Costco: Yay or Nay?

[MinnieGi]

We are big Costco shoppers. DH likes to shop there and his office is close so I love that he goes and does lots of the grocery shopping!! We are also huge fans of their return policy. I love their photo department. Their half sheet cakes for half the price of a grocery store, their flower stand, and all their books, & toys. Oh they also sell movie tickets 2 for $14.99 and lots of great gift baskets and packages for the holidays.

 

[vegasnative]

Does Costco save you money????? Ha, that's a loaded question! Don't go there hungry!!!!!! You'll want to buy everything. If you can go and stick to your list then yes most things are cheaper at Costco. We have had a membership for ages. The gas is usually the cheapest in town. When their coupons drop we usually stock up on stuff. The quality at Costco is good.

 

[my2swedes]

It depends. If you are really good about coupon clipping and finding sales, then don't sign up for Costco...especially if the only things you will buy are packaged foods and toiletries that you can find on sale at your regular store.

However, we love their meats, their prices on wine, and some of their refrigerated foods (Mango salsa, quiches, etc) that you just can't buy anywhere but Costco.

 

[gabriellyn]

Costco ROCKS!!!! But... it is exceedingly easy to bust your budget if you aren't careful. Make a list and stick to it.

 

[ShanPooh]

I think we save with their new gas station , TP (their Kirkland brand is much better than the Scott's TP that they also carry), paper towels, dish washing stuff, trash bags, cakes for big parties, photos, and their sushi tray
They sometimes have really good deals on close-out things or things they only get in limited quantities (a pack of three tasty and hot Pace salsas for $6, a two-pack of shortbread bar cookies for $3 - for example).
There are 4 of us at home now so we don't stock up on meat and produce there, but we save on things that the kids will eat at lot of with us like turkey bacon, chicken nuggets, oatmeal, crackers, and cereal.
We get coupons about every quarter and that saves us $$$, too.

 

[Mrs D]

I'll save Yay, but I don't know if it saves a lot of money. You at the least break even, probably save some. Here are the things I love at Costco and always get:
Cakes - 16.99 for 1/2 sheet. It would cost a minimum of $40 at a local bakery. I think there cakes are excellent tasting and my local Costco will do special designs.
Christmas Cards - photocards - @26.97 for 100 including foil lined envelopes!
Photobooks - My Publisher books. I just made Disney photobooks for Christmas presents for all the families that went on our family reunion in Sept. They had a deal of buy one get a duplicate for free. Now it's 20% off.
Kirkland BABY WIPES - They are THE BEST EVER! Hands down!
Carters jammies - 6.49 size 0-3mo thru 4T. Went they have them, I buy about 5 pairs for each kid!
Toliet Paper
Paper Towels
Laundry Detergent
Cleaning Wipes
Dishwasher soap
Garage bags
Roses (hubby always goes there now)
Eggos
Oatmeal
Apple Juice
Coffee
Greek pasta salad (made in store)-the best
Boursin Potato salad - ditto
Jack's Special salsa (refrigerated)
Kirkland tortilla chips
Samba Hummus
Pumpkin Pie - seriously 5.99 for the bst, biggest pie you've ever seen/tasted
Chicken Pot pie
Pinwheel rollers - party tray sandwiches. They are delicious, easy and reasonable price.
Rice Crackers - they come in a bag and are kind of a asian style chex mix. They are addictive and this is where I probably lessen the savings.
Fruit Leather & Apple Crisps - my kids love these! and they are healthy!
Fruit & Nut trail mix

 

[mom2princessj]

We've had Costco and Sam's at the same time (a new Costco opened in Merrillville, IN and I was offered a free membership) and we really prefer Sams Club. They are basically the same however there are some things we can find at Sams that we couldn't at Costco. It's been like 4 years though so things may have changed by now.
Just price shop all of your items and it can definitely be cost effective. We buy all of our kleenex, paper towels, TP, dryer sheets, garbage bags, dog food, peanut butter, bread, and much more but those are the staples right off the top of my head. We've used their auto buying dept twice for good deals on cars. We definitely get our monies worth although its dh's company that pays for our membership (I am on his as a spouse).
Costco is not convenient for me. Its about a 45 minute drive from my house to the closest costco and Sam's is 20 mins. If its convenient and you think you'd like to buy in bulk then i'd give it a shot and see how it goes!

