Top Picks From The Mothership (Costco)

Disclaimer: While published in 2025, this article was written in 2020. That is pre-marriage, pre-kids- a VERY different time in my life to say the least. Naturally, a lot has changed, so I will work to create an updated list in the meantime. In the meantime, join me in basking in my younger days as a Costco fanatic, strictly serving to provide for her thrilling hostess lifestyle.

For some, the passage into adulthood is turning 18 or a bar mitzvah. To me, it is when you officially obtain a Costco membership. When your idea of a sick Friday night is pillaging the aisles of Costco and coming home with a fully stocked kitchen, you are officially of age.

I signed up for my first membership right after I graduated college. I went through a concerningly intense adulting period for about a week, to be honest. I had always lived with girlfriends throughout college, so when I signed the lease to my own apartment after graduation, I. WENT. HAM. I threw my bed off the balcony so I could buy a new bed (I had my first big girl bed with me all the way through college- it was time), went back to Chicago for a weekend and bought my first car, accepted my first job at an insurance firm, got a puppy, and then proceeded to get my Costco card. The only positive choices in here were the puppy, the car, and the Costco card. After discarding my bed, I quickly learned that I would have to wait a week for a new mattress to come in (lol at my first week in my “big girl” apartment being spent with me sleeping on the ground in a sleeping bag), and the insurance gig turned out to not be as financially sustainable as anticipated, resulting in me also working a second job at a bar at nights and therefore losing my sanity and my life. But, through it all, there was Gus, the Hyundai, and Costco. GOD. BLESS.

Back then, Costco was really just for buying toilet paper, dog treats, frozen pizzas, and wine. Living alone and never being home resulted in me not really having a big need. Fast forward to the past few years- I guess you could say it has become more of a lifestyle. Costco just gets me, you know?? I mean, where else can I go and buy decent wine for $7/bottle and have a full artillery of charcuterie supplies? I could go alllll day but I will restrain myself and just break down the basics of what a good, respectable Costco trip should look like (because, yes, that IS a thing).

PRE-MADE MEALS:

Costco trips are exhausting. Some of the people there are savages and you must always have your game face on upon arrival. The crowds are usually busy or else just plain senseless (i’m talking to you, people who block the aisles to eat samples) and the cart is always heavy from the economy size everything you put in it. And those carts are not made for the Lord’s shorter people. Because of this, I am typically exhausted by the time I get home and unload everything. Costco always has an assortment of pre-made meals that are amazing. We have loved the street tacos, but they also have rotisserie chicken, enchiladas, meat/potato dishes, pasta dishes..the sky is the limit. I always grab one of these when I make a Costco run so that I don’t have to worry about cooking when I get home. You can just turn your oven on, kick your feet up, and marvel in the success of another Costco trip in the books.

CHIPS AND SALSA

The price of chips has really gone up these days. It literally pains me to buy chips at Target now because they charge you $5 for a bag that is half filled with air. Whenever I am at Costco, I make sure to stock up. These 3 pound bags are a staple in my house and I usually grab two at a time (They are less than $4 each). We are the house where people seem to end up at unexpectedly, so this is the perfect thing to whip out last minute. They also have Sun Chips, Doritos, and massive containers of pretzels and animal crackers. A lot of these items have a price point closer to about $8, which is more than what you would pay at the grocery, however, you are getting at least 3x the product. The smaller bags from the grocery last me one day, whereas I can get several parties/outings out of these bags.

To pair with your chips, they also have amazing dips. They have a decent selections of salsas, but I always go for the Kirkland’s brand or Jack’s. Jack’s is fresher tasting and higher quality (in my opinion), but it has a shorter shelf life. If I know I am buying for a party or that we plan to dump salsa in the crockpot with chicken, I will go for the Jack’s. Otherwise, Kirkland’s is my go to. These two large containers are less than $8, and last way longer. If I am stocking up for my “just in case” arsenal, these are my go-to products. On top of salsa, they also have huge tubs of hummus and spinach artichoke dip. They are amazing and the perfect things for parties or to bring to the lakehouse in the summer.

