If you belong to a warehouse club...

[crisi]

Prices and what the store carries may vary from part of the country to part of the country - I can get a dozen organic eggs at my Costco, and I can get half gallons of organic half and half (both which we go through like crazy), but there are other things I have just never seen.

Also, I agree that the romaine lettuce is a great deal - but only if you eat enough romaine so you aren't throwing it out. We have several "Costco buddies" so that when we buy seven avocados or ten mangoes, they find homes.

 

[scbelleatheart]

I shop every 2 weeks as well. So stuff from Costco can be spaced out over 2 months for certain things (coffee, bottles water, Gatorade, etc) or there are things that are cheaper that I buy monthly (shredded cheddar, eggs, block mozarella, fully cooked turkey breast, etc).

Last month I bought salmon burgers and planned them into the one month's worth of dinners, so I knew when buying them that we would eat them within a month.

I also have 2 teen (boys) who can eat everything, so the bulk items there are so much cheaper that it's worth it. A lost of money up front but then when I hit the regular grocery store I only spend $60 or so for 2 weeks.

I always go by the price per ounce now. I saved a lot when my kids were growing up. Seems like I fed them and 1/2 a football team a week. 12 gallons of milk when they were young, on to 4 cases of water and 2 cases of gatorade a week. We bought eggs by the crate, 12 dozen at a time. Do not even ask about how much meat they went through. I do not miss those bills.
Now the bill is considerably cheaper but I still save a lot, like toilet paper, paper products, detergent, coffee and still eggs! I need some chickens!

 

[meggybear17]

We recently joined Costco and there are a few things that I will buy there almost every visit. Precooked turkey sausage, my little guys favorite thing to eat so we go through a 48 pack in a month. Pineapples are huge and about $2.99. Easily twice the size of a grocery store pineapple and better quality. I also like their portobello mushrooms. We buy chicken breasts, ground turkey and pork chops. I like that the chicken and turkey comes in fridge to freezer packs. The chicken is a bit more than I would pay during a sale at the grocery store but there is way less fat and waste to be trimmed off and worth the extra few cents for the convenience. The deodorant my DH uses comes in I think a five pack but costs what I would pay for two at Target. Allergy meds- a year supply can be as low as $9-10 when they have a coupon. Their brand OTC medications are always a great deal. Olive oil is a good price. The precooked roasted chickens are delicious and at five bucks are a quick, cheap dinner. Most cleaning supplies will save you money in the long run. Sure it stinks to put out that $12-15 for dishwasher tablets or swiffer dusters but it will last you a year and cost half as much as you would spend on smaller boxes. Oh and finally my almost three year old loves the snack bar

 

[sugarnspicex4]

Our family budget for groceries and items bought at the grocery is $800 for the 6 of us and I am pleased with it as I try to buy mostly healthier foods and like I said some quick fix after school snacks.

Southernmiss, I couldn't agree with you more. Over the last 5 months or so we have been educating ourselves about eating healthier. We are buying more organic food than ever before and Costco has unbeatable prices in this category. I find sometimes that the organic variety from Costco is comparable in price to the non-organic variety from the grocery store. We are also a family of 6 spending around $800 per month on our grocery budget. Sure, you could get better deals by shopping sales and couponing, but Costco wins if you are a label-reader like me!

 

[pens4821]

We usually go to Sam's every couple months. While there is always a budget, it's always blown. Some things you just can't pass up. Be careful though, some items are cheaper to buy not in bulk. I'm sure we've made some stupid buys, but for the most part even though we break budget every time there, we're still most likely making out.

 

[Jedana]

I plan to spend $500 or so each time I go in. If I spend less, then I'm saving money! (woman logic )

We belong to BJs, and I really have set aside $500 on a paycheck to go in there. But, I can come out with an entire month of meat, sides, spices, snacks, drinks, laundry stuff etc. The only expense I would have the rest of the month is milk, bread/buns and fresh fruits/veg. And usually, for laundry stuff or spices or razors, it's more like 3 months worth!

I was going every other month of so. Since we moved, I haven't been able to get meat or frozen things there--I have a tiny freezer now and I can't fit in more than 10 days worth of meats, 8 bags frozen veg and a pound of butter. The ice maker--which I can't remove, because the landlord glued the container down--takes up almost half the space. So, now I spend about $250-300 instead.

DH and I are thinking about getting a freezer because of the lack of space.

 

[DawnM]

I have a somewhat mental price list and know what to get. When you first join you have no idea what to get or what products you might like so you spend more, but once you get your products down you won't spend nearly as much.

