Costco – The Good, The Bad and The Toilet Paper

Shopping At Costco Means Having To Find Places To Put The Goods.

Some might say Disneyland is the happiest place on earth, but I’d venture to say for most adults, that destination is nothing compared to a trip to Costco on a Sunday morning.  The crowds are the same, but Costco comes with a slice of really good, $1.99 pizza. But before you hand your membership card to a sales associate be aware of the dangers of your trip, both financially and with how it impacts your storage space.    
We all know the best part of Costco are the deals.  It’s got a lot of everything and everything and everything.   And we all want everything. But everything can be an organizing nightmare.  Five million paper dessert plates might look enticing, if you’re opening a restaurant, but for the normal shopper, it’s not productive.  They are taking up precious real estate in your garage. Here are five tips to manage your Costco purchases:

1. Organize your garage first.  The garage is easily the biggest dumping ground for all your bulk items.  But if is not organized, your Costco excursion can become a nightmare. You need to have a place specifically designated for your purchases.  If you can fit it in the garage, I suggest having a rack for the excess items.
2. Take inventory of what you already have and buy accordingly.  Do you already have paper towels from the last time you went? Beyond the excitement of a full cart, do you really need more?  Can they wait until your next visit?  
3. Make a list before you go.  It doesn’t have to inhibit your fun, but sometimes we do buy things we don’t really need.  Buy another 25 pounds of dog food when you already have four bags at home.
4. Respect the space in your refrigerator.  Impulse buying is synonymous with a trip to Costco but try not to give in.  You taste that little paper cup of chocolate covered cheese balls and you’re suddenly hooked and have to buy a 5lb bag of them.   But if you take a moment and think about the lack of space in your refrigerator, it might be something you can say no to
5. Remember things do expire.  If you’re going to buy food in bulk, make sure you’re going to use it.  10 gallons of low-fat milk for $7 can be a bargain but if there’s only two of you in the house, that’s a $6.50 worth of waste.   Not to mention, you’re both lactose intolerant.

Your Costco trip doesn’t have to be a storage nightmare if you are judicious with your purchases.  Make sure you’ve got the space to store the stuff, make sure you actually need the stuff, and make sure take advantage of those Disneyland discount tickets.  The kids need to have a fun time, too.