I went to Costco last week for paper towels. I came home with paper towels, a 4-pound bag of frozen berries, two jars of Rao’s, and a mild sense of shame. The odds of leaving Costco with only the thing you came for are about the same as finding a parking spot near the door on a Saturday.
Here’s the good news. Some of that “accidental” shopping is smart shopping. Grocery prices keep climbing, and a handful of Costco staples save you money every single trip. So I ran the numbers, and these are the 20 items that earn their spot in the cart.
One rule before we start: a bargain you don’t use is just a big purchase. If you live alone, think hard before you take home 2 liters of olive oil.
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Prices are per-unit prices from January 2026 and vary by warehouse and region.
Vanilla is one of the most overpriced small bottles in the baking aisle. Kirkland’s comes in a big bottle at a little under a dollar an ounce, and it lasts for ages. It also makes my cookies taste like someone competent baked them.
Price per ounce: $0.87
One hundred tea bags at about 14 cents each. The blend is smooth and easygoing. If you drink tea every day, few things in the warehouse cost less per cup.
Price per tea bag: $0.14
Confession: our whole house is a little bit coffee snobby. We buy whole beans and grind them ourselves, so canned pre-ground coffee doesn’t make it into our cart. But for an office break room, a big family gathering, or anyone who just wants a normal cup without the ritual, the 43.5-ounce canister is hard to beat on price. And nobody has ever been woken up at 6 a.m. by a can of Folgers. Our grinder has a different reputation.
Price per ounce: $0.53
No added hormones, steroids, or antibiotics, in a 4-pound bag that heats in the oven in minutes. It’s a quick dinner the kids will eat, and it costs less per pound than most frozen chicken brands.
Price per pound: $5.10
Kirkland’s is 100% pure maple, a full liter, for less than other brands charge for half that size. Many syrups on the shelf are mostly corn syrup with maple flavoring. Once you switch to pure maple, it’s hard to go back.
Price per ounce: $0.44
An 8-pound tub of kernels lasts a long time, even in a house that watches a lot of movies. Air-popped, it’s a whole grain with 21% of your daily fiber per serving. It’s far cheaper per bowl than microwave bags.
Price per pound: $1.56
The five-pack beats single-tube prices by a wide margin, and it keeps you stocked for months. It’s one of those purchases you make once and then forget about until the next spring cleaning.
Price per ounce: $0.55
The 15-bottle case runs around $26, well under the single-bottle price at a gas station or grocery store. It’s really dessert in a coffee costume, and I’m fine with that. So is my 3 p.m. self.
Price per bottle: $1.72
The 4-pound bag gives you about 14 servings for smoothies, oatmeal, or baking. Frozen berries keep their fiber and vitamin C, and they won’t go moldy on you like fresh berries do. It’s the most dependable fruit you can buy.
Price per pound: $3.40
Three pounds of individually portioned cuts, so you thaw only what you need. For a household of one or two, that means no wasted fish. It’s an easy way to eat salmon every week without paying fresh-counter prices.
Price per pound: $12.78
Cashews, almonds, pecans, Brazil nuts, and macadamias, about 40 servings in a 2.5-pound bag. Every household has one person who picks out all the macadamias. In mine, it’s me, and the bag is still a bargain afterward.
Price per pound: $7.40
If you put hot sauce on most meals, the two-pack is the way to go. It lasts a long time and costs less per bottle than buying them one at a time.
Price per bottle: $5.50
The 2-pound bag holds 21 to 25 shrimp per pound and keeps in the freezer until you need it. Shrimp thaws fast and cooks in minutes, so it’s one of the quickest proteins for a weeknight dinner.
Price per pound: $10.21
Whole grain bread usually costs a lot more than white bread. When your warehouse carries Dave’s, the two-pack costs less than most stores charge. It’s dense and filling, and the second loaf freezes well.
Price per ounce: $0.19
Six cans, a long shelf life, and 28% of your daily protein per serving. Tuna is the emergency dinner. It’s there for the night your fridge holds three condiments and a lemon of unknown age.
Price per can: $3.17
Rao’s is low in sugar and tastes homemade, which most jarred sauces can’t say. At Costco, two 28-ounce jars cost about what one jar costs elsewhere. It’s the rare premium brand that’s cheaper here than anywhere else.
Price per ounce: $0.24
Egg prices have climbed for years, and organic eggs took the biggest hit. Costco’s 24-pack of organic eggs often costs less than other stores charge for regular ones. If you eat eggs a few times a week, this is one of the easiest savings on the list.
Price per egg: $0.40
The 22-ounce tub works on pasta, sandwiches, or as a chicken marinade, and it tastes bright and fresh. Fresh herbs don’t keep long, so freeze half the day you buy it. Ice cube trays make perfect single portions.
Price per ounce: $0.41
I use olive oil for almost everything, from starting the pan to finishing a salad. The 2-liter bottle gives you 130+ servings for a fraction of what the small grocery store bottles cost. One warning: olive oil does not get better with age. Neither do I, but at least nobody sells me by the liter.
Price per liter: $10.50
The 4.5-pound bag holds 46 servings, so one bag lasts most households for months. Quinoa works in salads, grain bowls, and as a side dish, and it has far more protein than rice. At 18 cents an ounce, it’s one of the cheapest healthy staples in the warehouse.
Price per ounce: $0.18
Buy in bulk what you use every day or what keeps. A daily tea drinker will finish 100 bags long before they go stale. A smoothie person will finish the berries. A household of one probably won’t finish 22 ounces of fresh pesto without a freezer.
You’ll notice Kirkland shows up a lot on this list. Store brands are usually the cheap cousin. Kirkland is the cousin who went to a better school and still charges less.
Keep checking Costco97 for new deals, hidden .97 markdowns, and our monthly Costco Coupon Book. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to run to Costco. For paper towels. Just paper towels.
I have a mini-celebrate if I get out of Costco at under 100.00!
It so rarely happens.
Ha, same here! It’s basically a unicorn sighting at this point.