Warehouse stores such as Costco are a great place to get the items you may need when spending more time in your home that you are used to. As you know, we go to Costco weekly so we know the store and products pretty well but they have added some new products that we wanted to make you aware of.
Please don’t hoard items (Costco has limited the number of items you can buy of certain products) but get the items you need for the next week or two (depending on what your local government is telling you). Make your time in the store count by knowing what you need to buy and keep your distance from other people.
I’ll start off with a short shopping story. 🙂 Scott has been following this virus for months so we knew it was coming but it was just a matter of when others would take it seriously. We’ve been concerned about our parents and other elderly family members so we decided we could help them by buying their groceries. Scott was off on March 13 so instead of hiking like we normally would 😉 we went to Sam’s Club (yes, we have a membership to both) at 7 AM when they opened. (They have recently changed their hours temporarily but at that time we could still get in early with our type of membership.) It was a pleasant shopping trip as it was not busy but we could definitely tell there were more people there than normal that early in the morning. We bought groceries for my parents, sister, and Scott’s mom.
On the way to deliver the groceries to our families, we passed by Costco and the line was wrapped around the parking lot and this was 10 minutes before they opened. We had never been happier to have early hours at Sam’s Club! Thankfully, it appears that the amount of people shopping has subsided at least from what we’ve seen. I’ll post our video from the crowd that day soon.
Please note that this post is not associated with Costco (and neither are we, other than we love to shop there!). Prices, selection, and availability may vary depending on location.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
COSTCO SHOPPING TIPS
TIPS:
Below is a list of things we encountered and tips we gathered at our local store. Your store may handle things differently.
- Take your own gloves or wipes for your cart and wipe down the entire cart including the handle and sides. Our local Costco is not wiping down carts nor providing wipes.
- Try to avoid busy times (which is sometimes hard to predict right now). We have had success getting to Costco 20 minutes before they open and there are NO lines. They seem to open the doors a little earlier than the hours stated on their website
- They really look at your membership card and your picture to really make sure it is you
- There will likely be a poster with the items that are out of stock at the entrance (for us this has been chicken breasts, disinfecting wipes, and spray)
- They seem to have added more prepared foods where they used to have meat stocked
- The toilet paper/paper towel section is roped off and they actually put the product you want in your cart
- They only open every other checkout lane
- There are tape/paint lines 6 ft apart at checkout where you are to line up
- They sanitize the belt after each person so our cashiers loaded the groceries onto the belt and would not let us do this
- There are plastic guards around the cashier and they are also cleaned after each customer
- They do not touch your receipt when you leave, hold it up for them
- There is no seating at the food court
- There are no coffee grinders available
Some people are still oblivious or maybe old habits are just hard to get rid of (?!) but be aware of your surroundings because people will still get close to you, way too close so try to keep your distance from people at all times in the store.
Just to add a note about Costco gas, I had to fill up there (without going into the store) a few weeks ago and there were employees wiping down each pump after each car pulled away. However, when we went to actually go grocery shopping there they were not doing that so I suggest taking your own wipes for the gas pumps as well.
WAREHOUSE CHANGES:
Please contact your local warehouse to make sure the following changes are still current. I will update them as I see changes posted but it’s always best to check with your local store before making the trip there.
