Is a Costco membership a good idea, under these circumstances?
January 31, 2025 11:33 AM Subscribe
I'm thinking of joining Costco, mostly because I support their recent statement about DEI. But Mr. Blah and I are empty-nesters with a small house and almost zero pantry space. We do have some storage areas but they're rough—garage + semi-finished laundry room. Will I find stuff to buy that fits into a two-person home? Is it worth it?
There also isn't a location super close to my house, so if I'm gonna be driving a bit of distance to get there, I want to make sure I'll be getting my money's worth. It's far enough away that getting gas there is probably only useful every now and again.
So tell me about your experience, please. (Looks like the last time a similar question was asked was 10+ years ago.)
There also isn't a location super close to my house, so if I'm gonna be driving a bit of distance to get there, I want to make sure I'll be getting my money's worth. It's far enough away that getting gas there is probably only useful every now and again.
So tell me about your experience, please. (Looks like the last time a similar question was asked was 10+ years ago.)
Best answer: Do you have a car and does your Costco have a tire center? If so, it's worth it. Tires are so cheap and you get free air and train rotation/balance and flat fixes for the lifetime of the tire. Very much worth the membership cost alone. My Costco is about a 30-45 minute drive away but I've really enjoyed their service.
They also have other services/perks like travel discounts and optical and insurance and and pharmacy and things that you might find helpful other than just 'stuff'. I live in small apartment with zero storage and I never get the stuff. Just the services mostly. Occasionally a nice blanket or some kind of kitchen or beauty device that isn't a bulk kind of thing.
posted by greta simone at 11:42 AM on January 31 [7 favorites]
They also have other services/perks like travel discounts and optical and insurance and and pharmacy and things that you might find helpful other than just 'stuff'. I live in small apartment with zero storage and I never get the stuff. Just the services mostly. Occasionally a nice blanket or some kind of kitchen or beauty device that isn't a bulk kind of thing.
posted by greta simone at 11:42 AM on January 31 [7 favorites]
Single person who lives alone and has been a Costco membershipper for years.
The discount I get on home/auto insurance per year alone pays for the cost of membership multiple times over.
I'm a milk drinker and have a weird anxiety about not always having milk in the fridge; their organic milk tastes really nice and somehow has a 2 month fridge life. I can keep emergency milk to salve my weird hangup.
Good price on gas.
Fantastic return policy means I can get a big ticket item like a mattress or appliance with minimal research and know that if I have buyer's remorse there's zero risk to me.
None of those things require storage and the membership is 10000x worth it.
posted by phunniemee at 11:46 AM on January 31 [1 favorite]
The discount I get on home/auto insurance per year alone pays for the cost of membership multiple times over.
I'm a milk drinker and have a weird anxiety about not always having milk in the fridge; their organic milk tastes really nice and somehow has a 2 month fridge life. I can keep emergency milk to salve my weird hangup.
Good price on gas.
Fantastic return policy means I can get a big ticket item like a mattress or appliance with minimal research and know that if I have buyer's remorse there's zero risk to me.
None of those things require storage and the membership is 10000x worth it.
posted by phunniemee at 11:46 AM on January 31 [1 favorite]
greta mentioned the tire center. Yeah, great. I don't have Costco tires, but they patched my not-their-tire flat for me for $13 and the guy was extremely apologetic about charging me anything at all.
posted by phunniemee at 11:47 AM on January 31 [2 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 11:47 AM on January 31 [2 favorites]
The best way to find out if Costco makes sense for you is to simply go there and do a shop. You have a few options to make that happen:
posted by ssg at 11:49 AM on January 31 [5 favorites]
- If you know someone with a membership, they can buy a Costco gift card for you and then you are able to enter the store and shop with that card (you do have to line up at customer service, but that's not the end of the world for a one-time thing). It can just have $50 on it and then you can pay the rest with a credit card.
- Someone who is a member can take you with them.
