October Costco Haul — $608 for a Family of Seven and a Thanksgiving Dinner in October
This October Costco haul did double duty. It is my regular monthly stock-up for our family of seven, and it is also the grocery run for a full Thanksgiving dinner I am cooking in October — this Sunday, for all the college kids. So there is a lot on this counter. Four turkey breasts, a ham, three twin packs of rolls, and all the usual school-lunch staples stacked right on top. The total came to $608.17, and I still came in about $100 under what I told my husband it would be.
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Unpack the whole cart with me above, or keep reading for everything that was in it — prices straight off the receipt.
What Went in the Cart on This October Costco Haul
I go to Costco once a month with a list, and this month the list had two halves. One half is the holiday dinner. The other half is everything my crowd eats every single week whether there is a holiday or not. I have split them up below the same way, so you can see what a big holiday meal actually adds to a normal month.
The Thanksgiving dinner
- Kirkland oven browned turkey breasts, four of them — $90.52 together
- Kirkland ham — $11.42
- Bag of potatoes — $7.69
- Bag of sweet onions — $4.49
- King’s Hawaiian rolls, three twin packs — $6.69 each
- Brussels sprouts, two bags — $4.89 each
- Kirkland bacon — $16.99, for the Brussels sprouts
- Organic Granny Smith apples, two 3-pound bags — $6.49 each, for apple pie
- Kirkland butter — $9.49, and a gallon of milk — $3.02, both for baking
- Better Than Bouillon — $9.49
- Kinder’s The Blend, two jars — $5.99 each
It is too early in the year for a big holiday turkey. They are not out in the stores yet. So instead of one whole bird, I got four turkey breasts, and honestly, for a crowd, that is easier anyway. Everybody gets white meat, nobody fights over the carving, and they heat through so much faster than a whole turkey does.
And there is a ham, because a holiday dinner at my house always has a ham. If you have never made one for a crowd, my easiest ham recipe for a crowd is the one I use every time — it never fails. I cannot cook for a crowd without the rolls either. Three twin packs of King’s Hawaiian, and I promise you they will all be gone.
Kinder’s The Blend is the one thing in this cart I would fight you for. Y’all, I cannot cook without that stuff. It goes on the turkey, on the potatoes, on pretty much everything, and it lives on my counter next to the Better Than Bouillon. I wrote up exactly why in my Kinder’s The Blend review, and the Better Than Bouillon is over in Shop My Pantry if you want to keep them both stocked too.
Appetizers and hosting
- Cracker collection variety box — $12.89
- Cheese tray — $12.99
- Sliced salami — $10.79
- Boursin variety pack — $8.99
- Foil half-size steam pans — $12.89
- Glad Take-Aways, 70 pieces — $11.99
- Halloween paper plates — $9.99
I love having Take-Aways on hand when I host a holiday meal. You have already seen me use them for my kids’ lunches, and I wrote a whole post on why I keep Glad Take-Aways in the house. But at a holiday dinner they do one more job — they let people take leftovers home. College kids especially. Nobody leaves my table without a plate for later. Just get it into the fridge within two hours, which is what the USDA recommends in its guide to leftovers and food safety.
My daughter was with me on this trip, which is how a little haunted-house pillow and those Halloween plates ended up in the cart. That is what happens when I take my kids with me.
The monthly meat
- Kirkland ground beef — $40.07
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts — $27.63
- A second pack of Kirkland bacon — $16.99
- Golden Island Korean barbecue pork snack bites — $17.99
The ground beef I portion out and get into the freezer the same day I get home, before I let myself sit down. Same with the chicken. If you have never broken down a big warehouse pack yourself, I walk through exactly how I do it in my Tuesday tip on the pork loin — same idea, different meat.
School lunches, breakfasts, and the rest
- Mandarin orange bowls — $11.89
- SweeTango apples, 4 pounds — $5.99
- Pirate’s Booty, 40 count — $13.39
- IZZE sparkling juice variety pack — $16.49
- Kirkland flavored sparkling water — $10.99
- Kraft American cheese — $12.49
- Kirkland grass-fed beef sticks, 12 count — $13.79
- Welch’s fruit snacks — $13.89
- Oikos Triple Zero yogurt, 18 pack — $14.69
- Kirkland french fries, two bags — $6.99 each
- Organic pumpkin puree, 6 cans — $8.99
- Eggs, raspberries, bread, and the household stuff — batteries, cold medicine
The Kirkland beef sticks are back in stock and I am so excited about it. Those go in lunchboxes all week long. The Oikos Triple Zero yogurts go fast in our house for breakfast, and the mandarins, the apples, the Pirate’s Booty, and the sparkling drinks all go straight into the lunch rotation. If you want to see how all of that turns into an actual lunch, I lay it out in school lunch ideas kids will eat.
The french fries are new. My son discovered he likes them, and we have an air fryer, so now he can heat them up whenever he wants. Teenagers.
And the organic pumpkin puree — six cans for $8.99, which is cheaper than Libby’s at Walmart. I am excited to try it. It is going straight into my pumpkin bread, which makes four loaves in one batch, and probably into a pumpkin caramel sheet cake before the month is out.
The October Costco Haul Total — $608.17
$603.20 before tax, $608.17 out the door. My haul was more than usual because of the holiday dinner, and about $122 of it is the turkey breasts, the ham, and the rolls alone. But I actually came in about $100 less than I told my husband, so I am calling this whole thing a win.
What keeps a haul this size from turning into waste is what happens next. The meat gets portioned and frozen. The holiday groceries get a plan. And the rest of the month gets written down before anything gets shoved in a drawer and forgotten. I put that plan up every Saturday on my weekly meal plans page, grocery list and all. And when it is time to set the holiday table, the large serving platters I use for a crowd are the ones I reach for.
October Costco Haul FAQ — Feeding Seven Plus a Holiday Crowd
How much did this October Costco haul cost?
$608.17 with tax. That covered our regular monthly stock-up for seven people plus a full Thanksgiving-style dinner for a crowd of college kids. Without the holiday add-on, a normal month runs lower than this for us.
Can you buy a whole turkey at Costco in October?
Not at my store — the holiday turkeys were not out yet. I bought four Kirkland turkey breasts instead, about $90 for all four. For a crowd, turkey breasts are easier anyway: no carving fights, everyone gets white meat, and they heat through faster.
Is the Costco organic pumpkin puree cheaper than Libby’s?
It was for me. I paid $8.99 for six cans of organic pumpkin at Costco, which came out cheaper than Libby’s at Walmart. I am trying it in my pumpkin bread first.
How do you send leftovers home after a holiday dinner?
Glad Take-Aways. I buy the big pack at Costco and set them out at the end of the meal so people can fill their own. Get the leftovers into the fridge within two hours and they are good for three to four days.
More Days at the Longstreth House You’ll Love
- Fall Costco Haul — What $507 Buys for a Family of Seven — last month’s trip, with half the cart headed to a ladies brunch.
- Back to School Costco Haul — What $552 Buys for a Family of Seven — the August trip, with five lunchboxes stacked on top of dinner.
- Costco Haul for a Family of 7 — What a Typical Month Looks Like — a plain month, no season and no party attached.
Every haul I have ever shared, newest first, lives in one place: the Costco and grocery hauls in The Family Room.
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October Costco Haul — About Stephanie Longstreth
Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, weekly meal plans, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.