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How to Pay It Forward at Starbucks

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Pay It Forward at Starbucks

You’re probably familiar with the concept of paying it forward, but have you ever heard of pay it forward chains? When someone at a drive-thru offers to pay for the person behind them, it sometimes starts a chain reaction. Dozens of customers end up paying for each other’s meals or drinks and brightening each other’s days.

This seems to happen most frequently at Starbucks. Several locations throughout the country have had pay it forward chains that lasted all day and ended up in the news. For example, 160 people covered each other’s drinks at a Starbucks in Bethel Park. In St. Petersburg, one woman started a pay it forward chain that spanned 11 hours and involved 379 people.

These stories are a reminder that just one small act of kindness can start a big wave of generosity. If you want to pay it forward at Starbucks and hopefully start your own chain reaction of positivity, here’s how to go about it.

Here’s How to Pay It Forward at Starbucks

We’ve all had a hard year, so maybe you want to spread some happiness by paying for someone else’s Starbucks drink. But how does that work logistically? Here’s everything you need to know about paying it forward at Starbucks.

Treat Someone to a Drink at the Drive-Thru

If you want to pay it forward at Starbucks, the best place to do it is usually at the drive-thru. By the time you pull up to the second window, the barista already knows what the person behind you ordered and can simply add it to your bill. This makes the whole process seamless and enables the next person to easily pay it forward and start a chain.

Starbucks orders can get expensive, especially if the person behind you is getting several drinks. If you can’t afford to cover the person’s whole transaction, you can give the barista some cash or a buy a gift card to cover a portion of the cost. The barista will let the next person know that you paid for a portion of their order, which will brighten their day just as much as getting the whole thing for free.

If there’s no one behind you in line, it can be a little harder to pay it forward at Starbucks. But you can always estimate what the next person will spend and leave behind some cash or a gift card. To give you an idea of what Starbucks usually costs, the average drink is usually around $2.75.

Another benefit of paying it forward at the drive-thru instead of the counter is that you can remain anonymous. If you pay for  someone’s drink in-store, they’ll probably overhear you doing it and come up to thank you. But at the drive-thru, the person behind you will have no idea who covered their drink, which makes it feel more like a random act of kindness.

Leave Your Barista a Nice Tip

If covering someone else’s drink isn’t enough, another way to pay it forward is is to leave your barista a big tip. Baristas and other essential workers have played a huge role during the pandemic. For many of us, getting takeout or a latte was a treat that kept us going through the hardest days of quarantine.

To show them you appreciate them, leave your neighborhood barista a nice tip. You could even write them a note to tell them how much you’ve appreciated their friendly service during the pandemic.

Some people think pay it forward chains are silly because at the end of the day, everyone in line ends up paying for a drink. But these random acts of kindness aren’t about the money—they’re about making someone else feel special and brightening their day.

Instead of keeping the free drink for themselves and ending the chain, each person chooses to pass on the kindness to show the next person in line that they care. Although it’s a small gesture, it can make a big difference in how someone feels, especially if they’re going through a hard time. So if you can afford to, try to pay it forward at Starbucks the next time you stop by for your morning coffee.

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5 Summer Dinner Ideas Under $25

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Summer Dinner Ideas Under $25

It’s easy to eat dinner for less than $25 … if you’re a single person. (Okay, I’m a single person and honestly I still spend more than that sometimes!) However, once you start talking about feeding a whole family, it can feel nearly impossible to keep the dinner budget that low. It’s not. Your family can enjoy tasty, nourishing meals at a much lower price than you might expect. You just have to plan ahead. Here are our top five summer dinner ideas under $25. That’s right; you can feed a family of four (and sometimes as many as six) first $25 total with these menu ideas.