- You can buy a membership and then get a refund if you don't think it's worth it ("We will cancel and refund your membership fee at any time if you are dissatisfied.")
posted by ssg at 11:49 AM on January 31 [5 favorites]
One option is to team up with friends and all go in together on huge packages of whatever you all use. Split the membership, and either make a date of it to go shopping and eat hot dogs together, or send one person on a mission and divvy up the stuff and settle up together later.
Where I live, Costco is hands-down the best price and quality on fresh groceries and many packaged goods, so it's worth it to me-- if you have more options maybe it's not. I think Costco is worth it if you plan to go at least once a month, or if you anticipate needing new tires.
Otherwise I would do the no-membership hack, which is getting a friend with a Costco membership to buy you a bunch of $5 gift cards. The gift cards don't expire and they have to let you in without a membership to spend them-- and once you're there, they don't care if you're spending more than the value of the gift card. You can go whenever you want and need not commit to the membership.
posted by blnkfrnk at 11:50 AM on January 31 [2 favorites]
Where I live, Costco is hands-down the best price and quality on fresh groceries and many packaged goods, so it's worth it to me-- if you have more options maybe it's not. I think Costco is worth it if you plan to go at least once a month, or if you anticipate needing new tires.
Otherwise I would do the no-membership hack, which is getting a friend with a Costco membership to buy you a bunch of $5 gift cards. The gift cards don't expire and they have to let you in without a membership to spend them-- and once you're there, they don't care if you're spending more than the value of the gift card. You can go whenever you want and need not commit to the membership.
posted by blnkfrnk at 11:50 AM on January 31 [2 favorites]
I have a nice and fairly big house but without a lot of storage space. Aside from random snacks and weird lobster ravioli and strange other things, we regularly get:
* Large bags of coffee beans, which are pretty easy to store, and far cheaper at Costco (we are not fancy coffee people, just Major Dickasons or the like)
* Large bags of frozen fruit for smoothies, which pretty much fill our bottom freezer at all times, and are cheap and good quality as far as I can tell
* Bricks of oat milk, coconut water, and chicken stock
* Paper towels and toilet paper, which require stashing in each bathroom and in the laundry area is probably the bulkiest thing.
The drive aside, the coffee alone would easily cover our membership.
posted by ftm at 11:52 AM on January 31 [2 favorites]
* Large bags of coffee beans, which are pretty easy to store, and far cheaper at Costco (we are not fancy coffee people, just Major Dickasons or the like)
* Large bags of frozen fruit for smoothies, which pretty much fill our bottom freezer at all times, and are cheap and good quality as far as I can tell
* Bricks of oat milk, coconut water, and chicken stock
* Paper towels and toilet paper, which require stashing in each bathroom and in the laundry area is probably the bulkiest thing.
The drive aside, the coffee alone would easily cover our membership.
posted by ftm at 11:52 AM on January 31 [2 favorites]
As a stockholder in Costo, hell yes...
That being said, we let our membership go a while back after Covid. Empty nesters now, so we don't need as much stuff that we can't get elsewhere.
But, cheap Cetaphil, giant bags of organic sugar, Smoked Flagship cheese...
Good stuff
posted by Windopaene at 11:53 AM on January 31 [1 favorite]
That being said, we let our membership go a while back after Covid. Empty nesters now, so we don't need as much stuff that we can't get elsewhere.
But, cheap Cetaphil, giant bags of organic sugar, Smoked Flagship cheese...
Good stuff
posted by Windopaene at 11:53 AM on January 31 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Might also be worth checking if Same day delivery is available in your area.
posted by hedgehog at 11:55 AM on January 31
posted by hedgehog at 11:55 AM on January 31
Dissenting view: my wife and I are in our 50s/60s and tried a Costco membership a few years ago but it didn't make sense in the end.
I tried to get a nail in my tire fixed at the tire place; they insisted they couldn't fix it ("too close to the wall") and I couldn't just buy one replacement tire because for the warranty you need to buy all 4. Took it to the other tire place down the street from work and they put a plug in for $20, never had a problem with that tire again. Strike #1.
Another time I went down with a simple grocery list, and most of the items I found were Costco home brands with zero selection.
Like, spaghetti sauce was on my list and only two options were available: spaghetti sauce and organic spaghetti sauce and nothing more to explain what they were. I don't think we even found vermicelli noodles, which we prefer to spaghetti noodles. Frozen chicken strips had a generic and a panko-encrusted version. Like, we enjoy food and like to choose what we like eating, Costco was "you eat this", like those Repo Man white-label generic foods, not much choice.
I get the whole "but Costco store food is so good!" but if we get something and we don't like it? There's not a different one on the shelf to try instead, which still means a trip to a grocery store with selection.
For brand name stuff they were in weird quantities like 47 or 29, and when I did the per-unit calculation everything on my list was more expensive at Costco than my local grocery store. Cases of pop, which we go through rapidly, were slightly cheaper than MSRP but not cheaper than if I watch the local ads for when it goes on sale. They had several pallets of huge jars of plain chocolate M&Ms, but no other kinds (we prefer the peanut butter ones).
So, I literally left Costco without buying anything because either I was unsure of what I was buying or it was cheaper at my grocery store and was just immensely frustrated with the experience.
But, Levi's jeans were pretty cheap at the time, but from what I hear who knows whether they'll be there when I do need jeans at that price ever again due to their bulk-buying thing.
My take is that Costco is for buying things cheap if you don't care what they are, or you don't mind paying for a membership you only use a couple times a year, which was strike #2 for me.
A third strike is that during the entire month-long trial I stopped at the front counter at least 3 times and their membership card printer was broken the entire month. I guess that was a sign.
posted by AzraelBrown at 11:58 AM on January 31 [7 favorites]
I tried to get a nail in my tire fixed at the tire place; they insisted they couldn't fix it ("too close to the wall") and I couldn't just buy one replacement tire because for the warranty you need to buy all 4. Took it to the other tire place down the street from work and they put a plug in for $20, never had a problem with that tire again. Strike #1.
Another time I went down with a simple grocery list, and most of the items I found were Costco home brands with zero selection.
Like, spaghetti sauce was on my list and only two options were available: spaghetti sauce and organic spaghetti sauce and nothing more to explain what they were. I don't think we even found vermicelli noodles, which we prefer to spaghetti noodles. Frozen chicken strips had a generic and a panko-encrusted version. Like, we enjoy food and like to choose what we like eating, Costco was "you eat this", like those Repo Man white-label generic foods, not much choice.
I get the whole "but Costco store food is so good!" but if we get something and we don't like it? There's not a different one on the shelf to try instead, which still means a trip to a grocery store with selection.
For brand name stuff they were in weird quantities like 47 or 29, and when I did the per-unit calculation everything on my list was more expensive at Costco than my local grocery store. Cases of pop, which we go through rapidly, were slightly cheaper than MSRP but not cheaper than if I watch the local ads for when it goes on sale. They had several pallets of huge jars of plain chocolate M&Ms, but no other kinds (we prefer the peanut butter ones).
So, I literally left Costco without buying anything because either I was unsure of what I was buying or it was cheaper at my grocery store and was just immensely frustrated with the experience.
But, Levi's jeans were pretty cheap at the time, but from what I hear who knows whether they'll be there when I do need jeans at that price ever again due to their bulk-buying thing.
My take is that Costco is for buying things cheap if you don't care what they are, or you don't mind paying for a membership you only use a couple times a year, which was strike #2 for me.
A third strike is that during the entire month-long trial I stopped at the front counter at least 3 times and their membership card printer was broken the entire month. I guess that was a sign.
posted by AzraelBrown at 11:58 AM on January 31 [7 favorites]
Best answer: My family of 3 did a BJ's membership for a year and did not renew because we didn't want to store bulk amounts of items, a lot of the things they carried in terms of brands or selection were not the things our family wanted, our freezer couldn't fit the amount of meat to buy in bulk, and because we had to buy a higher quantity we were spending significantly more on groceries . Even if we were getting more food for that price, it was not of practical use to us at that time.
Now, several years later, because of the rising price of food and uncertainty about food prices and access, we are buying a chest freezer to put in our basement and we are expanding our food storage space. We are planning to get a Costco membership. Based on current events, buying in bulk now solves a problem for us. Not intending to be doomsday preppers or anything, but we want to save some money and want to feel confident we can weather things with little stress (about food) if groceries, produce, eggs, poultry, etc. prices and availability do get messed up.
Costco is a 30 min drive for us and twice the distance than BJs but, like you, we will be 'voting' with our dollars in favor of their diversity, equity and inclusion (and their good employment practices - did you see the news today they will be paying $30 an hour?)
posted by fennario at 12:02 PM on January 31
Now, several years later, because of the rising price of food and uncertainty about food prices and access, we are buying a chest freezer to put in our basement and we are expanding our food storage space. We are planning to get a Costco membership. Based on current events, buying in bulk now solves a problem for us. Not intending to be doomsday preppers or anything, but we want to save some money and want to feel confident we can weather things with little stress (about food) if groceries, produce, eggs, poultry, etc. prices and availability do get messed up.
Costco is a 30 min drive for us and twice the distance than BJs but, like you, we will be 'voting' with our dollars in favor of their diversity, equity and inclusion (and their good employment practices - did you see the news today they will be paying $30 an hour?)
posted by fennario at 12:02 PM on January 31
Best answer: and most of the items I found were Costco home brands with zero selection.
This is a common business model that you also find with Trader Joe's and Aldi, for instance. These places aren't normal grocery stores.
I'm someone who likes this business model. I'm exhausted. I don't want to make 300 micro decisions just to put a plate of food on the table. I want to buy something that I can trust will be perfectly fine and move on with my life. It's not for everyone, but for the people it's for it's a feature not a bug.
posted by phunniemee at 12:05 PM on January 31 [29 favorites]
This is a common business model that you also find with Trader Joe's and Aldi, for instance. These places aren't normal grocery stores.
I'm someone who likes this business model. I'm exhausted. I don't want to make 300 micro decisions just to put a plate of food on the table. I want to buy something that I can trust will be perfectly fine and move on with my life. It's not for everyone, but for the people it's for it's a feature not a bug.
posted by phunniemee at 12:05 PM on January 31 [29 favorites]
To add, I agree with AzraelBrown's take and what they describe in terms of options for products was exactly my problem. And if you don't like the product, you're out $20 or $30 instead of $5 or $7. So it made me hesitant to take a chance on things.
But for now I am focused on the meat that I can freeze, produce because my vegetarian-by-choice 11 year old would eat his weight in berries in a single day if I'd allow it, and pantry basics, versus looking for a specific style/flavor of a specific product.
posted by fennario at 12:09 PM on January 31 [3 favorites]
But for now I am focused on the meat that I can freeze, produce because my vegetarian-by-choice 11 year old would eat his weight in berries in a single day if I'd allow it, and pantry basics, versus looking for a specific style/flavor of a specific product.
posted by fennario at 12:09 PM on January 31 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I haven't traveled lately due to covid, but last time I did, I was able to use Costco Travel for a really good rate on a rental car with some good perks I don't remember (free rental car insurance? flexible dates? I don't remember, but it was important at the time, and nice).
I never buy food at Costco, for the reasons AzraelBrown mentioned, but a membership can definitely be worth it for other things.
14 Costco Membership Benefits You May Not Know About
What are some of the lesser known member benefits?
posted by kristi at 12:15 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
I never buy food at Costco, for the reasons AzraelBrown mentioned, but a membership can definitely be worth it for other things.
14 Costco Membership Benefits You May Not Know About
What are some of the lesser known member benefits?
posted by kristi at 12:15 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Yeah it's fine. Avoid going there on the weekends though. It'll lessen your positive views of humanity.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 12:16 PM on January 31 [5 favorites]
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 12:16 PM on January 31 [5 favorites]
I tried to get a nail in my tire fixed at the tire place; they insisted they couldn't fix it ("too close to the wall")
In fairness, chain shops will be weary of patching for liability reasons. If you talk to the techs they'd probably be fine doing it for their own car but not for a paying customer.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 12:21 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
In fairness, chain shops will be weary of patching for liability reasons. If you talk to the techs they'd probably be fine doing it for their own car but not for a paying customer.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 12:21 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
Agree with ssg that you really have to try it. Some people love it, others don't, and the distinction is more personal preference than household size. Go once and you should get a pretty good idea if it hits your sweet spot.
