3 Costco Essentials I Always Keep on Hand

Some people shop at Costco on occasion, such as when they need a specific household item in bulk. I, however, shop at Costco every week, and it's definitely become my go-to source for certain staples. Here are three essentials I always buy at Costco -- and try to always make a point to keep around.

1. Tissues

Whether it's allergies, a cold, or something else, it seems like someone in my house constantly has sniffling going on. I like to stock up on tissues at Costco because I'm not picky about what I wipe my nose with, and the Kirkland-brand tissues are usually competitively priced.

A 12-pack of Kirkland tissues with 84 tissues per box costs $19.99 online. That's $0.02 per tissue. And I buy my tissues at my local Costco store, where they cost even less.

At Target, a six-pack of the store brand costs $9.49 online, but each box only contains 65 tissues. So the price there is closer to $0.03 per tissue.

That may not seem like a huge difference -- we're talking about less than $0.01 in savings per tissue. But when you use a few hundred tissues a week, it adds up.

2. Eggs

In my household, we go through a lot of eggs. First, we eat them for breakfast pretty often. Plus, I tend to do a lot of baking, and almost every recipe of mine needs at least one egg.

Buying eggs in bulk at Costco saves me a fair amount of money. The cost for same-day delivery in my area is $14.03 for 60 eggs, or $0.23 each. And because I shop at Costco in person, I pay a lot less. At my local supermarket, the cost is more like $0.27 per egg.

3. Granola bars

Between my kids' busy after-school activities, sports schedules, and my generally hectic existence, I often find myself needing a snack on the go. Granola bars tend to fit that bill, so I make a point to stock up at Costco, where they're less expensive than at other stores.

Kind bars happen to be a favorite of mine because they're relatively low in sugar and high in protein compared to some of the other bars I've seen. A 20-count on Costco.com costs $23.99, or $1.20 per bar. At Target, a 12-pack is $15.19, or $1.27 per bar. But again, I pay the in-store price at Costco, which is cheaper than the online price.

Also, here's a pro tip: It's a good idea to keep a compact-but-filling snack like granola bars on you or in your car at all times. My stash of Kind bars has helped me avoid impulse buys at the supermarket by not being forced to shop while hungry.

How to save money on your personal Costco essentials

Your list of Costco essentials may look different than mine. But there are steps you can take to save even more on your Costco necessities.

First, look out for sales and stock up on non-perishables when Costco lowers prices on the items you use regularly. Next, see if there's a Kirkland version of whatever it is you're buying. Not being picky about the brand you bring home could leave you spending less.

Finally, consider an Executive membership upgrade. For an extra $60 annually, you'll get 2% cash back on your Costco purchases. And if you spend $3,000 a year at Costco, the upgrade pays for itself. From there, you benefit financially by scoring more cash back than what the upgrade costs.