5 Costco Items That Pay for Your Membership in Months—Coffee Lovers, This One’s for You!
Costco isn’t just for big families—see how five everyday buys can offset your $65 membership fee!
If you’ve got multiple pets, are an avid hostess or have a lot of mouths to feed, a Costco membership is a no-brainer. Buying groceries and household essentials in bulk is not only cost-effective, but it eliminates the need for multiple grocery store trips a week. However, many couples, empty nesters, two-person households and smaller families wonder if a Costco membership is truly worth it when buying in bulk isn’t a priority. One potential Costco member posed the question on Reddit, asking users what items other than gas justify the price of a Costco membership. A standard Costco Gold Star membership costs $65 a year while the Executive Membership costs $130. Many folks shared some of their favorite and most cost-effective buys, but Business Insider took things a step further by doing the math and assessing which Costco items essentially cancel out the cost of membership each year.
Based on some of the responses shared on Reddit, Business Insider assessed Costco’s prices and compared them to how much it would cost to buy the same quantities at stores such as Target, Walmart or on Amazon. They also asked ChatGPT how much of each item a two-person household would use in a typical year. After comparing the prices, each item earned a payback score of 50, 100 or 200. “A payback score of 100 means the savings and the fee are equal; a score of 200 means the savings were twice the fee and a score of 50 means that half the fee was offset by that single product,” they explained. Keep in mind, the fee they were comparing to is the $65 Gold Star membership. Here, we’ve listed a few of the items that our Woman’s World readers might buy most often that are worth the membership cost.
Coffee
There’s no better way to start your morning than with a hot cup of coffee, and at Costco, you certainly get your money’s worth. The warehouse retailer sells 2-pound bags of Starbucks Pike Place roast coffee beans for about $8.40 per pound compared to the typical $12 per pound from other stores. That being said, after 18 pounds of coffee are purchased (or nine bags), the cost of your membership offsets, earning this product a score of 166.
Pet food
If you’ve got fur babies at home, you know feeding them can add up—but Costco’s pet food savings might be enough to convince you to sign up for that membership. At Costco, you can buy a 38-pound bag of Blue Buffalo dog food for $65. At another store that would cost you around $111—and just two purchases later, the price of your membership is offset.
Paper products
It’s no secret that Costco delivers when it comes to things like paper towels and toilet paper, but when you actually do the math, the savings are unmatched! The 30-packs of Charmin toilet paper costs around $33 At other stores, you’ll spend closer to $44 for the same amount. With a payback score of 67, a little over half your membership fee would be offset when you purchase this toilet paper four times.
Pasta
Pasta is a pantry staple for many, and with it being the base for countless weeknight meals, it’s often easier to buy it in bulk. At Costco, you can buy a six pack of Barilla pasta for nearly $4 less than at another store. There’s nothing better than spaghetti night, and nine purchases a year would offset half of your membership fee.
Dishwasher pods
If you’re going through dishwasher pods every day, then Costco is the place to shop. Half of your membership fee would be offset by four purchases of Cascade dishwasher pods a year.
The bottom line? You don’t need a massive family or a garage-sized pantry to make a Costco membership worthwhile. Whether you’re a coffee devotee, a devoted pet parent or someone who appreciates saving on everyday essentials, the math speaks for itself. These five items alone can offset your $65 annual fee—and that’s before you even explore the pharmacy savings, optical deals or those irresistible rotisserie chickens. Ready to join the Costco club? Your wallet will thank you.
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