stack the savings

While shopping in bulk at Costco can lead to significant savings, you might end up spending more on groceries than necessary if you don't seek out additional deals during your visit. Fortunately, this doesn't have to be difficult. One of the simplest strategies is to prioritize purchasing the Kirkland brand whenever possible. Kirkland serves as Costco's "generic" label, offering lower prices.

For instance, if you and your family enjoy Italian cuisine, olive oil is likely a staple in your kitchen. Although it may not be practical to transfer a large bottle of olive oil into smaller containers, this Costco tip is particularly beneficial if you and your roommates frequently plan and prepare meals together.

Here's how you can save money: a two-liter bottle of Kirkland extra virgin olive oil is priced at $25.99, while a two-liter bottle of TRE brand olive oil costs $44.99. That's a $19 difference. By purchasing the Kirkland olive oil together and splitting the cost, you can save significantly. If there are five of you, for example, this approach reduces your individual cost from nearly $9 for the TRE brand to just over $5 for the Kirkland brand.

How much bulk-shopping at Costco saves you

As reported by ABC News, many individuals who engage in bulk shopping are experiencing significant savings. One shopper has been able to save at least $75 weekly on groceries due to her bulk-buying practices, which translates to approximately $300 monthly or $3,600 annually. Notably, these savings are not unique to her alone.

LendingTree conducted an analysis revealing that the average savings from bulk shopping is around 27%. While some of these savings pertain to non-food items, such as paper towels, others are linked to food purchases. According to U.S. News and World Report, a family of four typically spends just under $12,000 annually on groceries at the lower end, and nearly $19,200 at the higher end. Even if you and your friends don't fit the traditional family mold, these figures still apply. This means that if you all shop in bulk together, you could save between $3,240 and $5,184 each year.

Lastly, retailers like Costco and Sam's Club operate on a membership basis. Without a membership, shopping at these stores is not an option. However, there are ways to navigate this requirement. For instance, Costco permits two individuals living at the same address, regardless of their relationship, to share a Gold Star membership, which costs $65 per year. In the realm of bulk shopping, even this expense can be divided among members.