Costco Shopping

Sorry, very busy...  I will make it quick (maybe I'll come back to this post)

I got some incredible deals on quality clothes.  Don't let Costco's low price confuse you.  They are very fancy quality. You always get good deals on clothes at Costco. 

• Black Jeans - $12.99 - They are 32 waist (little loose, but OK).
• Dress shirt - $16,99
• Black T-Shirts - (4 pack) $12.99 -  Bought 3 (total 12 t-shirts)
  • So, these shirts come out about $3.25 each.
  • The quality of the shirt "Easily" beats $9+ shirts.  These shirts are so good, it's ridiculous.  I promise you.

Then I bought some ingredients for BBQ pork & bean. I will put a lot of bacon & pork. This will be yum.  I would like to talk about my BBQ Pork & Bean sometime.  :)

Oh! and a bag of Starbucks Coffee - I couldn't wait for coupon

I spent $134.32 total - then I did car wash and pumped gas.

Oh my God, it was a hot day for Costco Shopping.  It was well over 100 degrees at Valencia.  Clearly, Costco had a lot less shoppers than usual. It was really hot.

I bought some luxury items today...mm.. anyway here we go.

Ful backpack - This is a high quality backpack.  Costco price was $29.99.  I used $5.00 off coupon, so I paid $24.99.  I have waited about 2 years for a backpack, so I feel good about this buy.  It has a built-in sleeve for a notebook computer.  I can use this bag pack for work and/or play.

Costco's online price is $34.99.  I believe $34.99 is still a good price for backpack of this quality. Check it out.

Zigsaw Puzzles - These 500 pieces puzzles were 2 for $17.99.  I bought them for Christmas gift (gift receiver to be decided later).  Yes, it's that time of the year.

They had different pictures on the puzzles to choose from (San Francisco, San Diego, etc...).  I bought "Noah's Ark" and "Solvang"

FYI: Click for Solvang on Wiki  - I go to Solvang a few times a year.  Sometimes I bring my notebook computer to Solvang and work from a coffee shop while my date is out shopping (with my money )

Beef Jerky - I bought 3 double pack (total 6 packages).  Costco has $3.50 off coupon right now for 3 items limit.  This makes an 8 ounce bag only $4.25.  They have expiration date of May 2011.  I am going to eat 1 package a month.

Costco has good price on beef jerkies, but I still consider them as luxury items.  So I buy quantity when there is coupon.  I have will power to make them last 6 months.  Mm... good stuff.

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Coupons saved $15.50 - I spent about $75.00

PS. I forgot to use my Costco coupons at the checkout.  So I had to redeem them at the service desk.  It was embarrassing.

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*Running out of Coffee

I ran out of Starbucks French Roast (coffee) over a month ago.
I am almost out of Papua New Guinea coffee.
Now all I have left are specialty flavored coffees (chocolate, hazelnut cream, etc...)

I am waiting for Starbucks coffee coupon from Costco.

I went to Costco with a friend.  After walking by the pet section, she called her mother in Arizona.  Then she went back to pick up three of those doggie beds.

'Mental note. Get separate carts next time'

I spent $170.00 (back to old habit ).
But I had to get these items, especially the sandals & duffel bag.

Coupon saved about $27.00

It was nice shopping at Costco with a friend, because we bought each other coupon items.  For example, $8.50 Red Bull's coupon had 1 item limit.  So, she bought 1 extra case for me.  And I bought her 2 kitty litters.

We shopped for a long time.  It was fun.
We had a hot dog before start shopping (we saved the soda cups for later).  After shopping I got hungry again, so I had a slice of pizza before going home.  There were a lot of crazy people today at Costco.  We had fun making fun on them.  (It's mean, but no harm done )

I love these Margaritaville Sandals. It was a limited time sales event.
Wheeled duffel bag is very nice and very cheap ($39.99)

* 18th Costco Shopping this year, 1st time this month.

Nothing special today...

That's a lot of strawberries for one person... I better finish them.

* 17th Costco Shopping this year, 3rd time this month.

I went to Costco today to relieve stress I have from work.
I should feel lucky that I have a job... but I am stressed.

I took my time and looked around.

I feel better now.

