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Imagine you were walking down the street and you happened to notice an unplayed scratch-off lottery ticket at your feet. Maybe you pick it up, because, hey, why not? And when you scratch it off, you've actually won $1,000.
This calls for some sort of spree, I think. And in the spirit of The Ascent, let's make it a Costco shopping spree. Last one there's a rotten egg.
If it's my lucky day, here's what I'd buy at Costco.
1. Little Giant MegaLite+ 18 ft. Reach Ladder with Leg Levelers ($189.99)
I know I've suggested this versatile multi-position ladder many times before, but frankly, that's because it's on my Christmas list and I'm hoping someone will send it to me so I don't have to go buy it for myself. Costco regularly offers a few different ladders, but this one is my particular favorite for a couple of reasons.
First, it has the leg levelers. Where I live in Missouri, finding two spots on the ground that are actually the same level is kind of a miracle, and I find myself repositioning ladders constantly for safety. I dream of leg levelers that I can more precisely adjust.
Secondly, it's huge. It's enormous. With an 18-foot reach, I think I could pretty much trim any tree in my yard that needed trimming, and I could get into the attic without too much fanfare. But it also folds into a much more compact size, meaning I can get rid of several ladders and just replace them with the one.
2. Hamilton Beach 11 cu. ft. Upright Freezer with Drawer Organization ($399.99)
The husband of a friend of mine actually spotted this freezer first, and posted it to our local Costco finds group. I've owned several upright freezers, and the wire shelves are OK, but they get hard to organize if you have a lot of small items, like little containers of soup base or one-pound bags of vegetables.
What I love about this freezer is the see-through bins. There are seven of them, if you want to get precise. With seven bins, I could organize my freezer life pretty completely, and it would really simplify my big monthly meal prepping efforts.
Need vegetables? They're in the second bin. Gotta grab some sauce? Third bin. So, not only is it easy on the eyes, it's great for organization and really, great for your budget, too, if you're a once-a-month food prep type.
3. Shark NeverChange Air Purifier MAX with Remote, Two Odor Neutralization Cartridges, & Pet Pro Filter ($279.99)
I both own a home built in the late 1940s and have several pets, including cats, which adds up to a situation where I'm always a little paranoid that my house might have a smell. I've been actively looking for a good air purifier, and, you know, I think the Shark NeverChange is kind of a winner all around.
Not only does it offer HEPA filtration, it measures and tracks the indoor air quality, which would save me having to pick up extra air quality meters should I buy a cheaper unit. And the cartridge is supposed to last for five years (we'll see what happens when the cat hair clogs it the first time).
Basically, if you want to get an air purifier for your home, but you never want to touch it, this is the one. It can handle up to a 1,450 square foot structure.
4. Feit Electric 48' LED Filament String Light Set, 3-Pack ($99.99)
Every year I tell myself I'm going to hang some lights under my carport before winter creeps in, and every year I wait until the last minute and don't do it because now it's cold and I don't want to go outside in the dark to hang lights. So, since I was near the end of my pretend lottery money, I decided this was going to be the year.
Enter these string lights by Feit Electric.
I have some smart bulbs by Feit, so I know kind of what sort of quality to expect from them (pretty excellent) and how reliable they'll be (very), so for a job I really don't want to have to do again, I think they're perfect. They do require an outlet to plug into, but each string will plug into the one before it like Christmas lights, so it's just the one plug space you're taking up.
The cool thing about these string lights is that you can swap out the bulbs if they ever burn out. They're LED bulbs, so it may never happen, but you never know.
My wild Costco spending spree isn't all that wild
Maybe my wild shopping spree at Costco seems pretty tame by comparison to what you might buy, but I'm a middle-aged woman who has already bought all the fun stuff and is now trying to focus on utilitarian items.
But seriously, buying high-quality items with your found lottery money can keep you from replacing them later and make your life a lot easier, so why not?
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We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Kristi Waterworth has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale and JPMorgan Chase. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