General Tips to Reduce Summer Dinner Costs

Before we get into the exact five summer dinner ideas under $25, let’s talk about some general ways to keep all of your dinner costs down this summer. Here are our favorite tips:

  • Eat lots of fresh seasonal produce. Bought in season, it’s usually quite affordable. Check farmer’s markets.
  • If you eat meat, don’t be afraid to try the less expensive cuts. Learn how to get creative with them.
  • Also, meat eaters should make meat more of a side than an entree. Grains and produce should make up the bulk of the plate for an affordable dinner.
  • Make grains a staple of your summer dinners. Prepare big batches ahead of time.
  • Reduce your consumption of packaged foods. Honestly, you’re paying for the packaging and processing.
  • When entertaining guests this summer, do potlucks. You don’t have to pay to feed everyone.
  • Drink water. When you add soda, juice, or wine to your dinner table, you add costs.
  • Buy staples in bulk. For example, dried legumes are a great bulk item to keep in your pantry for dinner.
  • Grow your own fresh herbs. If you’re able to, grow some of your own fresh veggies and fruits, too.
  • Get used to meal planning. Food waste contributes to financial waste. Plan out your summer dinners.

5 Summer Dinner Ideas Under $25

You might be surprised how many great summer dinner ideas under $25 can feed a whole family. Collect a bunch of them for your meal planning this summer. It will go a long way towards reducing your food budget. Here are five of our favorite summer dinner ideas under $25:

1. Pasta Bar Dinner … Build Your Own Pasta Bowl

She Knows offers a bunch of great suggestions for affordable summer dinners. Of those on the list, this one was our favorite. The idea is that you cook up a variety of different pastas. Then you warm up a selection of different sauces. You might even add a few toppings in there – cooked mushrooms, cheese to sprinkle on, etc. Then everyone at the dinner table can mix and match the kinds of pasta, sauce, and toppings that they want.

Here are our bonus tips to keep it under $25:

  • Buy pasta on sale and/or in bulk.
  • Keep your sauce choices down to 2 or 3.
  • Use what’s already in your fridge for topping ideas.

2. Run With That Mix-and-Match Bar Idea

Take that idea of the pasta bar and apply it to as many different meals as you can. You’d be surprised how many summer dinner ideas under $25 come to mind when you think of making dinner this way. This works whether it’s just for your family or if you’re hosting guests. If you’re doing the latter, don’t hesitate to ask your guests to bring some of their own ingredients to share. It just adds to the fun!

Some of our “build it yourself” dinner ideas include:

  • Personal pizzas
  • Tacos
  • Nachos
  • Grain bowls / rice bowls
  • Salads
  • Omelettes
  • Pancakes (who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner?)

3. Soups and Chilis

We don’t always think about doing soup for dinner during the summer months. After all, we like soup to get cozy when it’s cold. However, soups and chilis do make great light dinner. Plus, they’re so affordable. Mix a whole bunch of ingredients together and you’ve got a nourishing meal in a bowl. You can often use extras from your fridge or freezer to complete the meal and keep the cost down.

Thrifty DIY Diva has a list of 25 meals for less than $25. She’s included several soups on that list. Moreover, she links to the recipes. The soups on her list include White Bean and Vegetable Soup, White Chili, and Vegetable Soup. Obviously, vegetable-rich soups are the most affordable. However, you can add cheap meat cuts to your soups and chilis as well. I also like noodle-based soups like homemade ramen.

4. Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole

This was one of the most interesting items on the aforementioned list by Thrifty DIY Diva. (It’s number 13 on the list f you follow the link above.) The recipe itself comes from Blue Cheese Bungalow. This is a good one for the meat lovers out there. Obviously, stuffed bell peppers are a popular choice, typically filled with ground beef and rice. However, this recipe’s creator felt like there was never enough meat. So she turned the basic idea into a meat-rich casserole.

If you’re interested in this option, buy your ground beef in bulk / on sale. Make a huge batch of this casserole. Then either eat or freeze the leftovers. You can keep the entire meal very affordable. This recipe does have a few spices in it. Hopefully, you keep a stocked spice rack. That helps a lot when you’re trying to eat affordably. Obviously, you have to pay to stock the spice rack. However, then you can use those spices to change the flavor profile of all types of basic foods. Therefore, you save in the long run. You don’t get bored with your meals. Moreover, a little bit of spice goes a long way.

