3rd Costco Shopping in 2021 – $52.54 today / $282.02 this year
I ordered some Valentine’s Day flowers.
There is no effort here. I feel bad that I am sending somebody flowers in this manner. I remember Valentine’s Day 10 years ago when I was poor. I only spent $15 for Valentine’s Day. For that Valentine’s Gift, I went to three different stores and wrote a card. It was exciting and fun.
Now, I don’t put any effort. I know the person who receives the flowers will be super excited. The flowers look beautiful. And they are high quality – Costco approved. I’m glad I have more money now to give better flowers. But it’s so easy to send flowers now. Just order from the Costco website.
I have a desktop computer, a notebook computer, and a smartphone. Having all those, I still feel the need for a tablet. Tablet often comes in handy, for example, when I’m in the kitchen. Also, when I watch TV, I often check the web for more information.
Apple products are too expensive for me. So, I promised myself that I wouldn’t buy any Apple product until my retirement is taken care of (minimum $2.5 Million in savings). So, I may never buy another Apple product. There is nothing wrong if you buy and enjoy Apple products. We have different financial priorities. That’s all. I spend more money on Italian leather than most people spend on iPhones and iPad.
Photo Centers will close, but most photo services will be available online.
All Costco photo centers at the warehouses will close on February 14, 2021. Online services will remain available.
Personally, this will not affect me much. I am fine with their new concept. Their online services will provide everything I need for my photography needs, and more.
Costco’s photo center website will be fully functioning. From there, you can order prints, posters, greeting cards, special prints, photo books, photo gifts, business-related prints, etc… Costco provides high-quality photo products. When I was an active photographer, Costco was my main source for prints. The pictures looked just like the ones I printed at professional photo labs.
Services no longer available will be ink refill, passport photos, photo restoration, and movie transfer service.
Passport photo – September 24, 2008
Passport photo receipt – January 17, 2018
*If you are sending a print job to Costco digitally, you might want to turn off the “Auto-Correct” feature from the Costco website user interface. You should only use Auto-Correct if you are absolutely clueless about photography.
I have a high expectation for Kirkland Signature 680 thread count 6-piece sheet set (#1306090). After $20 manufacturer’s savings, these queen-size sets are $49.99 each. That’s a good price. Just a fitted sheet in this quality can be over $100 at a department store, maybe $75 on sale. I need more time to try these, but they look and feel (super) high class. I am picky when it comes to bedding materials, and this 680 thread count cotton is silky smooth they shine. If you are a flannel person, you are missing out. These cotton sheets will improve as you wash more. If you want to experience how rich people sleep, try these sheets – and put a fluffy down comforter on top.
Hampton Farms peanuts were not good. I had these peanuts last month, and they were excellent. But this time they were bad. They are thin, dark, and bitter. Maybe December is not a good month for peanuts. I will try again next year.
Dishwashing scrubbers, toothbrushes, soaps, and razor blades are staple items. I already have enough to last a year. But, since they were on sale, I bought them and added them to long-term storage. Now I’m good for 2+ years.
And there are two mystery supplements I bought, Focus Factor and Testosterone Support. I don’t know if they work or not. I take them because I am afraid I may lose my edge. They pay me big bucks for what I do at work. Many people spend hundreds of hours on big sales projects. It’s my job to take those projects, turn them into web pages, and publish them on the website (usually at midnight). I am the last in line for these projects, and I desperately need to maintain my focus. Maybe I don’t need any of these pills.
I was getting the second dose of the shingles vaccine at Costco. So, I took a half-day off from work (sick day). I wore a mask and rubber gloves. The Covid-19 pandemic is at its worst yet. Over 3,0000 people die in America every single day. This is scary. Please be careful.
60 years old or older policy
Today, Costco was enforcing the 9-10 am 60 years old or older policy. Sometimes there aren’t many people in the warehouse – and they allow younger shoppers to enter early. I was perfectly fine waiting outside. I pay tax and follow the rules. The weather was pleasant outside with a clear blue sky. Soon, it was 10 AM. The line to get into the warehouse was very long.
Shingles Vaccine
I get injections (vaccines) from Costco occasionally. I barely feel the needle. But this time… I could feel the needle cutting through the meat of my shoulder. I felt the sharp poking, and I bled. I bled enough that he had to wipe it off twice. It was not painful, but one might say otherwise. I was not angry. It was all good. But I thought he should know that he was not very good at his job. Of course, I said nothing to him. “Thank you. Happy holidays. You suck.”
FYI: In most cases, you will feel miserable after a shingle shot. It’s not horribly bad, but you might want to take a day off from work the next day. I had a body ache, fever, and.. just miserable and sick. I worked from home; I clocked in, but I didn’t do any work. I was just miserable.
Toilet Paper
I put my flannel shirt back on and grabbed my shopping cart. It was comforting to see plenty of toilet papers. People were grabbing them left and right, but there was plenty for everyone.
