What Are the Best Costco Finds for Food and Preparedness?

We recently launched a second YouTube channel, Shop with the Shraders, to bring you shopping videos as we search for real food and real deals for stocking a traditional Four Corners Pantry on any budget. In our first video as a family, we visited Trader Joe’s. Now, this week on Shop with the Shraders, we’re each sharing our top five items from Costco—but with a twist! Some of us focused on food, some on preparedness, and all of us had a little fun along the way.

Watch our Top 5 Each! What We Bought at Costco for Food and Preparedness video, then be sure to scroll through this blog post for lots of helpful information on how to stock your Four Corners Pantry and don’t miss the Quick Glance section if you’re short on time.

Introducing Shop with the Shraders

If you’re new here, our Shrader family consists of my husband, Ted, our son, Ben, and me, Mary, who you may know from my Mary’s Nest YouTube channel. With Ben graduating from college and moving to a new house, we decided to launch a second YouTube channel to focus on shopping for real food to stock both of our traditional pantries. We thought it would be fun to bring you along to learn about the bargains we find at different stores around Central Texas and beyond.

• Learn more about the launch of our Shop with the Shraders YouTube channel
• Watch our first video: What Are the Best Trader Joe’s Family Finds?

Mary’s Costco Pick: Chicken Stock for Preparedness

I always encourage building what I like to call Multiple Streams of Food. That means homemade is wonderful—but it’s also wise to keep a few shelf-stable backups in the pantry for those unexpected moments when life gets busy or when you run out of your homemade chicken bone broth.

That’s why I picked up a six-pack of organic chicken stock. These cartons are perfect to have on hand for soups, stews, gravies, or just a cozy cup when I don’t have time to simmer a pot of bone broth. Having this kind of backup in my Extended Pantry helps me stay prepared and feel peace of mind.

🌿 Tip from Mary: When buying store-bought stock, always read the label. Look for organic if possible, and avoid anything with MSG or unnecessary additives.

Ted’s Costco Pick: The Flashlight That Does It All

If you know Ted, you know he’s all about being ready for anything—from a summer thunderstorm to a power outage. So it’s no surprise that his eyes lit up when he saw a high-quality flashlight at Costco!

What makes it special? In addition to delivering a powerful 5000 lumens, it runs on regular or rechargeable batteries. That’s right—two power sources in one. Whether the grid’s up or down, Ted’s got it covered. He said it’s now a permanent part of our emergency kit, right next to the extra candles (Fromage board game by candlelight, anyone?) and battery-powered and/or hand crank radio.

⚡ Tip From Ted: “Always have options. That’s how we stay ahead of a storm.”

Ben’s Costco Pick: A Candle That Starts Conversations

Leave it to Ben to find something both practical and party-worthy! At Costco, he spotted a massive multi-wick candle in a beautiful glass holder—it weighs close to five pounds!

Ben plans to use it as a centerpiece at his upcoming housewarming party. It’s stylish, cozy, and definitely a conversation starter. Plus, in a pinch, it doubles as an emergency light source if the power goes out. He also picked up a rechargeable lantern that pairs nicely with Ted’s flashlight. Like father like son—both my fellas believe in being prepared.

🕯️Tip from Ben: “Looks cool. Smells great. Helps in a blackout. And it’s a conversation starter too…Win-win!”

Stocked and Ready—With Laughter Along the Way

We had a great time filming this episode. There were plenty of practical finds—and a few funny ones too! Whether you’re shopping for dinner, a get-together, or a ‘just-in-case’ moment, Costco had something for all of us.

Don’t miss our Top 5 Each! What We Bought at Costco for Food and Preparedness video to see what else we grabbed—and get a few ideas for your next shopping trip too!

Want More Costco Ideas?

If you enjoyed this family-style Costco haul, be sure to check out some of my past Mary’s Nest Costco hauls! You’ll find unique ideas for building up your Four Corners Pantry, along with budget-friendly tips for traditional foods. (Learn more with the Prep Like a Pro With the Ultimate Four Corners Pantry System.)

Mary’s Nest Costco Hauls

• Costco Haul with Prices for the Traditional Foods Kitchen
• 10 Prepper Pantry Items You Need to Buy NOW at Costco!
• Top 15 Prepper Pantry Items You Need to Buy NOW at Costco
• Top 10 Costco HEALTHY Foods You Must Buy Now!

🛒 Whether you shop alone or with family, every trip to Costco is an opportunity to stock your traditional Four Corners Pantry little by little, one dollar at a time!

More Traditional Food Wisdom from Mary’s Nest

Looking for more ways to build your traditional foods kitchen from scratch? In today’s Costco video, we talk about some of the recipes on my Mary’s Nest YouTube channel, including the following:

• How to Make Switchel – The 18th Century Energy Drink
• How to Make Soaked Oatmeal Using Oat Groats
• How to Cook Beef Liver (Your Kids Will Love!)

Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List

To streamline the process of stocking your Four Corners Pantry, I have a FREE 36-page list of traditional foods perfect for your Working Pantry, Refrigerator, Freezer, and Extended Pantry. No guesswork involved. I share with you what to buy, how to store it, and how to use what you buy to make nutritious and delicious traditional meals!

Stay in Touch with Mary’s Nest

1. Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Traditional Foods Videos (Free) - When you subscribe, be sure to click on the notification bell that will let you know each time I upload a new video.
2. Subscribe to Mary’s Traditional Foods Newsletter (Free) - Get a free 36-page eBook for signing up: How to Stock Your Essential Traditional Foods Four-Corners Pantry.
3. Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy - For more detailed videos and exclusive members-only perks, join my YouTube membership community.
4. Order The Modern Pioneer Cookbook - Get a hardcover book of Mary's nourishing recipes from a Traditional Foods Kitchen. This bestselling cookbook is published by Penguin Random House with their DK imprint.
5. Preorder The Modern Pioneer Pantry - Be one of the first to get Mary's hardcover book about preserving food and making delicious meals from your Four Corners Pantry. Mary's second cookbook is also published by Penguin Random House.

I look forward to having you join me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen!

Shop for My Favorite Items

Favorite Kitchen Supplies

• Favorite Aprons
• Spice Grinder
• Countertop Burner (On my kitchen island in many recipe videos.)
• Handheld Vacuum Sealing System
• Vacuum Lids
• Whisk
• Silica Gel Packets (Helps keep moisture from building up in your mix)
• Cast Iron Dutch Oven
• 8-Quart Slow-Cooker
• Fat Separator (Clever kitchen device to help you decant bone broth)
• Flour Sack Towels
• pH Strips (Helps you check on the acidity of your vinegar)

Amazon Shop and Shopping Guide

• Visit Mary’s Nest Amazon Shop
• Visit my Shopping Guide page
  Get up to 15% off for stocking your Traditional Foods Pantry and equipping your Modern Pioneer Kitchen, including discounts from US Wellness Meats, Farmhouse Teas, Lehman’s, Masontops, Cultures for Health, Survival Garden Seeds, Redmond Real Salt, Plan to Eat, and More!

Recommended Reading

• The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
• The Modern Pioneer Pantry
• Nourishing Traditions