I've been a Costco executive member for 18 years. Here are 9 items I always buy for my family of 5.

The Poppen smoked Norwegian salmon slices and BelGioioso Italian cheese board are two of the best things I buy for my family at Costco.

Phoebe Farag Mikhail

At a time when online grocery shopping is often the most convenient option, Costco is one of the only stores I still visit in person.As an executive member of 18 years, I count on the store's items to help me feed my family of five without spending a fortune.And although I always love trying new products, here are nine tried-and-true items that almost always end up in my cart.

Costco is a great place to buy red meat in bulk.

I use ground beef to make Egyptian-style kofta and beef stew.