Crazy for Costco

A few months ago, Living Social ran a deal for a Costco membership. I was hesitant at first because I had never been in a Costco, but figured it was worth a try for the price. I am beyond happy about this purchase!

I would say we eat about 90% organic at our house. Of course, I wish it was 100%, but some stuff we just can't afford and I am very selective in our non-organic purchases. The majority of our shopping is done at Kroger, while Whole Foods come in a close second. Target and Meijer are also on that list, especially when they are having a great sale. But now, a good amount of the stuff I used to get at the other stores, I can get at Costco for much a cheaper price.

I am very surprised and impressed by the organic selection at Costco...from fruits to meats to lip gloss to eggs. And they sell Carter's pajamas! Throw in the free samples (3 out of 4 today were organic) and Costco is like a little heaven on earth.

On our first trip, we got a few things on special...16oz bags of Pirate's Booty ($3.89 each) and a 24 pack of GoGo Squeeze ($7.99). That is way cheaper than what you are paying at any grocery store. The organic items I picked up were 5lbs frozen green beans ($6.69), 8 frozen burritos ($9.89), 24 pack of string cheese ($9.99), 4lbs raisins ($8.49), and a block of sharp cheddar ($5.99/lb). The non-organic items were 2 1/2lbs Almonds ($13.45) and 20oz dried cherries ($7.99)

I was impressed with the selection after our first trip.

The greeter drew us a picture of Alessia. I'm pretty sure she looks like a dog.

The main reason I made the trip to Costco today was that we were out of eggs and string cheese. I ended up picking up a few extra things, but some of those things were on special so that is how I justified it. The things on special were 12 bottles Naked Juice ($10.49) and 12 bottles San Pellegrino sparkling water ($11.29). Also, Carter's fleece pajamas were on special for $5.99 and I actually just bought a pair the other day from JcPenney for $9.99 (and I thought that was a good deal). I was really surprised to see Ezekiel Bread today and since it is the only bread we eat, I picked up a two loaf pack for $6.89...I usually pay $4.19 for one loaf at Kroger (which is the cheapest place). The organic eggs (2 dozen for $6.49) and no-nitrate bacon ($12.99 for 3 12oz packages) are staples in our house and will last us a few weeks. As for the 2 pack of organic salsa ($7.69) and 5 pack of certified organic lip gloss ($10.99), they were impulse purchases, but I don't regret them. String cheese, sharp cheddar, GoGo squeezes, and cherries also made their way into my cart.

Today's trip was even better than the first! 

 I'm already looking forward to my next trip and for next month's specials.

Clean Eating

Italy was not good to my waistline.  While we ate more homemade meals and used natural ingredients, I ate more carbs in the six months I was there than I had in years.  Even with working out 4-5 times a week, I managed to gain 7 pounds.  And these days the pounds don't fall off like they use to when I was 20 years old.

Since getting back to the States about a month ago, I have really tried to clean up my act.  Granted, I have indulged in a few of my American favorites, but overall I've been following a low carb, all-natural diet.  I'm back to my organic foods and really trying to cut down on my sweet intake.  And starting tomorrow, I'm going to try my hand at eating only food you can grow or that come from animals (sorry to all the vegetarians out there).    

Tonight, my parents and I hit up our local Farmer's Market.  It's small, but they have everything you need and a little of the stuff you don't need.  We got a bag of peaches, a basket of tomatoes, a head of cabbage, some zucchini, and organic ground beef.  And since I'm being honest here, we also got a Texas cake and lemon-raspberry coffee cake.  I am going to try my hardest to stay away from the sweets and let my dad take care of those though. 

From now on, I'm going to try to make a weekly trip to the Farmer's Market.  I love the idea of buying local goods and helping out the farmers in our community.