90% of our groceries and such come from Costco.

Some products that are significantly cheaper that we buy:

Kirkland Lamb and Rice Dog food
Kirkland brand organic salsa
Kirkland brand laundry detergent (works as well as Tide but half the price.)
Kirkland toilet paper
Kirkland paper towels


The only cleaning supply of Kirkland/Costco that I do not like is dishwasher soap.

If you are really worried about it, take a calculator with you and keep track as you shop.

 

[HeatherC]

We belong to BJ's. I usually only buy...meat, bread, deli meats (much cheaper), OJ, milk, eggs and large bags of chips and pretzels during the school year. I can literally be in and out in under ten minutes.

I find that I am there A LOT more in the summer since we always have a ton of kids/teens over who eat alot along with all the parties, barbecues, hanging by the pool, etc. That is when I find I save there.

We are renting a beach house over April break so I will hit BJ's before we go to stock up on things we like but don't buy week to week.

 

[a1tinkfans]

We belong to Bjs and Costco. I like Bjs best actually but Costco Optical has been our go to for years with the Dr, so its worth it. I no longer buy as much, and try to only buy what I currently need...no more Oh, maybe next month Ill have a Big party etc....Its easy to get caught up in all the Fun type foods, but being/eating healthier means I purchase mostly the same things over and over.

My only *HINT* is to know your prices before purchase because the prices are not always Less... If you dont need 24 of something, dont buy it just cause its a good deal....cause you actually just wasted your money, kwim?

And Bjs takes coupons which I like.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I belong to Sam's club. I get my money back in gas discount without ever stepping into the store. I run my car on premium and it's always $.15 or more cheaper than on post.

Sam's club prices change from location to location in my experience. I would think about what you go through quickly and how much you pay. Walk around Sam's by yourself without your money and just get an idea of what you really need.

Non food items that are a good buy include books and dvds for us (unless there are coupons for the dvds) and some clothes. I love my Nicole Miller yoga capris and my Anne Klein pjs. I do buy my husband's razors and deodrant in bulk there because he carries several in the car, has some in his desk at work, and stuffed in his pack. I have also started buying hand sanitizer by the big big gallon for the offices and use to refill smaller bottles.


Regarding food items we are a family of two so don't buy nearly as much as other families of course. Here is a list of food items I purchase:

bulk baking items(especially holiday season!)
craisins
cereal/snack bars
peanut butter crackers
gum
cases water
fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts(right now $1.88/lb and each is big)
pork loin (huge but I cut into smaller portions and boneless chops)
thin steak
frozen tilapia in individual bags
frozen fruit in the winter (I make alot of smoothies)
yogurt(especially individual greek yogurt cups)
hamburger buns/dinner rolls/tortillas(this is bulk for us and broke into portions)
cakes/pies/cupcakes
take and bake pizza

We don't eat alot of meat so I can spend $50 on meat and last over a month. I budget probably $100 a month for Sam's on food alone. I buy alot of bulk at my sam's because there is no tax on food here and I find the meat selection is better.

 

[amcnj]

We have a Sams and BJ's about equidistant, but have mainly been BJ's members over the years due to their accepting manufacturer coupons and offering their own coupons, whxih are mailed to your home and/or aviable to print on-line and or found in racks at the store. As has been mentioend before, know your prices as not everything is a deal. Many things are better prices than the regular price at other stores, but I know our local grocer has regular sales and their sale prices are often less than those at BJ's. Be prepared for "budget shifting" due to the size of packages, and effects of coupons. You may not need paper towels right now, but a coupon in the newspaper combined with an in store coupon can make it irresistable to pick up another giant mega bundle for future use!

 

[cluvsdisney]

We belong to BJs and see most of our savings on:

cases of bottled water
boneless chicken breasts
ground beef
steak
cheese
cat litter
shampoo
conditioner
deodarant
sauce
ketchup
pain relievers
socks
batteries
I'm sure there's more.

We may pay a lot at check out but the purchases last quite a while and reduces the bill at the grocery store.

 

[LeslieG]

How do you work it with your grocery budget? I signed up for the livingsocial deal for Sam's Club, but I'm afraid I'm going to end up spending more than I do now. Right now I shop every two weeks. I sit down and write a list of meals for the two weeks, then make a detailed list of the food I will need for those meals, etc. Also since I have 5 kids (3 teens) what some people consider bulk will really won't last nearly as long in my house.

So how do you plan to get the most out of your membership?

I was looking at the Living social deal also, but then I looked up the actual cost of the membership, and it was not the same price as they listed as regular price. It didn't seem to be as good a deal at that point.

