Friday, May 16, 2014

To Costco Or Not To Costco...

That is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the pocketbook to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous grocery store prices, or to take arms against a sea of small packages and by opposing, cough up a yearly membership fee and have to drive out to the suburbs every month or so to stock up at Costco.


So, for the past few years I've enjoyed a free Costco membership. That is to say, I've been mooching off of my parent's membership. Apparently when you join Costco, you have the option of adding another person on your account, and my parents graciously chose to add me.

It was a good way to try it out, but after a few years, my dad (who is THE most frugal shopper ever) determined that it wasn't worth it and gave up the membership.

So I have a decision to make. Should I cough up the dough for a membership of my own, or just bid adieu to fair Costco?


The truth is, I don't shop at Costco very often. So much of what they carry is problematic for me in one way or another. They carry a lot of pre-packaged foods, which I generally don't eat for both health and allergic reasons.

The produce comes in enormous packages which I find difficult to use before it goes bad - plus, they don't carry much organic produce, and it's all pre-bagged, which means I can't pick and choose to get the very best pieces.

Many of their items are enormous packages of brand name stuff... which is cheaper than buying the brand name stuff at the grocery store, but still more expensive than most grocery store house brands. Wait... I think I feel another soliloquy coming on... "Oh Costco, doff thy brand names!"



But seriously, there are a few things that are cheaper at Costco and which I really enjoy. These include:

Organic meats. 

Since I paid off my mortgage and have a bit more financial flexibility, I decided that one of the things I wanted to do was to switch to organic meats, both for health reasons and because the animals are generally treated better. None of the grocery stores in my neighborhood carry organic meats, so I have to travel to get them whether it's at Costco or some other store, and Costco seems to have the best prices that I've found. Plus, their meats don't come packaged with Styrofoam, and it works for me to stock up once every month or two.


Frozen Fruit and Veggies. 

I consider berries to be one of the greatest treats there is, but they are horribly expensive. However, Costco has giant bags of frozen organic berries at a VERY reasonable price. Plus, they carry frozen organic veggies at a better price than I've found anywhere else. They also have a frozen stir-fry mix which I love because unlike most others I've found, it doesn't contain celery (which I'm violently allergic to.)


Cheese. 

Costco has some of the best prices on both cheap and expensive cheeses. They sell a shredded Parmesan/Romano mix that is wonderful, and since CatMan LOVES lasagna, we go through a lot of it. They also have very good prices on regular cheap cheeses.


Tuna. 

I don't eat a lot of tuna, mostly because the vast majority of tuna packed in "water" is actually packed in vegetable broth, which contains, you guessed it, celery! However, the Costco house brand tuna is packed in plain water, so it is one of the few brands that I can eat... The only other ones are the sustainable harvested ultra expensive ones that cost around $4 per can. However, the last time I was at Costco, they didn't have any of the house brand tuna, so it may be that they've discontinued it.


Dishwasher tabs. 

This is one of the few places where I am brand-loyal because my Bosch dishwasher really seems to require Finish Powerball Tabs in order to work properly, and Costco has them much cheaper than anyplace else that I've found.

And... that's about it. Although, truth be told, each time I go there intending to buy only things on the above list, I inevitably come home with more stuff, even if it's not any cheaper than buying it at the regular grocery store.



Soooo... maybe I need to do some number crunching.


A general membership costs $55 for a year and an "Executive Membership" costs $110. For my purposes, the main difference between the two is that at the Executive level you get a 2% reward on most purchases (gas doesn't count toward the reward). So... in order for the rewards to cover the cost of the membership you'd have to spend $2750/year.

Holy Moly! That's like $230/month! Even if I did virtually all of my grocery shopping at Costco (which ain't gonna happen), it would be a challenge to spend that much. When I look at my records for the past few years, I seem to average closer to $50/month of Costco purchases - which does include a few non-food items.

But even if your goal with the Executive Membership was just to make up the difference between its cost and the cost of a general membership, you'd still have to spend $1375 over the course of the year to recoup the extra $55 in membership costs. So any way you slice it, I think the Executive Membership is definitely out.


That leaves the general membership. So the question becomes, would I save $55 over the course of one year over grocery store prices? Hmmm... perhaps I should have kept better records.

Well... just for the sake of argument (and easier math) let's be generous and assume that I would spend $1000/year at Costco. That would mean that in order to break even on the membership, I'd have to get prices that were 5.5% cheaper than what I could find at the grocery store.

