The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
The cost of living in Vancouver is steep, so I always keep an eye out for grocery deals to cut costs where I can. Though my nearest store is Safeway, there are select items that are always worth the trek to Costco.
Even if I Uber back from the downtown Vancouver warehouse (which I usually do), I still end up saving money.
The only trouble with Costco is the size of the stuff — I need to get things that won't go bad quickly so that my partner and I have the chance to actually get through it all.
It's a science and an art, one that I'm not precious about, so here are seven items that I'll never not buy at Costco instead of Safeway.
Cereal and oats
Multi Grain Cheerios at Safeway and Costco.
Sierra Riley | Narcity
At Costco, you can get roughly double the amount of cereal or oats that you'll get at Safeway for the same price or less. On my most recent trip, they had Cheerios, Mini Wheats, Quaker and locally produced steel-cut oats for a fraction of the price that you'd find at Safeway.
For example, a double pack of multigrain Cheerios was $7.49, whereas just a single pack costs over $8 at Safeway.
Frozen fries
Cavendish frozen fries at Costco.
Sierra Riley | Narcity
$11.99 for over four kilos of crispy French fries just makes sense. As a fan of easy dinners, it's a habit of mine to throw these bad boys in the oven — they do take up some serious freezer real estate though, so make sure you have plenty of room ahead of time.
At Safeway, you'll pay $9.99 for half the amount of fries.
Coffee beans
A side-by-side image comparing Salt Spring Coffee prices.
Sierra Riley | Narcity
I usually like to buy beans from local roasters, but the Costco value often persuades me to pick up some Salt Spring Coffee goodness.
You'll get 907 grams here for $17.99, whereas a 400-gram bag at Safeway would run you $17.29.
Snack bars
Box of Kind Bars.
Sierra Riley | Narcity
Kind Bars are generally pricier than other brands, but this 18-bar pack was on sale for $16.99, so each one was less than a buck. Right now, a box of five mini Kind Bars goes for $8.99 at Safeway.
That's more than half of Costco's price — and you get less than a third of the quantity.
Protein powder
Protein powder.
Sierra Riley | Narcity
For $54.99, you can get two kilos of chocolate-flavoured whey protein powder at Costco. 908 grams of a similar brand at Safeway is currently on sale for $34.99 (and the original price was $42.99).
Pasta
Pasta packs at Safeway and Costco.
Sierra Riley | Narcity
I mean, just look at this whopping pack of pasta! For $12.99, you get six 450-gram packs of three types of noodles.
Obviously, fresh is better, but this is an amazing value for dry pasta compared to the offerings at Safeway (a single 500-gram pack of a comparable brand is $3.49).
Rotisserie chicken
Kirkland rotisserie chicken.
Sierra Riley | Narcity
The $7.99 Costco rotisserie chicken is fresh, hot and yummy — very comparable to the Safeway equivalent, which goes for $11.99. Chicken dinner just tastes better when it's cheap.
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
- Costco Travel Has Super Cheap Vacation Deals & There's Everything From Cruises To Safaris ›
- 7 Wild Bulk Items You Can Get At Costco Canada That Will Have You Stocked Up For Months ›
- I Spent 2 Hours In Costco Canada & Ranked All Of The Free Food Samples From Worst To Best ›
- Costco Canada Must-Haves Are Being Shared By Canadians & This Is What You Should Always Buy - Narcity ›
- 14 Beauty Products You Can Get At Costco Canada That Are Cheaper Than At Walmart (PHOTOS) - Narcity ›