We Became Costco Members
Years ago we were members of Sams because our eye doctor had an office there. Then he moved to Costco so we joined them. I learned they also had super prices on mobile phones and that’s who started us in the smart phones. When the eye doctor moved to his own office we never renewed our membership. But guess what? We became Costoc members again! Yes it was a new brainer, I received a free membership from Uber by maintaining the Platinum level.
So a few weeks ago we went to pick up my membership card and checked out some of the grocery items. The main things we checked out was the meat department and of course we had to visit the bakery department!
Top Sirloin Steak
Once we saw their meat department I know we would be loading up our cart. I noticed the top sirloin steak was a rich red color, not a lot of grizzly fat and super thick! There were four pieces of steak in the package and they were about 2 1/2″ thick! I’m thinking there is no way I could cook it like a steak, it was more like a mini roast! But when we got home I sliced each piece in half widthwise.
The steak was $7.99 per pound and the package cost $30.12. I packaged up 8 meals for about $3.40 per meal. I grilled onions with the steak and a sweet potato for a meal less than $4.00!
Center Cut Pork Chops
Look at the size of these pork chops! They were $2.19 per pound and the package of 12 cost $13.88. So for the 12 pork chops meals it cost less $1.20 and are they delicious!
I pan fry chops with either butter or avocado oil and add Italian season mix. These chops were so tender and juicy. Rich likes stuffing so I added that to his meal and I opted for rice cooked with diced tomatoes. Again it was an awesome meal and each cost way less than $2.00!
Wild Caught Sockeye Salmon
This salmon is ALL MINE!! Rich and Alex don’t like salmon and even Lia doesn’t care for it. This filet was $12.99 per pound and cost $17.80 for the entire piece. It was large enough to cut into 4 meal packs and I splurged at $4.40 per serving. I love Sockeye salmon but it has to be wild caught from the US and never farm raised.
I have a few favorite ways to cook my salmon but I always use butter or avocado oil to cook it in. This was my last night’s dinner and I cooked it in butter. I brown the skin side first then flip it and brown the top side. I flip it back to skin side down and add my magic sauce. For this meal I added golden Monkfruit sweetener with zero carbs and calories. The golden Monkfruit is like brown sugar but better. First I added a mix of melted butter with lemon juice to the top of the salmon then I sprinkled it with Monkfruit. The Monkfruit melts into the butter and tastes so good. I finished my meal with steamed cauliflower. So this is not just a delicious meal for under $5.00 but a healthy one also! When I eat salmon, there is nothing left on my plate, I love the skin too!
I would say my first Costco trip for meat was very well worth it. All this meat cost $61.80 for 24 meals and if I divide that up, each meal cost less than $2.60. I freeze the meat then individually then put in freezer bags. That way I can take out how ever many I need for a meal. I love looking for good deals and this shopping trip I got fabulous deals!
But wait, my shopping trip isn’t over! As I was looking over the muffins a 6 pack of cinnamon and double chocolate muffins fell right in the cart! Okay, they had a little help from me! Everything is kingsized at Costco and the muffins are huge! They have a variety of flavors and 2 six packs are only $7.99, less than 70 cents each! These too are great to store in the freezer and pull one out when needed. One of my Facebook friends surprised me with a package of her homemade sauces. She makes the best caramel sauce and it was delicious spread on a warmed cinnamon muffin. Now I must say half a muffin is more than enough to fill me up.
I couldn’t resist doctoring up this double chocolate muffin with my friends’ strawberry/chocolate sauce! After I warmed the muffin in the microwave for 10 seconds I added the sauce to the center with redi-whip and more redi-whip on top! Add a glass of cold milk and what a treat!
A regular membership only costs $60.00 and from the savings I saw on our first shopping trip it will be worth it to join again next year even I have to pay to renew my freebie! I’m glad we became Costco members and looking forward to our next trip to see what great savings I can find.
Your Ophthalmologist is a heck of an influencer ;-))) They should leverage his impact on the community.
Looks like you got some great deals there. I would love some of that salmon! I’m surprised Lia isn’t into it, she usually likes seafood?!
Yes he is but I’m glad he has his own office now, it’s much easier and no chance of spending extra money on baked goods when not needed Tamara! As for Lia, she loves shrimp and crablegs, not sure why she doesn’t like salmon. But all the more for me!
That’s some very good deals Martha .You make daily shopping fun and super interesting. Loved the way you wrote about your meal plans.
I like to sniff out deals Amrita. I also like to come up with delicious, healthy and inexpensive meals. I’ll be sharing more!
I have a friend that loves Costco. We are sandwiched in between two and both are about 45 minutes away. Great deals for stocking the freezer. I wonder if the meat would be as good over here. I think I want to get a vacuum sealer before I join.
Our Costco is about 30 minutes away but from my first trip I think it will be worth it. Probably only need to stock up monthly once I clean out our freezers! I have a vacuum sealer and thought it was the greatest when I first started using it. But after freezing things individual on a cookie sheet, I find it’s just as easy (and way less expensive) to put them in ziplock bags. Remember I love to save money Shepherds Run Farm!
We LOVE Costco! Your photos are making me hungry. And now, I need to try your salmon recipe. I bet it’s delicious. Also, I wish those pesky cupcakes didn’t hop right into my cart, but they are forgiven by my sweet tooth. Enjoy!
I’m so happy we became members again and the price was right Elisa! LOL I have a few delicious salmon recipes on my blog. I can hunt them up and sent them to you. My favorite is my raspberry marinade which doubles as ice cream topping if any leftover!
Now I am hungry! And I already had dinner a little bit ago. I always walk past the muffins at CostCO thinking… Man, those are huge! The 2 of us will never eat all those muffins before they go bad. I never thought of freezing them! Thanks for the idea.
I did pig out on my first chocolate one loaded with strawberry sauce and redi whip Paul. But it was way too much at once. Yes just cut them in half, freeze them in the same bag but don’t like them touch. Then you can either sneak one out if you both aren’t in the mood for a muffin.
Martha, you are such a smart shopper. Your meals look so good. My mouth is watering just looking at the photos. By the way, I am also a Costco member.
That’s cool Lily to hear you’re a Costco member also. Being a smart shopper is another one of my challenges!
Martha, I live close to a Costco but rarely look at the meats. Although, I am just remembering I have gotten some fantastic steaks there, for special occasions. Thanks for the inspiration!
I’m glad I got a membership and free was good Kebba! It made me realize what I’ve been missing with their great meats.
The food looks delicious Martha!
Thanks Sinziana, it was delicious and so inexpensive.
Last month we followed in your footsteps and became Costco members too. Have you tried their pizza yet?
No I haven’t but heard it’s delicious! Now that my freezer is empty, we are going back to stock up again. I’ll check out the pizza Amanda.