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Costco essentials on a budget
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items Costco is where we go for all the bulk essentials, and a few other ods and ends. The past 2 years have been spent researching grocery hacks (healthy ones at that!) and developing more of a strategy with my grocery trips!! These are products that stay...
Sections
5
Produce
Frozen
Bulk Paper Essentials
Baking Staples
Prime snacks
Produce
As a home of 2, getting produce that won't go bad before we get to use it is a bit of a strategic game. I've also discovered a few cool hacks by noting down the price for the produce at other stores & comparing it to Costco!
$3.99 for 1.5lb of peppers! We throw these in random dinners, breakfasts, or slice them into strips and dip in some ranch.. These typically don't go to waste in my house!
Mini Peppers, 1.5 lbs - Costco
I've gotten dates from several different stores, but these are soft and delicious! I like to cut them, pit them, fill em' with peanut butter, mixed bananas with some cinnamon, top with melted chocolate and nuts - leave them in the fridge to set for 1...
Organic Medjool Dates, 2 lbs - Costco
Potatoes are an easy addition to any meal. Probably the most diverse food! I have all my favorite potato recipes listed in my “Healthy food for tired adults” list. Let me know which ones you try!
Russet Potatoes, 10 lbs - Costco
These diced tomatoes are so nice to have! 8 cans for about $11. Great to add to pasta, tortellini, taco night, you name it!
Organic Diced Tomatoes - Costco
Frozen
All the items found in the freezers. - I like to structure my grocery list so I can check off things in order of the way I naturally move through the store.. Does anyone else to this?? or am I just a lil crazy?
This bag is a life hack! Individually frozen, TEN pounds of chicken! I take out 2-3 at a time and place them in a ziplock with any marinades overnight before I make them and they're perfect.
Frozen Chicken Breasts - Costco
These nugs are 10/10!! Simple and healthy ingredients. We get some hot honey & BBQ sauce to dip or sprinkle on them.
Chicken Nuggets - Costco
I get this giant package from Costco and go home to separate them into smaller ziplocks. I write the date on them and throw em' in the freezer until we want to make it. This package gives is 4-5 dinners!
Ground Beef - Costco
We mostly use these for breakfast sandwiches & wraps! They're already pre-cooked so you don't have to do anything too crazy to warm these up.
Chicken Sausage - Coscto
Not the best picture quality, but these packs are delicious! I add a few drops of soy sauce and they're perfect for a quick and easy lunch/snack.
Yakisoba - Costco
These are a great healthy snack! There are tons of ways to jazz them up to your liking. I just add some salt and go to town. My boyfriend really struggles to eat them and it cracks me up! Are you the same way?
Edamame - Costco
I've tried about 4 different packs of mixed veggies from Costco and these are my new favorite! So yummy and easy to make.
Tattoed Chef Vegetables - Costco
These make me feel so healthy. Quick and easy too! Sprinkle some garlic salt on them and steam them for about 5 minutes.
Organic Mixed Vegetables - Costco
I love that this bag is resealable! We throw them into the air fryer with some seasonings and olive oil.
Green Beans - Costco
Bulk Paper Essentials
These products are best bought in bulk, in my opinion. I've noticed the price for the bulk essentials here are SO much cheaper than basic stores who sell half the product for double the price (SMH)
30 rolls for about $20… I'll make space to store the monstrous package and enjoy having TP for months on end!
Toilet Paper - Costco Wholesale
12 pack for about $20 isn't bad, but you may be able to find cheaper ones at the dollar store. You're paying for quality and convenience here. I like to buy in bulk and not have to worry about for a good few months.
Paper Towels - Costco
300 plates for under $20! I try not to use these often, but they are nice to have for parties, or for those nights that the simple thought of doing the dishes sounds worse than getting hit by a bus… we've all been there.
300 Count Paper Plates | Costco
Baking Staples
I recently got into baking and after a lot of price comparison and quality research, I've determined that Costco is THE spot for these baking essentials. Please feel free to share any recipes in the comments! I'm always looking for new yummy recipes ...
7 pounds for less than $6! I keep this stocked up at all times. I recently tried a cannoli dip recipe with a bit of brown sugar in it & it was amazing! I'll leave it in the comments for anyone interested.
Light Brown Sugar, 7 lbs - Costco
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Resealable and massive! These last me a good few months. I make chocolate chip cookies, chocolate coated snacks, and dips with these!
Chocolate Chips - Costco
13 pounds for under $11… This will last me forever! Baking Soda has SO many purposes. Sprinkle some of this in your shower drain and pour white vinegar to get a real good clean!
Baking Soda - Costco
2 containers for under $12. This is all organic so you have to stir it up a bit because the natural oils settle to the top. It's so creamy and delicious!
Organic Peanut Butter - Costco
Vanilla extract can be so pricy! In this case, you get the most bang for your buck with 16oz for less than $12!
Vanilla Extract - Costco
Prime snacks
These are my favorite snack foods that I've gotten from Costco and I highly recommend!! Let me know if you've tried any of these or if you have other snacks you like from Costco!
I'm not even a big coconut person, but MAN these things are delicious! I think they're seasonal though. I saw these for the first time in March!
Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons
These muffins are prime breakfast/ snack food! They normally make you buy 2 for the price of 1, but they freeze well! - or you can share with friends, family, or neighbors!
Muffins