5. Rice Bowls and Fried Rice Dishes

Tasty has another great list of 20 meals under $20. In fact, stuffed bell peppers are on that list as well, going to show that they’re a terrific affordable summer dinner to work into your meal planning. However, the main thing we want to highlight on this list is their smart use of rice. They offer ideas for rice bowls and fried rice dishes. And if you head back up to that aforementioned link for Thrifty DIY Diva, you’ll notice that she has a few fried rice dishes on her list as well.

Tasty’s meal list includes Asian Beef and Rice Bowls, Pork Teriyaki Fried Rice, and Cilantro Lime Rice. One of the things we love about this list is that it actually includes the total cost of each meal. Moreover, it shows the break down of the price item by item for the recipe. While prices will obviously vary depending upon where you live, this gives you a great idea of how to start planning your own summer dinner ideas under $25.

Do you have any terrific summer dinner ideas under $25 for families of four or more? Share them in the comments!

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Why Restaurants Are Having A Hard Time Finding Employees

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Restaurants Having A Hard Time Finding Employees

The restaurant industry sure took a hard hit with the COVID-19 pandemic. Many restaurants closed entirely, unable to keep up with rent payments during closures. Other restaurants continued to stay afloat thanks to a combination of funding sources. However, they were all eager for the day when they could re-open to full capacity. We’re just about there. And yet, restaurants are having a hard time finding employees. What is going on?

The Impact of COVID-19 on Restaurants

When the coronavirus pandemic first hit, many cities shut down all of their restaurants. While some resumed service quickly, many kept their doors closed. Here in San Francisco, we only just began allowing indoor dining at partial capacity in recent weeks. While we expect to reach full indoor dining capacity in mid-June, it’s been more than a year of reduced indoor seating.

In order to stay open and survive the pandemic, restaurants had to take a variety of different measures. These included:

  • Updating their to-go and delivery menus. Many places began offering to-go cocktails, new menu items, and family meals.
  • Partnering with nearby bars to allow those bars to open as well. Bars in San Francisco remained closed until very recently. However, they could serve alcohol at a partner restaurant if they could find one.
  • Applying for permits to allow outdoor dining. Here in San Francisco, many places opened outdoor dining parklets. They’ve been a wonderful addition to the city. However, building those cost money. They had to spend money in order to keep making money. And the
  • Adapting their rules, guidelines, safety procedures, etc. in order to meet constantly-changing COVID-19 guidelines.
  • Reducing staff in order to adjust to changing capacities and funding.
  • Applying for grants, setting up Go Fund Me accounts, selling gift certificates and finding other sources of funding.

Many restaurants across the country closed their doors during the pandemic. Some will never open again. In fact, in 2020, over 110,000 restaurants shut down. Forbes reports that the restaurant industry lost $240 billion last year. Moreover, 2.5 million workers in the industry lost their jobs.

We’re Turning the Corner

As we reach the middle of 2021, we’re finally starting to see a positive change. Thanks to vaccines and a downtrend in cases, many areas in the country are able to re-open again. A lot of the restaurants that were struggling to hang on have seen a big surge in customers returning to dine with them.

New restaurants are opening. Old ones are coming back. Those that had been open at partial capacity are filling up again.

However, the restaurants obviously have to keep adapting. Those that had reduced staff due to reduced capacity now need to hire new people. Many people need jobs. And yet, restaurants are having a hard time finding employees. In fact, just when business started bustling again, some restaurants had to close their doors because they simply didn’t have the staff to meet the demand.

There Are Just Too Many Jobs Available

Yes, 2.5 million people lost their jobs in the restaurant industry last year. However, some of those people managed to find new ways to make money since then. And those that are looking for jobs have a whole lot of options to choose from. It’s the first time in history that we can think of when thousands upon thousands of restaurants are hiring all at once. If you have restaurant experience and want a job in the industry, you really have a lot of options to choose from.

