Cooking (and shopping) for one? Yeah, you can still save money at Costco. Here's how.

Boston Globe

13 hours ago

Yes, the bulk sizes at Costco are ginormous, so you might think that, as a 28-year-old single person, I'd shop elsewhere. But you'd be wrong. If you purchase the right items (in my case, foods that stay fresh a long time and items I use frequently) you can save a ton of money.
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A shopper considers large-screen televisions on display in a Costco warehouse Oct. 3, 2024, in Timnath, Colo.
David Zalubowski/Associated Press
Over the past four years, I've developed a (mostly) standard Costco shopping list tailored for a single person. These hacks are perfect for my large 1-bedroom apartment in Boston, but they worked in my small New York City digs as well.
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Here's the trick: Focus on items you use almost daily, and only buy them at Costco. Saving on basic necessities to earn back the $65 membership fee will help you feel better about treating yourself to more luxe items you don't necessarily need. Costco is selling those fun name-brand goodies for far less than other stores anyway!
Follow these simple dos and don'ts and you might become a bulk-buying evangelist like me.
Hard cheeses
I love cooking pasta dishes, and I always add freshly grated parmesan.
So, instead of dropping $12 on a small wedge of the Italian staple at Whole Foods or another grocery store, I pay $18 for a 1.5-lb. brick.
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Costco's Kirkland brand parmigiano reggiano stays good for weeks, and it doesn't take up a ton of room in the fridge.
Cereal
I eat cereal for breakfast at work with a few heaping handfuls of berries and Activia yogurt (that I also get in bulk at Costco).
The store has five or six cereal options at any time, usually Frosted Flakes, Honey Bunches of Oats, Special K with strawberries, and Cheerios. The jumbo boxes contain two family-size bags, and sell for around $11-$12. You can usually count on one cereal being on sale, with its price dipping below $10.
Shoppers line up to check out at a Costco Wholesale in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles on April 19, 2025.
Richard Vogel/Associated Press
Toilet paper
Paper products can be expensive, but Costco's 30-roll pack is a bargain, especially when compared to drugstore prices.
Yes, the package is big enough to be an ottoman. But take off the outer wrapping, and each group of six rolls is bundled together for easier storage stacking.
Tip: If you leave in a small space, stack 12 rolls on your bathroom shelf, and hide the remaining 18 under your bed or in a closet.
Dairy-free milk
Costco's Kirkland brand almond milk 1-quart containers come in a pack of 12 for about $15. That's a deal.
If you eat lots of cereal or take milk in your coffee, this should save you cash quickly. Also, the Tetra Pak packaging means the milk is shelf stable until opened.
Olive oil
If, like me, you cook often, the savings from the Kirkland label extra virgin olive oil will pay for a sizeable fraction of the store's $65 annual membership fee.
Prego
.
Shoppers rush to pick up toilet paper that had just arrived at a Costco store, Saturday, March 7, 2020, in Tacoma, Wash.
Ted S. Warren/Associated Press
Wine and liquor
Costco uses
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Kirkland wine also comes from
I recently bought a bottle of Argentine Malbec for $6, and have enjoyed Spanish and French reds for a fraction of the price compared to my neighborhood wine shop.
Eyeglasses
If you wear glasses like me, take a look at Costco's prices for frames and lenses. Trust me — I've been wearing Costco eyewear since I was 10 years old.
Over-the-counter medication
Kirkland brand ibuprofen, acetaminophen and antihistamine allergy pills are a fraction of what the name brands cost at drug stores.
Eggs
Two dozen cage free eggs for under $8. Really.
Gift cards
Costco sells gift cards at a discount. Yes, you read that right.
You can get $100 gift cards to restaurants for $75. A couple years ago, I got a $500 Southwest airlines gift card for close to $400.
People shop for supplies at Costco Wholesale store in Burbank, Calif., on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press
Coffee
Kirkland brand dark roast Colombian ground coffee simply can't be beat at three pounds for about $20. Sometimes name brands like Dunkin' medium roast are on sale for cheaper than the Kirkland cannister.
Soaps
For years, I've gotten hand soaps at Costco, both beautiful bottles of Sicilian Deruta decorated pump bottles, and bulk Softsoap refills.
A huge Dawn dish soap refill jug has saved me cash over the past year.
Also try the Kirkland liquid laundry detergent that's basically a Tide knock-off.
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Flavored seltzer
I reliably go through Kirkland's colorful cans of flavored seltzer water that come in a case of 35 for around $12.
Flavors include lemon, lime and grapefruit.
Postage stamps
Costco sells Forever stamps in bulk for less than US Postal Service offices.
It takes me a while to go through the pack of 100 stamps, but the bulk size feels reassuring when I need to mail lots of things quickly.
What I don't buy at Costco
Pasta
‐ The bulk boxes of Barilla brand pasta sold at Costco probably aren't cheaper than the most affordable generic options at your neighborhood grocery store.
Canned goods
‐ Same goes for most name brand canned veggies, beans and other staples at Costco. You may be able to save more money with your local generic options.
Paper towels
‐ As a single person without kid messes to clean up, I prefer to use cloth dish towels to wipe up wet spots on counters and dry dishes. It would probably take me three years to go through a 12-pack of paper towels from Costco.
Bread
‐ Costco sells name brand bread in quantities I could never go through before the slices become stale.
Claire Thornton can be reached at