My Costco Travels: I have been to 107 Costco Warehouses!

Hi everyone!

I just got back from another month long trip, (back in Colorado) and I realized I have not updated my "Costcos I've Been To" map that is on my blog homepage, so I sat down and updated the map to reflect that I have now been to 107 different Costco Wholesale warehouses across 22 different states (including DC!), and 5 different countries!! (Checkout the map and zoom out to see more.)

Ahhh!!!!! I am so excited!!
(And I'm also more aware than ever just how crazy I am... LOL!)

I must admit I am a little bummed I didn't keep a closer eye on how many different warehouses I had been to because I would have totally had a major celebration when I got to my 100th warehouse. (Which by my calculations, I believe #100 was the Brooklyn, NY warehouse from back in May...) But whatever, I still celebrated going to my 107th Costco which was the Gypsum, CO warehouse last month! Gypsum also marks the LAST warehouse in Colorado I needed to visit before I could add Colorado to my list of states that I have been to ALL of their Costcos!

So far it's a pretty short list:

• Delaware (piece of cake since there is only 1 Costco!)
• Washington, DC (yes I know it's not a "state" but I'm still counting it, and also DC only has 1 warehouse too)
• New Mexico
• Colorado

As of July 1st 2016  Costco Wholesale had 705 warehouses worldwide so I'm about 15% of the way through visiting all of them!

I also decided in addition to the themed posts about various holidays & seasons, and product reviews I blog about, that I am going to add a series to my blog I like to call "My Costco Travels" where I highlight Costcos that I have visited. (Basically exactly how I did my "Costco in the UK" post).

I already post a LOT of pictures and tidbits on social media during my travels (follow me on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook), but I have not done a great job at posting thorough and detailed posts with regards to my travels. (Oops!) But fear not! There is no need to wait for me to make another exciting trip - I have a back log of notes & photos I can pull from to create posts featuring the likes of:

• Costco in Colorado! (coming this weekend!)
• Costco in South Carolina! (coming early Jan 2017!)
• Costco in New Mexico!
• Costco in Salt Lake City!
• Costco in Los Angelos!
• Costco in San Diego!
• Costco in the Bay Area!
• Costco in Seattle!
• Costco in Vancouver Canada!
• Costco in Australia!
• Costco in Mexico!
• Costco in New York City!
• Costco in Minnesota!
• Costco in North Carolina!
• Costco in Pennsylvania!

And of course many more places as I continue to travel the world in search of yet another Costco to explore.

Here is a little sneak peak of how the My Costco Travels posts will look:

Welcome to Costco Warehouse #637 in Gypsum Colorado!

On the last Saturday in October a friend and I drove all the way out to Gypsum from Denver. Gypsum is 133 miles west of Denver making it just over a 2-hour drive on I-70. On the way we stopped at Moe's Original Bar-B-Que in Eagle, CO. (Because rule #1 of shopping at Costco: Don't shop hungry. Because you, and your wallet will regret it). Moe's was absolutely DELICIOUS. I had the smoked turkey breast sandwich with potato salad, collards and banana pudding on the side. Yum! Moe's actually has locations all over the country, so check out their website and see if there is one near you!

Okay back to Costco. First thing I noticed walking in is that the Gypsum gas station has DIESEL fuel!!! Not many Costco gas stations carry diesel, but using the Costco app you can filter Costco locations by diesel to find a location nearest you. (Don't have the Costco app yet? Search Costco in the App Store or Google Play to download it!) Fun fact: Gypsum and Timnath are currently the only 2 Costco locations in Colorado that have diesel fuel at their gas stations.

Once inside a new warehouse I kind of have a system that I usually stick to in order to see everything.

My first stop is almost always Electronics
I browse to see def they have anything cool I haven't seen at other warehouses and to see if they have any good markdowns.

• Like this Marshall Bluetooth Speaker which was $10 off:

• And these Marshall over-ear Monitor Headphones which were marked down:

Then I check out the sunglasses in Optical
Because I am still trying to find a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses to replace the pair that I bought at the Kona, HI Costco a few years ago but then lost this summer in NYC :( #RIPsunglasses

From Optical I head off to the land of Office Supplies & Housewares 
I'm kind of obsessed with office/school supplies and I love looking for new pens, markers or colored pencils

• Like this Staedtler Coloring Set that was marked way down:

• And this Prismacolor Scholar pen & pencil starter kit - also marked down:

I also love finding great deals on place settings and cookware. In fact back in January I came super close to purchasing a set of Le Creuset bakeware and mailing it home from the Livermore Costco in the Bay Area b/c the Costco price was THAT AWESOME. But I bailed on the whole idea after I realized 1) the shipping costs would probably offset the amazing Costco price and 2) the hubs might freak out if i started buying & mailing home EVERY cool thing I saw at a Costco. But I digress...

