What to buy at Costco/Walmart Bellingham?

We have been to several Costco’s in the USA ... in many states

I don’t think you can actually go in with a set list

What you need is an open mind to possibilities
As they just generally have different merchandise than we see in Canada

That, and KNOW THY PRICES

So you can tell if it’s a case of being a good deal vs home
Or it’s a case of buying something stateside we just don’t see here
Be it cuz of a different culture
Or just an item that hasn’t made its way to Canada yet

Often when shopping in the USA ... Costco or elsewhere
We bring home stuff just cuz it’s new to us .., and not here yet

Often find stuff we won’t see here for another season, year or even 5 years

Just one of the WHY Factors when it comes to shopping in the USA

darren1417 wrote: ↑ I know the main two in Cheese and Gas... but what else is worth buying down there?

Welcome to RFD.

Here's a tip for you - at the top right of the site page is a search tool. You can use that to find if your question has been asked previously. This question? Asked pretty much every week. You'll get lots of answers from the previous posts to help you fill your shopping cart.

As for Costco specifically? If you've gone shopping there previously you know that non-staples can change from one week to the next, so what has been a good buy before may not even be there now. As PointHubby wrote - know thy prices.

Much cheaper in U.S. Walmart - house brand large bottles of 150 mg antacid pills based on ranitidine, similar to Zantac brand. Works out to about 4 cents per pill down there compared to at least 15 to 50 cents in Canada. Costco probably has similar deal on their generic brand.

Unfortunately right now these antacid pills are temporarily removed from most store shelves because of an investigation into product purity and safety.

adams7 wrote: ↑ Much cheaper in U.S. Walmart - house brand large bottles of 150 mg antacid pills based on ranitidine, similar to Zantac brand. Works out to about 4 cents per pill down there compared to at least 15 to 50 cents in Canada. Costco probably has similar deal on their generic brand.

Unfortunately right now these antacid pills are temporarily removed from most store shelves because of an investigation into product purity and safety.

Gosh ... that’s enough to give one indigestion

Personally if something was being looked into / under investigation for safety ... it would be something I would be STRIKING OFF my shopping list ... not adding it on.

Costco in Bellingham serves pretty good chili. Try it out if you're planning on stopping by.

They get a wider variety of snack foods in the US. Big bags of Terrachips, weird beet based chips (that have an.. odd.. effect on your body), giant bags of Lifesaver mints, more dried fruit options, more types of gum... You gotta know your prices and exchange rate, and remember they only take Visa at Costco, and you may need to push a little to get them to take a CostcoMastercard.

I also felt this Costco has better frozen food, than up here. Look at tools if they have on sale. Go to this Walmart for health items, chapstick, etc.

Look at Cost cutter or food pavilion. Excellent prices on meat. Sometimes butter at $1 a pound, along with a dozen eggs same price.

Look at Flip app, put in Bellingham zip code, to get all the flyers, and see what deals you like,

Enjoy your trip

Ottomaddox wrote: ↑They get a wider variety of snack foods in the US. Big bags of Terrachips, weird beet based chips (that have an.. odd.. effect on your body), giant bags of Lifesaver mints, more dried fruit options, more types of gum... You gotta know your prices and exchange rate, and remember they only take Visa at Costco, and you may need to push a little to get them to take a CostcoMastercard.

For sure into the snack foods. I got to costco weekly up here and know my pricing very well, i got a visa card which has a higher cash back % than the Costco Mastercard so i'm very happy to use the visa

User452441 wrote: ↑I also felt this Costco has better frozen food, than up here. Look at tools if they have on sale. Go to this Walmart for health items, chapstick, etc.

Look at Cost cutter or food pavilion. Excellent prices on meat. Sometimes butter at $1 a pound, along with a dozen eggs same price.

Look at Flip app, put in Bellingham zip code, to get all the flyers, and see what deals you like,

Enjoy your trip

Ohh my lips have been chapped for the last 4 days for sure stocking up on chap stick hahahaha

I'm going to bring a large cooler for frozen foods, cheeses, etc

I last went in September and they had corned beef for US$3.69/lb. It's a seasonal item. For the most part though, stuff was cheaper in Canada.

darren1417 wrote: ↑ I know the main two in Cheese and Gas... but what else is worth buying down there?

