It’s official: We’re letting our Costco membership lapse in April. I finally did the math, and it’s just not worth the money anymore.
When we first joined, the gas alone basically paid for our membership. The Montego’s mpg was mediocre at best, and it had a big tank. These days, we drive a Civic, which is much more fuel efficient and has a much smaller gas tank. Since neither of us has to commute, we only fill up twice a month.
Besides, the gas situation has been a pain for a while now. We hate having to make a special trip just to get gas. Costco isn’t on the way to or from anything else, except maybe Cracker Barrel. And there’s always a line at least two cars deep!
Since it’s out of our way, we inevitably put the trip off for too long. Suddenly, we’re on fumes, and we need to put a few bucks in at Circle K. At that point, the cost difference is only a few pennies a gallon, so less than $1 in savings. Plus, we might have Fry’s fuel rewards, which takes 10 cents off the price. In the end, we usually just go ahead and fill the tank there.
Of course, there were actual products we bought at Costco. We got good deals on protein shakes, my cereal, and gummy vitamins and supplements. (I’m an adult, I swear).
But I don’t drink the shakes or eat that cereal anymore, and Tim’s cereal isn’t sold there. And these days I take boring, normal vitamins.
The one thing left was cat litter. A 42-lb bag of Scoop Away goes for around $13.99. (It might actually be closer to $15.99. My memory’s a little hazy.) The best deal I can get on Amazon is $18.99. Sure, saving $5 a bag sounds good, but one bag lasts two to three months.
Meanwhile, I have to go to Costco, crouch down (lift with your legs!) and lift the 42-bag high enough to get it in the cart. Then I have to wait in line. Once that’s done, I have to get the bag from the cart to the trunk. I have to bend over the cart to do that, and that’s not a good angle to start lifting that kind of weight. Then it’s a matter of getting the litter out of the trunk, also while I’m bent over, though admittedly it’s a slightly better angle. Then I have to carry the litter about 50 feet from the trunk to the litter boxes.
If I buy through Amazon, I find the product, click to add it to the cart and click to check out. Once the box comes, I carry it around 30 feet (or just slide it on the floor).
And finally, one of the biggest complaints about club stores: You’ll usually come out with at least one item that wasn’t on your list. By and large, we’re pretty good at sticking to the plan. Still, we’ve emerged into the daylight with unplanned candy, liquor, jerky or, once, Game of Thrones DVDs. Club stores are dangerous like that.
All in all, it seems like the best thing is to let our membership lapse.
Do you belong to a club store? Do you save enough money to justify it?
Lindsay @ the Notorious D.E.B.T. says
We go to Costco, but it’s just me and my husband, and we go maybe once or twice a month. We don’t have a large apartment (ours is ~700 sq ft) so we can’t buy a lot while we’re there. We just go mainly for the staples – gas, cat litter, toilet paper, cleaning supplies (with 2 people, 2 cats, and a dog in our apt it does get quite messy).
I went through and wrote down the prices for everything we buy in Costco and our normal grocery store a couple months ago, but I haven’t actually sat down and tallied it all up yet. Something to do!
Abigail says
If Tim’s back were better, I might stick with it just for the cat litter — and maybe some gummy vitamins once my current boring ones run out — but since he’s in pain and I have fatigue… It’s easier.
I suppose we could get pretty good deals on toilet paper too, but I seem to recall they weren’t much better than Amazon. That’s what we’re signed up for now. I hope the savings work out in your favor. It’s always nice to find you really are saving money.
Ruby Julian says
You can order a lot of stuff online from Costco without a Costco membership. The selection is small and you have to pay at 5 percent surcharge, but it makes things like a year’s supply of generic Zyrtec super cheap — about one-tenth of what I would pay at CVS or Walmart. The Mister and I had discussed getting a membership, but decided it simply wasn’t worth it for a family of three people, two of whom don’t eat very much.
(Smarty Pants adult complete gummy vitamins are available online from Costco, just in case that’s the kind you used to take.)
Abigail says
Haha, no it was Vitafusion, I believe. But the online ordering is something I hadn’t thought of. I’ll have to look into that as we get lower on Tim’s generic Pepcide tablets.
Holly@ClubThrifty says
We have never had a Costco or Sam’s Club membership. I don’t really buy much in bulk anymore, so I’m not sure we would have much use for one. The closest one is also 20 minutes from my house, which would make it more of a pain that it was worth most days!
Abigail says
Ugh, yeah that’d be a huge hassle. Now that we’ve given up all pretense at cooking, Costco is even more pointless. At least for a while we were getting good deals on brats and salsa and other stuff we used. Now it’s mainly just cat litter. Nothing in life should ever be just about cat litter.
Cindy @ GrowingHerWorth says
Bryan has a Sam’s Club membership, and we go once, maybe twice a month. We use it for dog food, liquor, and a variety of OTC medications. Most trips we do end up buying 1-2 unplanned items, and it seems like we never get out of there spending less than $100. I’m not sure if/how much it’s saving us overall for the year. For 5 seconds we considered buying a Costco membership, but ultimately decided it wasn’t worth it for the one item we would buy there. Especially considering how far away it is from us.
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Abigail says
Yeah, if a club store is far away, it’s really more hassle than its worth. Liquor is excellent savings at club stores, and people can definitely save big on OTC meds. If I weren’t randomly stuck on a very specific type of cat food — I don’t know why, really, except that it’s the first stuff I ever bought my first cat and seems to work well — that would probably be a convincing argument too.
Kalie @ Pretend to Be Poor says
I’ve never had a club store membership. We have an ALDI just down the street and the prices are so good, it’s hard to beat. But I think it’s great that you re-assessed your membership based on current needs, preferences, and prices. It’s all too easy to let those type of things slide year and year without evaluating the cost.
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Abigail says
Weeeeelll, it’s probably already slid on for a year too long. But better one year than two, eh?
I’ve heard great things about ALDI. As far as I know, there aren’t any near us. I don’t think I’ve ever lived in a city with one. I guess I’ll just have to make do.
Kate @ Cashville Skyline says
I’ve never had a membership to any club stores. I don’t even know where there is one in Nashville! But it really doesn’t fit my lifestyle. I feel like I’d be constantly tempted to buy way more than I actually need.
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Abigail says
Yeah, that’s the main problem. You don’t *realize* you need a huge box of cereal or candy until you see it. Or that liquor you were thinking about trying. Or oooo how about some burgers and brats that we’ll absolutely, definitely cook and not just have sit in the freezer.
Kara @ Money Saving Maven says
We’re Costco members and it works for us because it’s only a few miles away, we stick to a list, and now we’re only going once a month. However, it is super easy to walk out with things we don’t need!!!
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Abigail says
Yeah, for a while we were going once a month. It’s just we’d put it off, and suddenly it was the weekend, and we didn’t want to deal with the crowds. And then things during the weekdays kept us from going.
Ridiculous as it is, we’d probably go more if it were on our side of the freeway. It’s not that far, but you have to get off the freeway, cross over, get back on and then take a quick right. Add that to the lines and temptations and… It’s just easier not to go.
Kat says
We’re not just Costco members, we have an executive membership- and it saves us about 2275 a year. That’s before factoring in the discounts on the products we do buy there, which I will get to in a minute.
With an executive level membership comes a vast array of products that aren’t physical, and we take advantage of several of those. I have life insurance, dental and vision (which I use for my contacts and sunglasses since my other coverage only covers 2 pairs of glasses,and I need one regular prescription and one for reading/computer work) coverage, and we used one of their services to replace the garage door when needed. Since all routine maintinence on the door (earthquake country- we need to have it checked twice a year and may need adjustments as the foundation settles) for 10 years came free with the door, voila. Since we do have two heavy use cars in the house (the fiancé works over 15 miles from our house, for instance), we also use Costco for car maintinence- tires, oil changes, batteries, etc. With three cars in the house, that adds up.
Then we get to the savings from actually shopping in the store- we routinely save money on both toilet paper and paper towels. We also save money by buying primal cuts, which I then break down into beef tenderloins and steaks. Same goes for chicken, cuts of pork, and even some fish. Bigger blocks of cheeses we use frequently get portioned down. All of this would normally be much more expensive in smaller form packaging, but we have a vacuum sealer and a chest freezer- which saves us SO much money. I also buy the big bags of things like flour and sugar from there, along with other staples like pasta. Big sealed bins in the garage hold the large amounts, and we bring smaller amounts in the house to cook with. For the heavy lifting, I ask a friend or my fiancé to help, and I plan my trip carefully.
As for the impulse buy problem, I give myself a budget out of my weekly spending fund. If I buy too much, I don’t get to hit a bookstore (by far, my biggest weakness), but I do allow myself to indulge in a box of these Parisian style macarons they sell… I’m addicted to the pistachio ones.
Abigail says
Wow, that’s quite a lot of savings! I suppose I really should get my eyes checked before April. I’m due anyway. And Tim needs to get glasses. I’ll have to see if life insurance is covered with basic memberships. Depending on the savings there, it might actually be worthwhile.
Donna Freedman says
We have a Costco membership but since we cook a lot (DF bakes bread every week) it’s worthwhile. Fortunately he has good impulse control, i.e., he has never gone in to buy paper towels and yeast and come home with a trampoline and five pounds of gummy bears.
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Abigail says
Five pounds of gummy bears doesn’t sound so bad. But a trampoline is just going to kill your homeowner’s insurance.
Kat says
Weirdly, I’d save less as a regular member. I upgraded to the executive to get the dental insurance they offered back when I couldn’t get health insurance and didn’t want to pay fully out of pocket if I cracked a tooth. Since I needed to have the executive membership, I researched everything they offered to make sure I did get the most of my money. Life insurance is a recent development, but the prices are low enough to make sense for a policy I was looking for anyway (I figure adding a family member is a reasonable time to up my coverage). The other thing is that having that extra dental and vision coverage does work out to save me money. I also know that I’ll be using them to replace some carpet in a few months.
People forget that they offer a LOT of stuff that isn’t store related, and that they offer pretty good deals on a variety of services.
Abigail says
I’ll have to check the dental insurance thing and vision coverage then. Those might pay for an executive membership. With Medicare, you don’t get either. Some plans offer add-ons, but the benefits aren’t worth the cost.
Emily @ JohnJaneDoe says
We went to Costco once (we were given a gift card when Little Bit was born), and found that although the stuff was cool, it was too far away (more than a half hour) and too crowded.
We do have a BJs membership which we’ve kept mostly due to Little Bit still needing Good Nights. (we seem to be phasing out now, though, thankfully. It seems a lot of kids phase out of bed wetting between 5 and 6, and Little Bit seems to be one of them.) It’s only 10 minutes away, and mainly interstate driving, so it’s an easy trip. Jon loves to drive over to get gas and LP gas, so we may keep it up. I know what you mean about adding extras to your cart though.
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Abigail says
I’ve heard good things about BJ’s. FYI, they’re on cash back sites. I know you can’t get the gas part online, but you might be able to get the Good Nights and some cash back without the driving.
Hannah says
About 1-2 times per year, I wish I had a club membership because we tend to run out of all paper products all at once. This year we got lucky and had a BJ’s club open up and offer one month of free membership, so we got to stock up. Another time, my mom came into town just as we ran out of everything and saved the day with her Sam’s club membership.
I don’t love club stores, because we don’t have tons of storage space, and I don’t prefer huge bottles of shampoo or ketchup, but if I can get in about twice a year, I feel pretty excited about it.
Abigail says
Yeah, other people’s memberships are way better. My mom had a Sam’s card for a while and designated me her secondary. It was still a bit of a hassle, but at least it was a free hassle. Glad you got to stock up a couple of times. And hey, since you’re about to become four, you might eventually need those huge bottles of ketchup!
Hannah says
Huge bottles of ketchup just mean more to spill. Whether its me or one of the kids. Only Rob seems to be immune from the powerful gravitational force in our house.
Abigail says
Haha, fair enough. I guess you could always squeeze it into an older, smaller ketchup bottle, but that’s begging for a spill, too. It’s just easier to buy smaller (read: normal size) ketchup.
Jayne says
Put your product into the smaller bottles you now use, or smaller for kids. It just takes a funnel!
Jana @ Jana Says says
Once we moved and the nearest one was 30 minutes away, we gave it up. We didn’t buy much there anyway once our daughter was out of diapers. There are some price points and items I do miss but overall, it made more financial and time sense to let it go.
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Rosa says
Yeah, once the kid got out of diapers, Costco got iffy for us. We have a big annual party and the booze & soda savings for that covers about half the membership, but I’m not sure it’s worth it anymore.
We only go about 4 times a year, though, and the products I really liked when we went more often because of diapers, keep disappearing from the shelves. I think by the time it’s definitely not worth it, I won’t miss it.
Abigail says
Party savings could definitely make it worthwhile. The price of vodka there is ridiculous. So is the cost of one of Fireball Whiskey, which is used for Tim’s drink. I know I should’ve checked TP prices more often. It could be that we’d have saved a lot. On the other hand, then I might be convinced to stay. Just the idea of dropping the membership feels like a huge load off my shoulders for some reason.
Rosa says
if it takes a lot of work to get the savings, it’s probably not worth it. The best way to save is to just not buy stuff and Costco is NOT good for that for most of us. Like I said, it was an obvious win for us until kiddo was out of diapers, then became really non-obvious, so now I’m on the fence and check to see if we’re actually saving anything because I keep feeling like we should drop it.
Abigail says
Yeah, you might be tempted by items you wouldn’t otherwise buy, which would be an excellent way to rationalize keeping the membership.
Abigail says
I didn’t think about diapers. If this last attempt is successful, maybe I’ll reconsider. But probably we’ll just rely on Amazon mom. Like you, there are a couple things I’ll miss but not enough to pay $59 after tax.
Revanche says
We have very little storage space but we make do for the paper towels and toilet paper. As Kat said, it’s cheaper there.
We also do the gas since they’re about a mile or two away, and since we eat a ton (!!) we buy our cheese, eggs, yogurt there, and large portions of fish and meat which I cut down and freeze for later meals. Oddly enough it’s one of those things I haven’t done a full evaluation of costs on but I’ve compared prices on the individual items to make sure we’re not just falling victim to the Costco is easy effect.
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Abigail says
Given everything you get, I don’t think you need to break it down. Sounds like you’re getting plenty of value. Cheese is a great value there. Meat too, from what I can tell.
Catherine Alford says
We don’t have a club store membership because we don’t have room to store things we’d buy in bulk. It just doesn’t make sense for us.
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Abigail says
That makes sense to me. When we were in an apartment, our options were definitely limited. Even with a fair amount of cupboard space.
Lisa O says
We don’t have a Costco but we do have a Sam’s. We are members and I feel that we save money every year depending on what we need. When my daughter got married..it was great to purchase breads, veggies, drinks and junk food. We bought a tv on black Friday about 5 years ago and saved about $400. We have upgraded our Verizon telephones and saved several hundred dollars. This year I renewed when it cost $40.00 for the membership but you got a $5 gift card, loaf of fresh bread, Panera soups and a chicken. I felt that really paid for itself. My big purchase this year was when I had to put wiper blades on the car for $11.00 a pair with free installation because one was bad and my garage wanted to charge $34.00 to replace the pair.
I do agree that you come out with more than you need every time you go!
Abigail says
That’s a nice set of savings. For my wedding, we did use a bunch of Sam’s Club GCs to pay for food: rolls, cheese, meat, fruit, potato salad, drinks, veggies, even some cutlery. Club stores are great for that!
Kristin says
We had a BJ’s membership years ago through my former employer. I think we paid for it for one year after I left that job, but found that it wasn’t really worth it. At the time, we were a household of two. I actually price compared before we let it lapse, and it was cheaper for us to buy bulk items (TP, facial tissues) through a regional supermarket (Wegman’s!). My mom got a Sam’s Club membership through her job a couple of years ago. I price compared to see if their prices beat what I could get at local stores with coupons, and I found their prices weren’t better, except on No. 10 cans of tomato sauce. So Mom buys those for us in exchange for us giving her sauce once it is doctored up.
Costco moved in across town (about 20 min. away, and only on the way to my dad’s) about a year ago. So far, we have resisted the temptation to get a membership, despite the really sweet Living Social deals that make it just about free. We are still just a family of three, so I don’t think it really makes sense for us. I think for us it would just be temptation to buy things we don’t really need. Our budget doesn’t need that. Everyone’s mileage varies on this.
Abigail says
Yeah, people assume that bulk always means a better deal. But canned fruit, some candy and a few other areas are worse deals. Or about the same, but then you have too many of them. Good for you for resisting.
Linda says
I dropped my membership in Costco years ago when I decided it was just a big PITA making time to go out of my way to the store (it wasn’t near my usual shopping places). Yeah, their prices on paper goods were amazing and I loved having a nice stockpile in the house (and we had room to store it), but my time was more valuable to me than that.
In my current location it makes even less sense to have such a membership. The Costco is even further from where now live, and I have no place to store big packages of paper goods and food. (There’s just a normal-sized freezer in this 825 sq ft rental.) For people with a store very close, on their normal errand/work route, and with extra storage space, I can see a membership working out. The other thing to consider is cash flow, though. Some people may have the time, storage, and convenience issues in their favor, but tying up a chunk of the monthly grocery budget on a bulk purchase of one type of food may be difficult.
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Abigail says
Yeah, if it were near any place we normally went, I might reconsider. But even gas is a pain. We generally hate going in because of lines. Sometimes the lines aren’t bad. If it’s a weekend and we have one or two products, Tim stands in line while I grab them. By and large, it’s just too big a headache.
Shannon @ Financially Blonde says
We belong to Sam’s Club; however, we only use it for a handful of items like toilet paper and some cooking products. Every year we do the analysis of the “need” versus paying for the membership and it makes sense but we used to blindly buy a lot more items from Sam’s assuming we were saving and a few years ago we realized that many of the items we thought we were saving on we weren’t, especially when we compared them by the unit prices. I always think it makes sense to question every dollar that you spend to make sure that it makes sense for your family’s budget.
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K says
I was just about to cancel my membership and then the rewards certificate showed up and it paid for itself. I don’t know if we really save that much overall but the quality of the food tends to be pretty good at decent price. We will keep it another year at least since there are several products that we really like.
K says
And to give you a few other ideas before you cancel, we love the frozen spinach ravioli and the Washington state apples that have picked dates from the previous week.
Abigail says
Yeah, we’ve looked over their food section a few times. Most of it is wasted on us. We don’t cook, so the meats are no good. I try to keep my cheese consumption down (used to love Tillamook white cheddar) for reasons of sodium, and I prefer to buy small amounts of fruit to keep them from going bad. I like ravioli, but I try to steer away from pasta/simple carbs these days because they really wreck my blood sugar.
Abigail says
Rewards certificate?
Leona says
You make a good point Abigail! A person has to re-evaluate their spending every year at these club stores & see if it makes sense to renew their membership. I get ink refills for $7.99 when we’re in the U.S. and $10.99 when we’re home in Canada, gas, vitamin D and a few other items (frozen chicken) that is cheapest & best tasting from Costco. So for us, it still makes sense but we re-evaluate every year to see if it’s still worth the membership or if we’d be better letting it lapse.
Abigail says
Smart. I always forget about ink refills, but then again, I’d almost definitely forget to take the inks in to get refilled. So I suppose it evens out. Glad you’re getting so much value out of your membership!
Leona says
If you use the credit card that Costco recognizes, you end up getting a small percentage back of your total purchases every year. And if you buy lots of stuff that would make an executive membership worthwhile (which costs more money), you get another 2% back on top of that. They send you a rewards “check” every year that you redeem at the till towards any purchase or you can just get cash back for it at customer service.
Susan Mason says
Fairly convenient location for us and gas is usually at least 15 cents a gallon cheaper. They also have several items that my dad uses (nutritional drinks). We only go in the store about once a month. I do occasionally get sucked in by the book table-but if I did not do it there, I would be grabbing a book at the CVS or off Amazon! There are several items that are really good deals, although it might be smart to do a walk thru and do a price check just to verify that. They were good deals when first discovered….
Abigail says
Yeah, I’ve definitely been guilty about defining something as a good deal and then failing to take note of price fluctuations (either there or at the grocery/drugstore). Our gas tends to only be 7-10 cents cheaper than Circle K, so it’s not as good of savings. Sounds like you get plenty of value out of your membership there, though, so that’s all that matters.
Susan Mason says
Well, I do confess to getting something on occasion that was not on the list, but that can happen elsewhere also! Am trying to stop that as I have things floating about my house without a home. Going once a month should cut down on that.
It sounds like you may not be getting value out of your membership fee-you can always rejoin later if you think you made a mistake.
Abigail says
That’s true, impulse purchases can happen no matter where you go. And yes, if we change our minds or otherwise find value later, it’s simple enough to join. If it’s been at least 6 months, I believe we can qualify for a Groupon/LivingSocial deal they offer from time to time.
Alane farmer says
I haven’t had one since I found myself throwing away stale cereal my kids grew sick of before the boxes were half empty. I have Sam’s and BJ’s about twenty minutes from my house and Costco is more than thirty minutes away but I have three supermarkets less than three miles from my house. I always can get amazing prices and can’t see why I would bulk buy like you have too at those clubs.
Abigail says
Twenty miles away (let alone 30) is waaaay too far to bother. Especially if things go stale when you buy in bulk. Glad you realized it was time to quit. Think about how much money you’ve saved since!
Tonya@Budget and the Beach says
I’ve never had a membership to a club store but I’ve always been afraid of walking out with too many things I don’t need. The only time I utilize it is if I need a new volleyball and they are $5-$10 cheaper than a sporting goods store, so I just give my friends the money to buy one for me since everyone I know but me has one. Works for me.
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Abigail says
Yeah, it can be tempting. Especially with an ADD person in tow. Sometimes I’m amazed we get out of there with under $100 in stuff. Though sometimes I end up adding to the cart too, to be fair.
Anonymous says
I am embarrassed to say that last year I had a membership at all three – BJ’s, Costco and Sam’s. They are all three within 15 minutes of my home. The Costco membership was purchased because our vision insurance said we could get more benefits if we used it at Costco but I saw no extra benefits going there. It was actually more difficult using Costco because ours is the only one in the area and it is packed every day of the week, so of course you have to wait in line for anything in the vision department. The Sam’s membership was purchased with a Groupon deal where they gave me a gift card and coupons for free items. BJ’s is my personal favorite.
I’m the only one who actually goes to the warehouse stores and sometimes take my family, so I let the Sam’s and Costco membership expire. BJ’s is my favorite because you can use coupons there, and you can stack their coupons with manufacturer’s coupons. I usually go on the same day of the week at about the same time and it’s not crowded, the parking lot is easy to get in and out of and I can get discounted gas there, if I don’t have enough points for the grocery store discount gas.
Abigail says
Coupons at a warehouse store sound lovely! But yeah, I’d be surprised if a club store had better benefits. Maybe they just meant the items were cheaper so your co-pay was cheaper? Glad you found the best one for your needs — and that it isn’t as crowded as the other two.
DC @ Young Adult Money says
“And finally, one of the biggest complaints about club stores: You’ll usually come out with at least one item that wasn’t on your list.” I remember growing up when my parents had a membership at Sam’s Club. There was always SOMETHING extra that got thrown in the cart that wasn’t planned. These membership stores definitely know what makes consumers buy more stuff.
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Abigail says
Yep, and once your eyes have glazed over with savings, it’s hard not to start assuming everything is a better deal. I should probably go there and see if they have any things we should stock up on before April. For now, I’m going to focus on getting our current errand list run and making sure I get my business taxes to my CPA. As always, Costco just isn’t high on my list of priorities.
Alyssa @ GenerationYRA says
My fiance & I do not have a club store membership – it just simply doesn’t make sense for just the two of us! I could imagine it may be a different story if you had several kids, or a larger family. For us, Costco is on the other side of town so certainly not convenient. The few times I’ve been in Costco I get stressed out, by the parking lot, the people, the check out lines, the whole experience lol! Even free samples can’t make up for it, anymore. 🙂 We are in proximity to an all-in-one grocery store (Fred Meyer) that we love going to, and the gas rewards almost match or beat Costco which is nice!
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Abigail says
Ah yes, I miss Freddy’s. And yep, the lines/crowds stress me out. It’s not quite as bad when we go during the day, but there are still a surprising number of people. I just want to shout at them, “What are you doing here? Don’t you people have jobs?!” Other people are so very inconsiderate of my needs.
Sarah Noelle @ The Yachtless says
Do you know, I have never been inside a Costco in my life. I have no idea what’s in there! But I gather that whatever it is, it’s all packaged in very, very large boxes and tubs and bags that I would definitely not be able to lug 10 miles home by foot, so I think I’ll stick with regular stores (and Amazon) for now.
It sounds like regular stores (and Amazon) are the way to go for you guys too, at least at this point. $5 off cat litter every 2-3 months does not sound worth it at all. Good decision!
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Abigail says
Haha, if you’ve never been there then I say stay away! The lure of savings can suck you in, even if you know better. Although I imagine the 10-mile walk is deterrent enough.
spiffi says
Every so often I think I should get a membership – but as a single person, I just cannot justify it. I don’t have the freezer space to stock up on foods that way, and I won’t eat fruit or veggies in the amounts that they are sold in, before they go bad.
Paper goods – it might be cheaper, but I’ve seen comparisons where the Costco price isn’t necessarily that much better – and again it depends on how much you go through. I bought 2 packs of 8 large Bounty paper towel rolls at Target (if you bought 2 you got a $5 gift card) and that was nearly 2 years ago – I’m on the last roll now.
I do get prescriptions there – you don’t need a membership to get prescriptions filled. Gas would probably be worthwhile, but my Costco is 15 minutes out of the way of my daily travels, so it wouldn’t be convenient to fill my tank.
When I do occasionally bring up the thought of getting a membership – I have at least 5 friends who all have memberships and who have stated their willingness to go with me any time I want – so there’s no real need, as far as I can tell.
Abigail says
Yeah, if you have access without paying the membership, I’d say you’re set. Like you, our Costco just isn’t all that convenient. It’s not that it’s even far away, but it takes us around 15 minutes to get there, and we have to make a special trip. In the end, it’s just not worth it.
Prudence Debtfree says
We belong to Costco, and it works well for us. The store is located close to us and close to the other stores where we grocery shop. And since we eat in bulk (big eaters here), it makes sense to shop in bulk. We also find that the workers at Costco are so happy! When he first started to go to the store, my husband said, “There’s something about the people who work there. I think they must be ex-prison-mates who are just so grateful to have a job. They’re so happy!” It was quite a leap in logic : ) Anyway I don’t know if all Costcos have this cheerful work culture, but the one near us is a pleasant place to shop at because of it.
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Abigail says
The employees are usually pretty polite. I don’t know about chipper, but I’ve never seen one who seemed to be upset, bored or rude. Given that they’re on their feet all day and have to deal with customers, I suppose that’s pretty darn good.
Jayne says
They are paid $16.00 an hour minimum. They can afford to live, and have a job to be happy about. Of course they’re nice.
Abigail says
Excellent point!
Kristin says
I went to a Costco once with my brother (he was on crutches) and there were a ton of food samples. My poor brother got so banged up and run over by vultures dying for some free food. People are nuts. It totally freaked me out and I never went again! I just find these types of places terrifying and can’t handle the people. I would rather pay a little extra and order from home.
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Abigail says
Ah yes, people. The bane of most other people’s lives. I agree that I’d much rather order from home or go to a grocery store. Where people will at least bang into you slightly less.
Donna Freedman says
Just had to add this: The other day we paid $1.99 per gallon for gas at Costco. Since gasoline is expensive up here in Alaska, we kept staring at the receipt and grinning. Small things please small minds.
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Abigail says
Wow, that’s quite the price difference! So I guess it’s a good buy for you guys. And know I know where I got my easy-to-please mentality.
nicoleandmaggie says
We don’t. Back when we were low income we didn’t buy enough to justify it (and got better deals via sales and generics), and these days we’re not particularly sensitive to price. The only time we’ve ever shopped at costco was when we had to for an RA job for the dorm and then the membership was paid for.
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Abigail says
Those sound like good reasons to me. It’s kind of cool that RAs got free access to Costco. That said, given what RAs are paid, I guess it’s the least they could do.
nicoleandmaggie says
Well, it wasn’t for our own shopping, but to get supplies for the dorm. So not that cool. Cooler would have been not having to go shopping for the dorm at all.
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Abigail says
Uh yeah, that’s just ridiculous. School building = the school shopping for supplies.
MoneyAhoy says
We still save enough money to justify it, but we need to plan ahead the menu for the next week to ensure we don’t leave with more than we were planning to get :-). With Costco, you can literally cancel your membership the last day, say you weren’t happy overall, and get your past year’s membership back just as an FYI.
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Abigail says
Oooo, good to know. I may try that, thanks!
Maria says
I read a lot about watching out for lifestyle inflation. And while I think that is an excellent point that I need to consider carefully, sometimes a little lifestyle inflation (in this case dropping Costco and maybe losing out on a few bucks but on the other hand saving yourself a lot of hassle) is just what you need and want!
I don’t eat out a lot, but more often than I’d like lately I’ve found myself picking something up while running errands because I didn’t have any food I’d like to eat before leaving. And that’s because I’ve just procrastinated on figuring out and planning my meals. I couldn’t afford this before, but this = bad lifestyle inflation for me. On the other hand, I couldn’t really afford going out to eat in a nice-ish restaurant or café before, at least very rarely, but I do this now occassionally. This = good lifestyle inflation for me. 🙂
Abigail says
It creeps in, doesn’t it? I try to eat/grab something to eat whenever we leave the house so that I’m not tempted by fast food. But I don’t always remember, and when I do, it doesn’t always work. Meanwhile, there’s Tim, who doesn’t eat much during the day; so any time we leave the house, there’s the danger that we’re coming home with takeout. Still, cumulatively, the money we don’t spend on food for him (just cereal) in the daytime more or less evens out the cost of a couple of fast food meals a week.
And yes, there is such a thing as good lifestyle inflation. I’m glad you can make that distinction. Too many of us get bogged down in the idea that spending extra money is always bad.
Latoya @ Femme Frugality says
We’ve never belonged to a club store. I always liked the convenience of Amazon’s subscribe to save and having those heavy boxes delivered right to my door. I probably could save more by going to Costco or Sam’s, but I’m a girl that hates crowded, congested stores so I would definitely say the trade-off of price is well worth it.
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Abigail says
Yeah, I went online two days ago and subscribed us to cat food and toilet paper and shaving gel. Cat litter doesn’t have a subscription option, and laundry detergent makes more sense (cost-per-unit wise) to buy individually.
And you’re right that at some point our sanity and time are worth potentially paying a bit more.
jestjack says
Costco has never made sense to me. Our biggest challenge seems to be eating food before it goes bad. And those Costco quantities are HUGE. The Costco business plan is an interesting one. As memory serves they sell everything at just about “break-even $” and the REAL money/profit comes from the membership subscriptions…
Abigail says
Yeah, it’s not so bad for non-perishables, but I can never get through bags of fruit fast enough. As for the business plan… that’d be an interesting financial business model
Funny about Money says
Oh my goodness! You put my own thoughts in little glowing characters!
I also have dared to think…maybe it’s time to exit Costco. Truth to tell, I spend an _awful_ lot less in a month when I limit the Costco trips, or don’t go in there at all.
On the other hand, Costco sells a number of things I’d miss. Not the least is the gasoline — last tank I bought was FORTY-FOUR CENTS A GALLON less than the price at the nearest gas station! I do love the Gloria Vanderbilt jeans, but since the closet is about to burst with the things…maybe it’s time to stop buying them?
Buying TP and paper towels in lifetime supplies is extremely convenient. I have plenty of room to store them, and I hate running to the grocery store every time I run around.
Making your own dog food causes Costco to look a lot more attractive, too. One of those packages of boned chicken thighs will make enough dog food to last the hounds two weeks. The giant packages of frozen “Tuscan” style veggies, which contain nothing toxic to dogs, are perfect, as are the big bags of Coach’s oats. All these things are edible for the human as well as the creatures that own this place.
The dogs like carrots as dog treats. It’s mighty nice to be able to buy the entire yield of Farmer John’s back forty, neatly bagged in plastic. Some of the other produce is excellent, and you can’t get those Campari tomatoes — the ones that actually taste like tomatoes — many other places.
So I’ll probably keep the membership, at least as long as these two dogs are around. But after they shuffle off this mortal coil…? Hm…
You’re right about the endless lines at the gas pumps. Try buying gas, if you can, on Tuesday or Wednesday. Those seem to be Costco’s slowest days. Also note that most Costco’s have hoses that will go all the way around even a fairly large vehicle, so you may not HAVE to use the pump on the side of the car with your gas cap. I can pump gas from the far side of my bloated Toyota Sienna at any Costco gas station — which ain’t so at normal gas stations.
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Abigail says
Wow, 44 cents?! I’ve only every noticed up to 9 cent differences. Weird. Sounds like you buy enough there to make it worthwhile. You have my admiration inre: making your dog food. That’s not something I’d have the time/energy/patience for.
middle class revolution says
I found that a lot of paper goods and diapers/wipes were just as cheap (and sometimes cheaper) at Amazon or at Target/CVS with sales/coupons. I also love not having to lug big packages of diapers, paper towels etc.. all the time.
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Abigail says
Yeah, I’m not big into lugging m’self. And you’re right that the deals are probably as good or very close on Amazon and others.
Mel @ brokeGIRLrich says
I was just in a Sam’s Club for the first time ever this week and was really surprised by all the things they carry in these wholesale stores! There was definitely some decent savings on wine, but I don’t think I’ll be rushing out to get a Sam’s or Costco membership anytime soon.
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Abigail says
In Washington, liquor is controlled by the state. So it was really surreal to come down here and see liquor (other than wine) in warehouse stores. Let alone ones in drugstores — and drive through liquor stores.
At any rate, I think it’s always really cool to go look. It’s just that, once you get past the obvious savings, you realize you’re not usually going to use enough to make it worthwhile. Not true for everyone, though. My aunt and uncle more than get their value’s worth.
Laura says
Nobody mentioned the hot dogs!! Junk food, yes, but a monthly treat for us. Lunch out for two, 3 bucks! If you are feeding a crowd in Hawaii, you can save well over half from many smaller local markets. That added up to hundreds of dollars on our last retreat.
Abigail says
Nice! Yeah each time we went we got a hot dog for Tim as a cheap lunch.
teinegurl says
ah what I timely post!! I let my Sam’s membership expire last July and this past week I got a Executive Membership at Costco. Now that im know longer living with roommates I don’t buy as much food in bulk and figured I would see how I would fare without a membership. After asking friends to help me go to the military bases for cheaper prices and waiting for other friends who had membership , I just finally bite the bullet and got one.
I was like what was I waiting for?? The gas alone I had savings and food court. Which is easy place to stop after I pick the kids from after school care. Plus Automotive section for tires and free car diagnostic. It was kind of pricey I know what you mean about walking out with stuff you don’t need! I spent $115 on the executive membership, $137 on household goods (Lysol , Swiffer, laundry soap. toilet paper) $20 for gas (filled up my tank) $15 at the food court. I think you can live without it that’s fine. I go through phases where I like it then when I don’t shop there as much. So good for you Abby!
Abigail says
Hey, as long as it works for you, more power to ya. I love the idea about a quick snack for you and the kids. With kids, you probably do a lot more driving than we do which definitely makes the gas thing more worthwhile.
Mental note: Stock up on Swiffer before April. We’re completely out.
Cindy Hoffman says
I totally agree with you Abigail, sometimes the math just doesn’t add up with these memberships and you are better off without them. We go to Costco for gas and sometimes for basic supplies. I gotta get a calculator and check out if some things are worth it. Thanks for sharing.
Cindy
Abigail says
Hope it helps!
Kathy Tengesdahl says
Well , since I have a business, health savings account I save my whole annual membership on buying checks through them, and a case of paper, everything else is a bonus
Abigail says
Yeah, those are some very useful/lucrative reasons to keep your membership. In that case, it sounds like a good idea to keep the membership. I didn’t even realize you could have HSA accounts with them.
Tp says
So I haven’t read the bazillion comments, but, what about food at Costco? I absolutely cannot bring myself to buy broccoli at Kroger…2.99/lb??? I get a huge bag for around $4 at Costco. And pork chops, best price. I freeze in twin packs. They have the best diapers (better than Huggies), and THEIR brand of infant formula is actually THEIR own formula (pardon the pun). Its not a generic of another brand. AND it has NO PALM OIL. I had planned to breastfeed but that didn’t work out so I researched every ingredient in different formulas. 40+oz for 17.99
Here’s what ya do about the membership. I have the executive membership which is $110/ year. I also get 2% back annually. So every April I get a check and that’s how I pay next year’s membership. I haven’t paid it out of our budget in 4 years
Abigail says
We don’t buy a lot of groceries, so it’s not helpful in that case. If you need things like diapers or a bunch of groceries, it can be absolutely worth it. But for us we’re either just breaking even or actually losing a little money. Add to that the hassle of going when it’s not insanely crowded and… yeah.
But yes, there are plenty of people who MORE than get value out of their memberships.
Georgia says
Costco has a policy to get a customer through the line as quickly as possible. This is the main reason I quit Costco. At our store in Livermore, CA, the cashier, time and again, made NO eye contact while they held out their hand for my credit card. I can’t tell you how much I hated that. Twice I stopped at the front (little computer stall) to tell whoever was posted there that Alice or Jesse, pointing to their white board which showed who was wining this mad race, was very nice to look me in the eye and say hello to me. Alice or Jesse were always in 7th or 8th place behind their coworkers. The white board disappeared. But we’ve since then dropped our 15 year Costco membership. We don’t go to the movies much (tickets) because movies have been bad for a long time, and I rarely deep fry anymore (olive oil). I think we’re in the minority in quitting. We certainly don’t miss the impulse buys, crowds, or the rudeness.
Thank you much for letting me rant here!
Abigail says
Huh, I always got plenty of eye contact from the employees. Sounds like your store needed to adjust its hiring practices! And yes, the impulse buys were pretty dangerous/convincing.