The Ultimate Small Family Costco Shopping List
BUYING IN BULK
Buying in bulk has lots of benefits: lowered costs, fewer shopping trips, and (sometimes) less waste from smaller packaging. I love shopping at Costco for bulk items, but I understand it comes with two main risks: 1. will I actually use all of this? and 2. where will I store it?
To help you minimize your risk and to help you as you build your grocery list week-to-week or month-to-month, I put together my Costco staples that I buy for our family of four (myself, hubby, 2-year-old Harper, and 8-month-old Grant) and our dog, Leila.
IN THE DOWNLOAD
In this free download, I put together my list into 4 main categories:
Home - cleaning supplies and general home goods
Grocery
Baby - this is where the best value is in my opinion
Pets
I also have labeled the items with the following key indicators that will help you decide what’s best for you and your family:
Kirkland Brand (often indicates that it’s a more cost-effective option than a name brand)
Organic
Hunter’s Favorites (items that I would rather purchase from Costco than anywhere else, whether it’s for price or quality)
MY BULK-BUYING STRATEGY AND TIPS
My biggest tip is to start subbing items that you know that you buy frequently or try to always have on-hand. For us, that started with our staple lunches or go-to dinners when I’m not wanting to try something new. To help get you started with that, I also included my list of snacks and meals that I make from my Costco staples!
For a sneak peek, here’s my fast 5 that I always round up at Costco:
Baby Wipes: In my opinion Kirkland Brand Baby Wipes are the best the in business. I prefer them over Huggies, Pampers, and The Honest Company.
Dog Food: I bought a dog food container that I pour the whole bag into and use a scoop to divvy it out.
Baby Formula: It’s a bigger size than you’ll find in most stores, so if you’re like me and are exclusively formula feeding, it’s a much more convenient and affordable option.
Organic Chicken Breast: Save some in the fridge for the week and toss the rest in the freezer to use throughout the month.
Coffee K-Cups: There’s nothing worse than running out of coffee! No thanks. I’ll take it in bulk, please. Plus I love that the Kirkland brand option is organic!
PRO TIP: Storing Bulk Items
Last, but not least, my tips for storage is first to unload everything from the boxes or the bags. I use baskets and tubs to sort out my pantry and cabinets. Ultimately, getting rid of bulky packaging can make it easier to store more items if you have a smaller space to work with.
Second, don’t be afraid to divvy up. I toss some half of the chicken I buy in the fridge and some in the freezer, put some of the kids’ pouches in the fridge and some in the pantry, some of the toilet paper in each bathroom rather than one spot, etc.
Let Me Know What I’m Missing!
If there’s something I should have on my list, let me know in the comments! I love updating these resources as I Iearn and continuing to share them with y’all!