Use the List to Buy the Best
Boy, my boys can eat. I’m already surprised at how much food our family consumes in a week, and the boys are only eight and five years old. The grocery bills are only going to increase. Food matters a lot to me and I work hard to buy the best quality food to feed my family at the best prices I can find. I am not a one-stop shopper. I regularly shop my neighborhood national-chain grocery store for staples and sale items. I drive to Whole Foods in a neighboring town for meats and organic ingredients, and I use the warehouse store, Costco, for a number of our weekly menu ingredients.
Making multiple shopping trips takes time and effort, so I’ve worked out a system to make it as efficient and cost-effective as possible:
Sharon’s Costco Shopping Tips:
- Make a weekly menu and corresponding shopping list, so that you get everything in one trip.
- Be sure to do price comparisons. Not everything in a warehouse store is cheaper than conventional stores.
- Think about how much food you really need and will use before it goes bad. Large quantities of food can lead to overeating and food waste. Good options are to share large packages of food with a friend or buy only products that a portion can be frozen or saved for later if you can’t consume it before it will go bad.
- Buy the least processed foods, with the most natural and local ingredients as possible. Warehouse stores are filled with highly processed packaged foods, but also offer many healthy items at great prices like: beans, rice, nuts, olive oil, canned tuna and salmon, cheeses, organic produce, frozen fruits, dried fruits, and more.
- Treat yourself to an easy meal (or two) with a rotisserie chicken. I shred the meat to use in tostadas or chicken salad, and then I use the carcass to make a big pot of chicken stock for chicken noodle soup.
- Use the Table365 COSTCO SHOPPING LIST to find healthy, family-friendly ingredients.
Yes, the photo above is my car loaded up after a Costco run (complete with Seattle rain drops).
Happy Shopping!