People are indeed going out and getting those new restaurant jobs. The New York Times reports a steady increase in restaurant employment month upon month in 2021. Nevertheless, restaurant staffing remains significantly lower than it was pre-pandemic. There are still over one million fewer jobs filled in the business this year as compared to last. (Note that fast food staffing is lower than a year ago but not nearly as low as that of higher-end restaurants.)

So restaurants having a hard time finding employees is a simple situation of supply and demand. There are a lot of jobs. While some people want them, many of those people want to explore their options. Whereas they may have had only a few restaurant positions to choose from pre-pandemic, they now have their pick of places to apply. With so many openings, employees can be pickier about the jobs they take on.

There Are Other Jobs Available, Too

As aforementioned, some of those laid-off restaurant employees found other ways to make money during the pandemic. Perhaps they started their own businesses. Maybe they trained in a new field that allows them to work from home. In some cases, they spent the pandemic year going back to school. In other words, they have returned (or are returning) to work but not in the restaurant industry.

People Moved Away From Restaurant-Rich Areas

The big cities with the most restaurants are also some of the most expensive cities. When people lost their restaurant jobs, some decided to leave those cities. For example, a lot of people left San Francisco and New York. There was no reason to stay in a really expensive city without work available. If those people don’t choose to return to cities with a lot of restaurants, then they aren’t applying for those jobs. And if the people who remained in the cities have other job options, then they aren’t applying to the restaurants. So restaurants having a hard time finding employees makes a lot of sense, especially in those big cities.

Some People May Choose Unemployment

The New York Times article also argues that there are some people who simply don’t want to return to work if they don’t feel like they have to. People have received an unprecedented amount of unemployment income during this pandemic. In some cases, individuals may find that they make more money not working than they would if they chose to go back to work. Moreover, some of those people simply might not feel safe and ready to go back to restaurant work. After all, you have to interact with a lot of people who may or may not have been exposed to COVID.

Of course, there are rules about unemployment. You’re supposed to actively look for a job if you’re able to work. Obviously, there are restaurants hiring. Therefore, at some point, those people who choose unemployment over working may not have that option anymore. However, for the time being, it appears that a portion of those people aren’t returning to work, yet. This contributes to restaurants having a hard time finding employees.

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Food Prices Continue To Rise

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food price increase

It started with empty spots on grocery store shelves amid the pandemic. As a result, food prices soared. Now, with vaccinations up and COVID-19 infections down, you might think those prices would be down. 

However, grocery prices continue their upward trajectory.

Research firm NielsenIQ reports that seafood has climbed 18.7 percent while baked goods have increased 7.5 percent in the 13 week period ended April 24. 

Grocery store prices overall are up 3.3 percent from March 2020 to March 2021, according to the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). If you ordered from a restaurant during that time, your meal costs rose 3.7 percent.

Consumer Price Index Increase

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose last month to 4.2 percent over the previous April. That is the highest inflation rate since September 2008. Most importantly, the core CPI, which tracks food and energy prices rose 0.9 percent. Consequently, that was 0.6 percent above projections.  

Short-Term Volatility

Food prices can move almost instantly with a change in weather, geopolitics, social unrest, and a variety of other factors. 

A combination of events has come together to impact current food prices.

Oil and Supply Chain

Gasoline is used to fuel everything from tractors used in the planting and harvesting of grains, vegetables, and fruit to delivery of those products in addition to meat and fish. As a result, any price increase in oil contributes to price increases in food.

In addition to gas prices, problems in the supply chain impact not only food prices but other grocery store items. For instance, remember the toilet paper shortage?

Climate Change

Extreme weather events, as well as gradual changes, have had an impact on the food supply. The most recent major weather event is the winter storm that wreaked havoc deep into Texas. 

The immediate impact of that storm was knocking out the power grid. That left people without heat and electricity as temperatures dropped to record lows. However, the long-term impact has slashed the supply of many food sources. 

