What to Buy at Costco if You’re Single

Reeeeeeal funny having the incredibly single guy with a Costco membership write about what to buy at Costco if you’re single. You’re all lucky that I love Costco so much and go way too often—any excuse to get a $1.50 hot dog and soda combo. As a frequent Costco shopper, I am very aware that the store can be minefield, especially if you’re shopping for one. One hot tip? Go for the variety packs to avoid culinary tedium—seriously, no one person wants to get stuck eating 45 single serving bags of cheddar Goldfish on their own. If you go in that direction, some good options include the Kirkland Signature Variety Snack Box. But today I’m focusing on those individually portioned items you’ll find hiding in the sea of bulk purchases. It can be intimidating, but once you really start looking in the aisles, you’ll find a bunch of things that work for people who live alone. Here’s a Costco haul for folks who are as single as a Pringle and looking to mingle in the aisles of Costco.

Kirkland Signature Rotisserie Chicken

A rotisserie chicken is maybe the perfect buy for single shoppers at Costco. You can easily feed yourself for a week off of one single chicken. Just take all the meat off the bones, put whatever you can get through in a few days in the fridge, and freeze all the rest for later. Make soup! Make chicken salad! And don’t forget to grab a few deli sides and maybe a BBQ sauce or two to help keep things exciting.

Read our ranking of the best rotisserie chicken

East West Cuisine Chicken Katsu Meal Kit

Some people might balk at the idea of eating 3 lbs of rotisserie chicken on their own. That’s valid! I still want you to find something that you can enjoy getting through. So let’s check out the refrigerated section in front of the Costco deli. There are a ton of meal kits and pre-made main dishes to choose from here. Let’s stick to chicken and grab this chicken katsu meal kit, which includes “individually packaged” slices of panko-breaded chicken breast. You have to do a bit of cooking, but it comes with everything you need, including sauce. and it’s the perfect thing to buy at Costco for all the single eaters out there.

Panera Bread at Home Mac & Cheese

You can find this Panera mac and cheese in the same refrigerated section by the deli. This doesn’t exactly go with chicken katsu, but here’s the thing: Mac and cheese kind of goes with everything, including fried chicken, so there ya go. The pack comes with two resealable tubs of mac and cheese. Eat some as a side. Add some frozen broccoli and eat half a tub as a meal. Or polish off the whole darn thing by eating little spoonfuls in front of the open fridge door. You’re single! You have a Costco membership! Live it up!

Read our ranking of the best microwave mac and cheese

Lee’s Cafe Latte Frozen Concentrate

As a millennial, I’m always being told I can’t afford a house because I’m eating too much avocado toast and getting coffee at chic cafes. Plus, I’m buying everything with one income?! I’ll never be able to get that damn house! Unless I start making changes. First up is buying this latte concentrate at Costco. Who am I kidding, I’ll never be able to afford a house, but at least this way I can buy my cat fancier food with the money I’m saving by making coffee at home!

Read our ranking of the best canned lattes

Buldak Stir-Fried Spicy Chicken Ramen

Recommending ramen to all my fellow solo soldiers out there seems like a copout, but, hey, these are among Sporked’s favorite noodles, so just hear me out. Ramen has everything you’d want in a product from Costco when you’re on your own. It’s easy to make, even easier to store, and there are six servings in each pack, so it’s not that big of a mountain to climb on your own. Keep this on top of the fridge or in a closet somewhere, and you’ve got yourself six quick meals that’ll get you by until you go back to Costco for another $1.50 hot dog.

Read our ranking of the best Buldak noodles

Kirkland Signature Braided Apple Strudel

Finding something you can feasibly get through on your own at the Costco bakery can be a tricky feat. That certainly doesn’t stop me from still ogling all the options whenever I swing by (dammit, cheesecake, how you tempt me). On a recent visit to Costco, I spotted this package of braided apple strudel for the first time, and I think it’s worth a go. They’re individually sized and perfect for a week’s worth of breakfasts—you can freeze the eighth one for another week.

Read our ranking of the best Costco bakery items

High Noon Vodka Cocktail Variety Pack

Recommending hard seltzers to single people is probably not the best move I could make here. But eff it! I trust us all to drink responsibly. Crack open a can and kick up your feet when you get home after work. Plus, having cold drinks around is a great opener for inviting friends over to share in the bounties of your Costco-stocked fridge! So get a big case of High Noons from Costco and share the wealth with others.

Read our ranking of the best hard seltzer