I am thinking about going back to Costco next week.
I find it theraputic.

* 16th Costco Shopping this year, 2nd time this month.

I went to Costco in Valencia, California.

Valencia is a home of Six Flags Magic Mountain.
I went to visit my friend and to check out Costco.
I didn't go to Magic Mountain.  I had better things to do. :)

I really enjoyed visiting Costco in different city.  It was so much fun.

CK "Weekend" Pants
I have 19 pairs of almost brand new dress pants (slacks).  Good pants were mandatory at work back then.  But lately people at work started to dress more "relaxed". So, I started to wear jeans and stuff.

Anyway, I bought 2 pairs of "weekend pants" today. They do not have crease.  They happened to be Calvin Klein. Now I have 4 pairs of "Weekend" pants (3 pairs of Calvin Klein).

These pants are so good.  I love them.  First, they look good on me - my lady friends love them.  I don't have to iron them.  They are very comfortable.  They are $23/pair.  That's a very good price for CK pants.

I would like to get (at least) 2 more pairs.

Dunkin Donuts Coffee
I hate this coffee.  I would like my money back, if possible. :(

* Coupon saved $12.00

Valencia - Home of Magic Mountain

Valencia Costco - My heart started to jump when I saw this beautiful view.

Yeah, yeah.... it says Prostate Health

* 15th Costco Shopping this year, 1st time this month.

Nothing special...

* 14th Costco Shopping this year, 3rd time this month.

I asked my 2 coworkers if they wanted to go with me to Costco on lunch time.  Surprisingly both of them said yes.

I returned vitamin D3 (story behind vitamin D3)

I bought what's absolutely needed.  Nothing special went on today.

And we all had Costco hot-dog for lunch.

I went to Costco mainly to purchase laundry detergent & fabric softener.  I was getting itchy all over my body.  I had to try "no fragrance, no dye" products and see how things improve.  I hope they will stop my itch.

Update:
These detergent/softer may be good for environment & gentle for my skin.  But, they took away that fresh linen smell on my laundry.  I would really like to have that fresh smell back. Hm... :(

* 13th Costco Shopping this year, 2nd time this month.

I went to Costco with a friend.  So, I didn't get the chance to take pictures the way I wanted.

My receipt shows $108.79 but we went half and half on some item.  Also, I bought vitamin D3 that I am planning to return with my old receipt.  So, I spent less than $100.00.

I didn't have to buy gas.

Coupons saved $21.00

I love Laughing Cow cheese.  It was my first time tasting Laughing Cow Cheese (thanks for $2.00 coupon).

My Friend:
My friend is an elementary school teacher trying to lose weight.  That's why you see 100 calories snack bars & some silly candies.  Low-left corner is her multi-pack of cat food.

* 12th Costco Shopping this year, 1st time this month.

Shrimp cocktail was for my guest.

I am happy with Papua New Guinea coffee from Kirkland Signature. This 3lb bag was only $13.89.  This coffee is a bit milder than Starbucks' French roast.  I can smell a hint of "Earth" on this coffee.  The beans are shiny with fresh coat of oil.

One lady told me "This coffee will be gone in no time"

I was sick a few weeks ago, so I was out of DayQuil.

I'm still doing good with money.

Money Lost:
I bought a pack of coffee filter less than a month ago.  Then I bought a brand new coffee maker a few weeks ago.  This coffee maker takes different kind of coffee filter.  So, I had to buy more coffee filters.  I lost $2.79 here.

I'm going to bring old coffee filters to my work. Mm..

* 11th Costco Shopping this year, 4th time this month.

* Blog Originally posted March 3, 2010 - Than updated March 31, 2010

I've been doing very good with money for last 2 months.

Now I have an itch to shop. 

I cannot fight this urge, I think I have reached my limit of holding back.

I need to find something that justifies my spending.  Something that's expensive but good for me.

I am heading out to Costco.com

Oh boy.  Wish me luck~! (writing from work)

Update: I ordered an air purifier at Costco.com.  Spent $432.99.  Picture coming up.  Itch is gone... for now.

Update: Package arrived at my work exactly 1 week later.

