A Politician's $800 Costco Receipt Has Set the Internet Ablaze–Here's Why

Between the wholesale products, tempting deals, and free sample stations introducing you to tasty new food items every few feet, it’s not necessarily hard to drop some serious cash during one Costco trip. However, a politician’s recent complaints on social media about a pricey Costco trip have set off an intense discussion about whether the retailer has become too expensive–and who’s to blame if it has.

Stefani Lord, a Republican who serves in New Mexico’s House of Representatives, set off this fierce debate when she posted a picture on Twitter earlier this week of a receipt for $799.38 that she said came from Costco. And in the tweet where she posted the picture, the lawmaker seemingly blamed President Joe Biden–who has been no stranger to criticism over rising inflation during his administration–for her high grocery bill.

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“Thanks, Joe Biden! $799.38 for ONE full cart at Costco with 58 items and only 9 non-food items like paper towels, plastic bags, trash bags, and razors,” Lord tweeted.

There’s no arguing against the fact that grocery bills typically cost much more nowadays than they did a couple of years ago. Food at home prices were 5.8% higher in May 2023 than they were in May 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But while Lord received some sympathy for her nearly $800 grocery bill from some Twitter users, others weren’t as ready to accept her arguments that Biden was at fault. Many have pointed out that Lord’s receipt picture showed her total, but not the actual items that she purchased. This spurred some Twitter users to speculate that she bought some especially expensive products that hiked up the cost of her overall shopping trip.

“Notice how she won’t show the whole receipt. Y’all know Costco sells wagyu and king crab there too,” one Twitter user wrote.

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Others noted that even if Lord didn’t grab anything that was very expensive by itself, $800 may not be an unreasonable price for a full cart since Costco sells bulk-sized groceries that can last for some time. For context, $800 divided by 58 would come out to about $13.79 per item.

“$800 for a packed Costco cart has always been the typical cost—not inflation. Stefani Lord won’t even show the 58 items,” a Twitter user commented.

Some social media users even went so far as to question whether the receipt actually came from Costco, but Lord dismissed those suspicions in a follow-up tweet.

“I’m laughing at how #triggered the #progressive left-wingers are about my Costco receipt. ‘sHoW tHe rEcEiPt oR iTs fAkE!’ Nope, it’s real, and all 58 items are food but 9 small purchase items like paper towels, razors, etc. No alcohol, no tires, no electronics, no big purchases, no steaks, no junk food, no sugary foods, no vitamins, no cosmetics, no medicine, and no soda. Lots of frozen broccoli, if you must know, and two packs of chicken thighs,” she wrote.

As of today, June 22, Lord hasn’t shared a full breakdown of all the items she purchased during this ill-fated Costco trip. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the debate set off by her tweet.

Zoe Strozewski