Recently, the popular American warehouse chain store Costco has been known for providing consumers with high-quality essential products, snacks, and household items at affordable prices. Shopping at Costco can sometimes be expensive, but a member shared a story of how changing their shopping habits helped them save $200 every month.
According to a report from the recipe website “The Kitchn,” a shopper managed to save money by increasing the frequency of their visits to Costco. Previously, they used to shop at Costco once a month for their family of four but found themselves making trips to local grocery stores or supermarkets between their Costco visits to purchase perishable items like fruits and vegetables that couldn’t last a month. Now, by going to Costco every three weeks, they actually save money as they don’t need to make frequent trips to other stores between Costco visits. This strategy helped them reduce their supermarket visits between Costco trips and ultimately save around $200 per month.
Costco is known for selling products in bulk at great prices, which can sometimes lead to impulse buying and over-purchasing. Failure to consume items in a timely manner can result in food waste. Gobankingrate, a financial website, mentioned that being mindful of one’s spending habits and making adjustments, such as shopping less frequently, can make the most of Costco membership while reducing waste. The website interviewed Hope Ware, the founder of the personal finance website “Under the Meridian,” and summarized the money-saving methods of shopping at Costco every three weeks.
While the member mentioned earlier managed to save money by altering their Costco shopping schedule, shopping at Costco every three weeks may still lead to food shortages at home, resulting in additional grocery stops and higher bills, necessitating a plan.
Ware pointed out that these grocery trips are often for staple items like milk or eggs. She suggested creating a plan to ensure that there are enough supplies at home to last until the next Costco shopping trip.
She also advised opting for frozen berries, like the Wyman’s brand wild blueberries, with a longer shelf life to avoid waste.
Ware stressed the importance of strategic consumption to maximize food usage between shopping trips, suggesting eating bananas before apples, salad greens before celery and carrots, and pre-sliced soft cheese before hard cheese chunks.
She recommended having a visual list at home so that children also know what food is available and when to eat it.