 

[trewin]

We are a family of 6. We belong to Sam's as well! As somebody already stated, you really aren't getting the best deal there on everything but here are the items we find worth buying:
Members mark diapers / wipes
Aeveno baby wash
8.5 in Dixie paper plates
Members mark laundry detergent / fabric softener sheets
Members mark toilet paper/paper towels
Hand soap & lotion
Dail or dove bars
Deodorant
Bread
Water
Eggs & Meat (we specifically love the perdue boneless chicken breasts that come in separate packages! We can make one package & freeze the rest)
Fruit

I wouldn't be hesitant to try the members mark brand- I've been happy with it! We never upgrade our membership either because we buy mostly members mark and its never on sale w/ upgraded membership.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I belong to BJ's and love it. they issue a coupon booklet every month and the accept mfg coupons. I save in coupons alone about $25 - $30 each trip so by my second trip I have saved enough to pay for my membership.

I stock up in the fall for all my paper products & health and beauty products to get us through the winter. I just spent $9.00 for the large size wisk laundry soap. BJs coupon for $3 off plus my $2 off mfg coupon!!! We like to snack on cheese/crackers and pepperoni. And they have the best prices. I ran out of pepperoni and in a pinch bought some at Giant Eagle. I paid almost $5 for 6 oz.. BJs price this week was $5.25 for 2 of the 16 oz packages. Hotdogs Oscar Mayer are 30 for $3.00 I cant get a package of 8 for $3 at my grocery store! Bread and milk are always cheaper and so it their gas. Bjs was .30 cheaper than my local station and I was almost on empty. I saved this week at BJS $36 with all my coupons and I don't have a big family. Plus the $5.10 I saved on getting my gas there.
Its just me and DH!
It is so nice to stock pile for the winter and all i have to get are the basic's.

Stew meat I can get it at the regular grocery store for $5.00 for one pound. BJS I get it for $13 for 5 pounds. Meat is tender too.

 

[Zooshoveller]

We shop at Publix and Costco. When we first got the membership my mom watched the kids and we priced shopped all of our main staples. It seemed like hours! LOL But we learned what's cheaper (and wont spoil) in bulk. The beginning was a bit of trial and error. Now we feel like old pros. I have brought the Publix sale ad into Costco to check price differences.

Last night at Costco, I checked the prices on memory cards. They have the same price for 2 as Best Buy has for 1. We also just bought a new set of tires from Costco for a great price. Paid $25 for my current work shoes that were $50 at Academy.

For us, the membership is worth it when you go beyond the food.

 

[amylevan]

I was looking at the Living social deal also, but then I looked up the actual cost of the membership, and it was not the same price as they listed as regular price. It didn't seem to be as good a deal at that point.

I looked it up before buying and it said that a 1 year membership was $100. The living social deal was $45 for a 1 year membership and a $20 gift card (plus some coupons). So essentially, for $25 I got a $100 membership - savings of 75%. I don't remember what the "advertised" savings was, but it still seemed like a good deal for me to try out. Especially with a baby in diapers.

 

[Eureka]

I looked it up before buying and it said that a 1 year membership was $100.

That's expensive! My BJ's membership (and an extra card for my DH) is only $45 or 50 yearly (I don't quite remember; it used to be $45 but I think it went up). I'm glad you got a deal on it; I am not sure I would stay with BJ's if my price was that high.

 

[caravarela]

It's $100 for the "Plus" membership. Regular is $40. The living social deal is still worth it, you're paying $5 more for the membership but getting a $20 gift card, a free chicken, a free pizza, and a couple boxes of free cookies.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[sksjasams]

I think you got a good deal on your membership and this will be a great way for you to try it.

My mom has a Sams membership and she would take me shopping a couple times a year and I would buy a lot.

Now a Costco opened in our town and I bought a membership. I am still more used to Sams at this point so I would have to say I like that better. Plus learning to shop at a warehouse store more often is completely different than shopping a couple times a year.

I have settled on going about every 3 weeks. I stock up on milk and apples, and then a few other entree type and/or meat items, and snack type bars. I have been sticking under $100 each time.

My best advice with teenagers in the house is to ration your bulk items. For example, the first time I bought a big box of granola type snack bars, I put the whole box in the cupboard. They were gone in a week. I was not too happy. Now when I buy a box, I only put a week's worth in the cupboard and stash the rest. I then restock each week.

The thing I have found frustrating is that sometimes they discontinue an item that I got used to buying.

Anyway, I think you will like having another shopping option and you don't need to renew if you find it wasn't worth it to you.