If I spent $600/year (closer to what I actually have spent there) the prices would need to be 9.1% lower in order to break even. When you factor in the reality that probably at least half of my Costco purchases were made out of convenience rather than because the prices was actually cheaper than buying the item elsewhere, that sorta seems like a tall order to me.


Of course, there are the intangibles to consider. I really, REALLY like those frozen berries, and I'm more apt to treat myself to them if I think the price is reasonable. Plus, having tuna that I can eat is really nice. But maybe it would be more cost effective to just buy expensive organic berries and expensive tuna at the regular grocery store.

Plus... driving out to the nearest Costco is sort of a pain. It's about 12 miles round trip, which I guess isn't too bad, especially if I combine it with another trip, but it's not like I can just walk or bike there like I can with my neighborhood stores. And I'm really not a big fan of driving.


So I suppose if I'm really gonna nit pick the numbers, then I should include about an extra $1.50-$2 per Costco trip for the cost of the gas to get there and back.

But, there is the packaging to consider. Buying in bulk does mean less waste, but in truth, I think the difference ends up being pretty negligible.

So, I really don't know, I think I could go either way. I suppose in the broad scheme of things this is one of those decisions that really doesn't matter very much.



But I'm curious to hear what you think about it. Do you have a Costco membership? Do you think it's worth it?




47 comments :

  1. I was wondering the same as I just got a membership 3 months ago and seem to go maybe every6-8 weeks. I buy the frozen veggies, cheese and finish power tabs and am experimenting with the huge can of tomato paste and freezing them in 1 cup glass canning jars. I seem to always buy that 3 lb. tortilla chips bag since its so cheap but we really don't need it nor is it healthy.

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    1. I'm trying to imagine how long it would take me to use up one of those giant cans of tomato paste! And I totally know what you mean about the junk food... for me it's the chocolate covered raisins - DOOM!

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  2. We have a Costco membership. Our big savings item is cat litter. Other items are just as you mentioned--we like their brand or quality. Where the membership can really come in handy is if you have a big item to buy like a mattress or freezer or such. Then you almost always recoup your membership fee. But with everything else, if you want the best price,you have to shop around

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    1. Hmmm... what brand of cat litter do you use? I don't use clay litter anymore because I lost 2 cats to lung cancer and I just don't want to risk the silica dust... and my vet says that pine litters are full of volatile organic compounds, which makes them bad for the air too. Does Costco carry any wheat, corn or walnut based clumping litters? That might make a big difference in the membership.

      Anyhow, CatMan recently bought a new TV, and membership fee notwithstanding, he still found a better deal elsewhere - but I suppose if Costco did have the best price on some big ticket item that I wanted/needed I could always join at that point.

      And my head is now full of the song "My mama told me, you better shop around - shop, shop around..." :-)

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    2. It is a clay based litter and luckily we haven't had any problems from it It is a favorite of my husband who cleans the litter boxes, so that's what we get.

      I can always count on you for a song. I think you may have as many of them going around in your head as I do.

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    3. Bummer. If Costco carried any of the ridiculously expensive pet products that my kids go through at an alarming rate, it would certainly be a different story!

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  3. Well we are sort of Costco addicts. However, there are 4 of us, and we share the membership with my in-laws. We could easily spend over $200/month from just our family. We find a lot of great organic deals from Kirkland brand. We've also saved a lot on contacts. I've calculated out a couple things, and it definitely saves us quite a bunch.

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    1. With a family of 4 I can easily see how it would be worthwhile, especially if you're sharing a membership!

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  4. Because it's just me and my son, I don't have a Costco membership. I do love to tag along sometimes with my friends who belong, but I always end up buying something like a hoodie that I don't really need--and no groceries! I do love Costco prices and party foods if you're having a bunch of people over for a celebration. Also, a Costco membership would be a practical present, if someone asked you what you wanted for your birthday or Christmas and was thinking of spending $50...

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    1. Hmmm... I hadn't considered asking for a membership as a present. That's an interesting idea. And I always try to stay out of the non-food aisles when I'm there, lest I come home with who knows what thing that I didn't really need! :-)

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  5. We tried it. We did not save enough. But we also didn't find anything we loved that we couldn't get elsewhere.

    Here's another idea. If you know someone who already has a Costco membership, you can go with them, pick out what you want, let them pay for everything, then pay them back (or pay up front while you're waiting in line). Then maybe pay for their gas or drive them, plus you get company. Just stock up on the things you really can't get elsewhere.

