The $185 Costco Chicken Problem — Shopping

The rotisserie chicken is a well-documented loss-leader for Costco. At $4.99 for a three-pound bird, it's an amazing solution for quick weeknight dinners. My family can get about two or three meals out of a single bird (think: tacos, chicken soup, chicken-topped salad, and actual chicken salad). So sometimes I go to Costco just for the chicken. The problem is, it's hard to walk out of Costco with just the chicken. They know that and that's totally the point!

Recently, I went in for chicken and walked out with $185 worth of goods of varying urgency. Yikes.

As part confession and part warning, here's a list of all the things I've bought when I went in "just for chicken." Not all at once, mind you, but over many trips. Sometimes they are smart purchases, and sometimes they're impulse buys. Here they are, in no particular order. Please don't judge me.

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