A Shopping Expert's $50 Costco Game Plan for Two People
Fifty dollars at Costco sounds limiting.
It isn't — if you shop with a plan. Clay Cary, senior trends analyst at CouponFollow, laid out exactly how he'd stretch $50 for two people into multiple meals and pantry staples that keep working long after the trip.
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Read on to find out what he suggested.
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Start With the Rotisserie Chicken
Price: $5.66 for rotisserie chicken
This is non-negotiable for Cary. At around $5, Costco's rotisserie chicken is one of the best deals in retail grocery.
"This meal can be consumed in many different ways," he said.
Dinner the first night. Chicken soup the next day. Sandwiches, tacos or grain bowls after that. Purchase one of these from Costco and you'll get four or five meals.
Build Around the Basics
Price: $10.09 for organic mixed frozen vegetables
With the bulk of the remaining budget, Cary goes straight for the fundamentals; he said to spend the rest on rice, your favorite frozen vegetables, eggs and fruit like bananas or apples. Together, these cover breakfast, lunch and dinner without much overlap or waste. Eggs handle breakfast on their own. Rice and frozen vegetables pair with the chicken for dinner. Fruit fills in snacks and sides.
The focus is on items two people will actually use completely before they go bad, which matters more at Costco than the per-unit price.
But Don't Overlook the Snack Aisle
Price: $16.33 for trail mix
Here's where Cary pushes back on a common Costco misconception.
"The mistake many people make at Costco is assuming that its cheapest goods are always those bought in bulk," he said.
The real savings come from buying things you already purchase regularly — snacks especially. Buying a bulk bag of trail mix, granola bars or crackers at Costco almost always costs less than buying the same quantity in smaller packages week after week at a regular grocery store. If you're going to eat it anyway, buying it here saves money over time.
Use the Rest on Long-Shelf-Life Staples
Price: $11.34
Whatever's left after the chicken, produce and snacks goes toward pantry anchors. More specifically? Pasta (like these Barilla spaghetti noodles), oats or peanut butter. These items last for months, cost very little per serving and reduce the number of grocery runs needed in the weeks ahead.
"It is not important how much I will spend here but what I get from my purchases," Cary said.
The value isn't in the dollar amount. It's in having a stocked pantry that keeps working after the $50 is gone.
The through line in Cary's approach is thinking beyond the single trip. The best Costco run for a family of two isn't the one that fills a cart; it's the one that fills the week.
Editor’s note: Prices and availability are subject to change.
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This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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