12 Kirkland Products Retirees Should Buy at Costco
Retirement is a time for many to pinch pennies on everyday expenses. This might help explain why retirees are so fond of Costco, the membership-only wholesale club chain based in the Seattle area. Research shows that older shoppers tend to prefer the discount warehouse club over other popular big-box retailers such as Walmart and Target. Further, baby boomers -- there are 76.4 million of them alive today in the U.S. -- are more likely than millennials to renew their Costco memberships, which run $60 to $120 a year.
#1 A Free (or Cheap) Lunch at Costco
There are always long lines at the Costco hot-food stand, especially during the lunch rush. The food is inexpensive: An all-beef Kirkland hot dog with a 20-ounce soda and refills goes for a mere $1.50. An 18-inch whole pizza is $9.95. And for dessert, a twisted churro, for $1.49.
Still hungry? Dining at Costco doesn’t only mean eating at the food court. After a COVID pause, the warehouse club is back swimming in food-demo stands.
#2 Get Your Prescription Eyeglasses at Costco
Why Costco? Put simply, I found that the warehouse club offered the best product and service at the best price, especially compared to the retail eyewear outlets conveniently tucked inside your eye doctor’s office. Heck, even my eye doctor recommended I buy my prescription eyeglasses at Costco and not at the franchise tucked in her practice.
The ultimate cost of your eyeglasses (or contacts) from Costco depends, of course, on the frames and lenses you choose, but that goes for any retailer. I often see a recurring deal at Costco for $40 off a second pair of glasses after paying the full ride on your first pair. And though you may be tempted to use online eyeglass services, remember fit is crucial. And try as it might, the Internet isn’t going to hand-fit you and adjust your frames to best fit your pretty face. Oh, and you can also get an eye exam at Costco, done by a licensed optometrist.
#3 Signature Mattress (By Stearns & Foster)
A good night's sleep becomes increasingly challenging as you age. You can help up your odds of sweet dream with a new mattress set. The Kirkland Signature by Stearns & Foster 14.5-inch Lakeridge mattress was $1,049.99 online and includes set-up and delivery (Costco notes mattresses sold in-store may be less expensive but don't include set-up and delivery). Foundations start at $149.99 at the club.
And don't be surprised at the co-branding. "Store brands" typically manufactured by name brands don't often co-brand, but Kirkland Signature is no ordinary store brand. You'll find name brand names on many Kirkland Signature products.
#4 Signature Golf Gear
When Costo released its Kirkland Signature golf balls in 2016, they were an immediate sensation, highly lauded by pros and amateurs alike. They also quickly sold out, as they were compared to the vaunted Titleist Pro V1.
They're back. You can pick up a 24-pack of Kirkland Signature V2.0 Performance three-piece golf balls for $24.99. Costco-branded golf balls typically retail for 60% less than a Titleist.
But wait. There's more: The equally lauded Kirkland Signature KS1 Putter is on Costco shelves for $139.99. Need a bit more in your bag? A Kirkland Signature 3-piece golf wedge set is $159.99.
While you're at it, pick up a four-pack of Kirkland Signature golf gloves -- sizes vary -- for $19.99.
We can't guarantee this Kirkland Signature will improve your game, but we can guarantee you'll save a few bucks.
#5 Rotisseri Chicken
You can't beat the price, or the taste and convenience, of those store-cooked Kirkland Signature rotisserie whole chickens, selling for a fixed price of just $4.99. And Costco stores churn out a lot of them -- 60 million rotisserie chickens are sold annually -- spinning in the giant ovens all day long.
The best part: Costco has consistently kept the price of each roasted chicken at $4.99, likely looked at as a loss leader. At a nearby Walmart, a lone rotisserie chicken was selling for $7.67 with nary a rotisserie in sight.
Kirkland Signature rotisserie chicken also goes into the store-made chicken noodle soup. There's a slew of other store-made Kirkland Signature meals you can watch the kitchen cooking up, from stuffed peppers and meatloaf to taco platters and shepherd's pie. They sell in the $16 range and are in portions big enough for two or three people.
#6 Kirkland Signature Gasoline
You're busy in retirement and doing a lot of motoring. You should watch your pennies at the gas pump. Think Kirkland Signature gasoline.
