Two More Reasons to Love CostCo

I've gotten to the point where all the things I used to buy at CostCo, I now double check.   I have even found a few items that I wouldn't have thought were really better deals at CostCo that I've now learned are.

Popcorn - my husband loves the individual "Smart Pop" bags of popcorn and eats probably 2 a day as snacks at work.  A couple of weeks ago I got him 10 boxes of Jolly Time for free at Publix.  After going through a box of it he informed he that he'd be sticking to Orville because the JT didn't pop right.  It either didn't pop or it burnt, no in between (he tried at work and at home).  Sometimes you get what you pay for and I'm sure I probably could have taken it back and exchanged it, but I'd already clipped all the UPC labels and mailed them in for free shopping bags (so at least I got something for the effort).  But, again... it was FREE!  That said, CostCo carries the 42ct box of the Smart Pop for $8.99.  This is a good price to start with (trust me I did the math and the BOGO sale with coupons was slightly better at Publix).  However, the current CostCo coupon book has a coupon for $4 Off (limit 2); giving you 84 bags for $10 (about 12cents/bag).

Allergy Medicine - Claritin, Zyrtec, whatever... it's all the same to me.  Except that the generic Kirklands brand gives you 365 pills for less than you'll pay for 90 of either of those (on sale with a coupon).  I've tried both name brands and I can't tell the difference.  It's the same level of active ingredient (and the same ingredient).  We were running low and there was a $6 off Q in Sunday's paper.  With the coupon and the current best sale I was looking at getting 30 pills for about $16 at the drugstore.  I paid less than $30 at CostCo (for more than 10x the number of pills).

Mucinex - it seems that OTC and prescription meds are places of really good savings at CostCo.  The best price I've gotten on Mucinex is about $15 for 28 (max strength).  They have 44ct bottles at CostCo for $26 which comes out to pretty much the same price (but without having to match up a sale, a manufacturer Q, and a store Q and for Mars to aline with Venus).

There are probably just as many items I've realized I can get for free or much cheaper than I was paying at CostCo, but I've definitely found plenty of reason to hang onto my membership.