Costco Shopping!

I am planning a trip to Costco.  I love shopping at Costco so much, it is like an event.  Shoppers, start your carts! Balance that hot dog and soda in one hand and steer the cart with the other!

To plan my trip, I arm myself with a list, plan to share bulk items, and prepare to properly store perishable items like meat.

At the end of each month, I make a list of necessities I need to stock up on.  Toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, dish detergent, bottled water, coffee, rice, vegetables, and any other item that is manageable in bulk sizes.Costco is a great place to get those items.    I like when there is a coupon for these items, it feels like such a score.

I share my Costco account and purchases so that the larger quantities of paper towels or meat are not wasted.  Waste is not my thing.  I like to use everything up, share things, or donate things rather than toss good products into the trash can.  It hurts me to throw out wilted lettuce or freezer burned meats. I have learned in addition to having a list of what I need to buy, I also plan meals around the food and freeze items immediately after getting them home.

Costco had good prices on New York strip steaks last month.  After opening the package of about six steaks, I washed the meat off and put two steaks into gallon sized, zipper sealed freezer bags.  I was careful to push the air out of the bag and seal it tight.  Some steak was broiled, some was smothered with mushroom and onion, some was pan fried.  The meat was so tender, down to the last steak used.  This month I will focus on fish and chicken for meal planning, using the same zipper sealed freezer bags to keep the food fresh.

I try not to be overzealous with Costco shopping.  There are so many good products advertised that it can be too much for me.  I like shopping like Fred Flintstone liked to gamble ( https://youtu.be/-D50bjRjwHc).  Only I would substitute his "bet" for "shop" and my eyes would probably get wild like his do, bells ringing, sirens blaring.

If it was up to me, I would impulse buy my way from the entrance to the margarita mix to the King's Hawaiian rolls to the women's maxi dresses.  Making a list helps me keep impulse buys in check though.  There is a good app I have on my iPhone called Buy Me a Pie! that I downloaded a few months ago that helps me remain on track.  I type in items that I need before I make it to the store.  I share the items with family so I do not have unnecessary space wasted with stockpiles.  Freezer bags help with the storage of meat and other perishable items that can be kept frozen until ready for use.