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    1. Now that's another interesting idea... I bet my best friend would let me tag along with her so I could stock up on cheese and berries a few times per year. Hmmmm...

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  6. I used to share a Costco membership and eventually got my own. The store is on one of my usual driving routes. I have a list of stuff I always buy there: crates of oranges, coffee, olive oil, raisins, nuts, soap and TP! I would never spend enough on necessities to justify the membership cost, except that I buy some gifts there (such as books and DVDs) and occasionally clothes for myself. I think they've suckered me: I like the "experience" of seeing what deals they have, and being able to look at electronics when I've come to grocery shop! And Rom, like a lot of other guys, likes the fast food there.

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    1. I assume you were talking about the food court with the fast food thing, but you did make me think of another aspect that I hadn't considered - the free samples! Seriously, one can walk into Costco starving, and eat an entire meal's worth of samples by the time you make it around the store! Actually... I can't eat most of them because of unknown ingredients, but it still strikes me that if you were really hard up and lived near a Costco you could more than pay for the membership just by grazing on free samples day in and day out!

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  7. I think it's a very personal decision. Each individual or family needs to take note of everything they would likely buy in a year, factor in travel to/from Costco, look for alternatives for shopping, then decide. Families often come out better with membership, as do home businesses.

    There are a few Costco-only deals that make up membership cost for some families.
    Disneyland offers tickets through Costco, once every couple of years, at outstanding prices (I think the last deal was pay the regular ticket price, get a $50 Costco gift card for each ticket purchased, which Costco accepted as payment on that theme park ticket.)

    But for our family, we've skipped Costco. I do my bulk shopping at a restaurant supply that's open to the public. Their prices are roughly the same as Costco on the items I buy, but we have no membership fee, and no temptation to buy all the other stuff.

    We're also looking into buying grass-fed/organic beef and free-range poultry. We will likely buy from a rancher up north of us. It will be a 1+ hour drive north, once per year, but worth it. I also found a local independent butcher who sells grass-fed beef, better quality than Whole Foods, and cheaper, too.

    Something to consider on the organic/free-range meat -- our family just doesn't eat all that much meat. You may not either, at least not enough to warrant a membership hinging on your meat purchases. And personally, for the small amount of meat we do buy, I'd much rather support a local rancher or business.

    Do you have Trader Joe's nearby? Have you compared prices and savings on Trader Joe's organics vs. Costco, especially the frozen fruits/vegetables?

    Has your membership actually expired? Do you still have time to do a major stock-up that could last 6 months in the freezer? I know a family that stocks up like crazy just before their membership expires, waits 6 months, then buys a new membership. So, in a 3-year time span, they're only buying 2 years of membership. This only works if you're waiting a long time between membership purchases (I think it's more than 2 months after expiration). Otherwise, Costco tries to enforce your "old" expiration anniversary. There was a class-action lawsuit regarding this a couple of years back. Business practices may have changed, I;m not sure.

    Like I said, we skipped Costco, and I think we wind up spending much less, and eating very well. We don't buy packaged foods, grow at least half of our produce ourselves, organically, and eat less than US average amounts of animal products. But that's just us. you may have different deciding factors.

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    1. I sooo wish that my dad had given me some warning so I could have stocked up, but unfortunately he didn't let me know until it had already expired. I wish I could find a place where I could buy some meat once a year like you suggested - maybe I just need to look harder. I think there's only one actual poultry farm in the state, and I don't think they sell directly - but maybe I could find some sort of a smaller operation. I also wish I could find a restaurant supply store. There used to be one near where I worked that sounds much like the one you describe, but they went out of business years ago... but there must be others. Hmmm... I think some detective work is in order!

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  8. We don't live near a Costco/BJs/Sam's Club so that makes it an easy decision for us. When I was in college, I'd visit there with my roommate every once in a while, but I found myself buying mostly snack foods because they weren't perishable. Besides, it's tough to eat huge quantities of any one thing alone!

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    1. Yup... the huge quantities are a challenge especially for one person. Once I bought one of those giant logs of cream cheese and most of it went bad before I could even contemplate using it all. I should have frozen it in smaller chunks.

      Anyhow, you're totally right about the snack foods, especially the chocolate covered everything aisle!

