Costco is known for being a place where shoppers can stock up on essential items, snacks and household goods at budget-friendly prices. According to The Kitchn, one shopper actually saves money by shopping more frequently at the larger retailer.
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She would typically go to Costco once a month to shop for her family of four but found herself heading to the grocery store between her Costco visits, mostly for fruits and vegetables that wouldn’t last the month. Now, she said going to Costco every three weeks actually saves her money because she’s not making the frequent in-between grocery stops. She said minimizing the stops at the supermarket between Costco stops has actually saved her about $200 a month using this strategy.
Shopping at Costco is touted as a way to save money, but it can be easy to overbuy or see deals and think that you need things that you wouldn’t normally purchase. Being aware of your spending and making tweaks, like changing the frequency of your trips, can be a way to make sure you’re getting the most out of your Costco membership. GOBankingRates spoke with Hope Ware, founder of the personal finance site Under the Meridian and gathered a few more ways to save money when you shop at Costco every three weeks.
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Create a Plan
Shopping at Costco every three weeks has the potential to leave gaps in your groceries, leading to the “in between” trips that can hike up your grocery bill. Ware pointed out that often these trips are for staples, like milk or eggs.
She recommended creating a plan that allows you to have enough of those items on-hand to last until your next Costco run. “When you purchase eggs,” she said, “create a menu plan for how you will use those eggs over the next three weeks to make sure you don’t run out before your next scheduled grocery trip.”
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Shop the Frozen Aisle
Certain foods, like berries, have a “notoriously short shelf life,” Ware said. To prevent food waste, she recommended choosing frozen berries. Her personal favorite is Wymana’s Wild Blueberries which last her family over a month.
Use Shortest Shelf Life Foods First
Ware said while this may sound intuitive, it’s an important strategy to follow if you want to get the most out of your food in between your shopping trips. “Make notes on using bananas before apples, salad greens before celery and carrots or pre-sliced soft cheese before block hard cheese,” she said. These lists can include pictures, so even the littlest members of the house can be conscious of what they’re eating and when.
Buy Low-Cost, Long-Lasting Ingredients
Foods like potatoes that are low-cost but long-lasting can be a great stable to include in your Costco shopping trips. “A 10-pound bag of potatoes from Costco costs under $7 and can be used in potato soup, potato salad, hash browns and a baked potato bar,” Ware said. Getting creative with long-lasting staples can keep the grocery budget down without getting boring.
Editor’s note: Pricing and availability may vary depending on location.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Costco Shopper Saves $200 a Month by Changing This 1 Habit — Plus How To Save Even More
