9 Best Items To Buy At Costco As A Single Shopper

If dropping $400 at the "club" on a Friday night sounds like your jam, then Costco just may be your heaven. But what should one purchase at the mecca of bulk shopping if they live alone? Luckily, we have all the tips and tricks to maximize your Costco purchases.

As a recipe developer and food blogger who shopped alone at Costco for years, I know all the ins and outs on maximizing your purchasing power in this big box store. From shelf-stable nuts and dried fruits that last a while, to individually packaged canned fish and seafood, there's no reason to shun Costco if you're shopping for one.

Whether you have limited freezer space or just want to shop smart, head on down to the nearest Costco warehouse and stock up on some of our picks. Rather than just giving you specific products, in most cases we zoomed in on product categories to let you choose your favorites. These are the nine best items to buy at Costco as a single shopper.

When it comes to nuts, dried fruits, and even trail mix, Costco is the perfect place to buy in bulk and have your products last a while. Many of the nuts and dried fruits have expiration dates that are way into the future, and with smart storage, you can enjoy them for months to come.

Whether it's Costco's legendary 3-pound bag of shelled walnuts or its unsalted pistachios, the quality of the nuts is truly unparalleled for the price. Or maybe it's the organic dried mangoes and strawberries you're after, in which case, Costco is also known for stocking some truly unique dried fruits.

For maximum shelf life, store your nuts in the fridge or even freezer. That way, they will last you at least six months rather than the three months pantry storage gives. For dried fruits, storing them in airtight jars is usually a good solution, as they don't go rancid like nuts. And that Costco trail mix? Even with a party-sized box, it'll likely get eaten in just a couple of months of office-drawer snacking.

Next to the bulk trail mixes lies Costco's other holy snacking grail — the protein bars and individually packaged snacks. The options here vary regularly and change from store to store and season to season, so it truly pays off to check this aisle seasonally for your favorite new products.

Some of our current favorites here include the Unreal chocolate bars or the Chocxo dark chocolate lemon creme cups as well as Chef Robert Irvine's protein bars, which may be some of the best protein bars we've ever tasted. In fact, many of Costco's high-protein snacks are worth stocking up on. These specialty treats cost a premium price when purchased in smaller quantity elsewhere. But thanks to Costco's buying power, you can get them much cheaper here, and in bulk, too.

The benefit for the single shopper here is that these snacks are individually packaged, which means there's no ticking clock that starts counting backward from the moment you open the package. So, grab a box, eat them at your leisure, and don't worry about transferring them to another container, either.

There is plenty to see in Costco's beauty and supplements aisles, and our favorites have to be the vitamins. Costco has some great Korean cosmetics finds, and even better eyeglasses, but its strongest selection and best prices are found in the consumable supplements. 

From specially formulated multivitamin packs for women or kids, to melatonin and collagen in various configurations, you can find pretty much anything you need for your body or mind in Costco. Our other favorites are the pre-mixed protein shakes and electrolyte drinks, which come in single-portion packages all wrapped together in one large box. 

Though you may feel intimidated by a pack of 500 pills of vitamin C, remember that the price per unit in Costco more than justifies the quantity. And as a lot of these vitamins will last for years, you don't have to worry about them expiring in your cupboard — at least as long as you stick to taking them daily, or semi-regularly.

It's no secret that Costco sells large quantities of bulk oils. In fact, the Kirkland brand alone has some impressive olive oils, alongside plenty of lesser choices. But most of these options come in gallon jugs, and that's not what we'd recommend for a single shopper. The only exception to that rule is the coconut oil, which comes at an unparalleled price for the quality at Costco.

If you're buying for a small space, or just don't use olive oil in large quantities, then Costco's best deals lie with its cooking oil sprays, like the avocado spray or the bundles of two olive oil bottles. Specialty imported olive oils and avocado oil are available in Costco in manageable sizes, and for special prices, perfect for the cooking afficionados who want to shop smart.

If buying oils or cooking sprays, make sure you store them in a cool, dark place, away from your stove. This will ensure that even after opening, your prized oils will last for months without spoiling.

