Why It's Worth It To Look At Every Single Package In Costco's Deli And Bakery Sections

It goes without saying, most of us are feeling the sting at the checkout aisle and looking for ways to save money at the grocery store these days. It also goes without saying, one major money-saving tactic is becoming a member of Costco, which famously offers bulk sized items at low prices, and has been doing so well before the current economy gave us extra motivated to pinch pennies. 

An entire niche has sprung up of tricks, tips, and lesser-known hacks to save even more on your Costco trips, like store hopping to multiple locations or saving money by shopping with friends. One such tip you might want to employ is carefully scanning each and every price tag on packages in the deli and bakery. Time consuming? Perhaps. But the reward can be sweet indeed. 

Fortunate Costco shoppers have taken to Reddit (there's a specific "my mislabeled moment" tag) to share their super-discounted finds, like a brisket for $1.35, a leg of lamb for under three bucks, a box of cookies for $1.21, and countless other almost comically marked down goods. Most of these scores seem to be within either the meat or baked goods section, and users commonly recommend going through the self checkout aisle to avoid arousing suspicion from cashiers. Having the stroke of good fortune to stumble upon one of these gems is like searching every chocolate bar for a golden ticket, but for foodies who enjoy the thrill of the hunt, it could really pay off.

Sending devoted shoppers on a wild goose chase for these super-discounted items is far from the only instance of a "treasure hunt" of sorts that the chain is known for. In fact, the warehouses themselves are intentionally laid out like one giant treasure hunt to encourage shoppers to roam the expanse of aisles, knowing this will inadvertently lead to more impulse purchases. 

Since these incredibly lucky finds are not an official, advertised sale but a one-off fluke, don't look to Costco HQ to release any official statements on the matter. With the store tight lipped (if they're even aware of) these low priced items, shoppers are left to speculate if these markdowns are intentional — perhaps to clear out nearly expired items — a product of total human error, or a combination. Some Reddit users speculate that perhaps this is a purposeful "publicity stunt" to encourage shoppers to spend more time in the store, and thus buy more.

Costco works in mysterious ways, so we can't be totally sure of the rhyme or reason behind these absurdly discounted treasures — which only adds to the thrill. But most frugal foodies would agree, no matter how slim the odds of finding one of these gems may be, it's worth the search.