7 Costco Foods Under $5 You Should Always Add To Your Cart

You shop at Costco so that you can find great savings and hopefully avoid extra trips to the grocery store. After all, that's what buying in bulk is all about. But with so many options to choose from, not every Costco product is really worth the purchase. As a seasoned Costco shopper myself, I have learned through trial and error that there is an art to the Costco shopping experience. I am always on the hunt for the best value, comparing the warehouse grocer's prices to other grocery stores.

I have found that the best way to shop at Costco is to know the staples that you are going to add to your cart each time you go to the store. I look for the things that I can check off my list and use in everyday meals without having to make multiple trips to other grocery stores throughout the week. Thankfully, Costco has tons of products that are great for just that purpose. Based on my own shopping experience, these are seven foods from Costco that cost less than $5 and are always worth adding to your cart. The Costco Warehouse where I do most of my shopping is located in California, but keep in mind that prices may vary slightly based on region.

The Kirkland Signature rotisserie chicken is one of the warehouse grocer's fan-favorite items for both its taste and its impressive value. Costco constantly takes first place in the grocery store competition for the best rotisserie chicken on the market, and as an avid Costco shopper myself, I have to agree. In addition to the fact that it is arguably the best-seasoned, juiciest, and largest rotisserie chicken on the grocery store market, it only costs $4.99, making it a perfectly affordable protein addition to tons of dishes.

The problem with so many grocery store rotisserie chickens is that they are often dry or flavorless. Not to mention, so many of them are so small that you can barely get one meal out of them. In comparison, Costco's rotisserie chickens are large enough to make several meals, which is great for a meal prepper like me or for those who need to feed a large family. I like to take them home and shred them up to throw into salads and sandwiches throughout the week, but these birds are honestly so flavorful that they can be enjoyed all on their own as a simple and healthy protein snack!

Bread products are always something I stock up on at Costco because they are an easy item to buy in bulk and then save in the freezer so they don't go bad. One of the great bread deals at Costco is the Kirkland Signature baguette pack. It comes with two large baguettes for only $4.99. In my experience, the bread is always fresh, with a perfect combination of a crispy exterior and a perfectly soft interior.

In my kitchen, we have used the baguettes in a couple of different ways. They are perfect for toasting and serving with a charcuterie platter with dips and spreads. They also make for delicious French bread croutons if you cut them into smaller cubes and dress them with olive oil and seasonings of your choice, then pop them in the oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes. Another one of my favorite ways to enjoy the baguettes is toasting them and dipping them in soup or chili.

As a single shopper, vegetables are not typically something I pick up at Costco because I find that buying them in bulk means half of them end up going bad before I can get around to eating them. But one deal that I can't pass up every time I go to the warehouse is the baby spinach. Spinach is rich in important nutrients like fiber and iron, so it's an easy, healthy addition to any meal.

I find myself going to the grocery store at least once a week and buying multiple bags of spinach because it cooks down so small. However, the Costco pack comes with an entire pound of organic baby spinach, which is plenty to last me through the week and make lots of tasty spinach recipes. In comparison, Trader Joe's organic baby spinach bag is only 6 oz, so if you're looking for the best bang for your buck, Costco has you covered.

Salt goes quick in my house, and as someone who adds salt to almost every meal, I found myself re-buying salt on every other trip to the grocery store. Costco is a great place to stock up on salt and other seasonings because you get so much product for great prices. The Kirkland Signature pure sea salt is finely ground, kosher, and 100% natural from evaporated sea water along the coast of Brazil.

The Costco brand sea salt is 30 ounces for only $3.97. Seasonings like salt are one of the greatest products to buy in bulk whether you're a single shopper or someone buying for an entire family because it doesn't go bad and you don't have to worry about re-purchasing each and every time you go back to the grocery store. Additionally, the salt is very finely ground, making it easy to work into tons of recipes and dishes.

The bread section of Costco has a lot to offer and plenty of options, but one of my personal favorites for large gatherings is the Francisco deli hamburger buns. With 16 pristine soft hamburger buns for less than $5, it's one of the greatest value items I have found in the Costco aisles. Also, if you don't use all the buns in one sitting, you can freeze the remainder for another time to ensure they don't go bad.

I have purchased these on multiple occasions to prepare burgers for barbecues and bonfires at the beach with friends. This would also be a nice product to have in the house for larger families because it comes with 16 servings. The buns are great toasted, grilled, or left untoasted and used as bread for a sandwich. This item is one that you should definitely consider adding to your cart if you plan to host a lunch or dinner for a large group, a birthday party, or a camping trip.

For the Mediterranean food lovers like me, Costco's deal on pita bread is an automatic add-to-cart. The Papa Pita Greek Pita Flat Bread has long been a staple in my household to make Mediterranean wraps, personal pizzas, and pita chips to dip in hummus and tzatziki. I frequently used to purchase this particular pita bread at Ralphs, where I typically paid between $3 and $4 for 6 pieces of pita bread.

When I discovered that Costco carries a 12-pack of Papa Pita flat bread for $4.67 it was a no-brainer. Each piece of pita bread has seven grams of protein and four grams of fiber and it is such a great item to have on hand for quick and healthy meals or snacks. Since you can get double the amount that you get at the regular grocery store for less than $5, it's a must-buy value item!

The price of fruit varies greatly throughout the year depending on location and season. Some seasons it can be near impossible to find affordable fruit, but Costco offers some great deals on organic fruits. The warehouse giant sells fresh blackberries for only $3.85. The Driscoll's blackberries come in 12-ounce containers, which is larger than most other grocery stores that typically carry 6, 8, or 10-ounce containers.

For instance, Ralphs sells the same Driscoll's brand organic blackberries in a 6-ounce container for $4.99 or a 10-ounce container for $6.99. Since the price per ounce is unbeatable, blackberries are always something I add to my cart at Costco during the summer when the fruit is in peak season. As a superfood packed with vitamins and fiber, blackberries are the perfect afternoon snack or addition to a fruit smoothie bowl to boost brain health. These tart, flavorful berries can also be used to make a variety of delicious blackberry cocktails.