I’m a Costco Superfan in a 2-Person Household: 9 Things I Only Need To Buy Once a Year

Costco is the go-to place for bulk buys. For some superfans, though, the warehouse club is also the place to shop for items that will last a long time and only need to be purchased once a year.

GOBankingRates spoke with two Costco superfans — Anna Prits, founder of BuzzVoice, and Sarah Steinberg, a Seattle-based writer — about which items they only buy yearly and how much money they think shopping like this saves them.

“My elderly mother and I constitute a two-person household and boy, do we love Costco. While we normally visit a store every 6-8 weeks, we love the deals that we get once a year that are seasonal,” said Steinberg.

In particular, she and her mother tend to shop for holiday items that only come around once a year.

“First, going to Costco for everything Christmas including wrapping paper and ribbons, as well as holiday decorations are a must,” she said. “Valentine’s Day offers a once-a-year opportunity to get some amazing chocolate that Costco doesn’t always carry such as Godiva chocolates, my 92 year-old mother’s favorite.”

Since they last a long time, Steinberg also stocks up on these chocolates for other special occasions, like her mother’s summer birthday and Mother’s Day.

Prits said one of her household’s top annual Costco buys is spices and seasonings.

“Every year, I replenish my spice rack with Costco’s Kirkland Signature spices. Their enormous containers of staples like black pepper, garlic powder and cinnamon are of excellent quality and last forever,” she said. “Considering the cost per ounce, this saves us about $35 a year compared to buying smaller bottles from grocery stores.”

Honey can be pricey, but you can save by buying it in bulk. And since it lasts a long time, even after being opened, it’s a great once-a-year purchase.

“The giant jars of Kirkland honey are perfect for our tea, baking and occasional sweet cravings,” said Prits. “By buying honey once a year from Costco, we save around $25 annually.”

When it comes to buying everyday household items in bulk, Costco has its competition beat. For Steinberg’s household, Febreze odor spray is one such essential — and once-a-year — item.

“We also purchase everyday items, stocking up on items such as Febreze odor spray which we only have to buy once a year as a 2-pack lasts us that long,” she said. “I feel the savings are significant. We definitely save a decent amount (not sure how much exactly). We LOVE Costco!”

At Costco, a four-pack of Febreze odor spray costs $18.49. That’s roughly $4.62 a bottle.

A 33.8-ounce bottle of Kirkland shampoo costs $11.99. For two people, this can last a long time.

“Costco’s bulk-sized bottles of Kirkland Signature shampoo and conditioner last the entire year and are just as good as many premium brands,” said Prits. She estimated her household saves about $50 a year by getting these items at Costco.

When stored correctly, essential ingredients like sugar and flour can last anywhere from six months to a year — sometimes longer. For avid baker Prits, Costco is the perfect place to shop for these items since they also come in bulk.

“I’m talking about that massive bag of flour, sugar and chocolate chips. I bake a lot, and these essentials are perfect for my yearly baking adventures,” she said, estimating she saves around $30 a year compared to if she were to get smaller packs elsewhere or more frequently.

Prits said that batteries are also on her list of annual Costco purchases.

“We stock up on Kirkland batteries, both AA and AAA. We use them for remotes, clocks, and various gadgets around the house,” she said. “I figure we save around $30 annually.”

One for one, the savings potential on batteries can be pretty substantial — depending on where you shop. For example, a 48-pack of Kirkland Signature AA batteries costs $15.99 at Costco. A 20-pack at Target costs roughly the same amount.

Another thing Prits’ household generally buys just once a year from Costco is laundry detergent — specifically the Kirkland brand.

“A huge bottle of Kirkland laundry detergent lasts us the entire year,” she said. “This bulk buy is significantly cheaper than buying multiple smaller bottles.”

A large container of Kirkland laundry detergent costs $19.99 and lasts for about 146 loads. That means you could do nearly three loads of laundry per week before you’d run out.

Last but not least, Costco’s paper products — like their paper towels and toilet paper — are great to buy in bulk. They last a long time and, depending on the brand, can be cheaper.

“Similar to toilet paper, the Kirkland paper towels are a once-a-year purchase,” said Prits. “They’re durable, absorbent, and the bulk pack is much cheaper in the long run. We estimate a yearly savings of about $20 here.”

A 12-pack of Kirkland Signature paper towels costs $23, or around $0.50 per roll. While Prits didn’t say how many paper towels they go through per week, stocking up on a few of these packs could easily get two people through a year.

Likewise, 30 rolls of toilet paper from the same brand costs about the same amount, but it also tends to last much longer.