VlogUp

• I headed to Costco before a two-week trip in a 75-square-foot van.
• I wasn't sure I'd find much for my tiny home considering the store sells items in bulk.
• I left with a full cart. If I permanently lived on the road, some items would be essentials. 

Tiny living and Costco seem like they shouldn't go together.

The store is known for selling items in bulk. Meanwhile, a campervan means limited storage and space.

But I'm a sucker for a deal, so I headed to my nearest Costco outside of Denver, Colorado, before a two-week trip in a 75-square-foot van.

Before embarking on a two-week road trip in a van, I headed to Costco to load up on groceries and other essential items.

The two-week road trip would take me through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah, so I knew I needed to stock up on groceries, road snacks, and winter essentials like hand warmers.

While I wasn't sure Costco was the ideal store for van dwellers since it sells items in bulk, I figured I would start there and see what deals I could find.

To my surprise, I found I could easily fill an entire cart with meals, snacks, and goods that would come in handy for the trip.

I grabbed a cart and one of the first things I added was Liquid I.V. for $22.99.

I often bring packets of Liquid I.V., an electrolyte hydration mix, with me on ski days, backpacking trips, and long days outdoors to keep myself hydrated.

Since I had two weeks of outdoor adventures ahead of me, Liquid I.V. was a must. Plus, I thought 24 packets for $23 was a fair price. Later that week, I went on a Target run where 10 packets of Liquid I.V. were being sold for $18. On Liquid I.V.'s website, a 14-pack is sold for $25.

No matter where I am, eggs are an essential. Costco sells two dozen for $3.99.

It's hard to beat Costco's deal on eggs. I knew the moment I stepped inside the store that I'd grab a carton.

For $3.99, I'd be able to eat two eggs each morning of my trip (as long as I ate out twice for breakfast).

I wanted vegetarian dinner options for my nights at campsites, so I picked up two packages of ravioli for $11.99.

When planning the trip, I knew I wanted to get to my campsites before sundown since I wanted a sense of my surroundings and didn't want to navigate any rough roads in the dark.

This meant that I would eat most dinners from inside my van.

So when I stepped into Costco, I wanted to find easy, vegetarian meals I could cook.

This ravioli fit the bill. The two packages were enough for four meals and the pasta was absolutely delicious.

I've had Trader Joe's butternut squash ravoli before, but Giovanni Rana is my new favorite. Plus, it's a great deal. A similar pasta by the same brand costs $7.24 for 18 ounces at Walmart. I got 32 ounces for $11.99.

I also found a vegetarian soup. Two jars cost $14.99.

As I wandered through the aisles, I stumbled upon a French pesto soup by the company Karine and Jeff.

The soup was vegetarian, and cost $13.99 for two jars — enough for four meals.

Unfortunately, it wasn't my favorite soup, so I'd pass on buying this flavor again. However, it was an ideal size for a van with just two jars.

In the produce area, I purchased salad kits for $6.99.

To pair with my ravioli and soup, I needed a salad. Thankfully, I found a pair of Taylor Farms salad kits for $6.99.

The kits I purchased came with salad, dressing, and toppings like sesame seeds, wontons, and nuts.

I'd save space by not needing to buy each ingredient separately, and I found that the kits — which contained both cabbage and romaine lettuce — stayed fresh in the fridge.

I also grabbed raspberries for $3.99.

I knew I'd pack snacks, but I wanted a few healthy options, too.

So I grabbed two 6-ounce containers of raspberries. It was a good deal. I usually pay about the same amount for just one container at my local grocery store.

Plus, I can eat that many raspberries in one sitting, so I knew they wouldn't go bad.

I stocked up on snacks like Dot's Homestyle Pretzels, which cost $9.99.

I absolutely love Dot's Homestyle Pretzels. The pretzel sticks are coated in a savory seasoning, and I can never get enough of them.

My main complaint is the price. Typically, a 16-ounce bag costs $7 at my local Target, which I think is a bit expensive.

So when I spotted a 32-ounce bag for only $9.99 at Costco, I was thrilled. The bag wouldn't be too big to store in the cabinets of my van, and I knew it was a snack I'd eat every last crumb of.

Most of the snacks I spotted were in packages that would be far too big for a van. Thankfully, some yogurt-covered almonds were the right size.

As I walked down Costco's aisles, I spotted enormous boxes of cereal and even bigger bags of chips.

I knew I wouldn't consume that many chips or that much cereal in two weeks, and, more importantly, I wouldn't have the space for these items.

However, I could definitely polish off a large bag of yogurt-covered almonds in two weeks.

The Sconza Thins' strawberry-coated almonds were an ideal size at 22 ounces. And I thought they were affordable at $4.97 for the bag.

I love Bobo's oat bars and figured these PB&J granola bars meant I wouldn't need to buy peanut butter, jelly, or bread.

Bobo's are easily my favorite granola bar. They're always in my hiking backpack, so I figured I'd pack some on my van trip, too.

I also thought the PB&J version would help me save space since I could skip packing peanut butter, jelly, and bread and have a snack version of the sandwich instead.

For $14.99, I grabbed 20 granola bars. I thought it was a steal since the same box costs $29.99 on Bobo's website.

I picked up an enormous bag of popcorn for $5.99, which turned out to be a mistake.

I love Boomchickapop's sweet-and-salty kettle corn, so, without thinking, I grabbed the enormous bag.

While it was a good deal at $5.99 for 25 ounces (a 7-ounce bag at Target costs $3.79), it was far too big to fit in the storage provided in my van.

The large bag couldn't be stuffed into any cabinet, so for the bulk of the trip, it joined me in the passenger seat.

If I were to do van life full-time, I'd have to buy smaller-sized snacks or skip out on items like this to save space.

I also purchased household necessities like Lysol wipes for $10.99.

Messes were bound to happen in my van, so I wanted to make sure I was stocked with cleaning supplies.

Instead of buying bottles of cleaners and rolls of paper towels, I opted for a four-pack of Lysol wipes. They came in handy when I needed to wipe down my van's countertops and clean my swivel table.

I only used one of the four containers during my two-week trip, but if I lived in a van full-time, the price would be worth finding the storage for all four. At Target, a single container costs $5.99. I purchased a pack of four for $10.99.

Finally, I grabbed hand warmers for $13.99. I'd be traveling to some chilly places and knew I wanted something to keep me warm on hikes and walks.

I get cold quickly and easily, so disposable hand warmers are always with me on my travels to cooler places.

One large box with 40 pairs of Heat Pro hand warmers cost $13.99 at Costco. As of November 2023, a similar box with a few more pairs is listed for $33.49 on Amazon.

I left Costco with a full cart, savings, and some helpful items for my trip ahead.

All in all, I spent less than $200 on food and supplies for my van trip at Costco.

While I made some mistakes — like buying way too much popcorn — other items like Liquid I.V. and hand warmers came in handy throughout the trip.

And if I decided to do van life full-time, I'm sure plenty of the items I purchased would become staples in my tiny home.

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