• Gypsum had these cool Lodge Life stoneware dinnerware set and platters by Mossy Oak:

After Office supplies & Housewares usually the next few aisles are Hardware & Tools
I'm always on the lookout for marked down tools and anything that I can use in our never ending remodel.

Before heading into Foods I like to dash to the center and scope out Books & Clothing
Books & Clothing are two of the top three "departments" that I find vary the most from warehouse to warehouse (Food being number one). I usually find all sorts of different clothing items, especially climate appropriate attire and regionally appropriate sports apparel. And many Costco warehouses carry books specific to their region and or state.

•  Like these books about Colorado:

• And these Colorado Calendars:

The rest of the center aisle is usually packed with all of the seasonal items
Which is currently pretty much all about Christmas - so decorations, gift wrap, gift baskets and toys... (I'll get into these items in future posts about the upcoming holidays.)

After the seasonal section I like to skip up to the Pharmacy section
I like to see if I can find any awesome beauty deals, especially ones from Beautys Most Wanted - who have great products at incredible Costco prices.

• Like this Jenna Hipp Ultimate Mani-Pedi Tool set (I already have 2 of these, one at home and one that I travel with - LOVE them!):

Food I almost always save for last

That way if I come across something that I just have to buy to try I don't have to fret about it sitting in my cart while I scope out the rest of the warehouse. Also, when I travel I try to stay exclusively at hotels where I have a full kitchen setup so that I can cook most of my own meals. For one thing eating out ALL the time for weeks on end gets real old, real fast, but more importantly with a full size kitchen I can try ANY of the awesome foods I find at Costco! I didn't buy any food items at Gypsum but I did come across some awesome beverages.

• Third Street Organic Black Peach Tea:

• San Pellegrino Sparkling Pomegranate Orange:

To finish up my exploration I weave my way through the Snack area (which is usually right up near the checkout lines) so I dont miss out on fun finds like these:

• Jerky & Trail Mix combo:

• And these Caveman bars (the coconut ones kind of taste like Samoa Girl Scout Cookies!!):

And last but never least - I scope out the Costco Food Court
The Food Courts are part of the most diverse areas of Costco warehouses and usually vary the most between different regions and different countries. In Colorado I found that the food courts carry Kirkland Signature Chili which is sooo good - especially on a cold day. (I've also seen chili in Seattle and Salt Lake City!) I didn't get chili at Gypsum but here are pictures from when I bought chili at the Parker, CO warehouse:

(of course I made a chili dog!!)

I don't always buy something when I visit a new warehouse, it's not a requirement or anything but I do usually end up finding something that I just have to have, or have to try. 

From the Gypsum warehouse I purchased:

• Yet another Keep Cool Insulated tote bag for $6.59, b/c I am literally addicted to Costco tote bags. (No seriously, I'm actually working on a blog post all about the different Costco tote bags that I have...)

• A beautiful $12.99 black Joseph A. Turtleneck Sweater that I actually FORGOT to take a picture of (trust me I did buy it, I'm wearing it as I type LOL.) I think it is available on costco.com if you want to check it out

• And the Prismacolor Scholar Starter set marked down to $5.97:

I'm glad we had to stop for gas on our way out otherwise I would have missed this little gem: a Costco Windshield Washing Station!

I totally partook and cleaned off not just the windshield but all windows and the side mirrors too!

That about sums up my Gypsum Costco adventure, thanks for reading and I can't wait to share more with you!

Until next time,
the Costco Connoisseur

#GoingToAllTheCostcos

P.S.
Follow me on Twitter! @CostcoConoiseur
Follow me on Instagram! @theCostcoConnoisseur
Like my page on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Costco-Connoisseur/

P.P.S.
Oh and for those of you following along at home - no I have not forgotten about the Sam's Club vs. Costco post that I mentioned back in July. That post is a mammoth of an undertaking, (I had to make spreadsheets!) and I just haven't finished it yet but I am working to get that one complete before the end of the year :)

Costco Holiday 2016: AmericanGirl Dolls, Books and Accessories are back!

The holiday toys have already been in Costco Warehouses for weeks, but now that we are just one week away from Thanksgiving I feel like I can finally talk about toys without cringing.

Instead of trying to cover ALL of the amazing deals on toys that a Costco has, I've decided to compartmentalize them into subcategories and have several shorter posts instead of one massively long post. The first up in this series of 2016 Holiday Toys are AmericanGirl dolls, books, accessories, play sets, and crafting kits that are available at Costco Warehouses and Costco.com.

