Costco Shoppers Say These 8 Items Are “the Most Bang for Your Buck”

A Costco membership gets you a lot of things, including access to well-priced and high-quality Kirkland products, cheaper gas, and a whole host of benefits—not to mention the free samples. In most cases, though, shoppers keep coming back thanks to the savings they can get on everyday essentials and groceries. But what are the high points in the store’s lineup?

In a recent discussion thread posted to the r/Costco subreddit, one shopper cheekily said they needed help putting together a “recession grocery list” and asked what items provided the most “bang for your buck” at Costco. Here’s what customers say they like best.

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Allergy sufferers know that the only thing worse than sneezing and blowing your nose for weeks on end is how much you have to spend on over-the-counter relief. However, allergy medicine was one of the most cited items on the discussion thread, with many claiming it’s their top purchase at the store.

“Allertec for a family of five with hay fever is what originally sold me on Costco,” one customer said of the store’s generic allergy product. “Allergy medicine alone paid for the membership many times over.”

“I’ve lost track of the number of people who have joined Costco after I told them about the price of Allertec,” another wrote.

Others went so far as to calculate just how much they saved on these OTC meds.

“I used to buy Zyrtec every month for like $28, for 30 days. I got the generic 365 tabs for 11.99 when it went on sale…I saved $324 a year with one purchase alone.”

It’s not just relief from pollen, either. Other shoppers said they stocked their cabinets with cold medicine from Costco thanks to the fantastic value.

“Pseudoephedrine is hands down, by far, the best cold medicine, and it’s like $3 a package behind the counter,” one happy customer writes, referring to what’s commonly known as Sudafed. “It’s by far and away the best bang for buck time in all of Costco compared to what it costs elsewhere.”

Others have said the deal almost feels too good to be true. “I was picking up my scripts a few months ago and noticed pseudoephedrine was behind the counter, so I figured I’d grab a box or two. I was absolutely [floored] when they told me the price. Felt like I committed a crime walking out of there,” one shopper wrote.

Of all the items mentioned, customers appeared to bring up essentials like aluminum foil, parchment paper, and plastic cling wrap as some of the very best deals at Costco. In this case, it’s not just the low price, but also how long each pack lasts, with many shoppers commenting on how many phases of life their single purchases have lasted them.

“We had a box [of aluminum foil] we moved with three times,” one writes. “When it finally ran out, I was slightly emotional at the thought of another box of foil joining our life journey.”

“I just had to buy Saran Wrap, [and] the last roll had a manufacture date of May 2016,” one user wrote, showing theirs had lasted over nine years. “Definitely got my money’s worth.”

In fact, the products are so popular, they’ve even begun to have a design layout effect on some devoted shoppers’ homes. “My uncle made custom kitchen cabinets. He designed a pull-out shelf that was specific to the Costco plastic wrap box. He said about 20 percent of his customers asked for one,” one commenter wrote.

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Costco’s in-house bakery is already something of a fan favorite for shoppers. But even if you’re not grabbing cakes or cookies, shoppers roundly agree that the warehouse retailer is one of the best places to stock up on baking ingredients.

“I make sandwich bread from scratch, and with Costco’s organic flour, it comes out to well less than a dollar per delicious loaf,” one saving-savvy customer wrote.

This is especially true of specific ingredients that tend to blow out your baking budget elsewhere. “Every time I think about cancelling my membership, I remember vanilla extract and hang on,” one user wrote. Another agreed, commenting that it was “so much cheaper [at Costco] than normal grocery stores.”

Trash bags are another household essential you never want to run out of. Fortunately, if you’re a Costco member, you can get both a great deal and peace of mind if you grab them from the store. Similar to its large format kitchen disposables, shoppers say one package seems to provide a nearly infinite supply.

“We’ve lived in our current home for 2.5 years and had only one box of Kirkland trash bags,” one commenter wrote. Another said: “Accidentally bought a second garbage bag pack when we really. Didn’t need it. Be back in 2035.”

And similar to the aluminum foil and plastic kitchen wrap, these products tend to follow customers through different phases of their lives. “Garbage bags survived half of my first marriage and divorce…and now into my second marriage,” one member cheekily admitted.

Making your own coffee at home to start the day is already a budget-conscious move. But if you’re shopping at Costco, you’re likely going to get an even better deal in the process. Shoppers pointed out that grabbing your joe from the warehouse retailer felt like a standout bargain in a sea of good buys—and according to one member, many stores tend to source from a local roaster, to boot.

“I pay $18 for 2.5 lbs. My favorite ‘bean guy’ in town charges $55 for the same amount. Hard to beat,” they write.

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Multiple shoppers said they’ve begun turning to Costco to fill their pets’ prescriptions for less, with one saying they save as much as $35 a month on their canine’s meds.

Another reply claimed that their cat’s medication typically cost $57 when they picked it up from the vet’s office, but was just $35 when they filled it from Costco. And it also appears that this can sometimes extend to human medicine, too.

“In truth, sometimes the club prices on some of my medications are cheaper than my insurance copay. That, and the pharmacy staff are pleasant and don’t appear to be on the brink of a nervous breakdown like those at the CVS near me,” they explain.

Not all Costco locations carry wine and spirits. However, those that do have become something of an open secret among shoppers who see it as a bargain bin filled with very coveted bottles.

“We found McCallan 12 in a sherry cask for $57 a month ago! That is like 2015 pricing,” one excited user wrote. “We bought four bottles. It equated to almost 40 percent off.”

But it doesn’t have to be a name brand to be a great value. “Kirkland Islay Scotch is the best bang for buck peated scotch on the market, in my opinion,” another says. “It’s $36 and on par with that bottle price,” adding that “honestly, most all the Kirkland booze is great bang for buck.”