Costco membership pays for itself with pet food and diapers purchases

A handful of discounted staples can effectively offset the cost of a Costco membership, according to a recent report on the retailer’s biggest savings.

The club’s $65 annual Gold Star Membership, or $130 Executive membership, may look steep to budget-minded shoppers, but the math can flip quickly: a few well-chosen purchases can end up paying for the membership itself.

The issue was raised on Reddit, where a potential member posed the question, “What items (other than gas) do you get to justify the membership if you’re not a bulk buyer?”

“Are the basics enough of a discount that makes the membership worth it?” the poster asked late last month. “I know the excitement of seeing good deals on random items will want me to buy more, but if I really truly only need basics like what i listed, what would you recommend?”

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Customers look over food items at a Costco store in Colchester, Vermont. (Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Reddit users were quick to weigh in, with some pointing to over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen or antihistamines, as well as paper goods and the popular rotisserie chicken, as being worth the membership.

Another user said smoked salmon alone justifies the fee, while another pointed to the savings from buying diapers at the wholesale club.

To put numbers behind those claims, Business Insider analyzed which Costco items deliver enough savings to offset the cost of a $65 membership.

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A shopper loads items into a vehicle at a Costco store in Vallejo, California, on May 29, 2025.  (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg / Getty Images)

The publication reported that it focused on shelf-stable items commonly used throughout the year, comparing prices at Costco with those at retailers such as Amazon, Target and Walmart.

Business Insider reported that it used ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence tool, to estimate annual usage of each item in a two-person household.

The analysis assigned each product a “payback score” to show how much of the membership fee could be offset by buying that item at Costco for a year. A score of 100 indicated the savings matched the cost of the membership, while a score of 200 meant the savings were twice the fee. A score of 50 meant the product recovered half the cost.

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Everyday Costco staples like pet food diapers and coffee can offset the $65 membership fee quickly, according to a new analysis of annual savings. (Marlene Awaad/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Pet food stood out in the analysis as a major value. A 38-pound bag of Blue Buffalo dog food costs about $65 at Costco, compared with roughly…