What do you NOT buy at Costco?

[WatchingThemGrow]

I know there have been lots of threads about the things people love buying there. Occasionally a friend will get me a cash card so I can shop on my own, or she'll take me with her. Passing up stuff is hard, but we definitely do it. What do you purposefully NOT buy there?

[SnuggleBuggles]

I hate their chicken- rotisserie, chicken caesar salad and the packages of boneless, skinless chicken breasts...pretty much any of their chicken. It's unpleasantly moist.

And, I'll fully admit that I dislike Costco cakes. The ingredient list is gross. I avoid shortening most all the time with the exception of the pie crusts and I use as natural stuff as I can then.

Beth

[katydid1971]

I don't buy milk or eggs because they are just too big for my frig. Also I avoid most of the gigantic produce (like the GIANT bag of spinach) I just can't use it up and I feel so guilty throwing food away.

[happy2bamom]

panty liners and pads. Last time I bought those items there, they were not individually wrapped which makes it really inconvenient to carry in my purse.

Clothes for myself. I've tried a couple of times, but b/c there isn't a dressing room I always end up returning the clothes b/c I"m not happy with how they fit. I've given up.

[resipsaloquitur]

Things from their bakery, especially their muffins. How can you make a bad muffin???

[stefani]

Our clothes came out smelling terrible. We ended up tossing the entire bottle of the detergent and rewashed a number of clothes.

[AnnieW625]

milk
chicken nuggets
apples
oranges
avocados
bananas
tomatoes
chips
entrees (either frozen or from the food court)
rotisserie chicken
soda
candy
fruit snacks
most crackers (sometimes I'll buy a big box of Cheezits or Goldfish crackers)
coffee
cakes
pastries
mayonnaise
ketchup
mustard
cottage cheese
cheese sticks
cream cheese

(I know there are more, but these are just the things that I can think of right now. The things we buy in bulk are things like paper products, fresh whole chicken, fresh chicken breasts, ground beef, and other items we tend to eat on a weekly basis or use on a monthly basis. Most of the stuff above comes in packaging that is just too much for us and our small house, or I can get things cheaper elsewhere, like the fruit I have listed.)

[ChristinaLucia]

The chicken is totally too moist!

[TwinFoxes]

Well I won't be buying eggs any time soon after Fairy's thread!

We actually gave up our Costco membership last year. In California there was a store with a gas station nearby, which made it worthwhile. That's not the case now. We can't really use such huge packs of food etc.

[HIU8]

OMG, there is a TON of stuff I do not buy at Costco.

I do not buy:

Rotisserie chicken (I feel theirs is soooo greasy)
Milk (the carton they have sucks and I spill more than I pour
organic eggs
Pretty much any of the frozen foods except for morningstar farms stuff
Adult clothes
things from the bakery
shellfish
almost all their meats (except ground beef)
their prepared foods (except pizza)
Fruit and veggies (they seem to go bad much faster)

[baymom]

Okay, we buy eggs (organic) at Costco regularly. Is there any reason we shouldn't be? Did I miss something important in a Costco thread recently?

[MamaMolly]

It is so subjective, isn't it? I don't like their pizzas at all. I don't usually buy produce because it come is such a large quantity I can't eat it before it goes bad. I skip most of the prepared frozen food. It's like cheap restaurant appetizers. But I skip those at the regular grocery, too. Oh, and add milk to that, because we were using soy until recently.

I've had some hits and misses with the clothes. Mostly misses, though I keep trying. I've also learned to inspect the children's clothes carefully, I've found holes in stuff, usually in seams that aren't sewn properly.

[DrSally]

Soda (cheaper elsewhere and too much at one time)

baking supplies (I don't bake *that* much)

bakery stuff (usually don't buy this b/c it's all peanut contaminated, although I will buy something once and awhile just for me and DH. I make sure to have something DS can have that's an equivalent. This isn't just Costco though, most bakery items are potentially nut contaminated.)

[brittone2]

In the past, some of the organic frozen veggies were imported from China.

Our local store is selling USA grown organic green beans now though.

[AnnieW625]

Okay, we buy eggs (organic) at Costco regularly. Is there any reason we shouldn't be? Did I miss something important in a Costco thread recently?

I went and searched the thread and the only thing I came up with was that in some parts of the country Eggslands Best owner Hillsdale Farm sells organic eggs to Costco and there has been issues with them in the past.

[gobadgers]

Neither of my kids will eat the Polly-O string cheese. I tried it, and the texture is different than most other ones we've had.

Didn't like the Kirkland brand laundry detergent or dish detergent.

I really, really disliked the "chicken bake" from the cafe.

I don't buy a lot of freezer stuff, just because we don't have room for it.