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  9. We are considering letting go of our Costco membership. Really the only things we buy there are paper and office products and over-the-counter medicine, and gas. The food is awful: I thought I was getting a great deal by buying prepared sandwiches, etc.. for a party we were having until I saw that no one really ate the food! I tried it and it all tasted very processed. It was such a waste. Also, I try to buy mostly organic produce but our Costco only carries organic carrots. Everything organic is frozen, but I just don't have enough room in my freezer for the enormous packages nor do I want to purchase a extra freezer to accommodate it all.

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    1. I've never tried their prepared foods because I can't eat that sort of thing due to food allergies, but I'll take your word for it! I actually do have a chest freezer, but since the past few years have been a total bust in terms of gardening, I turned it off to defrost and clean it and haven't really needed to plug it in since! We'll see what direction the winds of garden and bulk food fate push me with that one!

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  10. I have been considering a Costco membership for myself - I know quite a few people who really like Costco deals. But I live alone, so I can't buy bulk perishables; and don't really know what else they have that I might need. I can't resist a good deal, but I also really don't need more stuff! Also, I remember the Sam's Club membership I had a decade ago. I usually bought snack foods in bulk and ended up eating way too many pop-tarts and chips. I guess what it comes down to is will a membership serve my needs or my wants (which include junk food cravings). I suspect I would just end up with years supply of pop-tarts and other "good deals" I don't need.

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    1. Ha! I'm trying to picture a year's supply of pop-tarts... scary mental image! :-)

      In truth, if price is the main consideration I think that you can generally do better with the Kroger house brand than what you find at Costco - certainly not true with everything, as I listed above, but in general I've found it to be true. That being said, my best friend's husband is totally addicted to Morningstar Farms fake meat products, and she says the membership pays for itself with the savings on those items alone. So I think it depends. But if I were you, I'd make a list of the items you regularly buy, and the prices you generally pay for them, and then try to find someone to let you tag along on a shopping trip so you can get an accurate comparison before shelling out for the membership. Of course, not everyone is as, ahem, cheap - I mean "frugal" as I am! :-)

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  11. I enjoyed your post and the comments. I don't have a membership and I wonder sometimes whether it would be a frugal idea. After reading the replies I think it wouldn't work for me. Since I'm in Canada I don't know if our Costco's sell organic foods and that would be the only draw for me as we shop around and always get the best deals. The commenter who mentioned buying organic food from local farmers is right...I try to support local when ever I can and I'm willing to pay more for it.
    After reading the replies I think you're better off without a membership.
    Marie

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    1. I think I'm leaning toward not getting one... at least for the time being. There are a decent number of organic products to choose from - but not usually organic produce, at least that's how it is here in Denver. Not sure what that's about, but it seems to be the case.

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  12. We don't have them around here and even if we did, I probably wouldn't join. I like smaller trips to really focus on what I want to eat over the next couple of days. Now that I no longer stock up, I find shopping and cooking less of a chore!

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    1. Hmmmm... that's an interesting perspective. I think I can get into either mentality, but they do tend to be a bit mutually exclusive!

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  13. I have 2 teenagers so Costco is totally worth it for me. Non hormone meat, good prices on produce and I don't mind having the same fruit or veggie 5 days in a row. Great eyeglass prices and the dogs like their food too.

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    1. With 2 teenagers I can totally see it making sense. I'm chuckling about the idea of eating the same fruit for 5 days in a row. For me, I'd have to eat NOTHING but the fruit or veggie in question in order to get through one of those enormous packages of produce in five days! However, I did once manage to scarf down an entire 5 pound box of cherries in a day or two... not sure it was entirely a good idea though!

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  14. I forgot about the eye glasses. I have found them much cheaper than even the discount places. I have insurance, but it's cheaper to buy them at Costco which does not do insurance than to use a vendor on my list.

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    1. Hmmm... interesting. I've always used either America's Best (2 pairs for $70 - including the eye exam. It's cheaper than just the eye exam elsewhere) If I don't need the exam, I order them online through Zenni Optical, where you can get them for under $10 per pair. How much do you usually pay at Costco?

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  15. Something was up with the comments the other day and I couldn't get mine accepted--hope it works now! We don't have a Costco but there is a Sam's Club in town which I think is the same idea. I don't have a membership because I think I save more at Aldi's and there's no membership fee. I also think I would be tempted to buy more impulse items so that's a consideration.

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    1. Oh, how I wish we had Aldi here. We do have Save-a-Lot - which I have dubbed "El Cheapo" because the prices are very good. But unfortunately they have a pretty limited selection, so at best I have to play fill-in-the-gaps when I shop there.