Not every Costco has a gas station adjacent to it, but the club locations that do have them see steady, and strong, business. What gives? The savings. A Costco in central Virginia was selling regular Kirkland Signature Gasoline for roughly 9% less than nearby national brand stations. Sure, the difference is a few pennies per gallon, but on a fill-up you might save $3 or more – not bad if you’re heading to Costco anyway.
#7 Hearing Aids
All those rock concerts. All those portable listening devices, from Walkmans to iPods, Beats and iPhones wired to your ears. Many boomers are paying the price with hearing loss -- and boomers who already turned 65 know that Medicare doesn’t cover hearing aids, which can run as much as $3,000 per ear.
Costco’s made some assertive moves into the business of selling and servicing hearing aids, offering an array of devices at reasonable prices. Free hearing tests are even conducted in-store at Costco Hearing Aid Centers. Costco works with four major suppliers of hearing aids, and also carries its own store brand. The Kirkland Signature 10.0 Premium Digital Rechargeable Hearing Instruments Kit costs $1,399 and includes a pair of hearing aids (available in five different colors to match your style, skin tone or hair color).
Costco Hearing Aid Centers sell other brands of hearing aids. For example, a Jabra GN Enhance Pro PM rechargeable hearing aid package costs $1,799.
#8 Bacon and Eggs
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day at any age. The product-testing pros at Consumer Reports put bacon to the test and deemed Costco’s store-brand regular sliced bacon the top dog -- make that the top pig. And what goes better with bacon than eggs. No less an expert than my wife raves about the price and packaging of the two-dozen organic brown eggs that bear the Kirkland Signature name.
They also raved about its price: Kirkland bacon typically sells for $1.50 less per pound than name-brand competitors. The Kirkland Signature sliced bacon comes in a pack of four one-pound individually wrapped packages for $18.99, or $4.74 a pound. Note that you can freeze the extra bacon for later use.
We go through a lot of eggs in our home, and the 24-pack of Kirkland Signature Organic Brown Eggs are always on the shopping list. They’ve been consistently good, and they come in at the right price: $6.29 for the 24-pack. That’s 29 cents per egg.
#9 Coffee
While the proof isn't definitive, some studies have indicated that caffeine can slow cognitive decline and decrease the risk of dementia. And if you know beans about coffee, you know Kirkland Signature’s line of coffees, from ground coffee to K-cups, has a legion of fans.
#10 Batteries
Kirkland Signature batteries can keep all those electronic toys and devices charged up at bargain prices. A 48-pack of Kirkland Signature AA batteries -- made by Duracell -- is $13.99 (down from $15.99 in November 2020), or about 29 cents per battery. BONUS: The day I was there, Kirkland batteries were on sale for $4 off, making this packet of AA batteries $9.99, or 20 cents per battery.
Stepping into name-brand batteries will cost you more at Costco (and much, more at other places). A 40-pack of Duracell CopperTop AA batteries is $17.99, for example, or more than 44 cents per battery. (Costco often puts Duracell batteries on sale, however, so check the flyer or shelf tag if you must have a name brand.)
#11 Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Olive oil is at the heart of the famed Mediterranean diet, which purportedly contributes to the longevity of the region's inhabitants. And Costco’s olive oil rises to the top, notes the University of California, Davis, which conducted a chemical and sensory study of olive oils. Kirkland Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil was one of only a few imported oils that met international and U.S. standards for extra virgin olive oil. The many brands that fell short in the testing were diluted with cheaper oils and exhibited problems with quality and flavor.
#12 Dishwasher Pods
If you're retired and eating at home more, you're running the dishwasher more. And you've probably noticed the mounting cost for those convenient dishwasher pods, especially if you’re buying name-brand detergent. You don’t have to. If you run the dishwasher a lot, costs mount for those convenient dishwasher soap pods, especially if you’re buying name-brand detergent. You don’t have to.
Kirkland Signature Premium Dishwasher Pacs get the job done at a fraction of the price of national brands. You’ll pay $9.99 for 115 pods, or less than 9 cents per load. Costco also stocks packages of Cascade Complete Action pods for $15.99 for 90 pods, or more than 18 cents per load, twice the cost of the Kirkland brand. In recent testing by Consumer Reports, Kirkland’s pods bested all competitors including name-brand pods from Cascade and Finish.