Blueair Air Purifier from Costco
I am generally healthy.  But, I had one (1) asthma attack about 10 years ago.  That was a scary episode I will never forget.  It was very difficult to breath that my head was spinning.  I don't know why and how I had asthma attack.  Maybe it was the pets, maybe it was because my room was dusty.  At that time, I was poor and didn't have insurance, so I took some over the counter medication and gutted it out for 1-2 days. (very stupid if I look back).

I had no problem with breathing since then.  Like I said, I am generally healthy.

Then for last 2-3 months, I felt subtle difficulty of breathing.  It was not bad, not even close to my previous episode.  It was very subtle, but still scary.

So, I went all out and bought an expensive air purifier from Costco (online).  I got $100.00 instant discount.  Total price was $432.99 with free delivery. 

To make long story short - my breathing problem is no more.  And this also took care of my itch to shop.  I am happy with my purchase.

* In February, I bought this $433 air purifier and still managed to save 66% of my take-home pay.  So, I am really doing good with money. 

After Work - Taking Air Purifier to Home

* 10th Costco Shopping this year, 3rd time this month.

I went to Costco with my neighbor.  She's one of my favorite neighbors.  She's a grandmother and she doesn't drive anymore.

We split a box of strawberries.

I finally bought a fancy coffee maker.  I've been using my $7.00 coffee maker for over 8 years. 

After Costco shopping, I took my neighbor to Soupplantation (Salad Bar).  She was very happy.

I've added vitamin D into my daily vitamin intake after listening to a radio program.  I thought I get enough vitamin D from Sunlight.  Anyway, this program from NPR scared me enough to buy a bottle of vitamin D. I tend to trust what I hear on NPR programs.

* 9th Costco Shopping this year, 2nd time this month.

Calvin Klein Pants

I had to buy those pants.  They are not jeans.  They are not formal slacks.  I needed a pair of casual but fancy pants.  I only had 1 pair of pants fits into that category.  Oh, they happened to be Calvin Klein.

Costco must have a special relationship with Calvin Klein, because Costco sells a lot of Calvin Klein items, CHEAP.  I never did like brand name clothes before. But, lately, when I find some nice and cheap clothes, they happen to be Calvin Klein. I wonder how much they go for elsewhere.  Probably a lot

Yeah, yeah.. it says Prostate Health...
Also, notice all items have bar-codes facing up.

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Begging for Coupon

I bought a piece of Jarlsburg Cheese last time with a coupon.  I finished that cheese already.   I ate it with wine .

Anyway, I liked this cheese so much that I wanted to buy one more.

So, this is what I did: (oh boy)
I picked up a piece of Jarlsburg cheese.  As I was shopping, I was looking for anyone with a coupon book.  Then I found a nice looking family (mother, father, & son) shopping at dry food section.  The mother had a coupon book in her hand.

So, I asked if they have a coupon for the cheese they can give me.  They were happy to give it to me.

I was happy to save $2.50 on the cheese.  The family was laughing because it was fun for them as well.  I felt the cozy feeling while I was  talking to the lovely folks.  We were bonding.  Maybe I was the only person felt that way, because I live alone.

Anyway, I have no shame when it comes to saving money. Haha.

Summary

Coupon saved $6.50
Even with pants and cheese, I managed to keep it under $100.00
After $18.02 in gas, my total expense today was $101.94

Last time I put gas in my car was March 12.  So, I used 6 gallons of gas in 12 days.  I should walk to work more often.

Today's shopping was rewarding.  I was able to treat myself with some luxury items and still managed to spend less money than usual.

* 8th Costco Shopping this year, 1st time this month.

I was looking forward to today's Costco shopping.  A coupon on beef jerky was what got me excited.  To me, beef jerky is a luxury food item.  They are for rich people. 

I had my coupons all trimmed up.  My shopping notebook was up to date so I will not miss anything. 

But, first, I had to do 3 loads of laundry after work.

It was a fun shopping.  I treated myself with a piece of fancy cheese (also a coupon item).  Costco spoils me (I say this all the time).  Without Costco, I would never get to know Jarlsberg Cheese.  Those are for rich folks.

I saved $17.50 with coupons.

I spent $78.30 on shopping and I put $30.80 worth of gas.

Check this out: Last time I topped off my gas tank was February 11th.  So, I spent $30.80 on gas in one month.  That's pretty good.