Losses from that one storm have been estimated at $600 million. Of that, $14 million in milk, cattle, and poultry were lost. In addition, a vast array of fruits and vegetables were destroyed.

Government Supplements

Government policy has had some effect on food costs by driving up corn prices. More corn is going into fuel tanks. As a result, less is going into stomachs.

The U. S. government pays subsidies to use corm for biofuels. As a result, the price of corn has risen and there is less corn to eat. The creation of ethanol consumes 37 percent of the nation’s corn. That’s more than six times the amount used in 2000.

The Pandemic

You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating. The pandemic upended the food supply and helped drive up the cost of food and many other goods.

The pandemic accelerated in March of last year. Many states and cities instituted safety measures that lead to more people eating at home more often. That increased the demand for groceries.  Meanwhile, nations began closing their borders to limit the spread of COVID-19. That disrupted shipping which further limited the food supply. As a result, prices went higher.

Limited Stockpiles

The World Trade Organization (WTO) limits the amount certain foods, such as corn and wheat, can be stockpiled. That policy is designed to level the playing field between countries that subsidize farmers and those that do not. This policy is effective in times of abundance. However, it worsens the problem during shortages. 

Rising Meat Prices

Another factor increasing food prices is an increase in meat consumption – especially pork. People around the world are becoming more affluent.  As a result, those who could not afford meat a few years ago now can. 

So, you say, just raise more animals. Fine, but the animals you want to eat have to eat as well. That leads to a need for more grain. That increase in demand raises grain prices even more. That leads to higher meat prices.  

The Darkness Before The Dawn

Reading all the above and watching prices climb at the grocery may lead you to think the solution is simply not to eat.  That’s been tried and most agree the results are not satisfactory.

Take heart, the high prices we are experiencing today and, perhaps, for the rest of the year are not permanent.

USDA Predictions

The Department of Agriculture is expecting grocery prices to rise another one to two percent in 2021, before stabilizing as the pandemic passes. Restaurant food costs will grow by another two to three percent, says the USDA. 

The Agriculture Department is even predicting beef and veal prices will drop between 1.5 to 2.5 percent by the end of the year.

Of course, the USDA projections can not predict whether a hurricane, tornado, flood or other natural disasters will disrupt the food supply. 

Conclusion

There are many things you can not do about food prices. You can not increase grain yields, cut transportation costs, or change the weather. However, you are not powerless. You can exercise a plan of action to minimize the effects of rising food prices.

There are many sources for inexpensive recipes online and in publications. You can also set a budget and stick to it. Here are some other ideas for fighting food costs.

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If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started. Check out these helpful tools to help you save more. For investing advice, visit The Motley Fool.

Weekly Financial Wrap: Jobs, Stocks, Govcoin, Food Prices, Office Perks

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Weekly Financial Wrap

Why Did Stock Explode When Jobs Bombed?

April’s jobs report was lower than expected, but Wall Street didn’t care.

The U. S. economy produced only 266,000 new jobs in April. The private sector added 218,000 jobs. Meanwhile, government employment rose by 48,000. As a result, unemployment moved from 6 to 6.1 percent.

 

Stocks React

Following the release of the jobs numbers, all the major exchanges posted gains. The Nasdaq moved up 1.1 percent, the S&P 500 gained .7 percent, and the Dow rose .4 percent.

The jobs report had no impact on the markets. So, what caused them to move up? Inflation fears were eased. However, since that time some inflation concerns have increased stock volatility.

Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell said he would want to see several strong jobs reports back-to-back before reducing Fed treasury purchases. As a result, the 10 year Treasury yield fell three basis points to 1.54 percent immediately after the jobs report.  

Why Jobs Did Not Meet Expectations

Some speculate that federally enhanced unemployment benefits have caused unemployed people to shun work. So far, 11 states, Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wyoming, have announced they will bar residents from accepting federal unemployment checks in June or July. The program is scheduled to terminate on September 6.