If you are not familiar with AmericanGirl Dolls see my post from last year and then explore AmericanGirl.com. Then read on to see the AmericanGirl items Costco is carrying this year at incredible savings.

The AmericanGirl 18" Samantha Parkington Doll Set, from the historical BeForever collection, comes with 1 book, 1 pink polkadot dress, 1 red party dress and 1 white fancy coat. Purchasing these items separately on AmericanGirl.com will set you back approximately $183, but this special set available at Costco costs 34% LESS!

The AmericanGirl Bitty Baby Set is available in several different skin, eye and hair color combinations and is made up of 12-pieces including the doll. This Costco bundle costs 38% LESS than if you were to purchase a Bitty Baby Doll and the similar "Bringing Home Bitty Collection" of accessories from AmericanGirl.com for $160.

The AmericanGirl Horse & Saddle Set, which includes the horse, saddle, bridle, and blanket, is priced 33% LESS at Costco, PLUS you get three bonus accessories: an apple, a brush and carrots!

The AmericanGirl Sleepover Set (for 18" AmericanGirl Dolls) includes a pajama top & shorts outfit, slippers, sleeping bag and matching pillow, popcorn bowl, 2 faux drinks, mini magazine, mini book and min board game. To buy similar items from AmericanGirl.com you would pay over $80, but this special Costco bundle costs 50% LESS!

Each AmericanGirl BeForever Mini Doll and Book Set includes 3 books, 1 mini doll with stand and 1 exclusive bookmark. This special Costco bundle costs 40% LESS than the retail price of purchasing the mini doll, books and stand separately from AmericanGirl.com. Each BeForever AmericanGirl is from a specific historical time period.

Melody is a talented singer growing up in a musical family in 1964.

Rebecca is a confident and inspiring Jewish girl growing up in 1914.

Josephina is a caring and hopeful Mexican girl growing up in 1824.

Kit is a resourceful tomboy growing up in 1934.

Maryellen is an inventive and ambitious girl growing up in 1954.

Julie is a spiritied and athletic girl growing up in 1974.

Samantha is a bight and compassionate girl being raised by her grandmother in 1904.

The AmericanGirl Activity Book and Plush Pet Sets each include 1 plush pet, 1 book, 1 pet-house craft, 1 pet toy, 2 treat bowls, 1 placemat and stickers. This Costco bundle costs 44% LESS than the retail cost!

The AmericanGirl Isabelle's Ballet Recital Set by Mega Bloks costs 28% LESS at Costco!

This item is also available on costco.com.

The AmericanGirl 8-in-1 Fashion Accessory Super Activity Set costs approximately 65% LESS at Costco compared to what it would cost to purchase each of these craft sets individually. This item is also available on costco.com.

Costco also carries an assortment of AmericanGirl craft kits, each $24.99.

The Doll Pets Kit lets you create and display your own pet spa.

The Doll Boutique Kit lets you create and display your own doll boutique.

The Doll School Kit lets you create school crafts for your AmericanGirl Doll.

The Lea Clark 2016 Girl of the Year Kit lets you make crafts inspired by travel adventures.

The AmericanGirl Ultimate Visual Guide expanded edition is 40% LESS than the cover price at Costco! This hardback book all about the AmericanGirl story is also available on costco.com for $19.99. 

The AmericanGirl Ultimate Sticker Collection is 38% LESS than the cover price at Costco!

And last but not least, if you can't chose, or if you want to let the gift receipiant chose, you can always pick up AmericanGirl Gift Cards at Costco. Save 20% and get TWO $50 gift cards, or FOUR $25 gift cards for only $79.99! Check the gift card area or toy section of your Costco Warehouse.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more 2016 Costco Holiday Toy Highlights featuring Lego, Star Wars, Super Heroes and more!

Until next time,

the Costco Connoisseur

#GoingToAllTheCostcos

P.S. - Selections and prices listed above will vary from different Costco locations.

P.P.S. Don't miss out on the latest roadshows and other Costco deals I spot in between blog posts- use the links below to follow me on Twitter and Instagram, and like my new page on Facebook!

Follow me on Twitter! @CostcoConoiseur

Follow me on Instagram! @theCostcoConnoisseur

Like my page on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Costco-Connoisseur/

I'm taking a Poll: Liquor Sales at Costco Warehouses

I have received a LOT of questions about Costco liquor sales and because Costco has stopped supporting their http://www.costcoconnection.com/connection/beer_wine_spirits_guide site, and Costco is not accurately listing which warehouses sell beer, wine and liquor in their store details on costco.com I have decided to take matters into my own hands and poll the internet to collect the data myself.