 

[Willow1213]

I bought in at Costco specifically savings on a big ticket item (tires) and have loved it! I bought a bluetooth headset for $59 that was $100 at the AT&T store and things like dish detergent and shampoo are cheap! Wait for the coupons and that's where you're big savings come in. I bought a huge bottle of Dove shampoo (usually $6-7 at store for small bottle) for $4.99 with the coupon! Also, tp and paper towels. I don't shop there for perishables since it's just the two of us, but I still manage to save money. Oh, and gas is cheaper too.

 

[aanderson5]

I love Costco but I don't think it saves me any money. I tend to buy things I do not really need. I can't go past the books, seasonal items, kids clothes, toys etc. etc. without a peak and I buy knowing that if I don't buy it now it may not be there next week.

You do really need to know your prices as someone already said because some things are not cheaper. My main reason for going to Costco is it has items I can't get anywhere else. I let my membership lapse this year for about 4 months but I got sucked back in.

 

[Aimeedyan]

We actually caved and got a membership over our furniture. They had Natuzzi brand leather furniture - we got the couch and loveseat for $1400. That was the price of ONE piece at the local dept store (for Natuzzi).

Their electronic prices are also really good.

And right now, they have $100 worth of Starbucks gift cards (five $20 cards) for $79.99. That's a fantastic deal.

 

[Ashlotte]

We love it. Even if all we bought there was gas and kitty litter we'd be ahead. As it is, though, we go a few times a month and have saved lots of money over the years on just about everything you can think of. Organic food, clothes, toys, books, magazines, batteries, pictures, rental cars, digital cameras, bicycles, sewing machines, money market accounts, checks, DCL reservations. LOVE IT!! We also have the Am Ex card that gives us a rebate.

 

[Carys]

Costco in asia is fantastic for me. I've never been disappointed by selection or quality (except for the muffins which they insist on putting sweet red beans into, blech). The prices aren't outrageous, and I don't waste money like I previously did by buying at local places then binning lots of meat, eggs, produce etc because the use bye dates were...overly optimistic. I don't think I'd save money, but I don't spend more money and it's easy access to western goods. (The kitty litter is the best I've ever bought, and it's cheap as chips)

 

[AnnaS]

I voted for It depends.

# of people in your household. Do you work full-time? Do you entertain? If you don't mind the extra few dollars, go for it. You need to know your prices. Some are the same as other stores, some less. Do you always want to buy certain things in bulk? Do you have room/space for the extra stuff?

Having said that I have been a member for about 10 years. I make a few trips a year for myself but will say more because I take my in-laws or my mom once in a while.

I do like what they carry. I also split my membership with my neighbor. I am not sure I would pay to join for myself.

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

I am a hardcore coupon shopper, yet we have a membership to Costco because we DO save so much money there.

We buy
coffee beans
half & half (less than halfprice at the grocery stores)
generic claritin (3 people taking it---much better deal then even using ECBs at CVS)
organic fresh/frozen veggies as needed

I will buy a book or dvd for the kids IF I've already checked to see what it costs elsewhere.

When we have a big party (First Communion, graduation, major milestone b'day) we'll get the cake and other party foods/goods there.

But that's about it. If you know your prices and you can stick to your list, then Costco can be a fabulous deal.

 

[peggster]

My experience with Costco has been sort of ho-hum. I bought a membership about a year ago because it was right down the street (literally, 4 blocks away) from my new house. I've found one or two things that were good deals for me. Unfortunately, the gas savings where I live has been minimal, and in some cases Costco gas costs more than others in town. Another frustration I have with Costco is that I'll find something I use a lot and it's a great deal, but the next time I go there they don't have it. Unlike Sam's Club, which tends to carry the same things, what items I'll find at Costco is kind of hit or miss. The other thing I don't like is that they don't accept credit cards except for American Express. I charge almost everything to my credit card (and pay the bill in full every month) so I can earn frequent flyer miles. I rarely carry much cash, so I have to use a debit card at Costco, which I don't like to do.

So from reading the other responses, I think it depends on a few things:

1. Your family size
2. Your location (different areas seem to have better deals on gas, for instance)
3. Your store

I think Costco can be a great deal for some people. Me, I'm debating whether to renew my membership. Good luck with your decision!