Kirkland Signature Spiral Ham
Kirkland Signature spiral ham was on top of my shopping list. This is a must-buy. Is this Christmas time? Then get this ham from Costco. The smallest Honey Baked Ham is about $60 and it goes up from there. My 10.3 pounds ham was $29.77. It comes with the glaze mix. I like my ham glazed.
Kirkland Signature Frozen Shrimps (21/25)
Jumbo shrimps were on sale – so I bought 2 packs. These are huge shrimps (21-25 count per pound). Keep your Costco membership guys.. these are crazy good stuff. Two bags will last me about a year. It’s tough to have good food at home and not enjoy them every day. But, I will make them last a year.
32 Degrees Heat long sleeve shirts
32 degrees heat long sleeve shirts were on sale ($11.99 for 2-pack). It was the best price I could find anywhere. They are also available on the Costco website for $1 more ($12.99 for 2-pack), which is still a very good price. So I bought 3 packs. I have a few of these long sleeve shirts. My arms get cold when I work from home. Now I don’t have to turn on the heater as often. I saved $9 with instant savings. And I will also save on my electric and gas bills.
The Cheesecake Factory, Original Cheesecake
The Original Cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory is crazy good times for everyone, including people like me who live alone. They are pre-sliced and divided into 12 pieces. You keep them frozen, so they will last a long time. This is a single people’s insurance policy for depression. Do you feel blue and nobody loves you? Eat a piece of cheesecake and drive a convertible. Everything will be fine. Hahaha, that’s awful.
I bought 2 bunches of flowers. They were special holiday arrangements – with pine cones and shit. My female friend has a sister who was visiting, so I would give them to both of the sisters. A big box of Cheez-It Crackers was for them as well. I tell you, guys… I should write a book about how to kiss ass.
And I bought the rest of the stuff – eggs, salad kit, spinach, carrots, and trash bags.
I arrived at Costco Sunday morning at 10 AM as they opened, and I hurried to the turkeys. I always get 20-pound turkey, and I didn’t want to miss out on the big turkey this year. I heard on the news that, due to the pandemic, stores would sell small turkeys. That could mean big turkeys might be scarce.
But… why small turkeys?
This is my 10th year baking turkey alone. I cook alone and I eat alone. And I can tell you without a doubt that bigger turkeys are much more satisfying compared to small turkeys. Remember, turkeys are cheap, less than a dollar per pound. Bigger turkeys are fun to bake. Big turkeys look impressive. They will look better in the pictures. I enjoy extra long hours of baking a big turkey. Finally, when I take out my turkey from the oven, I would like to feel that heavyweight. I have to tighten my stomach muscles and be very careful. The pan is heavy, hot, and full of juice at the bottom. If you cook Thanksgiving dinner, that moment is the highlight of the day. To me, there is no comparison. Even if I eat alone, I will always bake a big turkey. Turkeys are like women. No turkey can be too big for me.
Back to Costco – The turkey area was busy with people. I squeezed my way in and glanced over all the turkeys. There was only one turkey that looked obviously bigger than the rest. I quickly put that 19 pounder in my cart and looked at the rest of the turkeys carefully. All the remaining turkeys were 13 pounders. So, I was lucky.
I walked away briskly from the poultry section. The warehouse was getting packed with the shoppers.
Special snacks for Thanksgiving weekend, everyday chocolates, toys for my friend’s dogs
Good peanuts
I bought a can of Kirkland Signature salted peanuts and a bag of Hampton Farms unsalted peanuts in shells. Both peanuts are absolutely amazing good. My God! They are so enjoyable. But sometimes peanuts from Costco are disappointing. Costco used to sell Hoody’s Peanuts. I wasn’t too excited about Hoody’s Peanuts. I often bought bad batches. I also remember buying a bad batch of Kirkland Signature’s peanuts in the past.
Maybe peanuts are good during certain months, including November. Maybe it’s totally random. I don’t know. For now, I have some very good peanuts at home, and my life is a little tastier.
Kirkland Signature European Cookies
These cookies are the best. I bought 4 cans of Kirkland Signature European Cookies. Costco sells these cookies during the holiday season. I’ve been buying these cookies for about 10 years now. I call them “Christmas Cookies”. Every holiday season I buy 3-4 cans of these cookies and keep them cold. I only eat them on weekends with coffee. With this, I get to enjoy a little of Christmas throughout the year.
I was in and out of the warehouse in 30 minutes. I wanted to look at Christmas items and spend more time shopping. But I left while the checkout lines were short. Also, I didn’t want to stay in the warehouse too long because of the pandemic.
This is a saliva test – not a dreading nasal swab. They are priced at $129.99 and $139.99. The $139.99 kit contains Video Observation for travelers (I don’t know exactly what that means).
Available at Costco. Covid-19 test kit by Azova
This requires you to follow instruction.
It sounds like you need to register at Azova.com and complete an assessment. Only after that, you may receive a test kit at your address.
Avoid collecting saliva over the weekend for the shipping delays.
After spitting a large quantity into a tube. Pack up your sample and take it to the UPS store.
Results will be available online in a few days after they receive your package.