If you are someone who likes to eat healthy, easy lunches, then Costco's canned fish packs are calling your name. With quality products and a selection of canned fish and seafood, there is something for most canned fish lovers here.

The benefits of shopping for these shelf-stable items in Costco are the variety and the price per can. The fact that these cans can be kept in your pantry almost indefinitely — or at least for a couple of years — means that you don't need to worry about consuming them too quickly.

Our favorites are the canned tuna in oil, which often come in small packages that don't take up a lot of room. The canned salmon and sardines at Costco are also especially good. The Italian brand Rio Mare also has packaged tuna salads that are easy to open on the road without a can opener.

One of the food groups I stock up on almost every trip I make to Costco is its nut butters. Whether it's the Kirkland brand almond butter, the mixed nut butter, the natural peanut butter, or the pistachio butter that it brings in seasonally, Costco's nut butters come at an unbeatable price and quality.

The best reason to buy these products is that the Costco jars are not especially larger than the regular-sized jars you find at other stores, which means they won't take up too much space in your small kitchen cupboards. The variety of options it has also means you'll always be spoiled for choice.

So next time you're in Costco, don't sleep on the nut butter aisle. And while you're there, grab yourself a jar of New Zealand manuka honey, a specialty product that is worth its weight in gold but costs a lot less at Costco.

For the Costco shoppers who don't love cooking, the frozen individual pizzas are a perfect deal. Once removed from the cardboard box, these small individual pizzas take up little freezer space and last a while.

Costco has many frozen pizza options, and some are better than others. But the individual pizzas are some of the tastiest, cheapest, and easiest options to store and cook.

The benefit for the single shopper is that each pizza is the perfect size for dinner or lunch. Some versions also come without toppings, making them easy to customize to each person's liking. We love adding premium toppings like anchovies, good prosciutto, or burrata. And you can even spruce up the pizza crust by brushing it with melted butter and sprinkling on some minced garlic and grated parmesan cheese before baking it according to the package directions. There are really few downsides to this easy meal!

Oh, Costco's rotisserie chicken. If I could write a ballad about a single warehouse store item, it would be about you.

The single most glorified Costco item has to be its rotisserie chicken. This item is praised for its affordable price, which has stood the test of a recession, as well as its unbeatable quality and consistent flavor. The cooked and packaged poultry is so popular that any change to it sparks enormous outcry. But is it great for single shoppers? We think so.

This one product can guarantee over a week of easy lunches or dinners for the single consumer. You can use it in wraps, fold it into enchiladas, or make chicken salad. It's high in protein and low in calories, and if broken down immediately upon purchase, it doesn't even take up much space in the fridge. And you can even freeze the bones for making stock later.

The last item category to buy in Costco, whether you live alone or with roommates, is its cleaning supplies. While the paper towels and toilet paper rolls here come in gigantic packages that are not convenient for those living in small apartments, there are plenty of household maintenance products here that are much more manageable for single shoppers.

Our favorite things to buy in the store are the dishwasher pods, washing machine pods, and garbage bags — and you can usually choose from among several brands. Many of them come in normal-sized packages that can be easily stored under the sink or in the kitchen. They can also be divided into smaller packs for easier storage.

If you're really short for space, you can even split this purchase with a friend and be rest assured that you're getting the best deal in town on cleaning supplies.

To create this list of the best Costco purchases for the solo shopper, I combined personal expertise, community input, and online research. 

To come up with the item categories on our list, I turned to discussions on popular online forums. I focused on threads where single shoppers shared their go-to items, rather than family shopping preferences. I also avoided most non-food and household maintenance-related items.

As a food blogger and an avid Costco fan, I relied heavily on my own experience shopping at Costco for over 20 years for the specific product recommendations. I looked at items I consistently bought over the years, evaluating products based on value, shelf longevity, storage space, and suitability for smaller households. To further narrow down the choices, I polled friends and acquaintances, including a caterer and professional baker, for their single-person household recommendations at Costco.