Is Costco Worth It For One Person?

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Costco is the go-to spot for some people but is Costco worth it for one person?

You might think it is worth it because it’s cheaper than a lot of grocery stores but this is not the only thing you need to think about.

Costco sells in bulk, so when you purchase an item, you have to purchase a lot of it and this might be too much for one person.

Let’s answer the question of is Costco worth it for one person…

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    Is Costco Worth It For A Single Person?

    The answer to if Costco is worth it for one person is that it depends. It depends on how much food you consume on a daily basis and what kinds of food you eat.

    As mentioned earlier, Costco sells in bulk so you don’t want to purchase food to just throw it away because it expired!

    So, even though you are thinking you are saving money, you are actually losing money because you are throwing away food constantly.

    You have to figure out how much you eat on a daily basis and if buying in bulk at Costco is worth it for you.

    It also depends on what type of food you buy at Costco. Usually, everything is cheaper at Costco due to buying in bulk, but you don’t want to purchase things that expire fast.

    If you are just one person then it’s best to buy freezer food and other food that last longer since it will take longer to finish.

    Choosing to purchase fresh vegetables and fruits might not be worth it since they don’t last long and can possibly go bad before you use them.

    The worst thing you can do is let food expire, it’s such a waste of money and food!

    Other than food, Costco has clothes, home decor, personal hygiene products, vitamins, etc…

    So it might seem worth it but how much of these things does one person need?

    Do you need to purchase all these things in bulk every month? Most likely not!

    So, Costco is most likely not worth it for one person but it might be worth it in specific cases, you just have to decide if it’s worth it for you.

    It might not be worth it because of food expiring before you get to use it and the membership fee for Costco which we will go over now…

    The Cost Of Costco

    Costco is a members-only warehouse that sells a wide range of products such as food, clothes, alcohol, toilet paper, appliances, etc…

    Yes, there are a lot of things available at Costco and the prices are usually very affordable but they are able to offer these lower prices by selling their products in bulk. 

    It is mainly designed to help small businesses lower their costs, but individual shoppers are also welcome to enjoy their wholesale prices.

    As of this writing, individual membership fees are:

    • $60 per year for Gold Star Membership 
    • $120 per year for Executive membership

    The prices used to be cheaper for business memberships but as of writing this, the prices are the same as individual memberships.

    Both memberships come with a “household card” which is a card available to an immediate family member of the primary member who lives in the same residence. 

    Cardholders are allowed to take 2 guests inside the warehouse, but, technically, only the cardholder is allowed to make a purchase.

    Now let’s get into the savings that you can get from shopping at Costco…

    The Savings At Costco

    You know by now, or already knew that Costco offers great savings because they sell in bulk.

    So, this is why the debate of whether Costco is worth it for one person exists.

    Let’s dig into an example…

    Let’s take a single person who wants to shop at Costco.

    This person, let’s call her Sally. She purchases a Costco membership for $60 and starts her journey shopping at Costco.

    She is already in the hole for $60, but she knows she can save money shopping at Costco.

    At Costco, she is able to find deals on food and personal hygiene products but remember this is all in bulk, so she won’t need to go back to Costco for some time.

    Let’s say that Sally buys food out twice a week, well because she’s human and is not going to cook all the time.

    On her Costco trip, she saved $20 bucks compared to shopping at her regular grocery store, which is great!

    However, Sally does not eat like a bodybuilder so she finds that her food is expiring and she has to throw them away.

    So, at the end of the year, yes she is saving money but she is also wasting a lot because she can’t finish all the food before it expires.

    Now, one can say that she can do a better job at meal prepping and freezing perishable items so they last longer, etc…

    This is true but it all depends on the specific person, will they have the mindset to do this? Maybe or maybe not. 

    So, it really depends on your specific lifestyle to determine if Costco is worth it for you or not.

    On a side note, Costco does “coupons” from time to time, too. However, this is no different than the occasional “specials” in other supermarkets.

    The Costco Shopping Hack

    Costco has some great savings, there’s no denying that, but it might not be worth it for one person to have their own annual membership.

    So what should you do?

    Well, one great hack is to simply tag along with a friend or family member that has an annual membership.

    Most people won’t have a problem with this since you are paying for your things yourself, so simply ask.

    This way you can pick up items that you need for a good deal without having to spend money on an annual membership.

    If you will not need to go to Costco frequently then this money saving hack is the best option for you!

    Tips For Shopping At Costco

    As one person, buying a lot of things at Costco isn’t worth it for just one person but there are some things that are worth it.

    One of the best tips for shopping at Costco is to buy non-perishable items.

    This tip goes great with the hack we went over earlier, if you don’t have your own membership then you can purchase non-perishable items that will last a long time.

    Items such as toilet paper, toothpaste, soap, lotion, etc… are all great items to purchase at Costco since they last a long time.

    Simply, purchase things that you need and will last a long time since you have to purchase them in bulk.

    Conclusion

    As you can see, there is no simple answer to whether Costco is worth it for one person or not.

    You have to decide this for yourself but in most cases, having a Costco membership is not worth it for just one person.

    Before you purchase your own Costco membership it’s best to test out shopping at Costco by going with a friend or family member.

    At the end of the day, only you can decide if Costco is worth it or not, just be smart about it!

    If you like this article then I recommend checking out my articles on Best Amazon Hacks To Save Money and How To Save Money In An Apartment.

    What do you think? Is Costco worth it for one person? Let me know in the comments below!

    Are you ready to take control of your money? Check out these awesome money resources which will help you to make and save $1,000’s!
     

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