Is COSTCO really worth it?

[CrzyforPiglet]

We are finally moving to a house and I will actually have space to buy more things in advance when on sale and not feel like I am tripping over things. We'll also be closer to a COSTCO but I am not really sure if a membership would be worth the cost. Right now we are just two but I have learned from my mom and stock up on non-perishables whenever I get a chance (and space). We are hoping to start a family this year and I want to be able to stay home that first year so I really want to use this time as an opportunity to build up a savings.

Any thoughts - is membership worth it?

Cheers - Laurie

 

[princesskaelybear]

First off, see if you can get a one day trial membership to see if they even have any items that would interest you.
I know families that absolutely despise Costco - but we use it for shopping for almost everything! If you're planning on having a little one soon, you can get pretty good prices on diapers & formula - plus their store-brand wipes are so much better than any other brand.
We buy Milk, eggs, waffles, cheese, meat, cakes, snacks, DVDs, toys, clothes and much more at Costco. We even picked up a really nice portable DVD player there. Their return policy is great - you can return things at any time (there's a time limit with computers though).
At Christmas, I was able to get some nice toys for my kids at a great price (sometimes almost 50% off other stores). Often Costco has coupons that you can use to help even more.
We also love their huge pizzas and their nonfat frozen yogurt.
I believe membership is now $45 - but I may be wrong. We were upgraded to the Executive membership (husband's work did it for free) so now we get 2% back on purchases.
It's also a matter of convenience for us - my husband can drop in there quickly on his way home from work to pick up groceries & get gas.
See if you can try it out!

Kelly

 

[CheapMom]

Costco has the most expensive membership of the wholesale clubs. If you have a nice Costco (new, clean...) they have really nice semi-prepared meals for a good price. Some clothing is a good price. In general I feel that the bulk items aren't a great deal. You can usually get similar prices at the regular grocery store during a sale. Costco is known as the wholesale club for the more affluent sect but the Costco closest to me is in a bad area and it is awful.
They will let you have a day pass where you can walk around and look at prices but they won't let you buy anything. Just take your drivers licence to the customer service desk.
Congratultions on your house.

 

[sconnell]

Wholesale clubs can be money savers, but they can also be money drainers. You just need to know how much things cost in your regular stores and buy wherever it is cheaper. My family really does save money on things that more than makes up for the membership. Usually, it is with one or two purchases. For instance, we just bought a portable DVD player that is very nice and we saved a bunch. We were planning to buy it anyway so we really saved. If we weren't already planning to buy it, it wouldn't really have been a savings.
I also save on household items, laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, etc. The bottles are quite large and it also saves time. I just bought one of those Clorox Toilet Wands at SAMS and it came with 18 disposable heads for $12 at Walmart it was $10 and only had 9 heads (or less, not sure) I had planned to buy it anyway.
My vote, go for it. We miss Costco. We moved and we used to have both Costco & SAMs

 

[liznboys]

We like it. We ALWAYS buy our toilet paper, paper towels, batteries, trash bags, calling cards and bottled water there. We sometimes buy food, clothes, dvd's and toiletries there. My dh also gets his glasses there, good deals on those. You need to go there and price the things you use. You end up spending a larger amount all at once, but in the long run you save money. And the downside is that when you go in there, you sometimes get tempted to spend more than you should! But anyway, I love being stocked up on things so I don't have to buy them again for AWHILE!!

 

[MEM]

We have not found Costco to be worth it because we end up buying items there we do not need and in huge sizes that are not practical. We have found that we save more money buying the loss-leader items at local supermarkets. We are fortunate in our town to have 3 major supermarket chains and competition is fierce. When we had babies, the price on Enfamil was very good at Costco but they did not carry the diapers we preferred. The selection is limited within each type of product - e.g. only a few kinds of laundry detergent and none fragrance-free.

I know people who swear by Costco but it seems more a convenience issue that anything. To each, his own.

It is likely that when you move into your new town that you will be offered a trial membership to Costco. As already suggested, you can try it out with nothing to lose.

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

I have a Sam's Club membership and there is only two of us. I use it to stock up on paper goods, trash bags and the like. I also buy their sirloin steaks at 4.89 a pound which is much better than Publix's 6.99 a pound. I use my FoodSaver to seal them individually and put them in the freezer. I also get the 6lb bag of frozen Tyson chicken breasts for 12.88 instead of paying 6.99 for a 2 lb bag at the grocery store. The large bags of frozen mixed vegetables and broccoli is much better price too. I don't buy too many canned items as I think the sale prices are comparable to the grocery store, especially if you are using coupons.

The dvd and book prices are pretty good too. I think it's probably worth the membership.

 

[SydneyRoo]

The one good thing about Costco is that they want you to be happy. They will take anything back without question. I think the only exception is computers and cigarettes.

 

[Timmbco]

I love Costco. But you just have to shop smart. Not everything is a good deal. You have to know a deal when you see it. Most people complain that they come out of there spending way to much. I can go in just for milk and artichokes. I have bought electronics, toys, clothes, furniture and best of all Wine. In Colorado it's one of cheapest Liquior Stores. I always have my film developed there too. ....and I am VERY careful about spending!

 

[Del]

If you know your prices, it is worth it. We use it for kids clothes, cleaning stuff, food, toiletries but for some things I don't buy there...it costs more. good luck to you.

Del

 

[PB'sMOM]

Hi Neighbor,
I think a Costco membership is worth it. I prefer it over Sam's club. I have bought a big screen tv and saved a bundle. Also I have had prescriptions filled and even with my co-pay it is less than going to the local drug store. Some things aren't that great of a deal (just like anywhere else), but if you know your prices and if you will use it, than it can be worth it.

