 We are whoa really on the ball. I'm prepping right now for our Costco haul Which we're gonna be filming tomorrow. So if you're seeing this on the blog It happened the day before so what I do is as this is just on the fridge and as I run out of stuff or no I need something I scribble it on here. It's messy. There's a bunch of its target dollar tree You know all the stores are here Including Costco and then when I know okay, this is the day I'm going to Costco the day before I sit down and I actually make the real list So I go through and I double check in the backpack back in my laundry room. Am I really really out of trash bags? Yes, okay They for sure have to stay on the list and I read it all out me and then I do my best guess of how much I think It's going to cost and this is just based on previous Hauls and experiences and I some some of the times I'm awesome The times I'm on but it just gives me an idea at the top I always write how much money I have total and that includes taxes To spend and so as I'm doing this I might end up crossing something off the list I'll say okay We can wait until next month to make that happen then I can go through some of the stuff I'm gonna buy at Costco comes from groceries envelope some of it comes from paper towel Etc. Ruff fun, which includes like garbage bags and toilet paper and things like that. So I don't know if you can hear Sethy boy. He's rejecting his quiet time right now But I just wanted to show you that's what happens so that on the day of First of all, I have my wits about me and I am not caught unaware and Literally, I've said to many of those people at Costco that are the one-time people selling the bamboo pillows listen, I'd love to buy from you, but this is all I have and If it's awesome, I can come back home and pull the money out of another fund if I need to but the whole point is do People will say how do you not go over budget in Costco? Well, this is how we do not go over budget I write out my list. I write it how much it costs and I bring that money if I'm wrong And I don't have enough money. One of these things gets left behind And It's just worked for us and and while I'm there if I notice something like all the Halloween costumes are out there such a good deal Then I can go back and get them this year. We're not buying from Costco. We're making our own because Joseph's in school There's a little requirements around that. So anyway, I just wanted to give you a quick little snapshot of what happens Before we even leave the house or step foot in Costco to make our Costco haul effective and Within slash under our budget. So future Bridget, you're doing great Tip number one Costco haul here we go Eat before you go eat something high in protein because an impulse buy at Costco is gonna set you back 17 bucks So you don't want you don't want that. All right, we are we are heading out the door folks. We are heading out the door Which is With kids, I always park right next to the shopping cart corral So that when I'm done and put all the groceries in I Can simply pop it in and I don't worry about my kids smart Basically, I always try and bring my own bags to Costco. Otherwise, they do boxes, which they're just trying to help But they're giant they fill up my entire recycle bin and it's hard to fit in the car So if you can remember bring your own back This is a tiny little tip, but I always when I'm going down Through the store I go on the edges of the store because the middle two aisles are always packed and jammed even just Because even if you come on at a non-busy time, which of course you should morning early morning Three weeks the middle two lines are always just a little bit busier and packed in life right now I'm not even looking where I'm going cuz you know when he's around and you can just kind of sit down Because I know how my Costco set up and so I put it in order of like what comes next so I don't forget it Oh, oh, yes. Yes. We are yes. We are Holy chief. They're actually losing money. I'm gonna cost them to make it and what they charge us I don't get it and here's why because I'm lazy and Once like the giant chunks don't come off anymore, and I actually have to work to pick the meat off I don't do it. It's it's in my bridge. It goes bad and I throw it away. So I'm actually losing So I've learned even though it's tempting and fun and cheap I don't do it because I don't actually pick the rest of the meat off now if you have a little bit of discipline Then go for it because that's a good deal She probably know but check on their little ply cards The price per unit or the price per item or that like for instance with paper toilet paper It's priced for 100 square feet and you can compare that obviously you probably know that but it just is smart saves you pennies on the dime and can add up Basically in order, how do I know exactly how much it's cost? This is maybe only the second time I bought it But every time I go to either Trader Joe's or Costco or really any store when I leave I look at my receipt I read what I bought and the price to one double check I wasn't overcharged or triple charged or something like that and also you start to commit to memory What things cost and how much they are now? I'm not saying this is perfect, but I did crush that one Margarine a mix not on the list bummer This is why you make a list the day before when you have your wits about you because I love cow come kettle corn popcorn And look it's not sale. It's $2.50 off. That's probably a good deal. There's a great brand I think it's a really high quality, but it's not on the list and it's not in the budget So you just have to walk away nine bucks. It's 9.79. So he can't win them all Another thing people forget about when they budget here Okay, paper towels, coffee beans, popcorn, Kodiak mix, still you gotta keep on keep on your toes. Stay on your list. Stay on your list Every now and then You strike gold and something that is on your list that you have budgeted for happens to also be on sale At the exact moment you need to buy it. So that's awesome And you want to definitely just kind of do a happy dance in the aisle for that Wait, I bought these trash bags and when I go to buy double check that to see how long Do 200 bags last time? I'm just curious. I think it's like nine months, but I could be wrong Back guard or play card. However, you say it with a little asterisk I used to think that meant oh if you want to buy this item or if you ever want this item You need to buy it now because it's going away. It will never be back It will never be on the shelves again buy it stock up. Whatever That's not true false. It was verified today. We wouldn't ask somebody when you see an asterisk on the play card That means that it will be off the shelf for three months After that three months, they're gonna go ahead and bring that back So you don't need to go crazy and stock up. You certainly feel free to buy what you need But it's not like you will never see that product again. And I didn't know that I was I had false information before this little haul. So there you go Okay, reseat recap as I mentioned before when I get home I take this list and I go through in a different color just because that helps me and I write down Just on the ones where I was off on the prices either too high or too low and I just I'm visual so seeing it Helps me. So the milk I budget I put in four bucks. It was 495. So it's not that much It's 95 cents, but I just need to commit to my mind. It's five five five five dollars milk at Costco It's five dollars when I think of Trader Joe's. It's two seventy nine a Gallon, so it's like a 20. It's like a 40 cents savings if I buy it at Costco when I go Trash bags were higher than I thought and so were paper towels I'm much more out of practice with that because I only buy them like once or twice a year but the paper towels I was bought on so that feels good and Coffee beans I was four dollars lower because I ended up getting a different flavor than we normally get to switch Things up and that was on sale things like that. I just look at that in my mind I double check the receipt to make sure I wasn't you know didn't get charged for something that I didn't think was in the cart Sometimes the kids you got to look alive. Um something can make it into your cart that shouldn't be there and then as well This just helps it takes 12 seconds I mean to write it all out and check max one minute and now you've committed this to memory now you can remember milk is five bucks And as you go and as you continue to do this every month after you get three or four eight five months down You are going to know the exact prices for most of the things that you buy on a regular basis Thanks for coming our home with us and just a quick little bonus my little pumpkin my firstborn started School and I am really trying to find a breakfast that is going to be packed with protein To set them up for a great day because I don't know if he's gonna eat his snack or his lunch I don't know what of that he will eat and I know I can see with my own eyes what he eats for breakfast So this it's expensive. This thing is 12 bucks But it I think it lasts a long time and it's packed with protein And then they also recommend on the back if you mix in milk instead of water Which we do whole milk, so that's awesome and an egg as well and sometimes I even throw in two eggs You're just upping that protein count and my boys devour them They love them and one of the other things I can do with this is when I make them They're very quick to make so I can just make a brush or like Seth wanted to them for lunch today My son my second oldest, so I'm gonna make a bunch right now and have them to just throw in the toaster for breakfast Beauty work hard and love each other See you tomorrow