[belovedgandp]

I'm a loyal Costco customer for many things and shop there every week to 10 days, but there are a few things that others love that I don't get.

Costco take and bake pizzas - I don't have a cooking sheet bit enough
soda - inconvenient packaging and cheaper elsewhere
most cleaning products - almost always cheaper elsewhere
crackers - occasionally goldfish, but once again better packaging and cheaper elsewhere
prepared meals - Costco ones where the deli trays and such are; tried a couple as grab and convenient but just not good

[DebbieJ]

I'm a loyal Costco customer for many things and shop there every week to 10 days, but there are a few things that others love that I don't get.

Costco take and bake pizzas - I don't have a cooking sheet bit enough
soda - inconvenient packaging and cheaper elsewhere
most cleaning products - almost always cheaper elsewhere
crackers - occasionally goldfish, but once again better packaging and cheaper elsewhere
prepared meals - Costco ones where the deli trays and such are; tried a couple as grab and convenient but just not good

I never bake them on a baking sheet--they go right on the oven rack. Made one last night and it was delish!

[MMMommy]

Their bakery cookies - the ones they bake in their warehouse (white chocolate, chocolate chip, and some other flavor). They taste awful!

[Uno-Mom]

Our clothes came out smelling terrible. We ended up tossing the entire bottle of the detergent and rewashed a number of clothes.

I got the tub of their dye/perfume etc "free" detergent. I thought the spiggot thingy was cool and convenient for keeping on a high shelf. Nope...it leaked everywhere. And it was SO much product, we couldn't just throw it out. So we had sticky leaks for a couple months. Grrr.

Is that common? I still like the idea but can't bring myself to buy the product again.

[C99]

Cereal (cheaper at regular grocery store, with coupons)
Hummus (it's whipped - yuck)

[TwinFoxes]

Okay, we buy eggs (organic) at Costco regularly. Is there any reason we shouldn't be? Did I miss something important in a Costco thread recently?

It was this thread (http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=388382&highlight=organic+eggs). I've bought brown organic eggs (never from Costco) in two different states and the District of Columbia for years, and never had these issues. Also reading they come from Hilldale Farm doesn't inspire me to buy them.

Like I mentioned, we don't have our membership right now, but if we need to get tires we will reapply. :)

[egoldber]

We've mainly broken our Costco habit. ;) In no small part because it just isn't that convenient any more. It's out of our way to go there now. DH goes every other month or so to get paper products and the few items we still like to buy there that I can't find elsewhere.

[DebbieJ]

Hey folks, just a reminder if you are unhappy with any product from Costco, you can bring it back for a refund. If you don't like the laundry detergent, don't throw it out, RETURN IT!

I recently returned two sweaters after wearing them for a couple months--I wasn't happy with the way they held up--and had no problems.

[sewarsh]

TIRES!
Had a really bad experience there and will never ever buy tires from them again. they are not experts in this at all, just bodies, installing them.

Oh, and sushi. Had the sushi about 7 years ago and thought it was nasty. Haven't bought since...maybe its better now, but looks the same....?

[SnuggleBuggles]

I never bake them on a baking sheet--they go right on the oven rack. Made one last night and it was delish!

Yep, mine went right on the pizza stone we keep in our oven all the time (it evens out the temp wonderfully!).

Beth

[jse107]

I got the tub of their dye/perfume etc "free" detergent. I thought the spiggot thingy was cool and convenient for keeping on a high shelf. Nope...it leaked everywhere. And it was SO much product, we couldn't just throw it out. So we had sticky leaks for a couple months. Grrr.

Is that common? I still like the idea but can't bring myself to buy the product again.

Hmmm. I've never had that problem! We usually buy All Free &Clear, but I'm using Kirkland now and haven't had any leaks! Maybe you just a bad container?

[artvandalay]

I agree with adult clothes. The quality is all over the place, they always make me think they are factory rejects or something, so I won't ever buy them again.

That's all I can think of. We are usually pretty happy with Costco.

[elephantmeg]

TP. We bought some there last year and we're still going through it! I don't like it that much although I've adapted. And I've hated having a million rolls around while we go through it!

[artvandalay]

TP. We bought some there last year and we're still going through it! I don't like it that much although I've adapted. And I've hated having a million rolls around while we go through it!

lol. We bought some aluminum foil from there about 6 years ago... and we JUST finished it! :rotflmao:

[bcafe]

I refuse to buy the organic broccoli because it is imported from China. It is interesting how regional products are because our organic eggs are the organic humane Kirkland brand-2doz.

[DebbieJ]

lol. We bought some aluminum foil from there about 6 years ago... and we JUST finished it! :rotflmao:

I have some plastic wrap that I've had for probably 5 years or so. :jammin: