Is Costco worth $55 a year?

[brunette8706]

I am a org seattle member. Now an exc member. here what it has done for my fam-

1) got $275 refund from my costco amex card for 2011
1A) get 3% back for gas upto 3K - adn thier gas is usually 10-30 cent cheaper
2)pay 2.50 a gall for milk vs 3.75 at local groc. X3 per week
3)cut my rv insure from $360 per year to $70 a year
4)no one seems able to touch my amerprise costco insur - for house/car5) buy the wife flower - 2 dozen rose bumch for $16 buck week in/ wk out

6) After making dinner tonight, wife said the steak we had tonight was better than then steak house she was at last night.

7) 2 loaves $3 +/-
8) will buy and TRY anything that is kirkland brand. It's quality, they understand it and make sure it's in their kirkland brand.

9) saved about $300 on tires.

10) they have great samples, all the time and teh $1.50 hot dog/polish with soda rocks and has not changed for 10+ years.....


Yah costco smoke sams.(period)

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Hi! That is a BIGGIE for us, the AMERPRISE HOME AND AUTO INSURANCE! We have saved hundreds a year just on the insurance alone!

 

[cornflake]

Not for nothing, but Costco is also well known for treating their employees very well. I think the average starting salary for store workers is like $14 or so an hour, there are benefits packages, etc. They're very commited to being responsible employers and keeping workers happy - they've been repeatedly noted as being one of the best places to work in the country.

Sam's is part of Walmart... not known for treating their employees well, in general.

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

Now I just need to decide if I want to do the $55 or $110 membership!

 

[mhsjax]

Love Costco. Way cheaper on milk, bread and frozen chicken breasts. Also as someone else stated, their steaks are unreal. We buy the whole filet and cut if ourselves. we are a family of 5 and we can eat off of this about 2.5 times and it is cheaper than 2 of us going to a steak house and they are soooooo much better. Plus, you can't beat their return policy and they are so friendly.

Think I wil make a Costco run today.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Now I just need to decide if I want to do the $55 or $110 membership!

This deal alone goes a good way toward making up the difference in the two levels.

Add in that you get 2% back at the end of the year, the exec is a good deal for at least the first year.

 

[girli565]

I adore costco. Their meats are very high quality, the kirkland brand products are better than most store brands, and can't beat the lower gas prices. When my membership is up this year I think I'll be getting the executive one for the 2% back. I'm sure I could get back my $100 plus more!

We have a BJs card too and really on go for the name brand products and for paper products when we have coupons. They let you double/triple manufacturer coupons with the BJs coupons so our paper towels and toilet paper are a deal! I won't buy meat at BJs, I find it much lower

 

[girli565]

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Hi! That is a BIGGIE for us, the AMERPRISE HOME AND AUTO INSURANCE! We have saved hundreds a year just on the insurance alone!

I saw this and was so excited because auto insurance kills us. I went to see what they would quote me and they're not available in FL

 

[Dreamer Kevin]

Costco is my favorite store. A little more upscale merchandise than what you'll find at the other warehouse clubs, they also tend to carry fewer items but the trade-off, in theory, is better quality control of their inventory. The food court is kind of fun, too. 1/4 pound hot dog and unlimited fountain drinks for $1.50!

I so wonder whether the membership fee is truly a necessity given their business model or if they (and others) charge it simply because folks like me are willing to pay!

 

[Buzzsgramma]

WE have a Costco in our town...We LOVE Costco...prices are good...I know its mostly bulk but we share with our grown kids sometimes...Its clean & you are in and out quickly ..buying 4 tires there this wk. also...

 

[VAfamily1998]

We find it very worth it--we are also executive members and always get back what we paid for memebership + some...

We have 4 kids (all boys) so we buy a lot of food too. Also, Costco is the 2nd closest grocery store to my house--so it's really not an out of the way trip for us. I usually go to Costco at least twice a week.

There are a few things that I can get better deals on at a regualar grocery store with coupons+sales prices--individual cups of yogurt, cereal, canned soups, etc. But mostly we buy things that don't have coupons--milk, fruits/veggies, meat, and Costco is a better deal for those.

 

[crispychicky]

FYI....If you do MyPoints, you can now get a $55 Costco membership for 7000 points.

 

[goodeats]

Do they have organic milk? If so, how much is that?

I'm sure it depends on where you live, but in Southern California it's around $9.29 for 1.5 gallons. I can get it usually for $5.99 at Trader Joe's, so it's not a better deal, but sometimes I just get it anyway.

They will let you shop before buying a membership - at least once I think.

Organic items I have bought there - chicken, eggs, milk, almond butter, bread (yummy bread!), blueberries, spring mix, other veggies, beef (not grass fed though), etc

 

[bedogged]

I'm a BIG Costco fan. I am a Executive member with an AMEX Costco card. We got back enough from the 2% membership to pay for the card as well as more. Just got my yearly check from AMEX for just under $600.00 cash.

Costco has wonderful meat! All Choice or above. Meat that tastes like it did years ago.

Costco also has a car buying service. I used it a few days ago. It saved us about $600.00 and was the best buying experience I have ever had! Absolutely painless.

Costco also has a Concierge Service that helps you with electronic purchases. You can call and talk with a real person. They also will call the manufacturer for you if there is a problem and it gets taken care of right then and there.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

Does the membership card have a picture on it? It says it comes with a "household card." What is that? Is there no picture on that. My husband and I would both get a card right? Or would I get one and then he would use the "household" card? Can someone explain this, I can't figure it out.

And thank you so much for all the responses! I want to join!

You will each get cards and you will both have to have your pictures taken for your individual cards.

 

[girli565]

You will each get cards and you will both have to have your pictures taken for your individual cards.

I got one with my picture on it and my mother got the other one. if you use the self service kiosks anyone really can use the card. Not condoning this but I will sometimes send my husband to Costco with my card for milk or eggs and he uses my card in the self service lines.

 

[wishesuponastar]

I wish we had self-service. You do mean the registers right?

 

[girli565]

I wish we had self-service. You do mean the registers right?

Yes, they're great. And much faster than waiting for a manned register.

 

[msp2mco]

As other posters have said, it's worth it just in saving on milk and gas. My friend told me that the Kirkland vodka is made by Grey Goose. It's her fav, and almost half the cost of Grey Goose.

 

[girli565]

As other posters have said, it's worth it just in saving on milk and gas. My friend told me that the Kirkland vodka is made by Grey Goose. It's her fav, and almost half the cost of Grey Goose.

I knew the kirkland vodka was french made but I did not know it was made by the same company as Grey Goose. I may have to check it out. It's very nicely priced compared to other "premium" vodkas.

 

[Crystal824]

If you decide to get the Executive Level card and don't earn enough to make up the $55.00 difference, they will refund the difference in the amount of rewards and the amount you paid to upgrade. You just have to bring in the refund check.

We just joined a couple of weeks ago. We joined to get the 3 day Universal Park Hopper Tickets that you can use any three days during 3 years for $144.00. We go to WDW every year and have been wanting to visit Universal but hate to shell out that much for one day.

We have been members of Sam's Club and techinically still are until the end of next month. We aren't going to renew. We really like Costco probabaly more than Sam's. I noticed thier meats are a little pricer than Sam's. The diaper and wipe prices were about the same. They have a ton more kids clothes than Sam's. The prices on paper products were comparable to Sam's. They do have many organic options.