CHEESE!

Cheese is a whole food group in itself. I love everything about it, except for what it does to my waistline. It is one of the staple items in my house that sends me into a panic if I run low. The giant block of parmesan…need I say more?? I was raised to understand that it is a sin to get your parm from that green container at the grocery. You MUST shred it yourself. Every once in a while you can get the higher-end, pre-shredded containers but, still, it’s not the same. They charge you an arm and a leg for the tiny block at the grocery so getting it at Costco will save you allll the money in the long run. For my charcuterie boards, I ALWAYS buy this variety pack. The slices are cracker-sized, and it’s the perfect thing to throw on a board last minute and look like you put some thought into what you were doing. I also like to add mozzarella to my charcuterie boards, seeing as how I could eat the whole block by myself. I also keep this around to add to pastas and for caprese salads in the summer. Not pictured (because I was already stocked, duh) are goat cheese and brie. These are also two items that you can get triple the product for the same price as the little thing at Mariano’s or Target. Just do it. Trust me.

MEAT/POULTRY/FISH

Hefty topic to cover but this is one of the most important things that I need from Costco. Buying ground beef or chicken breasts from a typical grocery store is way more expensive considering how little you get. They have tons of frozen chicken tenders and meals that you can also buy, but I try to buy those in moderation. The bulky boxes take up a ton of freezer space and they are more likely to have more calories and processed ingredients. Buying it “raw” allows me to turn it into whatever I want and to be able to better monitor the ingredients myself. They also have chuck roasts, ham, salmon, and pork loins for amazing prices. I like to pre-portion these into freezer bags when I get home to make it easier to grab and go when I need them. I portion the salmon into servings for 2 and I usually can get 5 of these. We have a second freezer in our garage and it is pretty much just filled with meat from Costco at all times. This is one of the few foods that J’s trainer tells him that he can eat, so I always use these to my meal prep for the week.

Finally, their deli meat is also at great prices. I have bought the turkey before, but the main two that I go for are prosciutto and salami. I always add these to charcuterie boards and I like to add the prosciutto to pasta dishes as well. You get a massive package that is perfect for the long term or for hosting large gatherings!

BAKING PRODUCTS/SEASONINGS

I have been buying the chocolate chips at Costco ever since I signed up for my membership. My mom always bought hers there and we would go through them like crazy growing up. Whether is was baking cookies or adding them to pancakes, that giant bag was always put to good use. I will say, the Kirkland brand has a recipe for chocolate chip cookies on the back, and I don’t love it. The taste of the product is great, but stick to good old Nestle for recipe reference!

I have not bought flour here in the past but my mom always did. I never thought I had a need for it until last year during the holidays. I think I went through three bags of flour from the grocery with all of the holiday baking I did. With the holidays upon us, I made sure to grab the bigger bag here!

You can also buy larger containers of spices at Costco. I always buy the Himalayan Pink Sea Salt, Garlic Powder, and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes. These are the spices I go through the most and their giant container is such a great deal. Nowadays, the grocery wants, like, $5 for the little container. I will buy one of those and then just keep refilling it with my spices from Costco!

FRUITS/VEGGIES

Massive bags of fruits and veggies- need I say more? Now, this is something that I could totally get at the grocery, but buying the bigger bags forces me to eat more. If I get a small bundle of asparagus at Mariano’s, it will usually be enough for one meal. Once that is gone, I don’t feel the need to cook more. With these Costco bags, I can get several meals out of them. Every time I open my fridge to think up dinner ideas, I see them sitting there and am reminded to add them to the menu. My main go-to items at Costco are spinach, romaine lettuce, asparagus, green beans, lemons and limes. In the summer, I buy more watermelon, pineapple, etc. In the winter, not so much. I did get this massive bag of cranberries for, like, $4, so I figure I can add them to baked goods during the fall and winter months. I also use them for vase fillers during Christmas, so thanks for the hookup, Costco!

