Costco is the warehouse store that has anything and everything you need in bulk for the upcoming zombie apocalypse, or living in an apartment with three of four other people.
There are many perks about having a Costco card or going with someone who has one (i.e. mom or dad, friend, roommate). For college students, some valuable resources that can be found at Costco can save you some money in the long run if you buy in bulk.
#1: Toilet paper and Cleaning Supplies
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Instead of buying smaller packs of toilet paper, get the bulk sized and split the cost between all your roommates! Plus, the Kirkland brand has jumbo roles and they last a while.
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Cleaning supplies: Costco offers in bulk as well, so most of the time these items can last you a whole year, and they are, of course, very good quality.
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Air Fresheners: Febreze is cheap and Costco always has interesting scents.
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Tampons and Pads: Bulk packs will last you a couple of months, and they have various sizes as well.
#2: Food
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Food Court items= cheap lunch or dinner! $10 whole pizza…
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Rotisserie chicken: you can meal prep with that chicken and make lunches or dinners for almost a week!
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Fruit and vegetables, they have organic produce and come in large portions, so you can always freeze your fruits and share the veggies with your roomies.
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Snacks/pantry items: again, these things normally come in huge packs so they are things you could split with your roommates or just have on hand when you’re in a pinch.
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Pre-made meals: again, family sized portions, so you can meal prep and save for later. Plus, these things are made fresh everyday.
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Bakery: Fresh bread, pastries and cakes everyday.
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Pounds of candy! For you or for gifting!
DID I MENTION FREE SAMPLES!
#3: Alcohol
If you are 21 or over, Costco offers good quality alcohol that tends to be cheaper than most stores.
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Kirkland brand alcohol is rumored to be made by the same manufacturer as some name brands.
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They also carry limited edition alcohol .
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Wine: they carry over 30 different brands at a time, constant rotating selection.
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Huge bottles, enough said.
#4: Clothes
Socks! You can buy multipacks of t-shirts, socks, underwear and more at costco, as well as shoes and sandals.
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Good quality items: Costco clothing items tend to be name brand and/or made by the same manufacturers.
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Basic sweaters, shirts and pants for working out are very affordable.
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Shoes: the last time I went to Costco, which was during spring break, they were selling TOMS, for $30 and they had cute patterns and the classics as well.
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Summer is coming, so they have Speedo swimsuits and trunks as well as cute flowy hats.
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Makeup: Nail polish, mascara and basic makeup items are available as well, varies per store!
#5: Gas
The Costco close to campus has a gas station, and honestly it’s always packed, but the gas prices are actually the lowest I’ve found in Irvine.
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Go really early in the morning, when it’s about to open!
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You need a Costco card to put gas or a Costco Gift Card.
#6: Gift Card and Theme Park Tickets
Costco offers gift cards for popular restaurants and shops
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California Pizza Kitchen, Cold Stone Creamery, Lucille’s BBQ and Peet’s Coffee to name a few (a common deal is $100 gift card for $80)
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Tickets to movie theaters AMC and Regal Theaters
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Universal Studios Hollywood Annual Pass for $119!
Bonus Reason
*You actually don’t need a Costco card to buy things at Costco.*
My mom gives me a Costco Gift Card, and the amount that’s on there is the amount that I can use.
You do need someone with a membership to get you a gift card! You just show the gift card at the entrance and most of the time they don’t say anything. If they do, just say you were given the gift card and want to use it.
So, if you have a $100 gift card, that is all that you’re allowed to spend at Costco. So make sure that if you’re doing this, all your things in your cart are less or equal to $100 after taxes are applied! This also works at the gasoline station. Just swipe the gift card and without worrying about swiping the membership card.