I'm looking for things we can't get up here, or are just overall cheaper below the border.
Only going for a day so can't bring back any booze

Buying nothing saves you tons. Just buy what you need

When I read the reply by @dealz4all

dealz4all wrote: ↑ Buying nothing saves you tons. Just buy what you need

I suddenly caught this part of your original post, that I missed earlier

darren1417 wrote: ↑I know the main two in Cheese and Gas... but what else is worth buying down there?

I'm looking for things we can't get up here, or are just overall cheaper below the border.
Only going for a day so can't bring back any booze

Ya need to be aware ... that TECHNICALLY for a trip under 24 Hours
Your Personal Exemption is $ 0
So you could be charged Duty / Taxes on anything / everything you bring back

CBSA “I Declare” = https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voya ... e-eng.html

Most times folks get waived / waved thru on Groceries
(Especially so BEFORE the current US Admin ... but now there are tariffs on a lot of grocery items)
So now there are no guarantees

Trips under 24 Hours for us are now pretty much strictly to pick up goods at our US PO Box or Parcel Drop
And fill the car with gas
Gas there’s no Cdn Taxes due on
And the Parcels even if we get dinged, the amount is far less than what it would have cost to ship to Canada

PointsHubby wrote: ↑When I read the reply by @dealz4all
I suddenly caught this part of your original post, that I missed earlier
Ya need to be aware ... that TECHNICALLY for a trip under 24 Hours
Your Personal Exemption is $ 0
So you could be charged Duty / Taxes on anything / everything you bring back

CBSA “I Declare” = https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voya ... e-eng.html

Most times folks get waived / waved thru on Groceries
(Especially so BEFORE the current US Admin ... but now there are tariffs on a lot of grocery items)
So now there are no guarantees

Trips under 24 Hours for us are now pretty much strictly to pick up goods at our US PO Box or Parcel Drop
And fill the car with gas
Gas there’s no Cdn Taxes due on
And the Parcels even if we get dinged, the amount is far less than what it would have cost to ship to Canada

That's good to know... I always thought there was a 200 dollar exception.

Home Depot in the US has different suppliers than Canada and some items can be 50% less. Old work plastic electrical boxes (for retrofits) arent even available in Canada. Harbor Freight for cheap Chinese made tools way cheaper than Princess Auto. Weed B Gone is a third of the price.

darren1417 wrote: ↑ That's good to know... I always thought there was a 200 dollar exception.

Nope ...

The $ 200 CDN Personal Exemption clicks @ the 24th Hour, and then in effect up to 48 Hours absense

AND THEN ONLY if you spend $ 200 CDN OR LESS

Otherwise, You go over that amount, and you are back as if it was ZERO DOLLARS

Again, see the CBSA “I Declare” document for full details

You could also check out WinCo across from Bellis Fair. 24 hour grocery store, has some decent stuff and snacks. They only take cash/debit so just be weary if you do plan on going.

Alivenate wrote: ↑ You could also check out WinCo across from Bellis Fair. 24 hour grocery store, has some decent stuff and snacks. They only take cash/debit so just be weary if you do plan on going.

+1 and don't forget to bring your own bags and bag your grocery yourself

Alivenate wrote: ↑ You could also check out WinCo across from Bellis Fair. 24 hour grocery store, has some decent stuff and snacks. They only take cash/debit so just be weary if you do plan on going.

They take international debit cards too (so VISA Debit and Debit MasterCard that's issued in Canada) or it's basically just cash for us Canadians?

IEpicDestroyer wrote: ↑ They take international debit cards too (so VISA Debit and Debit MasterCard that's issued in Canada) or it's basically just cash for us Canadians?

To my knowledge, as long as it requires a PIN to make a purchase (either chip or swipe), you should be fine. Visa Debit is primarily a debit card with Visa credit card capabilities for online purchases anyways.

Alivenate wrote: ↑ To my knowledge, as long as it requires a PIN to make a purchase (either chip or swipe), you should be fine. Visa Debit is primarily a debit card with Visa credit card capabilities for online purchases anyways.

Let’s call it what it really is ...

US Debit Cards are really just another form of Credit Cards

As Unlike Canada where we have just a few banks ... and they all talk electronically to one another, and all offer INSTANT Bank Account Interaction.

In the US anyone can pretty much set up a bank. So all these little banks don’t link up electronically ... so not everything is instant. Therefore Debit Cards work like Credit Cards ... tied to the fact one will pay their bill one way or another.

We may only have a handful of Banks, to which there are Pros & Cons (lots of threads on RFD)
But I still like how our systems work better than theirs any day