However, economists and Biden administration officials discount that argument. They cite a shortage of workers with qualified skills for some jobs. In addition, some employees may still be concerned about safety.

“It’s clear that there are people who are not ready and able to go back into the labor force,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told reporters, citing parents whose children are still learning remotely. “I don’t think the addition to unemployment compensation is really the factor that is making a difference.”

A Closer Look

Data released in the Labor Department report shows some interesting causes for the modist jobs performance.

Automobile and parts manufacturers cut 27,000 jobs last month. This has been linked to the semiconductor chip shortage and supply chain problems.

There were significant gains in the hospitality industry. Hotels added 54,400 jobs. In addition, bars and restaurants hired 187,000 people. However, food and liquor stores dropped 49,400 jobs.  Both may be the result of the easing of pandemic restrictions.

Delivery services is another area where the reduction in COVID-19 fears made an impact. Currier and delivery service reduced employment by 77,400.

Bottom Line

According to the Labor Department, 9.8 million Americans are out of work. That is a high number, but far below the 23.1 million in April last year. 

As President Biden said following the report, “Our efforts are starting to work. But the climb is steep and we still have a long way to go.”

Grocery Prices Rising

The old question was – which came first the chicken or the egg? Now, it might be – which costs more? 

SA will look at why the cost of groceries is going up in Sunday’s focus article. 

Govcoins Coming

The sustainability of cryptocurrencies and their challenge to the currencies of central banks is forcing national governments to enter the world of digital money. As a result, we are in the middle of history that will likely be studied for centuries.

The New Money

The rise of cryptocurrencies is creating a decentralized world of finance. However, since they also challenge conventional currencies, more governments are planning to issue their own cryptocurrencies.

Called Govcoins, these state-produced cryptocurrencies promise to make digital currencies work more efficiently and reliably. However, they may dramatically change how retail banks operate or threaten their existence.

Central Banks

Govcoins would be created and processed through central banks, such as the Federal Reserve Bank, Bank of England, or other national banks. That would give such institutions control over the digital currency. The influence of networks and individuals would be reduced or eliminated.

Instead of having a checking or savings account with your local bank, your Govcoin would be in a central bank. Transactions would be processed through a payment app.

That could lead to individuals and businesses leaving their digital funds in the central bank. As a result, your local bank might not have money to make loans.

Threat to American Influence in the World

Today, the world’s reserve currency is the U. S. dollar. That is strengthened by America’s open capital markets. However, cryptocurrencies have the potential to upend the dollar’s dominance by offering an alternative means of moving payments across borders.

If U. S. policymakers want to preserve that dominance, they may have to establish an American Govcoin.

A Long Way To Go

Over 50 countries are researching and some are implementing digital currencies. China has introduced a limited version of the e-yuan; the European Union is planning an e-euro by 2025 and America is exploring an e-dollar.

The technical challenges of a nation issuing a cryptocurrency are relatively simple. The great questions are how to preserve individual privacy and what role central and retail banks will play in the future. Historic times indeed.

New Office Perks 

Most major employers are offering vaccines and changing workspaces to increase employee safety and promote a return to the office.  However, some companies are going a leap further.

CoStar, an analytical and research service company. is offering workers who return to the office the chance to win a Tesla Model S. However if cars are not that enticing, they are also offering $10,000 in cash and a trip to Barbados.

The incentive program was conceived soon after CoStar offered COVID-19 vaccines to employees.  Even with the vaccine, many employees were reluctant to get back in the office. However, with the chance to win one of the big prices, over 30 percent of the workforce has returned to CoStar offices.

Cash Bonus For Taking Vacation

Another weird new employee benefit arising from the pandemic has employees getting a bonus to take vacation time.

Many employees working from home have not made use of vacation time. That has created a logjam of time off for many employers. As a result, some have resorted to unusual measures to induce employees to take a break.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), a global assurance and consulting firm, is paying employees $250 for every week of vacation they book for the next year up to $1,000. Meanwhile, other companies, such as Google, are giving employees an additional vacation day for booking time off.

