As a Family of 5, These Are the Items I Would Never Leave Costco Without

When you're a mom of multiple kids, buying things in bulk is just easier. We love shopping at Costco because we can get a lot of the meat, pantry staples, and other items we need at a huge discount. While there are certainly some items I avoid buying at Costco (because they're not as affordable as they appear), there are also some items I won't leave the store without.

Every family's shopping preferences are going to be slightly different. As a family of five that tries to stick within a certain budget, these items are the ones we personally prefer to purchase wholesale, either because they're more affordable or because they're higher quality than other options. Next time you shop at Costco with your family, don't forget to look out for these products.

The maple syrup at Costco is such a good deal that I refuse to buy it anywhere else. While a small bottle of maple syrup at any other grocery store will cost between $8-$12 depending on the brand, you can get a 34-ounce bottle at Costco for about $15. This bottle will last you a long time, even with the most demanding kids who want this sticky syrup poured on every breakfast item.

Some people criticize the flavor of the Rotisserie chicken at Costco, but we never leave Costco without one (or more often than not, two!) Costco's rotisserie chicken is still just $4.99, which is lower than most other grocery stores. It also makes for a super-easy meal once you get home after a shopping trip.

With three kids at home, we definitely use a lot of flour. Since we tend to go shopping at Costco about once a month, we buy a bag of flour on nearly every visit. The 25-pound bag of flour at Costco is typically between $8 and $10, depending on location. Even though 25 pounds seems like a lot, it gets used up faster than you think.

While I try to avoid buying a lot of fresh produce at Costco unless I know we're going to use it all, frozen vegetables are one of the best things to buy there. Whether we choose the stir-fry vegetables or something simple like the frozen broccoli, we save a lot of money buying our vegetables this way.

Buying Kirkland products is often the best way to get the most out of your membership, and this is especially true with water bottles. Considering you can get 40 bottles for about $4, it's more affordable than Target and Walmart.

As an avid coffee drinker, I use a lot of half and half. Even compared to prices at Target, I can usually save $1 or more by buying half and half at Costco. The same is true of heavy whipping cream, which I try to keep on hand if I plan on making homemade whipped cream or ice cream.

We're big fans of Kirkland Signature Organic Peanut Butter. Sorry, JIF fans, but this peanut butter might be the best way to make a PB&J sandwich. Best of all, a 2-count package costs around $10, making it inexpensive to buy multiple times a year.

If you're hoping to find high-quality clothes for yourself or your kids at a great price, Kirkland's clothing items at Costco are the way to go. You can find shirts, leggings, pants, kids' and adult clothes, and other clothing items. They'll last a long time and are often more affordable than name-brand clothing.

We certainly don't get toys and books for the kids every time we go to Costco, but I have found that it's a great place to find activity books, book sets, and even books for myself. Not to mention, we love buying toys there for birthdays and holidays.

If protein powder is something you keep stocked in your house, Costco is the place to get it. Most tubs of protein powder aren't cheap, but many Costco locations sell the 5 pound bag of Optimum Nutrition Protein for between $70 and $90, depending on location. Whether you choose vanilla or chocolate, the cost is a lot less than what you would spend elsewhere.

The price of eggs isn't as high as it used to be, and egg prices have even dropped significantly in recent months. However, they're still an expensive item on our grocery list. As a family of five, we can easily go through half a dozen eggs after just one breakfast. Although I avoid spending extra on the Kirkland Organic Eggs, the Kirkland Signature Eggs are a great deal.

Many of the things our kids love – pancakes, homemade bread, and grilled cheese sandwiches – require the use of butter. When shopping at grocery stores like Publix, one box of butter is $5 or close to it. At Costco, I can get four one-pound packages of butter for around $14.

We put them in pancakes, muffins, brownies, and cookies. Needless to say, our family goes through a lot of chocolate chips. Even though Costco no longer sells its Kirkland Chocolate Chips, we still find that the 72-ounce bag of Nestle chocolate chips is available for about $13, which is generally more affordable per ounce than other store brands.