Deals on Costco or BJ’s memberships?

[ClapYourHands]

I’ve seen great deals on Sam’s Club memberships, but sadly there aren’t any near enough to my house for that to be practical.

Our Costco membership was an add-on through my late stepfather’s business. It expired earlier this month, and I’m wondering if there are any discounts available when buying my own? I’m open to trying BJ’s instead, but have never been to one.

Mostly we use Costco for basics like Tide (love when this goes on sale), dishwasher detergent, dog food, and bulk staples we’d buy lots of anyway like apple juice, and lunchbox size snacks. We have been pleased with the value of Kirkland brand. Does BJ’s sound like it would be a good fit?

I’m okay with buying a regular Costco membership if there aren’t any other options, but thought I’d crowd source here first.

Thanks!

 

[Darcy03231]

Our local BJ's is offering $25 for 6 months. A lot of times they've done 3 months for free.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Groupon usually has a year BJS membership for $40.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

$25 to join BJS now for a year. Currently they have a special spend $50 on P & G products and get a $15 gift card.

 

[DLgal]

If you join Costco and get the Executive membership, you get a rebate every year equal to 2% of your purchases. This is always enough to cover our membership, so it's basically free.

 

[winnieofpooh]

We found a Costco deal through MyUPS (I know, so weird). It didn't discount the membership, but we got a TON of coupons (free paper towels, free dish detergent, $20 off of meat purchase, etc).

 

[SteveH]

Costco really doesn't discount their memberships as others do, they don't need to. The best deal is when you find them giving the coupons as @winnieofpooh shared. We do a lot of Costco purchasing so between the executive membership and their Visa card we get a nice rebate back. Can't beat their gas prices and deals on rental cars is one of the best out there. Just need to take advantage and use your membership as much as you can and I think you'll find it's more then worth it.

 

[ClapYourHands]

If you join Costco and get the Executive membership, you get a rebate every year equal to 2% of your purchases. This is always enough to cover our membership, so it's basically free.

That’s a great idea for super shoppers, but I’m pretty sure we don’t spend over 8K a year there, not including gas. I mean, we like Costco and get a lot of staples there, but we don’t buy THAT much from them.

 

[SteveH]

@ClapYourHands just tossing this here from Costco's own scenario, "If you spend approximately $500 a month on eligible groceries at Costco – or $250 per trip – that totals $6,000 a year. When you calculate 2% of $6,000, that comes out to $120."
Would you spend $500 a month? While gas doesn't generate the 2% the savings if you use them on a regular basis is more then 2%. Bottom line is only you can decide if it's worth it.

 

[DLgal]

That’s a great idea for super shoppers, but I’m pretty sure we don’t spend over 8K a year there, not including gas. I mean, we like Costco and get a lot of staples there, but we don’t buy THAT much from them.

They also guarantee you will earn enough to cover the $60 difference between the 2 tiers of membership with your 2%, and if you don't, THEY will make up the difference. So, it's a no lose scenario.

 

[ClapYourHands]

We found a Costco deal through MyUPS (I know, so weird). It didn't discount the membership, but we got a TON of coupons (free paper towels, free dish detergent, $20 off of meat purchase, etc).

So, it turns out DH has a MyUPS account, and had no idea there were any discounts though it. I looked up Costco, and apparently there is a $30 Costco card rebate on offer. We'll see if it works, but if it does, that's a year of Costco for $30.

Thanks again for the tip!

@ClapYourHands just tossing this here from Costco's own scenario, "If you spend approximately $500 a month on eligible groceries at Costco – or $250 per trip – that totals $6,000 a year. When you calculate 2% of $6,000, that comes out to $120."
Would you spend $500 a month? While gas doesn't generate the 2% the savings if you use them on a regular basis is more then 2%. Bottom line is only you can decide if it's worth it.

That's a helpful way to look at it, but I still wouldn't spend $500/month. I like Costco, but it's a bit out of the way, so it's not handy for grocery shopping. The portions are so big that when we get groceries, we sometimes struggle to eat everything before it goes bad, which is a waste of money. We mostly stick with household items or non-perishables that make sense to buy in bulk, since we know we will use them up. Right now we are almost out of dog food, lunchbox snacks, apple juice, and I think the big box of Tide is still on sale. Usually I'll get two of the Tide when it's on sale, and it lasts about as long as it takes for it to go back on sale again.

They also guarantee you will earn enough to cover the $60 difference between the 2 tiers of membership with your 2%, and if you don't, THEY will make up the difference. So, it's a no lose scenario.

Definitely good to know when the renewal comes up!

 

[LAS2AMS]

Entertainment offered a $30 mail-in rebate when you joined Costco. The most recent offer expired on June 30, but often returns. You can purchase the Entertainment Book for $5 shipped, which includes access to the app (offering digital coupons nationwide). The book/app deals expire 12-31. We've subscribed to Entertainment for decades... yes, I realize the quality of the offers deteriorates every year, but you'll easy recover the $5 you spend.

 

[cometdad2010]

BJ's is the closest warehouse club to us, and the gas savings alone pay for the annual membership. For what you're looking for, it sounds like BJ's would be a good fit. They often have new membership specials, and for renewals, I've found that calling often gets a decent discount.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

I was on Groupon today and saw this .. $40 membership
https://www.groupon.com/deals/n-bjs-wholesale-club-memberships

 

[MillauFr]

If you like cruises you should definitely get the Costco Executive membership. It is $120 per year but you get back 2%. We usually get back $300 to $500 every year. Those Disney Cruises really add up. Plus we got a new furnace and A/C unit this year. The membership pays for itself.