Let’s talk about Costco today, shall we? Most people absolutely love Costco, but for me it is definitely love/hate because I feel like I can’t get out of that store without spending several hundred dollars. Sometimes even a couple hundred more than I even intended on spending when going into the store. I know I am not alone in this. There has got to be a better way! There has got to be a way to take advantage of the sales and coupons and get the bulk stuff without overspending at Costco every time.

I found some really great tips from a blogger you might have heard of--Jordan Page of funcheaporfree.com. She has a family of 10 and has always been great at sticking to her budget and knows a thing or two about shopping at Costco and getting some of the best bang for your buck. Here are a few of her top tips:

Shop there more often than less often. A lot of people, myself included, get one big Costco shopping trip in about once a month--or these days, maybe even only every 2-3 months. When life gets normal again and you feel safe to shop as regularly again as you please, you could follow her tips of switching off every other week between Costco and Walmart grocery (or whatever regular grocery store you prefer). 

She buys the vast majority of her regular groceries at Walmart and saves things like kitchen grocery bags and laundry soaps and things of that nature for Costco. When Costco has coupons for grocery items, those can often be cheaper than Walmart though.

Is Walmart grocery any good? I hadn’t shopped at Walmart for many years, until a few months ago I finally decided to get smart and start doing the free grocery pickup. I was happy to see that they have really great prices on groceries and their food tastes fresh and yummy. The only thing I really see lacking is I do like to buy organic produce and meat as much as possible, and they don’t have a very big selection of those items at the three different Walmart groceries I have shopped at.

Right now they are doing a totally contactless Walmart grocery pickup so you can feel even safer and it is even more convenient for you as a shopper that they load your groceries right into your car without you even having to get out.

Set Your Budget (And stick to it!)

She recommends the grocery budget being $100/person/month starting at $300/month. Let’s say your grocery budget is $200 per week. That means you’d spend about $200 in groceries at, say, Walmart, and then $200 at Costco the next week. Sometimes you know that your costco trip is going to cost a little more because you are stocking up on protein shakes that are on sale, or something like that--Jordan suggests planning ahead and taking out money from the week before’s $200 budget. Don’t tell yourself you’ll take it out of the following week’s budget. You most likely won’t.

Use your phone’s calculator--Keep a running total as you are going through the store. Subtract the amount from your total when you add an item to your cart. Make sure that you really stick to your budget and put items back if you go over the budget. It is a good idea to round up the price to the next dollar to account for sales tax so that you don’t go over budget. 

Focus on what you NEED--While it may be tempting to stock up when things are on sale, it’s really not necessary if you already have enough to last you a few months. Costco’s sale cycle goes like this--item is on sale for about a month, then regular-priced for a month or two, then on sale again. If you have the money in your budget, stock up when it’s on sale enough to last you until it goes on sale again.

Know your prices--It is a good idea to keep a “price list” in your phone or on a notepad of the items you buy the most so you know if you are getting a good deal or not and you know if you   should stock up or not.

Watch pricing closely--Make sure you don’t just fall for the name brand if it’s on sale. A lot of times the Kirkland Signature brand is still cheaper and the Kirkland items are made by the name brand companies, so their products are really the same!

How important is convenience to you? Are you willing to buy in bulk and then individually package things when you get home or would you rather pay more to have certain goods in smaller packaging, but the work is done for you and it is ready when you are?

Know yourself--if you often tell yourself you are just going to “look” at the new books or adorable little jammies for your grandchild, but “looking” turns into buying every time, it is probably just best to not even look. I am one of those people who can’t even look or something will end up in the cart that wasn’t supposed to be there. Especially if it is on sale. Don’t fall into this trap--just stick to your list! You’ve got this!

Costco can really be a tempting place to want to buy everything new and shiny (and with a coupon!) that you see, but if you follow these tips and strictly stick to your budget you can get the very best out of your membership.

Do you have any tips on not getting that dreaded big Costco bill you weren’t planning on? Please share your grocery budgeting tips in the comments below.