Just over a year ago a new Costco opened close enough to make a membership practical for our family. We hesitated at first, unsure we’d save enough to justify the membership fee. Years earlier, when we lived in Arizona, we had a membership but rarely used it. That was before kids, and Costco has changed a lot in the last decade.

On my first visit I was pleasantly surprised by the expanded selection of food — especially healthy and organic options. It quickly felt like a smart decision, so we signed up.

After a year of shopping at Costco I’ve realized we save a significant amount. We primarily purchase food and household essentials like toilet paper. On average, we now save about $130 per month on groceries and household items by shopping at Costco.

How did I calculate that? It was fairly simple. I reviewed credit card statements for the six months before joining Costco and totaled our spending at grocery stores and Target — those were the places Costco replaced. Then I added up the spending for six months after getting the membership, including grocery stores, Target and Costco. The monthly total after joining Costco was $130 less than the previous six months. Cha-ching!

I think the savings come from two main sources. First, Costco offers excellent prices on many organic products that are otherwise costly at regular grocery stores, and household staples are often cheaper too. Second, shopping at Costco changed our shopping habits:

I go to Target far less. Every visit to Target used to include impulse buys—cute bowls, sale t-shirts, jackets for the kids—things that added up quickly. Cutting back on those Target trips stopped many unnecessary purchases and contributed to our monthly savings.

Costco deserves credit as well: we’ve found staples there at consistently lower prices. Below I’ve listed the healthy and organic items I buy at Costco that contribute most to our savings. I also buy household goods like trash bags and toilet paper, but I’ll focus on food since that’s likely most useful to readers.

Please excuse the photo quality — these were snapped quickly on my phone while feeling a little silly taking pictures in the store.

Healthy and Organic Foods I Buy at Costco

Beans (average price – $6.99 for 8, 15 oz cans)

Costco’s organic canned beans have a BPA-free lining and cost about $6.99 for eight cans — roughly $0.87 per can. I used to pay more than $2.50 per can for similar organic, BPA-free products. I stock up on black beans, chickpeas and kidney beans — they’re an inexpensive plant-based protein source.

Dates (average price – $6.99 for 3 pounds)

These dates are soft and ideal for snacks or energy balls. My kids like peanut-butter filled dates, and the texture matters — these are perfect. Buying the large container at Costco is far cheaper than the small in-store packages.

Organic Diced Tomatoes (average price – $6.49 for 8, 14.5 oz cans)

Diced tomatoes are a kitchen staple for soups and sauces. These cans aren’t BPA-free, but at about $0.81 a can the price is unbeatable compared with what I paid before.

Frozen Fruits (prices vary)

I use frozen fruit for smoothies, oatmeal and chia jam. Buying in bulk at Costco saves a lot, especially for organic berries. Pineapple is one fruit I’m comfortable buying conventional, and Costco’s price on that is great too.

Organic Tomato Sauce & Tomato Paste (average price – $7.99 for 12, 15 oz cans; $5.99 for 12, 6 oz cans)

Organic tomato sauce and paste at Costco work out to about $0.66 and $0.49 per can — prices hard to beat elsewhere.

Organic GoGo SqueeZ (average price – $10.89 for 20, 3.2 oz pouches)

My daughter needs a quick snack before recess, and these pouches are perfect. They average about $0.54 each compared with around $1 each at most stores.

Organic Quinoa (average price – $11.99 for 4 lb bag)

At about $2.99 a pound, Costco’s quinoa is far cheaper than what I used to pay.

Organic Vegetable Broth (average price – $11.59 for 6, 32 oz cartons)

These cartons average about $1.93 each and contain no unwanted additives. I also buy chicken stock sometimes, though I try to make my own when possible.

Organic Meats (prices vary)

Organic meat is expensive, but Costco’s prices on organic chicken and ground beef are among the lowest I’ve found. Organic ground beef is often $7.99/lb elsewhere, while Costco frequently has it for about $5.99/lb. I stock my freezer when I find good deals.

Organic Greens (average price – $4.49 per pound)

When I’m not receiving greens from my CSA, Costco is my go-to. Many grocery stores sell much smaller portions for the same price.

Organic Coffee (lowest price – $12.99 for 2 lb)

Coffee often has heavy pesticide exposure, so I prefer organic. Costco’s two-pound bag is a great value compared to one-pound packages elsewhere.

Almond Butter (average price – $11.99 for 27 oz)

Almond butter is generally pricey, but the large container at Costco offers excellent value and we use it more often now.

Steel Cut Oatmeal (average price – $6.59 for 4 lb)

Steel cut oats at about $1.64 per pound are a bargain.

Organic Maple Syrup (average price – $9.99 for 1 L)

Costco’s larger container is much cheaper than smaller bottles sold elsewhere.

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (average price – $14.99 for 2 L)

This is a great price on an olive oil I like.

Avocado Oil (average price – $9.99 for 1 L)

Avocado oil is a healthy high-heat oil and Costco’s price is the best I’ve seen. Organic Coconut Oil (average price – $24.99 for two 42.3 oz jars)These huge jars last a long time and are very economical for cooking and baking.

Canned Wild Alaskan Salmon (average price – $12.99 for 6, 6 oz cans)

Canned wild Alaskan salmon makes it affordable to get fatty fish into our diet. At just over $2 per can, it’s a great value and a staple for dishes like salmon cakes.

Single-Serve Organic Hummus (average price – $6.59 for 16 cups)

These individual cups are convenient for my son’s school snack and are made with olive oil instead of cheaper soybean oil. The plastic packaging isn’t ideal, but the price and convenience are hard to beat. Organic sliced cheese (average price – $10.49 for 24 oz)is another item we use often for grilled cheese and sandwiches.

Organic Coconut Water (average price – $14.99 for 6, 1 L bottles)

I use coconut water in smoothies and prefer the organic, additive-free bottles Costco sells at a much better price than individual grocery-store bottles.

Organic Raw Honey (average price – $11.69 for two 44 oz containers)

These large containers of raw honey last a long time and are an excellent value. Nuts (prices vary)Almonds, walnuts, cashews and pistachios are often much cheaper in bulk at Costco; for example, almonds can be about $17.99 for 3 pounds.

Raw Hemp Seeds (average price – $12.99 for 28 oz)

Hemp seeds are protein-rich and expensive in small quantities at regular stores. Costco’s larger bag is a great value for sprinkling on salads, smoothies, or oatmeal.

There are even more healthy and organic options than I’ve listed here, but these are the staples we buy most often. You may notice I don’t buy a lot of produce at Costco — portions are often too large for our family to use quickly and organic fruit and vegetable options can be limited. I buy produce occasionally there but usually get most of it elsewhere.

Thanks for reading this long list — if you’ve made it this far I appreciate your time. I’d love to hear your experiences with Costco, so feel free to share in the comments.