You Can Shop at Costco Without a Membership

As a member of a two-person household, a Costco membership feels like an unnecessary expense. We don’t regularly shop in bulk, and it’s pretty challenging for my partner and I to eat, say, 10 pounds of oranges before they go bad.

Because of this, we’ve never really shopped at Costco. But, recently, we learned about a new way to shop the bulk discounts we do want without paying for a membership—or even leaving our house.

How To Shop at Costco Without a Membership

Here’s the sneaky secret: Costco delivers on Instacart. This is the perfect solution for people who, like me, don’t want to pay for a membership but want to take advantage of deals every now and then to stock up on necessities.

It’s also ideal for folks who don’t have a car and want to avoid schlepping on the subway or bus systems with a gigantic pack of toilet paper. Whatever your reason for wanting to avoid in-person shopping, this trick is sure to save you time and money. Here are the Costco items that always make it into my cart, in case you need a little inspiration for your first order.

Top 5 Costco Items To Order on Instacart

Olive Oil

We go through a lot of olive oil in my household. We use it for salad dressings, roasting vegetables, and drizzling on pastas. The list goes on and on. However, buying quality oil can be expensive, so Kirkland Signature, Costco’s house brand, is my No. 1 bulk purchase from the warehouse. Prices, of course, fluctuate, but on my most recent order I scored two liters for $22. Now that is a deal.

Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

American-made Parmesan cheese is different from the Italian variety, labelled Parmigiano-Reggiano and heavily regulated in terms of how and where it’s made. The difference is stark, but the price can also be shocking. Luckily, Costco carries the good stuff: Kirkland Signature Italian Parmigiano Reggiano. It’s sold in bulk so it’s perfect for stocking up without breaking the bank. And don’t worry. Parmigiano cheese is a dry, aged cheese, so it will stay fresh in your fridge for a long time. Once it’s open, the best way to store the cheese is to tightly wrap it in plastic wrap, which brings me to my next product recommendation.

Plastic Wrap

This may seem like a weird recommendation, but the Kirkland Signature Stretch-Tite Plastic Food Wrap is better than what you would normally find in the average grocery store because it’s so similar to the industrial stuff that restaurants use. The rolls are much larger, so you don’t have to change them out so often. The Costco version is also packaged with a sharp blade and cutting mechanism which helps you cleanly slice the plastic—rather than struggling with it as you get it stuck to everything except what you’re actually trying to wrap.

Frozen Desserts

As a child I was fascinated by the size and variety of frozen desserts at Costco. Nowadays, when I order delivery, I usually treat myself to one frozen dessert to keep around for when the craving strikes.

Meat

If you have certain cuts of meat that you turn to again and again, Costco is the place to stock up. I always buy the Kirkland Signature Chicken Thighs, which can be as affordable as $2 per pound for close to 12 pounds. I also typically buy several pounds of Kirkland Signature Flank Steak, at around $15 per pound. The ticket price for four or five pounds can seem high, but it’s a good by-the-pound price, and the steaks freeze well for those nights when I just need some red meat.