Costco Shopping Before an Emergency: What to Buy and How to Move Fast

This article has been completely rewritten, September 2026.

You know the feeling. The hurricane or winter storm forecast cone widens, and you realize your city is right in the middle. Or the news runs another inflation story, prices are about to climb again, and you get this worry in the pit of your stomach that you need to get stocked up. Either way, you’ve got a short window of time to do that before shelves empty or prices jump, and you need to move fast without wasting the trip on things you don’t actually need.

Costco was designed for just this type of situation. Bulk sizes mean fewer trips carrying more supplies home in one load, and prices per unit are usually better than a regular grocery store. The trick is going in with a plan, because Costco without a plan means an hour lost wandering past patio furniture and rotisserie chickens while the clock is running.

Here’s how to make one fast, efficient trip count.

Before You Go

Have an active membership card ready. This isn’t the day to discover your card expired last month. Check it before you’re already in the parking lot.

Or, make sure your membership card is on the Costco app. A lot of Costcos now have a scanner at the entrance. Pull up the app once you park your car and have it ready to scan instead of scrolling through thirty-five apps while everyone waits behind you. The clock’s ticking!

Know your store’s layout ahead of time. Most Costcos follow a similar general pattern, but yours has its own quirks. Have in mind where the water is, where the OTC medications are, whether it carries water barrels or bigger emergency items at all. A few minutes on a regular trip scoping this out pays off when you’re moving fast later.

Decide your priorities before you walk in. Write an actual list. It’s easy to fill a cart with whatever looks good under pressure and end up home with three things you didn’t need and missing the one you did. Costco stores are designed to tempt and confuse — don’t fall prey to that!

Bring backup payment. U.S. Costco warehouses take Visa credit cards, PIN debit cards, cash, and member checks. If you pay with a credit card in-store, it has to be Visa. Mastercard, Amex, and Discover credit cards are not accepted at the register. Mastercard credit cards do work on Costco.com.

Bring a second person if you can. Splitting the list means covering more ground faster, and an extra set of arms makes a big difference once the cart is loaded.

Once You’re Inside

Skip the front displays. The tables right past the entrance are usually seasonal items and new products, probably not what you’re there for. Walk past them.

Work the perimeter first. That’s where the bulk of what you actually need is shelved — food, water, paper goods, medications. Save the center section, which holds clothing, electronics, and seasonal goods, for last, or skip them entirely if time is tight.

Unit price checking. Costco price tags show a unit price (per pound, per ounce, or per unit count) below the main price, letting you compare cost-per-unit across package sizes. Buying in bulk doesn’t necessarily mean it’s cheaper per unit, but keep in mind this is a “last chance” type of shopping trip where saving money may take second place to getting stocked up fast.

Don’t forget the non-food essentials. Over-the-counter medications, batteries, cleaning supplies, and hygiene items get overlooked when the focus is all on food, but they run out just as fast.

Wear real shoes and dress for it. You’re going to be moving fast and carrying weight. This isn’t the trip for flip-flops.

Bring a vehicle that can actually hold what you’re buying. Bulk sizes take up a lot of space. Know before you go whether your car can handle a full cart’s worth — maybe have someone bring a second vehicle.

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One Warning Before You Load Up

Not everything on a “must buy” list is actually worth buying, no matter how convincing it sounds in the moment — even if you’re in panic mode. Before you add something in the cart because a checklist says so or the guy in line ahead of you is buying six of them, ask whether you’d actually use it if nothing happens.

Because chances are, nothing will. Most of the time, the storm weakens, the prices settle, the crisis passes, and life goes back to normal in a week or two. That’s the good outcome, and it’s also the most likely one. What you don’t want is to come out the other side with 18 jars of Rao’s marinara sauce and more boxes of cereal than your family will eat in the next two years, just because it seemed like a smart move at the time.

Buy what you’ll actually rotate through — food and supplies you already use regularly, just more of it. That way, if the emergency never fully materializes, nothing goes to waste.

As You Leave

Costco’s gas station. Here’s where you can fill up your tank, along with gas cans for your generator, and it’s where having additional people with you can really help shave off a lot of time from your trip. While you’re shopping, they can gas up the cars and fill the gas cans.

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What If You Don’t Have A Costco Nearby?

Sam’s Club are similar, and the strategy outlined here works for those, too. If neither is an option, plenty of everyday stores, like dollar stores, hardware stores, even garden centers, carry more useful emergency supplies than people expect. Check out the Last Chance Apocalypse Shopping series for ideas on stocking up wherever you happen to be.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Final Word

A hurricane forecast or another round of price hikes in the headlines isn’t a reason to panic, but it is a reason to move. For a speedy shopping trip, Costco rewards people who show up with a plan and a list, and punishes the ones who wander in hoping to figure it out as they go. Know your store, know what you need, and you can walk out in under an hour with everything that’s going to see you through a major storm, or worse.