I’ve been shopping at Costco for as long as I can remember.
As a child, I loved trying the samples and getting a smiley face drawn on my receipt at the exit. I even begged my parents to let me have my Sweet 16 there — an idea that was quickly vetoed, unfortunately.
Now an executive member in my 20s, I shop for myself and my sister, who lives with me. Neither of us enjoys cooking, and with busy careers, we usually don’t have the time to make elaborate meals, anyway.
Instead, we rely on Costco’s prepared foods and easy staples that fit into our grab-and-go lifestyle.
I don’t leave the warehouse without buying a rotisserie chicken.
Costco’s rotisserie chicken is, in my opinion, the store’s ultimate classic product. It’s fresh, flavorful, and under $5.
A single rotisserie chicken can last me several meals. Immediately after buying one, I’ll debone it and use the meat in sandwiches, wraps, or quesadillas.
My favorite snack is Don Miguel’s chicken chipotle mini tacos.
Don Miguel’s chicken chipotle mini tacos are a snack I eat constantly. I’ll just pop them in the microwave or air fryer and enjoy them within minutes.
A pack comes with 50 tacos, and although they’re small, they go a long way — usually, one pack will last me a month. They’re also the perfect easy snack for football season, when my sister and I host watch parties at our house.
I grew up growing raspberries in my yard, so I always stock up on a Driscoll’s box.
A trip to Costco is incomplete without a box (or two) of Driscoll’s raspberries.
My sister and I love to eat these with a little whipped cream, often while watching “Real Housewives.”
Bel Gioioso mozzarella has a slice of my heart.
In my house, cheese is a must.
I add these ready-to-serve mozzarella slices to salads or soups when I want to feel a little gourmet. Sometimes, I’ll even run to the fridge just to snack on some mozzarella in between meetings.
I love buying Kirkland Signature’s Atlantic salmon for Friday night dinners.
Growing up in a Slovak Eastern Orthodox household, my sister and I have never eaten red meat on Fridays for religious reasons — so, salmon is one of our go-to Friday dinners. I’ll also toss it into salads during the week.
This is the most expensive item on our shopping list, but I find Kirkland Signature’s salmon to taste fresher than other frozen fish I’ve tried. I also like that it doesn’t have any additional flavoring.
I’ve tried every brand out there, but El Monterey’s taquitos hold a special place in my heart … and my freezer.
El Monterey is the only taquito brand I’ll always buy, so I’m lucky that Costco carries it. The competition just doesn’t stack up in terms of flavor, crispiness, or consistency.
Its chicken-and-cheese taquitos are, in my opinion, the best late-night snack. I love eating a few after I get home from a concert.
My latest obsession is the Bibigo Sobaba crunchy glazed chicken.
Bibigo’s frozen Korean meals are some of my absolute favorites.
I always stock up on this crunchy glazed chicken and pair it with string beans for a delicious meal. In my opinion, it tastes like it came from a restaurant.
When I want a sweet snack, I reach for Tru Fru chocolate-covered strawberries.
A grocery-store trip is incomplete without a sweet treat, and I believe that Tru Fru’s chocolate-covered strawberries are some of the best in the world. At Costco, I can buy a 20-ounce bag of them for under $16.
I prefer to eat these over making them at home because of the double layer of milk and white chocolate. It adds the perfect amount of sweetness to what always seems to be a perfectly ripe strawberry interior.
I love snacking on unsalted pistachios.
My grandma always had a stash of Kirkland Signature pistachios from Costco when I was growing up, and the nuts still taste as good as I remember.
Even now, snacking on them makes me remember shelling them while watching TV with her.
Of course, I can’t leave Costco without a fresh slice of pizza from the food court.
I won’t end a shopping trip without swinging by the Costco food court for a $2 slice of pizza.
One slice is so thick that it fills me up for a few hours, and I love the cheese-to-sauce ratio. Nothing puts a smile on my face quite like a warm Costco slice.
This story was originally published on October 17, 2025, and most recently updated on May 13, 2026.
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