Many people see retirement as an opportunity to save money on day-to-day expenses. This could explain why Costco, a membership-only wholesale club based in the Seattle area, is so popular among retirees.
According to research, elderly buyers prefer the bargain warehouse club to rival big-box retailers like Walmart and Target. Furthermore, baby boomers, who number 76.4 million in the United States now, are more likely than millennials to renew their Costco memberships, which range from $60 to $120 each year.
As a baby boomer who frequents Costco, I’ve discovered that the warehouse club’s own Kirkland Signature brand of products offers some of the finest deals. Kirkland is found on one out of every five products on Costco’s shelves.
Many of these limited-edition things appeal to retirees and near-retirees. Oh, and don’t let the fact that you have an empty nest deter you from shopping in bulk. Check expiration dates, stock up on things that have a lengthy shelf life, and keep in mind that many foods may be frozen. Take a look at our list of 7 Kirkland items from Costco that are suitable for retirees.
1. Kirkland Signature Golf Gear
When Costo introduced its Kirkland Signature golf balls in 2016, they became an instant hit, gaining praise from both pros and amateurs. They also sold out rapidly after being compared to the highly regarded Titleist Pro V1.
But hold on. There’s more: Costco sells the equally renowned Kirkland Signature KS1 Putter for $139.99. Additionally, a 3-piece Kirkland Signature golf wedge set costs $159.99.
While you’re there, pick up a four-pack of Kirkland Signature golf gloves in a variety of sizes for $19.99. We can’t guarantee that this Kirkland Signature will improve your game, but we can guarantee that you will save money.
2. Kirkland Signature Hearing Aids
All of those rock shows. All those wired-to-your-ears portable listening gadgets, from Walkmans to iPods, Beats, and iPhones. Many baby boomers are suffering from hearing loss, and those who have already reached the age of 65 are aware that Medicare does not cover hearing aids, which may cost up to $3,000 per ear.
Costco has taken some bold inroads into the hearing aid sector, selling and servicing a variety of devices at competitive costs. Costco Hearing Aid Centres even provide free hearing testing in-store. Costco collaborates with four major hearing aid manufacturers and also sells its own store brand.
The Kirkland Signature 10.0 Premium Digital Rechargeable Hearing Instruments Kit, which comprises a pair of hearing aids (available in five different colors to match your style, skin tone, or hair color), costs $1,399 and is available online. Other brands of hearing aids are available at Costco Hearing Aid Centres. A Jabra GN Enhance Pro PM rechargeable hearing aid kit, for example, costs $1,799.
3. Kirkland Signature Cheese
To avoid osteoporosis, you’ll need a lot of calcium as you become older. Here’s where you can obtain it. Cheesemongers are raving about Kirkland Signature cheeses.
Why settle with a single slice of cheese when you can have your own wheel? Yes, it’s extravagant, but there’s something strangely appealing about having your own 72-pound wheel of cheese. Costco is aware of this and has agreed to comply. The Kirkland Signature Whole Wheel Parmigiano Reggiano is currently available for $949.99 or $13.99 per pound (up $50 from last year’s price of $899.99, or $12.50 per pound). I have a piece of said wheel, and it is fantastic.
By the way, as compared to the portions of Parm-Regg sold at a Wegmans grocery in Charlottesville, Va., that per-pound pricing is a steal. They sold for $21.99 per pound (in various size chunks). But, sadly, the question of what to do with a whole wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano always arises. Pasta, pasta, and pasta, according to some gourmet blogs, aged cheese can last for months if properly preserved, and it can even be frozen.
4. Kirkland Signature Olive Oil
According to the University of California, Davis, who conducted a chemical and sensory analysis of olive oils, Costco’s olive oil comes out on top. Kirkland Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil was one of just a handful of imported extra virgin olive oils that fulfilled international and US criteria. Many of the products that failed in the tests were diluted with cheaper oils and had quality and flavor issues.
The pricing is also appealing. Kirkland Signature EVOO costs $11.99 for a 2-liter bottle or around 17 cents per ounce. Walmart does sell its own brand of extra virgin olive oil which costs $9.86 for a 51-ounce jar or roughly 19 cents per fluid ounce, and we don’t know if it’s won any awards.
Kirkland Signature is also found in a variety of other cooking oils, including coconut, canola, and corn.
5. Kirkland Signature Bacon and Eggs
At any age, breakfast is the most essential meal of the day. Consumer Reports put bacon to the test and declared Costco’s store-brand normal sliced bacon to be the top dog — or should we say the top pig? And there’s nothing better than eggs with bacon. My wife, a seasoned consumer, praises the pricing and packaging of the two-dozen organic brown eggs with the Kirkland Signature label.
Kirkland bacon often costs $1.50 cheaper per pound than name-brand competitors, which they praised. For $18.99, or $4.74 per pound, Kirkland Signature sliced bacon comes in a bundle of four one pound individually wrapped containers. It’s worth noting that any leftover bacon can be frozen for later use.
So, the Kirkland Signature 24-pack Organic Brown Eggs is always on the buying list. They’ve been dependably good, and they’re reasonably priced: the 24-pack costs $6.29. That works up to 29 cents per egg. A carton of 18 Walmart Marketside big organic eggs, on the other hand, cost $5.74, or 32 cents an egg.
6. Kirkland Signature Rotisserie Chicken
The Costco shop located in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, roasts hundreds of chickens daily in a giant rotisserie oven. This oven is constantly loaded and unloaded by white chicken turners.
These Kirkland Signature Rotisserie chickens are always delicious, and all the leftovers are used in other Costco fresh produce made on the premises. Some of the leftover fowl may be found in Kirkland Signature chicken noodle soup and packages of shredded chicken at Costco, which can be used to make a number of recipes at home (and it freezes well).
The best thing is that Costco has set the price of each roasted chicken at $4.99 for years, most likely as a loss leader. A lone rotisserie chicken was selling for $7.67 at a nearby Walmart, with no rotisserie in sight.
7. Kirkland Signature Toilet Paper
No one wants to go back to the days of the pandemic when you had to hunt for toilet paper wherever you could. Costco, for example, had a limit on how many packs you could buy. And the majority of what Costco sells in that section is in 30-packs.
Shortages of toilet paper appear to be a thing of the past. And, not that it matters, but when it comes to toilet paper, our house is Team Costco. The 2-ply Kirkland Signature bath tissue is a bargain. Thirty high-quality rolls cost $16.99, a price that hasn’t changed since the pandemic. For years, that price has remained constant.
Can’t find it? Here are some good options!
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