10 Costco Items That Give You the Best Bang for Your Buck
Costco is the perfect shopping destination if you’re looking to save money on things such as high-quality groceries, clothing, toys and household items. But like any retailer that offers great deals, not everything that lines Costco’s aisles or pops up on the pages of its website will give you the most value for your money.
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One way to save at Costco is to shop its store-brand products, which are labeled as Kirkland Signature. Again, some of these items are better buys than others. To help you sort it all out, here are 10 Costco items that give you the best bang for your buck, according to shopping and deal experts.
Kirkland Signature Aller-Tec
“This alternative to Zyrtec is an unbeatable deal at Costco, as their brand is roughly $14 for 365 tablets; name-brand Zyrtec will set you back closer to $40 for only 120 tablets — and that’s at Costco,” said consumer analyst Julie Ramhold with DealNews.
“Shop elsewhere and you can expect about $40 to get you around 90 tablets or so. If this is something you take on a regular basis because of allergies, you can’t beat Costco’s house brand price.”
Kirkland Signature Almond Flour
“At Costco, you can get 3 pounds of their almond flour for around $12 or so, which is about $4 per pound,” said Ramhold. “Anywhere else, you’re looking at spending $5 to $6 per pound, so if you need a gluten-free or keto-friendly option for baking, this is one of the best deals I’ve seen.”
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Kirkland Signature Facial Tissue
“It’s Costco’s brand of Kleenex and you can get 12 boxes of 84 sheets for around $20, which is about $1.62 per box,” Ramhold said. “You may be able to find store brands of facial tissue elsewhere that are cheaper but you’ll also get less overall. If you keep facial tissue around regularly for whatever reason, this is one of those Costco must-buys.”
Kirkland Signature Organic Strawberry Spread
“This is my favorite strawberry spread so, of course, it’s going to rank up there for me,” said Ramhold. “It’s around $10 for a 42-ounce jar which seems like a lot, but it’s one of the better items to purchase in bulk. It’s organic, made with only fresh organic strawberries, organic cane sugar, fruit pectin and citric acid.”
Ramhold added, “While you can find cheaper spreads that use the same natural ingredients elsewhere, they’re not organic. So if this is something you care about in addition to good quality, it’s a no-brainer.”
Kirkland Baby Formula
“[This] is one of the best store-brand items to buy at Costco, especially since many brands of infant formula are getting hard to find nationwide,” said Gigi Lehman, editor of Living on the Cheap. “Also, all infant formula is governed by its own set of FDA regulations, so consumers can feel confident about buying a store brand rather than a name-brand product. As a friend who is a new parent told us, ‘Bigger sizes, less cost than name brands. Huge amount of saving per box. It really makes a huge difference.'”
A two-pack of Kirkland Signature ProCare with Dual HMO’s, Non-GMO Infant Formula is $47.99 for 42 ounces or 57 cents per ounce, while a two-pack of Enfamil NeuroPro Infant Formula is $42.99 for 20.7 ounces or $1.07 per ounce, according to the Costco website.
Kirkland Signature Diapers
In other baby items, said Lehman, “Costco’s Kirkland Signature diapers are reportedly made by Kimberly Clark, the makers of Huggies. (Kimberly Clark products are the only other diaper products that Costco sells.)”
A quick check of the Costco website showed that a box of 192 (Size 1) or 174 (Size 2) Kirkland Signature diapers are $34.99, while the same sizes and quantities of Huggies are $10 more at $44.99.
Kirkland Signature Ultra Clean HE Laundry Detergent Pacs
“When buying cleaning products like laundry pods, for example, you’ll find prices as low as $23.49/152 pack for the Kirkland-brand laundry pods, while Gain Flings (pods) run about $37/152 pack at Walmart,” said Vipin Porwal, founder and consumer expert at Smarty.
Kirkland Signature Fabric Softener Sheets, 250-count, 2-pack
“A somewhat similar situation for dryer sheets can be found with the Kirkland Signature Fabric Softener Sheets at Costco, which sell for $10.49 for a 250-count, 2-pack, while the same amount of the Kirkland Signature brand at Walmart sells for $20.01,” said Porwal.
Athletic-Brand Clothing
“While the clothing options are more limited at Costco, if you (or your kids) like to wear Adidas, Puma, Fila and other athletic brands, the savings are huge when shopping at Costco over Amazon,” said Marie Clark, managing editor at Cost Contessa.
A quick look on the Costco site yielded two-packs of Youth Adidas T-shirts or shorts for $17.99 each, after a $4 savings. At Amazon, a single, comparable Adidas T-shirt is $15. So even without the $4 savings, you would still save at Costco.
Quality Luggage
“If you’re looking for the absolutely cheapest luggage then head to Amazon, but if you’re looking for the quality brands that last like Delsey, Swissgear and Samsonite, then Costco has the best prices,” advised Clark.
Luggage brands and selection will vary from store to store and season to season. However, a quick look at the Costco website yielded a Swissgear Workpack for $99.99. On the Swissgear website, the same bag is listed at $169.99 — $70 more.
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