Please take a moment to answer the following five questions by leaving a comment below:

1) Does your Costco sell beer & wine? (yes or no)

2) Does your Costco sell liquor? (yes or no)

3) If your Costco sells liquor, is the liquor sold inside the warehouse with the rest of the merchandise, or is it sold in a separate liquor sales area? (inside or separate)

4) If your Costco sells liquor in a separate liquor sales area does that area include Kirkland Signature brand liquors? (yes or no)

5) Please include the City and State of your Costco and the warehouse number too if you know it. Hint: the warehouse number is printed at the top of your Costco receipt. ;)


After gathering the information I will create my own comprehensive guide to buying beer, wine and liquor at Costco and share it with you all :)

Thanks everyone!

Until next time,

the Costco Connoisseur

#GoingToAllTheCostcos

P.S. - Selections and prices listed above will vary from different Costco locations.

P.P.S. Don't miss out on the latest roadshows and other Costco deals I spot in between blog posts- use the links below to follow me on Twitter and Instagram, and like my new page on Facebook!

Follow me on Twitter! @CostcoConoiseur

Follow me on Instagram! @theCostcoConnoisseur

Like my page on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Costco-Connoisseur/

Whole30 at Costco Update #1!

Since my original Whole30 post back in early January I have come across even more Whole30 compliant foods & beverages that you can get at Costco!

If you are new to Whole30 or you haven't already checked out my original post, "Survive your Whole30 with Costco!" you can read it here. If you're already familiar with Whole30 then read on.

Proteins

Costco sells organic hard boiled eggs - peeled and ready to eat. When I first saw these I thought it was ridiculous to pay more money for hard boiled eggs when you can buy regular eggs and hard boil them yourself at home. But then I did Whole30. These are a HUGE time saver and totally worth it when you are doing Whole30 or even if you just have a family that loves to eat hard boiled eggs.

 

I also found organic, cage free, pasture raised eggs at Costco!

  

I love fish and I try to get wild caught versus farmed whenever I can, and Costco's low prices makes Wild caught fish like Alaskan Halibut and Chilean Sea Bass more attainable.

  

  

Whole30 compliant deli meats are hard to come by, it was eye opening when I started reading labels and discovered nearly EVERY brand adds sugar to their cold cuts! Needless to say I was elated to find this organic oven roasted turkey breast which is perfect for roll ups for lunch. (I wrap sliced bell peppers and other vegetables in a few slices of turkey breast and dunk them in a compliant mustard, hot sauce or dressing for a no fuss lunch.)

 

I was in Denver in April when I stumbled upon Teton Waters Ranch doing a roadshow at a local Costco. I was so excited to find affordable, GRASS-FED, Whole30 compliant beef that I bought 4 packs, froze them and carried them on the plane home with me in my insulated lunch bag. These sausages have a different, but welcome texture compared to the Aidells sausages and the skinnier links remind me of hotdogs. The three varieties I have shown below (Thuringer, Polish, &  Hot Links) are all Whole30 compliant, BUT not all Teton Waters Ranch sausages are Whole30 compliant so make sure to read your labels.
(And let me offer up a few helpful tips if you plan to pack frozen sausages in your carryon: 1) only attempt if your flight is domestic, 2) make sure your flight isn't so long that your frozen goods will thaw out before you get home and 3) be prepared to get some funny looks from security as they go through your bag for a more thorough inspection. LOL!) 

  

  

 

I spotted more grass-fed beef when I was in the Bay Area! Organic Grass-Fed Beef Ribeye Steaks and Filet Mignon. I LOVE steak but it can be next to impossible to find grass-fed beef and then its insanely expensive when you do find it. But these frozen steaks are a fraction of the cost you would end up paying to have a grass fed steak in a restaurant or to get grass fed steaks from your butcher - if you can find have grass fed beef in your area.   

 

  

Vegetables

Why is it that I always seem to spot the best produce when I am traveling and it doesn't make sense for me to by a 3.5 lb bag of organic yellow squash and zucchini!?

 

Organic, PEELED and CUBED sweet potatoes!!! Roasted vegetables are a staple at our house regardless of Whole30. But peeling and cubing a variety of vegetables takes FOREVER. Anything to cut down on the prep work - ESPECIALLY when you are doing Whole30 - is totally worth it.

 

And speaking of time savers, hello organic peeled garlic! Three pounds is probably a bit much for us but this is definitely an item I would buy and split with my mom.

