Costco's $80 'Apocalypse Dinner Kit' Has Customers Concerned

When it comes to Costco, there's plenty to enjoy. There’s nothing like those easy fan-favorite caprese salad kits to whip up for summer picnics, or those incredibly good Junior’s Mini Oreo Cheesecakes when that sweet craving hits.

While there’s plenty to love, Costco has also been prone to some controversy, whether from its massive chocolate chunk cookies or its rotisserie chickens that were hurting people's stomachs. 

Now Costco is stirring up emotions again with its new monster dinner kits that have customers worried the retailer is warning us the apocalypse may be coming. 

Costco’s Readywise Emergency Food Supply Bucket

Costco recently released the Readywise Emergency Food Supply Bucket, which features 150 servings of various food choices. Costco's website lists the servings as “80 servings of hearty entrées & sides, 30 servings for nourishing breakfasts, and an additional 40 drink servings.”

For $80, this massive meal kit includes 12 servings each of pasta Alfredo, cheesy macaroni, brown sugar and maple multi-grain, apple cinnamon cereal, and 10 servings of white rice. You’ll also find 6 servings each of teriyaki rice, creamy pasta and vegetables, potato pot pie, tomato basil soup with pasta, chicken noodle soup, and crunchy granola. There are also 16 servings of vanilla pudding and orange drink mix, plus 24 servings of whey milk alternative. 

The bucket has a 25-year shelf life thanks to being made with freeze-dried and dehydrated foods. You also only need to add water to eat or drink the items. Costco’s website explains that ease of preparation “isn't just about simplicity; it's about maintaining a sense of normalcy when the world around you might feel anything but normal.” Naturally, many wondered what this warehouse retailer was trying to get at. 

Instagram user @pressureluckcooking posted about this latest Costco find, calling it the “Costco Apocalypse Dinner Kit,” commenters quickly added their thoughts. One commenter asked, “Does Costco know something?” Someone else added, “If the apocalypse comes, where are you getting fresh water to prepare these dried meals?”

However, others didn’t necessarily feel this was Costco’s way of prepping for the end of the world but in case of natural disasters. “You guys have never heard of food storage before? It’s for temporary potential disasters. Earthquake, hurricane, tornado, power outage, city closed down, quarantine etc. It lasts 25 years, so you can buy it once and have the peace of mind that it’s there. This has been a thing for a long time; my mom got me a bucket like this 15 years ago.”