5 Best Ways to Spend $100 at Costco

Budget Bonanza

At a store like Trader Joe’s, $100 might seem like a decent chunk of change. But at Costco, where one recent survey found that the average shopper spends $100 per visit, it can feel like peanuts. That’s especially true given Costco’s layout, which is designed to encourage impulse buying. One way to avoid the pull of the store’s towering stock of affordable goods is to stick to a plan. Superfans on Reddit recently shared what they think the best way to spend $100 at Costco is, from tongue-in-cheek hauls to hyper-practical shopping lists.

Woman is organizing food in her kitchen pantry — invizbk/istockphoto

1. The Practical Survivalist

The haul: Rice, beans, flour, spices, and oil

If you’re looking for a no-nonsense, barebones shopping list, one Costco member suggests picking up a few basics in bulk. While this haul is about as boring as you can get, the commenter says that spending $100 on these items is enough to feed a family of four for three months.

2. The Greatest Hits

The haul: A rotisserie chicken, a hot dog, a tank of gas, eggs, and a few free samples

This Costco haul combines a few of the retailer’s most notable items, including its unbeatable rotisserie chicken, inflation-proof hot dog, top-tier gasoline, and signature free samples. You can’t go wrong with this list given that all of these items are guaranteed to be good value at Costco. After all, the cost of the hot dog combo hasn’t gone up since 1985.

3. The Business Center Bonanza

The haul: Bulk chicken parts

True penny pinchers who don’t mind eating “bulk chicken parts” for weeks should consider the business center bonanza — also known as spending $100 on spare chicken parts. Case in point: For just $100, you can get around 80 pounds of chicken thighs, or around 640 servings. Just be sure you have a deep freezer to stock all that meat.

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Costco Procter and Gamble Special — Costco

4. The Limited-Time Procter & Gamble Special

The haul: Spend $100 on select P&G products, get a $25 Costco shop card

Up until Sept. 24, Costco members can get a $25 gift card if they spend $100 on select P&G products. Spend double and get a $50 credit instead. “If you limit yourself to only purchasing P&G products that are already on sale, then the shop card you're entitled to effectively becomes a further discount on top of the sale price,” one savvy shopper shares.

5. The Inflation Buster

The haul: 66 hot dog combos

If one of the best deals at Costco remains the $1.50 hot dog combo, then it makes sense to go all in at the Costco food court. It's crazy, we know. But don’t be afraid. Turn that $100 bill into a pallet’s-worth of hot dogs and soda, and don't look back.