I came back home and cut the cheese .  I love Jarlsberg cheese.  Good stuff.

A funny thing happened.  As I was eating cheese, I found myself craving for some wine.  I have heard about people eating cheese with wine before.  But, I never felt the urge to combine cheese and wine in real life.  I thought that was interesting.  I rarely drink (almost never).  Anyway, I had a half of glass of wine with the cheese.  I plan to get some more wine for this cheese.  I hope I don't get too excited about wine.  You know I get excited easily (I go through phases).

Shopping List

Sorry about my lazy picture.  I save time this way.

Jarlsberg Cheese, Costco imported

* 7th Costco Shopping this year, 4th time this month.

Wow, this is a boring blog entry.

Nothing special today.

* 6th Costco Shopping this year, 3rd time this month.

I went to Costco with my Costco (AmEx) rebate check ($170.63)

I bought things that are absolutely needed.  I am definitely spending less money this year.

• Carbon Monoxide Detector is a life savor - I've always thought I was so stupid not to have a CO detector at my APT.  This alarm had $7.00 instant rebate. I may die from loneliness, but I will not die from CO poisoning.

• Kirkland Signature's pepper (with built-in grinder) is a very good price at $3.99.  If you go elsewhere, you can find the cheapest grinder for $15-$20 easy.  And they don't even have good peppers in them.

• Battery powered razor is a must item for me.  If you haven't tried them, you are missing out, big time.  I got a free sample razor 6 months ago.  I've been using that same razor for 6 months.† They provide THE BEST shaving result one can imagine.  I am not kidding.  It doesn't matter which brand name or model you buy.  I believe they are all equally great.

  † After shave, I use a tiny brush to clean the razor blades.  It takes very short time (shorter than the time I spend to rinse them in running water).  I can make my blades to last several months this way.  Maybe it's because my skin is tender.   Also, I am not a hairy person.  Anyway, this package of 16 blades can last 5-7 years.

At the checkout, I handed in my rebate check. They gave me $91.34 change in cash.  Free money... nice.

* 4th Costco Shopping this year, 1st time this month.

There is no picture of my Costco shopping as I only bought one bag of carrots for under $5.00. 

Cost Plus World Market

I hate to bring up this subject, but this is a major development in my life.  So, here we go.

I've been shopping at Cost Plus World Market lately.

Costco doesn't carry everything I need, especially for my low calorie diet. So, I have to shop somewhere else for these items.

Products that Costco does not carry

Product description (What Costco doesn't have).

• Low acid coffee. ($8.95)
• Flavored coffee
• Wasa crispbread.  Low Calories, 0 fat calorie, high fiber. ($2.99 each)
• Low calorie (low fat) soup mix ($3.99 each)

I enjoy these products.  I wish Costco would carry these items or something similar.  But, I understand that Costco cannot carry everything in the world.

Wasa crispbread ($2.99/pack) is my new best friend.  It has low calories and it's good for you.  They have 0 fat calories.  I grab a few of these at work when I feel hungry.

I've been doing good with my diet and exercise.  I feel good and I enjoy my life-style.  

* 3rd Costco Shopping this year, 3rd time this month.

I believe I'm doing good with saving mone.  I didn't spend money for fun today. Even with gas, I spent less than $70.00

I bought some more Costco tote bags, because my friends and family keep taking them.  :)

* 3rd Costco Shopping this year, 3rd time this month.

I have a family gathering coming up tomorrow, so I bought some treats for my nephews.  Then I picked up some items for myself (shirt, egg, v3, carrots, tuna).

While I was at it, I took my car in for tire maintenance.
Remember my tires?  they are now 1 yr old.  Maintenance was free.

I spent $122 today.  From that, $70 was for my nephews.

* 2nd Costco Shopping this year, 2nd time this month.

I dropped by at Costco today for a hotdog.  Also I went to buy some items I absolutely needed.

Costco is having a sale on about a dozen or so vitamins.  A lot of vitamins have instant rebate of $2.00 and up.  I saved $5.50 on these two vitamins. So check your vitamin supply and stock it up.  Most vitamins are good for 2 years.

*Saving Money: I did good today with Costco shopping.