Personally, I find shopping there bewildering and rather exhausting and for most things, the prices are similar to or more expensive than other places I shop (like Aldi), though there are a few items (brie, dog food) I love and are significantly cheaper than elsewhere. But other people in my household do like it enough that we renew our membership.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 12:26 PM on January 31 [3 favorites]
Personally, I find shopping there bewildering and rather exhausting and for most things, the prices are similar to or more expensive than other places I shop (like Aldi), though there are a few items (brie, dog food) I love and are significantly cheaper than elsewhere. But other people in my household do like it enough that we renew our membership.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 12:26 PM on January 31 [3 favorites]
I live in Seattle, which has high gas prices due to a bunch of things, and so I looked at a few years of gas prices data and worked out that the savings I would get on gas exceeded the cost of a membership. So I get all my gas there and sometimes slip in to get some other goods.
posted by Sunburnt at 12:30 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
posted by Sunburnt at 12:30 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
Best answer: My house is 95% Costco by volume. Off the top of my head, things I've bought there recently that would be reasonable for a two-person household to have: Coconut chocolates. Cloth dish towels. Smoked salmon. Frozen blueberries. Cheese. Butter. Jam. Canned fish. Flashlights. Prescription drugs. Magnesium gummies. Metamucil with sugar (not stevia). Hummus. Greek yoghurt. Salad mixes. Poke. Spinach dip. Grapes.
The image is that they sell things only in enormous quantities, and that can be true, but plenty of their products are sold in a-bit-larger-than-the-supermarket quantities.
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:33 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
The image is that they sell things only in enormous quantities, and that can be true, but plenty of their products are sold in a-bit-larger-than-the-supermarket quantities.
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:33 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
Same day is pretty limited in radius, like my closest store is about 50 minutes away and I can't get it. I do order plenty of things from the online store, but they are non-perishable items. Many people find the savings they get on OTC medications offsets their entire yearly membership cost. 365 allergy pills for under $20 is a common purchase in my house, plus other vitamins. They sell lots of things that can be stored in your less-than-ideal spots: paper goods, parchment, foil, baggies, Tide, etc. I buy almost 6 pounds of popcorn kernels in a jug and store it, just putting a quart or so in a mason jar. They will sell 2-4 packs of normal sized items, so you just keep one in your kitchen.
The tire center is very polarizing, people love it or hate it. I've never used it, but it seems like different locations are better than others about timing and appointments. Discount Tire will price match Costco.
Appliances and furniture are delivered by third parties, as are many of the services they offer. It is common that people expect Costco to intervene when something goes wrong with the delivery or service, but they don't always do that.
posted by soelo at 12:35 PM on January 31
The tire center is very polarizing, people love it or hate it. I've never used it, but it seems like different locations are better than others about timing and appointments. Discount Tire will price match Costco.
Appliances and furniture are delivered by third parties, as are many of the services they offer. It is common that people expect Costco to intervene when something goes wrong with the delivery or service, but they don't always do that.
posted by soelo at 12:35 PM on January 31
Partnered couple, no kids, dogs and cats here. We do have a house with a basement and a garage, so YMMV.
A lot of the “bulk” packaging for toiletries and the like is 2-packs, so not a ton more room needed for storage.
Mine doesn’t have no-name pasta sauce, they have Rao’s.
Personally I don’t think of Costco as a “do your grocery shopping with a list” kind of place. It’s more to stock up on supplies and toiletries, or groceries you know you’ll use regardless of that week’s meal plan, or if you meal prep breakfasts and lunches.
Our vet recommends their “Check-Ups” brand dental chews for our dogs. (They don’t always have them in store but we just order them from the website when we need them.)
