UCLA students have started a new club built around something simple: shopping at Costco.
The club meets to carpool to the warehouse store, split bulk items, and spend time together along the way. It launched in September and already pulled in more than 50 students at its first meeting, according to the Daily Bruin.
Living in California is not cheap, and Los Angeles is one of the pricier spots. Rent, groceries, and getting around a city built for cars all add up fast for a college student. The UCLA Costco Club found a workaround: team up.
Here is how it works. Some students own cars and Costco memberships. Others have neither. The club pairs them up so everyone can make the trip, which can take more than 40 minutes one way from campus depending on traffic, and share the savings that come from buying in bulk.
Kathryn Chong, the club's social media manager and a fourth-year biology student, told the Daily Bruin the idea came from wanting to make life simpler. She said banding together with people who have memberships and cars just makes things easier and more fun.
The club is not stopping at grocery runs. It plans meal-prep classes, Costco trivia nights, and food drives for the campus community.
There is a bigger trend behind this. A July Harris Poll found 51% of Gen Z adults feel lonely on a typical weekend, the highest of any age group and far above Baby Boomers. Nearly half said they do not have enough friends to spend time with in person, and most said they would rather find cheap ways to hang out than pay for a pricey night out.
Club president Serenity Shadowens told the Daily Bruin the group welcomes anyone, whether you have shopped at Costco your whole life or never set foot in one. She said the goal is building a community where people can relax and laugh together after class.
What this means for you
You do not need to be a UCLA student to borrow this idea. If prices feel tight where you live, here is how you can try it too.
- Find a few people nearby who already have a membership to a bulk store.
- Offer to split gas or driving duty in exchange for a ride.
- Buy big items together and divide the cost and the goods.
- Use the trip itself as the hangout, not just an errand.
This site exists so you do not need a dictionary to follow money news. Stories like this show that saving cash and making friends do not have to be separate goals.
If you are short on both cash and company this month, try asking one friend to split a bulk shopping trip with you this week.
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