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  5. I shop at Costco for my family of 8. From premade meals to pantry staples, here's what I always buy.

I shop at Costco for my family of 8. From premade meals to pantry staples, here's what I always buy.

Jenn Morson   

I shop at Costco for my family of 8. From premade meals to pantry staples, here's what I always buy.
I shop at Costco for my family of eight on a regular basis.Jenn Morson
  • I love shopping at Costco for my family of eight and often buy premade meals and pantry staples.
  • Gyro kits, frozen chicken nuggets, and Kirkland coffee beans are staples for us.

Having eight people under one roof makes for lots of love and laughter but also a lot of people to feed (and many dirty dishes).

So, I love shopping at Costco to snag easy meal options and other groceries at affordable prices. Here's what I usually buy for my family.

We stock up on Kirkland coffee and creamers at Costco.

We stock up on Kirkland coffee and creamers at Costco.
Kirkland's coffee is one of our go-to picks.      Jenn Morson

My husband and I need coffee before we start any part of our day. Luckily, Kirkland's French Roast is strong enough to help and a large bag of beans lasts us a while.

We don't drink black coffee so we also pick up flavored creamer at Costco.

We don
Creamer is a staple for us, too.      Jenn Morson

International Delight's vanilla creamer is my go-to at Costco but I'll also snag the coconut-cream flavor when it's in stock.

Cereal is a staple for our kids so we buy it in bulk.

Cereal is a staple for our kids so we buy it in bulk.
My kids enjoy Cinnamon Toast Crunch.      Jenn Morson

Everyone in our house loves cereal and milk, and in the morning rush, it's easy to pour several bowls and hand them out to hungry kids.

Although a standard box of cereal would be long gone before all the kids got a bowl, the larger boxes from Costco last us a few days. I typically choose Cinnamon Toast Crunch for the kids.

The bagels from the deli section are great.

The bagels from the deli section are great.
Costco's bagels are some of my favorites.      Jenn Morson

I'm not a big breakfast person, but I love a good bagel from Costco's bakery. To me, they taste like the closest thing to bagels from a Manhattan deli one can find in the suburbs of Maryland.

I usually grab one bag of everything bagels and one of plain as the kids prefer the latter.

Eggs are a staple.

Eggs are a staple.
My family goes through eggs rather quickly.      Jenn Morson

I've seen egg prices rising everywhere, but at Costco, I can still buy two dozen eggs for less than some grocery stores charge for one dozen.

When I have time on weekends, I'll use them to make omelets or scrambled eggs for breakfast.

Peanut butter and Nutella are favorites for school lunches.

Peanut butter and Nutella are favorites for school lunches.
We get our sandwich-making supplies at Costco.      Jenn Morson

We now have five kids who attend all-day school, so packing school lunches is a daily chore. Once the coffee kicks in fully, an assembly line is formed, and their reusable lunch bags are filled.

For sandwiches, all the kids from our high-school senior to kindergartner love peanut butter and Nutella. I purchase large jars of Jif and Nutella at Costco because it's cheaper than buying smaller jars at the grocery store and I have to replenish my stash less frequently this way.

Ramen bowls are a great lunch for working from home.

Ramen bowls are a great lunch for working from home.
We sometimes buy Ajinomoto Shoyu ramen.      Jenn Morson

My husband and I both work from home and although we often reheat leftovers for lunch, it's nice to have hot options — like the Ajinomoto Shoyu ramen bowls — on hand.

I was skeptical at first, but these microwaveable ramen bowls are very close to tasting like they came from a restaurant. Each bowl costs around $3, which is beyond reasonable for the generous portion and excellent taste.

Prepackaged dinners that can serve eight aren't common outside of Costco.

Prepackaged dinners that can serve eight aren
Gyro kits are one of our staples.      Jenn Morson

With six kids, we try to eat dinner together as much as possible, but sports and other extracurricular activities sometimes mean that the meal is often eaten in shifts.

Therefore, I need to make food that all of the kids will eat that will also taste good when reheated.

At most grocery stores, I'd need to purchase several containers of premade food to feed everyone, which isn't financially feasible. At Costco, premade meals can provide enough food for all eight of us to enjoy.

I buy options like the gyro kits, which I can heat up with a side of rice or a salad, and everyone can eat when they are available.

Our kids enjoy pasta.

Our kids enjoy pasta.
We buy our cheese and sauce from Costco.      Jenn Morson

I also make a lot of dinners using Costco ingredients and regularly pair Kirkland tortelloni with Victoria marinara sauce. I'm picky about good tomato sauce, and I think this one is high quality without a high price tag.

We also pick up Kraft Parmesan cheese, which my kids generously coat their pasta with. Admittedly, I enjoy using it as well.

Costco sells many frozen foods that I keep in our second freezer.

Costco sells many frozen foods that I keep in our second freezer.
We keep our freezer stocked with basics like chicken nuggets.      Jenn Morson

Some freezer staples in our house include the large box of Yummy Dino Buddies chicken nuggets and a bag of Kirkland frozen mixed vegetables, which can be used on their own or mixed into pot pies and soups for more involved cooking days.

On days when I don't feel like cooking or when my teens can pitch in, these frozen basics often save the day.

Lastly, I use ice cream as a shopping-trip reward for my kids.

Lastly, I use ice cream as a shopping-trip reward for my kids.
Ice cream at Costco is usually pretty cheap.      Jenn Morson

Lastly, I buy whichever kid volunteers to help me shop an ice-cream sundae from Costco's food court. It's fairly affordable and a great way to end a successful shopping trip.

Click to keep reading Costco diaries like this one.


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