Costco-loving UCLA students beat cost of living crisis, forge bonds with shoppers club

Forget traditional frat parties or networking events.At UCLA, the hottest new campus club is all about $1.50 hot dogs and buying toilet paper in bulk.Cash-strapped deal-loving California college students are fighting back against the Golden State’s crushing cost of living — and Gen Z’s loneliness epidemic — by turning their shared obsession with Costco into an unlikely social club.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story The newly formed UCLA Costco Club is bringing bargain-hunting Bruins together for group shopping expeditions to the beloved warehouse giant, where students can stock up on groceries without breaking the bank, and perhaps make a few friends along the way.Founded in September, the club is already proving to be a hit, with more than 50 students showing up for its inaugural meeting, according to the Daily Bruin.

While many college clubs revolve around sports, partying or professional development, this one has a decidedly more practical mission: helping students stretch their dollars in a notoriously expensive city.The concept is simple.Students with cars and Costco memberships team up with classmates who lack either, making group trips to the nearest warehouse — a journey that can take more than 40 minutes from the Westwood Village campus, depending on traffic.Once there, they can take advantage of buying goods in bulk, potentially splitting supersized grocery purchases that might otherwise be impractical for a single student.“We realized it’d be best if we can just all band together, have people with memberships and cars, go to Costco so we can buy items in bulk,” Kathryn Chong, the club’s social media manager and a fourth-year biology student, told the school newspaper.

“It just makes life easier and more enjoyable.” Beyond road ...