 

[frannn]

I have purchased laundry & cleaning items, food, toys, and even gifts. If I know I am going to someone's house, I pick up a bottle of wine or a cheesecake at a good price. They have good prices on certain things, like a ready made rotisserie chicken (larger than the ones at the supermarket) for 4.99. I bought a pkg of delicious frozen french fries (5 lbs for 6.?) and had a great dinner, as well as leftover fries for next time! They also have certain things on a regular basis at a great price, like bags of salad, pickles, marinade, etc. Other things are not so greatly priced. You just have to know your prices. I got a great deal on a new Sprint cel phone there about 6 months ago, and have purchased both glasses and contacts, as well as seen their eye Dr! I say do the one day pass, and join for a year f you like it. By the way, they also have some travel discounts and coupons.

 

[canwegosoon]

I used to be a competitive shopper of Bj's, and I know you can do better on many items in many other places!! But we are still members 10 years later. If you really want to save money look into the Tightwad Gazette re: price tracking. Bj's is great for eletronics, tires, some food items, H/B and pet/office supplies. But you must do your research on line and through your local stores. Our local supermarket always has Tide on sale for 200 oz for 9.99 and 300 oz at BJ's for 18.99 just for example. But brought Prilosec 3 (2) week for 26.99-$5 coupon from Bj's (21.99) excellent price! Good luck!

 

[disneysteve]

We used to belong to BJs but we found that it wasn't worth the cost of membership. Although their prices were good, they didn't beat regular store sale prices especially with double coupons at the regular store. The other problem we found is that they often have special packaging that included items we didn't want. For example, a multipack of pop-tarts had at least one flavor that none of us like.

It is generally cheaper to shop at your local supermarket, buy a lot of store brands and use double coupons when you do buy a brand name product.

 

[Castillo Mom]

We're a family of 5 and I shop at Costco faithfully every 2 weeks. I do most of my grocery shopping there and also buy other items such as electronics, DVDs, batteries, you name it. Recently we bought luggage for each of our 3 boys. I priced the exact same piece online at ebags.com. Ebags was over $100 dollars more and some other websites prices were even more expensive. The price at Costco was $59 for a 26" bag, extremely well made, so bought 3. About a month later they had a $10 off coupon! Technically, I could've returned the ones I had and re-purchased them to get the $10 off but I didn't want to hassle and I still got a great deal. We have the Executive membership because I spend $250-$300 every 2 weeks on average and that's not counting if we buy non-food items. With the 2% rebate, it'll at least cover the cost of the membership. I feel the bigger your family, the more you save. As others have said, you just need to know your prices.

Oh, one more thing. Kirland is the Coscto signature brand which is not only cheaper than the national brands, many times the quality is better.

 

[Lewisc]

COSTCO is about the same as buying somewhere else on sale but a little more than buying elswhere when the store has loss leader or double coupon promotion.

I've never thought I was "ripped off" but you can certainly do as well if you're willing to shop.

Their pharmacy and optical department have great prices. The tire center includes road hazard coverage.

 

[StephMK]

I love Costco!! I don't know if you're supposed to but your membership should come w/2 cards - instead of giving one to my dad, I am the other member on my mom's card. So she & I are the only ones in each family to go but my DH wouldn't go alone most times anyway. My point is it cut the cost in 1/2. Not sure if that's legal but Costco didn't seem to have an issue w/it.

It depends a lot on your shopping style. If you are a faithful coupon clipper & watch the regular sales every week, you can probably do better at the grocery. Since I don't clip regularly, it works well for us. I figure the little extra I spend for some items balances out because I make fewer trips to the store. Fewer trips means less chances of picking up all those impulse items. Plus I love not running out of stuff. With 3 kids, we go through a ton of PB, waffles, ketchup, cereal, etc.

Oh, and they have the best plants at really great prices! Film, snack foods - big plastic tub of pretzels for $5, much bigger than our grocery's version. Sorry to go on, I really like Costco!

 

[Amor4Pooh]

WE booked our cruise through DCL and then called COSTCO, and saved almost $1000! I read of others on the cruise board who saved $1500 by transferring their reservations to COSTCO. If you cruise with DISNEY CRUISE LINE, it's definitely worth i it!Amor4Pooh

 

[Jaklackus]

I am currently abusing a free trial membership to BJ's ...you do need to be aware of what sale prices are at your local grocery stores....my local stores are gouging(everything up at least 50 cents due to fuel costs) right now..so BJ's has been a $$ relief, but meat is cheaper on sale at the grocery stores. You may also want to see if there are any restaurant supply companies in your area...you can get great prices on paper goods, cleaning supples, frozen foods, spices....some offer small stores open to the public. I was able to pick up a 5 lb bag of Sargento Mozzarella shredded cheese for $8...big cans of tomato sauce, and was able to put together alot of lasagna to freeze since I wasn't paying $3 for a half a pound of mozzarella at the supermarket....just waited for a sale on ricotta and lasagna noodles at the market. I also can purchase 5 pound bags of pasta..ziti, rigatoni, rotini, spaghetti for $3 a bag at the restaurant supply store. I don't really clip coupons...can't get out of bed early enough on Sunday to buy the paper before all the coupon inserts have been pilfered, but use what ever is mailed to me or I stumble across on the internet.

 

[Jennylen]

Some costco offer free trial or 1 day tryout membership. Suggest: go and take a look, and see if items there (including size) will fit your needs, or too limited; do calculation and see if your saving is more than the cost of membership $45/yr.