Items I buy every Costco visit as an executive member

I've had a Costco executive membership for almost 10 years, and I love buying groceries there. The $130-a-year executive membership comes with perks like 2% back on all purchases (distributed as an annual check) and earlier access to the store. Ground beef is a mealtime staple in our household, so I buy Kirkland Signature lean ground beef in a bag of five individually packaged 1-pound frozen logs that are easy to store and thaw as needed.

I also keep a three-pack of Kirkland Signature organic marinara sauce on hand; each 2-pound jar can make two meals for our family of four when combined with ground beef and pasta, and I like to simmer the sauce with leftover pot roast in the crockpot for a quick ragù.

My two kids eat Cosmic Crisp apples almost daily, so we buy two bags at a time; we like their crisp texture and how long they tend to last when stored properly. For quick sides and snacks I grab prepared mashed potatoes — recently Reser's Fine Foods Main St.