MEDICATION/TOILETRIES

Buying your vitamins at Walgreens/Target is a ripoff. You get a small bottle and they still charge you about $10. It’s honestly just rude. But, never fret! Costco has massive bottles of medication and vitamins for amazing prices! J and I both have awful allergies so Zyrtec is life. And the Costco Ibuprofen…if you know, you know. Packed a whole bottle of this bad boy for my bachelorette ;). The vitamins can be purchased in gummy form, so, if you are a child like me, this is very good. I use these as a way to curb my ferocious sweet tooth and take my vitamins whenever I get a bad craving (pathetic, I know).

For toiletries, my staple items from Costco are contact solution, toothpaste, toothbrushes, bar soap (my husband, not me), and tampons. Don’t judge the TMI- I am doing the lord’s work, ladies.

BEVERAGES

Outside of choosing J to marry and pursing an education, purchasing my beverages at Costco is one of the best life decisions I have ever made. First and foremost, WINE. It burns my soul to buy wine anywhere else. Outside of the times I want to buy a nice bottle for someone else, I exclusively buy my wine at Costco. Most of the time, it is about $7-$10 for the bottles I buy. For red, I buy Apothic Red and Menage A Trois and they are my favorites and pretty consistently in stock there. I feel like some of the whites come and go. When they have La Crema, I stock up. That is the higher end wine that I serve to guests. Otherwise, I love the Kirkland brand of Pinot Grigio and Prosecco, and the Chateau Ste Michelle Chardonnay. I would say don’t bother going there for Rose, though. The prices have been comparable to any other store.

While we are still on the subject of liquor, I also buy the Kirkland brand of vodka, whiskey, and tequila. SO.MUCH.CHEAPER. I also buy our hard seltzers and beer there. We have a separate fridge in our garage that is pretty much used exclusively for drinks, so I like to stock up, especially during football season.

Should you be so inclined to hear about something non-alcoholic, I would also suggest purchasing your juice, water and pop at Costco. For juice, I buy their OJ and lemonade to use as mixers for parties. Their water is a no brainer- you get a massive pack for like, $5. I am a great citizen and drink water out of our dispenser from our refrigerator, however, my fiancé is the water bottle bandit and you can pretty much track where he has been throughout the day based on all of the empty water bottles you find (and don’t get me started on the backseat of his car that he thinks is a garbage disposal). For pop, I always buy a case of Diet Coke and a case of Diet Dr Pepper. You save so much money as opposed to buying at Target, it is unreal.

PAPER TOWELS/TP

Last but certainly not least…TP AND PT. THESE. ARE EVERYTHINGGGG. As some may know, when Covid hit, a bunch of lunatics thought that the way to handle the situation was to steal all of the world’s TP and PT. For a minute, it felt like the Hunger Games every time I went to Costco. You never knew if they had any in stock, and, if they did, you had to rush to get one. I have always been a very methodical Costco shopper, starting at the right and looping around to the left. Now, I go straight for the TP aisle if I notice a crowd. This is gold, people. Pure. Gold. It is crazy cheap, great quality, and lasts you forever. Just be a good human and don’t try to buy out their stock. I don’t know what crazy sh*t you have going on in your bathroom but I can promise you, you only need one pack of each.

Welp, this has been a novel, ya’ll. If you have made it to the end, you deserve a Costco hotdog. May we also reminisce on the pre-mask days where we could stuff our faces with a hot dog while we shopped (‘Merica). I could go all day when it comes to Costco and there are certainly some lovely items I left out, but these are my staple, always keep stocked items. I hope that this Costco survival guide will bless you as you blaze through the aisles of the mothership. God bless, and may your wine always flow, your toilet paper always be stocked, and your charcuterie board always be the envy of the town <3