      I wonder what's up with Blogger? I've been having trouble with posts not showing up in the reading list, and now this. I suppose one can't be too picky with a free service but still...

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  16. I do have a Costco membership and use it regularly. I agree about the large sizes being a problem but the regular things I believe warrant the cost of the membership. I buy my glasses and my husband's contacts which are much cheaper than any other source we have found. I, also buy cheese there. Usually when I am there I pick up some produce as well. Because Costco is so close I don't have to figure in the travel costs.

    I, also, shop at Sam's Club as I can buy fresh fruit and vegetables cheaper than anywhere and the quality is great. Most of the quantities are manageable even with it just being the two of us. Again, because Sam's Club is less than 5 minutes away, I am not going out of my way.

    I let my kids use my cards to both clubs as well so I do consider that as a bonus. They may not need things often but any thing that is bought at Costco is practically guaranteed forever.. (I guess if there were signs of obvious misuse they might balk) So things like appliances and electronics become a better value.

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    1. I keep hearing people talking about getting glasses at Costco - perhaps I'm cheaper than most people but I have a hard time believing that Costco can beat the prices online at Zenni Optical. Of course, you can't try them on when you buy online, but at around $10/pair you can afford a few mistakes!

      I'm not sure if we have a Sam's club or not around here. Certainly not one that I've seen. Do you like their produce better than Costco?

      I can totally see things like appliances and electronics being a good value, especially if they guarantee it - maybe I'll have to think about Costco next time I need something like that.

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  17. I have a Costco executive membership (with AMEX card) and use it regularly for a household of two people. Because we get between 1-3% back on everything we buy with our AMEX, plus 1% back on Costco purchases we more than come out ahead on our membership.

    I am not making my judgement based solely on price -- although I do tend to buy only those things that are a reasonable deal. Here are the food buys I regularly buy that I think do make it worth it: canned tuna and salmon, fruits and veggies (I don't strictly follow the organic code, but try when I can), hormone-free chicken breasts, grass-fed beef, almond milk, nuts, cheeses, egg whites, huge bags of frozen veggies... I have also found a number of Kirkland (store brand) products I use, including beauty products. Some of their clothing deals are amazing -- including dressy clothes for men.

    My husband and I probably spend $500 a month there, but it goes way beyond groceries and into other household staples. We do not buy lots of toys and gadgets, so this really is stuff like groceries, laundry soap, clothes...

    Some observations about why I think it's worth it:
    (1) I commute for my job and abhor frequent trips to the store as a huge time suck. I'd rather go to Costco once a month and stock up, than have to drop by the store during the week. For the same reason, I would rather one-stop-shop.
    (2) Pleasurable experience -- I enjoy the fact that buyers have already evaluated stuff for quality; it sort of takes some of the thinking out of it for me. The stores aren't cluttered, and I find it a more relaxing experience. There isn't cheap crap from China stacked on end-caps. The number of products is limited.
    (3) I'm a member -- so I feel more entitled to speak up if something isn't right-- even if it's the fact the bathrooms aren't clean.
    (4) They treat their employees well. I want to reward paying a living wage.
    (5) Return policies -- although I have had to return very few things, I have NEVER been hassled... whether it was the strawberries that turned moldy too fast or a piece of furniture that arrived at my house damaged.
    (6) I'm eating more of a "whole food" diet since shopping at Costco. I find it advantageous to buy huge quantities of fruits and veggies and force myself to eat them. I use my freezer and do not have to throw food away.
    (7) The check-out experience -- always hassle free and helpful. Although I rarely shop there I went to Wal Mart yesterday for something and was reminded of how much I hate their time-consuming check-outs, screwy"self-serve aisles", and credit card machines. I about ran screaming from the store.

    I think most of their prices are excellent, some are so-so. But I always feel that -- overall -- I am getting great value for my money and am treated well. I feel like I am "voting with my feet" and supporting my values, if that makes sense.

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    1. Hmmmm... that's an interesting perspective. I do like the idea of supporting a company that you believe in. It would never occur to me to return produce that went bad too quickly, I didn't even know that was a possibility! Of course... the first thing I think of when contemplating it is... UG - I'd have to drive all the way back down there! The more I think about it, the more I realize that the driving really is one of the main sticking points for me. I'm not sure why, but it just feels like such a project to haul myself over to there!

      I had to laugh at your description of WalMart though. I've only been there 2 or 3 times and it was sort of a frightening experience! Just the sheer number of people made me uneasy! I dunno... sometimes I feel like I was just meant to live in a different century!

