If you shell out $60 bucks for the coveted Costco card every year, there are probably a few things you count on picking up from your local warehouse. Perhaps you like to stock up on home essentials in bulk, or maybe you just can't live without the wholesaler's famous rotisserie chickens. But now, one member says you should give your Costco shopping list a once-over, as you may be overpaying for some staples. Read on to find out which items this Costco shopper says are now overpriced.
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Certain staples at Costco have become overpriced.
On TikTok, user @SideMoneyTom made a video of Costco items he no longer buys "due to inflation." His list includes Idaho Spuds hash browns, which used to be priced at $5.49. Now, they've been marked up to $8.99, leading the TikToker to defer to "real potatoes."
Tasty Bite Organic Madras Lentils are another dried good he pans to, noting that the packaging has a "new look." The price is new, too, coming in at $15.99, when @SideMoneyTom claims that he used to be able to buy them on sale for $6.99.
"Unbelievable," the TikToker says of the increase. "I don't think we'll ever buy that again."
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He moves on to motor oil and olive oil.
j.chizhe / Shutterstock@SideMoneyTom then shifts focus to Mobil-brand synthetic oil.
"[We] used to be able to get this oil for regular price, around $30, now it's $43.49," he says, adding that you can find better deals elsewhere. "You can still get five quarts at Walmart for 27 [dollars] regular price and 23 [dollars] on Rollback. Do the math."
The TikToker states that Costco is charging $7.28 per quart, but when dividing Walmart's price of $27 by five, it comes out to $5.40 per quart. When the motor oil is on sale, it's just $4.60 per quart.
He also advises against buying two-liter bottles of Kirkland Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. According to @SideMoneyTom, you can get better quality olive oil cheaper at other stores, suggesting Safeway, WinCo Foods, or Trader Joe's.
In conversation with Daily Dot, the TikToker said that he shops in Oregon, where these three supermarket chains have a presence.
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There's one item he says you can still count on.
calimedia / ShutterstockThe TikToker also warns against buying Kirkland Signature Tortilla Strips and bread and butter in general at Costco. He explains about butter specifically, "Ever since the pandemic, the price has gone up and it just hasn't gone back down."
In his bio, @SideMoneyTom says that he's not a financial advisor, but simply shares his opinions on money matters, including those he has about Costco.
“Used to shop [at Costco] all the time and often bought miscellaneous items they would have on special to try because they seemed like a good deal,” he told Daily Dot. “These days we only go there to buy a few items that still seem affordable in bulk. (Eggs, cheese, etc.)”
There's good news for rotisserie chicken devotees, however. According to the TikToker, you can feel confident putting these in your cart.
"These will always be a good deal," @SideMoneyTom says when filming the chickens, which are priced at $4.99 each.
Shoppers say they aren't saving money at Costco anymore.
Jonathan Weiss / ShutterstockIn the video's caption, @SideMoneyTom asked whether fellow shoppers are still buying these items—and several said they've noticed similar price hikes.
"I moved to Sam's [Club]," the top comment reads. "Costco is NOT saving me any money."
"It makes no sense...we ain't paying for savings anymore," one shopper wrote, while another said, "Costco is going downhill. Had no idea the [olive] oil went up that much. It was $8-$9. [I don't know] why I just renewed my membership."
One shopper challenged @SideMoneyTom, writing that some of the prices in the video included a discount and "were not always that cheap."
In response, the TikToker wrote, "Used whatever [picture] I could find [of] the item, bottom line is prices are up a ton on these items."