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Costco Passover Deals

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Costco Passover Deals

Passover begins on March 27, 2021. Then it continues for about a week. The meals are an important part of the holiday. Therefore you’ll want to stock your kitchen in advance if you’re planning to celebrate. Here are some of the Costco Passover deals that can help you do that.


What is Passover?

Passover, also known as Pesach, is a Jewish spring holiday. There are a handful of annual festivals that are particularly important in the Jewish religion. In terms of the calendar year, Passover is the first of these important holidays. Others include Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Historically, the people of Israel had been taken as slaves by the Egyptian Pharaoh. During Passover, they were freed. Therefore, the Passover holiday is a celebration of this freedom. Of course, there’s a lot more to the religious details as there are with any holiday but that’s the gist of what Jewish people celebrate at this time of year.

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When is Passover 2021?

Passover, like Easter, changes the date from year to year depending on the calendar. In 2021, Passover begins on the night of March 27, 2021. It continues for seven or eight days, depending on your particular beliefs. In terms of meals, the first two nights of Passover are the most important. Therefore, if you’re looking for Costco Passover deals, then you’re particularly looking at your dinners for March 27th and 28th, 2021. That said, you might eat Passover foods all throughout the season.

What Are The Most Common Passover Foods?

The meals we eat during Passover are a very important part of the holiday’s traditions. Some of the most common Passover foods, and the reasons behind eating them at this time of year, are:

  • Matzoh, which is a flat cracker-like bread, which are a commemoration of the humble foods the ancestors ate while still under slavery
  • Bitter herbs (often horseradish or sometimes bitter lettuce), representing the bitterness of times of slavery
  • Other greens (often parsley) to represent the coming of spring
  • Charoset, which is a wine-nut-apple paste representing the mortar that slaves used when building for the Egyptians
  • Chicken and/or egg, representative of sacrificial animals the ancestors might have enjoyed eating

These are all part of the seder that takes place on the first (and sometimes second) night of Passover. Other common Passover foods include:

  • Matzoh ball soup
  • Gefiltefish
  • Brisket
  • Potatoes
  • Wine and/or grape juice

Each family and region has different Passover meal traditions. The one thing that holds across nearly all homes is that grain-based “leavened” foods like pasta and bread (other than Matzoh) aren’t consumed during this holiday.

Costco Passover Deals

Now that we have a sense of what Passover is and the foods enjoyed during this holiday, let’s take a look at some of the Costco Passover deals in 2021.

March / April 2021 Costco Sales

Every month, Costco comes out with its latest deals. The current member-only savings are available 3/10/21 – 4/4/21. Unfortunately, none of the deals advertised right now are not specific to Passover. You won’t find a specific coupon for Gefilte fish or Matzoh. But you can still get these things at Costco at a lower price than perhaps other stores in your area.

Of course, there are a lot of different things going on at this time of year in addition to Passover. Easter, springtime, and the nearing end of the school year are all upon us. So even though there aren’t specific Passover deals right now, it might be worth it to you to check out the other deals that are available through 4/4/21.

What You Can Buy for Passover at Costco

Although none of the common Passover foods are advertised at specific discounted prices, Costco does offer low prices on everything it sells. And yes, they should have all of the things that you might want to buy for Passover dinner.

Therefore, even though they don’t have special Passover sales, you could definitely plan for the holiday by looking at Costco for what you need. If you’re going to make your own charoset, you can get the apples, nuts, and wine to do so at Costco. You can usually find matzo at Costco during the spring. Sometimes you can even find gefilte fish. Of course you’ll be able to find chicken and potatoes, which is one of the most common meals Jewish Americans serve for Passover dinner.

Also, remember that while most Costco stores have the same things in stock, they do have some variation. If you live in an area with a large Jewish population, then you might have access to more Passover foods at your Costco than someone who does not.

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