- Costco only allows a certain number of people into the store at one time
- No more than two people will be allowed to enter the warehouse with each membership card
- Costco warehouses now close at 6:30 PM, Monday through Friday (weekend hours have not changed)
- On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays, Costco warehouses will open from 8 AM to 9 AM for members ages 60 and older & for those with physical impairments
- No refunds allowed on the following (these products are also the ones with limited quantities available – if any):
- Toilet paper
- Paper towels
- Sanitizing wipes
- Disinfecting spray
- Bottled water
- Rice
COSTCO SHOPPING LIST
REGULAR SHOPPING LIST
I would start with our regular Clean Eating Costco Shopping List, however, keep in mind it might be hard to find some of the items listed. Be sure to check for these items:
- Chicken Breasts
- Eggs
- Egg Whites
- Fruit (especially oranges & frozen berries)
- Vegetables (salad mix, asparagus)
- Peanut/Almond Butter
The following lists are items I think would be great to try while you are at home. There were many prepared foods available when we went shopping and they all looked delicious! Some of these are healthier than others but we’ve listed many different options. 😉
PREPARED FOODS/READY TO EAT
- Chicken Street Tacos ($5.49/lb)
- Teriyaki Stir Fry with Rotisserie Chicken ($4.49/lb)
- Enchilada Bake with Rotisserie Chicken ($4.69/lb)
- Meatloaf with Mashed Yukon Potatoes and Glaze ($3.99/lb)
- Hand-Pulled Rotisserie Chicken Breast Meat ($4.95/lb)
- Chilled Seasoned St. Louis Ribs with BBQ Sauce ($4.99/lb)
- Italian Sausage + Pasta in Garlic Wine Sauce ($4.49/lb)
- Ravioli Lasagna with Beef Pork Bolognese Sauce ($4.69/lb)
- Mac and Cheese ($2.99/lb)
- Chicken Alfredo ($3.99/lb)
- Roasted Chicken + Swiss Roller Tray ($9.99)
- Chicken Pot Pie with Rotisserie Chicken Breasts ($3.39/lb)
- Roasted Chicken Sandwich and Caesar Salad ($4.49/lb)
- Caesar Salad with Dressing ($4.29/lb)
- Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing ($4.49/lb)
- Chicken Salad made with Rotisserie Chicken ($4.99/lb)
- Shrimp Salad ($9.99/lb)
- Cilantro Lime Shrimp ($9.99/lb)
- Shrimp Cocktail with Cocktail Sauce ($9.99/lb)
- Chicken Noodle Soup with Rotisserie Chicken ($9.99)
- Quinoa Salad ($4.79/lb)
- Hand-Pulled Rotisserie Chicken (4.95/lb)
- Rotisserie Chicken Legs (8 CT – $4.99)
- Dry Rub Ribs – St. Louis Style ($7.49/lb)
- Grilled Chicken Strips
- Sliced Grass-Fed Beef Sirloin
- Chicken Breast Burrito Bowl
- Seasoned chicken breast with a blend of brown & white rice, black beans, corn, roasted salsa & topped with jack & cheddar cheeses
- High in protein
- High in fiber
- Gluten-free
- Rotisserie Chicken ($4.99)
- USDA Grade “A” Chicken
- Gluten-Free
- MSG Free
- No Preservatives
- No Artificial Flavors
- No Artificial Colors
- Ready-To-Drink Protein Shakes (different brands and flavors)
FOR YOU TO COOK
- Pork Tenderloin with Tuscan Seasoning ($3.39/lb)
- Seasoned St. Louis Ribs (dry rub) ($2.99/lb)
- Garlic Seasoned Party Wings ($3.59/lb)
- Salmon Milano with Basil Pesto Butter ($9.99/lb)
IN THE FREEZER SECTION
- Sonoma Flatbreads Beyond Meat Sausage Pizza (2 for $13.99)
- Don Lee Farms Organic Black Bean Burgers (12 ct/$13.99)
- Kirkland Signature Grass-Fed Beef (15 ct/$19.49)
- Jones Dairy Farm Organic Chicken Sausage ($12.99)
- Garden Lites Blueberry Muffins (20 count, $12.69)
- Garden Lites Spinach & Egg Frittata – Cage Free (20 count, $12.89)
- Nature Raised Organic Grilled Chicken Breast Strips (2 lbs $8.99)
- Jimmy Dean Delights Turkey Sausage Muffins – Cage Free ($12.94)
POPULAR COSTCO POSTS
You may have to wait on a few of these (like ordering a cake or party platter!) but below are our most popular Costco posts:
- How to Throw a Party on a Budget – Costco Food Ideas
- Eating Clean at Costco {Shopping List}
- Healthy Kid-Friendly Snacks from Costco {Refrigerated}
- Healthy Kid-Friendly Snacks from Costco {Shelf-Stable}
- How to Order a Cake from Costco
- How to Order a Party Platter from Costco
- How to Order a Pie from Costco
- Costco Thanksgiving Dinner
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