 

Both Whole30 books, (which I mention at the beginning of my original Costco Whole30 blog post), talk about the benefits of fermented foods.  Make sure to check your labels - as long as the ingredients are Whole30 compliant you can dive right in and enjoy fermented foods like this organic sauerkraut!

 

This organic ginger root sure would have come in handy during my first Whole30. One of my favorite recipes from The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide book is the Thai Coconut Soup. I easily made it three times in one month! And because I love ginger so much I doubled or tripled the amount of ginger the recipe calls for.

 

Fruits

I think I mentioned Kiwis in my original Whole30 post but I forgot to get a picture. Well here is proof that Costco carries organic kiwi fruit and at at great price too!

I feel like I see more and more organic produce at Costco, like these organic blueberries, which are perfect for making the "Seared Scallops with Ginger Blueberry Sauce" recipe from the The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide book.

  

Good Fats

I'm pretty sure I posted pics of this incredible deal on Instagram when I spotted these massive jars of GRASS FED Ghee at the Sunnyvale, CA Costco. The Costco price is 51% LESS than what you would pay for this exact same product on Amazon.com! In fact, it was such an amazing deal I literally mailed four jars to my mother. 

 

What can't you do with coconut oil!? I use it in cooking, especially when stir frying vegetables or making roasted okra but I also love to use coconut oil as a moisturizer and when making homemade soaps & body scrubs. 

 

Other

Salsa was an item that was difficult to track down in a Whole30 compliant version. Luckily the Costco near my office carries Pace Picante Salsa which turned out to have all compliant ingredients!

 

If plain almond butter doesn't cut it for you try this Nuttzo crunchy nut & seed spread. Made of all Whole30 compliant ingredients this is a compliant food if used sparingly. Try it with apple slices or celery sticks. And those allergic to peanuts can rejoice - this product is made in a peanut-free facility!

 

When it came to mayonnaise during Whole30 I regularly made my own homemade mayo following the recipe my mom uses (you can check it out here.) It calls for dry mustard and Colemans is the BEST dry mustard you can get.

I also stumbled across yet another organic apple cider vinegar at Costco!

  

If you think you can't get live probiotics while doing Whole30 because you can't eat yogurt, think again! Kombucha (fermented tea) is a great source for live probiotics, but read your labels carefully as some brands, like Kevita which Costco also carries, add sugar. GT's organic raw kombuchas, like the gingerade shown below, contain only the natural sugar from fruit juices so they are Whole30 compliant.

   

La Croix sparking waters are so refreshing! They are ever so lightly flavored with natural fruit essence and contain ZERO sweeteners which makes them perfect for Whole30. I have seen two different variety packs at Costco, a lime, lemon and orange pack and a lime, lemon and grapefruit pack. Check out my Costco vs. Whole Foods and Target post to see just how much cheaper La Croix is at Costco compared to Whole Foods and Target!

  

Larabar's are technically Whole30 compliant but the authors strongly caution to use them sparingly as emergency food only. Both flavors in this Costco bundle (Cashew & Apple Pie) are Whole30 compliant and the Costco price is 53% LESS than the retail price!

  

These organic bare fruit apple chips are another example of a technically Whole30 compliant food but the creators would strongly caution you about eating this because it can be too easy to sit down and snack right through the whole bag. Its probably best to keep these in the car along with some Whole30 compliant nuts for emergency food only :)

  

Tools

This Lodge pre-seasoned cast iron skillet set is an amazing deal! Sold separately these pans would cost you over $60, but this 2-pack at Costco can save you over 40% off the retail price. We cook almost everything on our cast iron pans, and cast iron is the perfect cookware to go from the stove top straight into the oven.

  

This Lodge pre-seasoned cast iron grill pan set is perfect for grilling! The set includes the 10.25" inches grill pan, a silicone handle cover and a plastic scraper for easy cleanup. And the Costco price is 40% LESS than the retail price!

For tips on how to care for your pre-seasoned cast iron pans check our Lodges Use and Care page.


I hope you found this update to be helpful during your Whole30 adventure!
#CostcoWhole30

Until next time,

the Costco Connoisseur

#GoingToAllTheCostcos

P.S. - Selections and prices listed above will vary from different Costco locations.

P.P.S. Don't miss out on the latest roadshows and other Costco deals I spot in between blog posts- use the links below to follow me on Twitter and Instagram, and like my new page on Facebook!

Follow me on Twitter! @CostcoConoiseur

Follow me on Instagram! @theCostcoConnoisseur

Like my page on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Costco-Connoisseur/

SaveSave
SaveSave