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    2. I'm not a fan of Wal Mart... I mean, I've seen all the scathing documentaries, but for me it's much simpler... I really don't enjoy the huge stores and the sea of humanity. I have an aversion to clutter and so I just get cranky when I'm in a Wal Mart. I stick to Costco and a regional grocery store chain headquartered in my state (which is very good at getting products I request) and my local farmer's market. I bet I get 95% of my purchases at these three stores.

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    3. Oh... the droves of humanity... "human vermin" as a friend of mine calls them!

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  18. I know I sound like I'm in the Costco "cult" so I apologize...

    But, their glasses and flu shots (only $10!!) are an amazing deal.

    We're getting ready to buy a new mattress and will get it at Costco. This is because it was highly rated in Consumer Reports, but also because I know that if we don't like it they'll take it back and will even come and pick it up!

    We don't buy lots of electronics, but I guess if you get computers there they double the warranty and also provide concierge (eg "Geek Squad") service for the first year -- again, worth it!!

    And, my husband and I have priced vehicles through their car program. It will save us thousands and takes the stress out of vehicle shopping.

    I have bought lots of stuff online from Costco -- new garbage disposal, new kitchen faucet, furniture.... they have a huge selection and some pretty surprising items too.

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    1. OMG, you're totally cracking me up! People keep mentioning the glasses, how much do they cost there? I don't think I've ever paid more than about $35 for a pair of glasses.

      My step-mom, the allergist, says that Costco's pharmacy is one of the best, but since my healthcare is through Kaiser, I get all of my meds mailed to me through their in-house pharmacy - and $10 flu shots sound great... except that they're free through Kaiser.

      But you do make a good point that they sell much more than groceries, so I suppose that's worth considering. I just so seldom buy anything new aside from bike stuff. Now, if Costco had a bike shop, it would be a completely different story! :-) But.... maybe I should check to see if they carry CO2 cartridges (used for emergency tire inflation).

      Anyhow, you've given me a lot to think about! :-)

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  19. From the way you've framed it, it doesn't appear to be a big advantage as far as cost cutting goes, but in trying to live a healthier lifestyle (although unless Costco has better control over what is called "organic" that might be questionable for some things.) However being able to buy something you're not allergic to, and can be confident that what is listed on the ingredient list is what is ALL of what is in that item is huge. And as other people have pointed out, they treat their employees very well, which should count for something.

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    1. Good points. It's not always about getting the best price.

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  20. I have a membership, and I will keep it for as long as I have kids in diapers or indoor cats, because their store brand diapers, wipes, cat food, and cat litter are the only affordable (at least where I live) options that work for us and our myriad sensitivities. In 5 or 10 years, if we don't have cats and the kids are definitely out of diapers, it might not be worth it, because we do buy things there that we might not buy otherwise. I really like enough of those things and their return policy that it's probably still going to be worth it.

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    1. If Costco carried any of the cat products that my very picky and incredibly spoiled fe-lions use, it would be a completely different story! I just ordered a case of cat food for Mr. Fussy Tummy (AKA Smoky) for $41! But alas, only specialty stores seem to carry those brands. Sigh.

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  21. I think kids in diapers or cats might tip the balance...but so far, our Aussie Costco prices just don't seem incredible enough to make a long drive and scary-bad crowds worth it. Although I know someone who is obsessed with trays of cheap Costco fish. There's always something. We have an ALDI within walking distance of the house though, so I'll stick with that.

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    1. Yes, I've experienced the "scary-bad crowds" at my Costco too. That is one of the main reasons I cancelled my membership. I always had a bad experience going there because it seems that most of the shoppers there just want to get in and get out of there as quickly as possible. Probably because of the horrific parking, crowds, and huge wraparound lines. Also, I have been almost mowed down by the gigantic shopping carts while trying to shop. It seems people become more aggressive in there or something, it's strange.

      The other thing I noticed is when we had enormous amounts of "stuff" we tended to use more of it, so I think we are actually saving more money and not consuming as much by not going there.

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    2. Fiona - I wish we had Aldi here - I've heard such good things about it. I think if they did carry the kind of cat products that we use, it would definitely tip the balance, but alas, my kitties' tastes are apparently too high brow for Costco!

      And Anonyn... you are totally right about using more when you have more. I hadn't considered that but I know it's true. And the whole Costco experience is rather overwhelming... it's almost like a caricature of American consumerism!

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Thanks, and have a fabulous day!