We bought our washer and dryer set from them, free delivery and installation.
I will say, if that long drive will discourage you from going, it might not be worth it. It’s not a super long drive for us to go to ours, but it’s through city traffic and the parking lot is a nightmare so we don’t go as often as we could, and therefore don’t get as much out of it. Be honest with yourself how much you’ll be willing to make that drive.
posted by misskaz at 12:38 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
A lot of the “bulk” packaging for toiletries and the like is 2-packs, so not a ton more room needed for storage.
Mine doesn’t have no-name pasta sauce, they have Rao’s.
Personally I don’t think of Costco as a “do your grocery shopping with a list” kind of place. It’s more to stock up on supplies and toiletries, or groceries you know you’ll use regardless of that week’s meal plan, or if you meal prep breakfasts and lunches.
Our vet recommends their “Check-Ups” brand dental chews for our dogs. (They don’t always have them in store but we just order them from the website when we need them.)
We bought our washer and dryer set from them, free delivery and installation.
I will say, if that long drive will discourage you from going, it might not be worth it. It’s not a super long drive for us to go to ours, but it’s through city traffic and the parking lot is a nightmare so we don’t go as often as we could, and therefore don’t get as much out of it. Be honest with yourself how much you’ll be willing to make that drive.
posted by misskaz at 12:38 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
Some things our chicago apartment household buys: paper towels and toliet paper, sodas , laundry detergent, pet food, milk, sometimes other groceries. We also get gas there. We've used the car rental and some other services from time to time. I don't use the tire shop bc they always have to order my tires. YMMV but overall it is worth it for us.
posted by AlexiaSky at 12:39 PM on January 31
posted by AlexiaSky at 12:39 PM on January 31
DINK here, we buy enough Costco stuff that sometimes you would think our house is sponsored by Costco. Absolutely worth it for us, so much so that we upgraded to the higher tier membership.
Just off the top of my head:
- Paper products (paper towels, toilet paper, tissues), these are convenient, cheap, and can be stored anywhere and last forever
- Parmesano Reggiano - the real stuff (stamped on the rind), sold in a small enough size and is far cheaper and higher quality than I've seen in any supermarket
- Eggs
- Laundry detergent (the Kirkland brand is plenty fine for our purposes)
- Heavy cream (a quart is the price of a pint in the grocery store)
- Liquor/beer/wine - YMMV by jurisdiction/sobriety status, but it is really cheap
- Canned tomatoes (three pack, which we go through pretty quickly)
- General spices (granulated garlic, etc)
- Dry pasta
- Olive oil (the Spanish Organic Kirkland variety is as good as any supermarket brand I have ever tried, at a fraction of the price)
- Seltzers and other soft drinks
Weirdly enough, there are plenty of things we don't buy, mostly because of lack of pantry space. Baking staples (flour, sugar etc) come in too big of quantities to be useful for us. Same with rice.
posted by General Malaise at 12:50 PM on January 31 [4 favorites]
Just off the top of my head:
- Paper products (paper towels, toilet paper, tissues), these are convenient, cheap, and can be stored anywhere and last forever
- Parmesano Reggiano - the real stuff (stamped on the rind), sold in a small enough size and is far cheaper and higher quality than I've seen in any supermarket
- Eggs
- Laundry detergent (the Kirkland brand is plenty fine for our purposes)
- Heavy cream (a quart is the price of a pint in the grocery store)
- Liquor/beer/wine - YMMV by jurisdiction/sobriety status, but it is really cheap
- Canned tomatoes (three pack, which we go through pretty quickly)
- General spices (granulated garlic, etc)
- Dry pasta
- Olive oil (the Spanish Organic Kirkland variety is as good as any supermarket brand I have ever tried, at a fraction of the price)
- Seltzers and other soft drinks
Weirdly enough, there are plenty of things we don't buy, mostly because of lack of pantry space. Baking staples (flour, sugar etc) come in too big of quantities to be useful for us. Same with rice.
posted by General Malaise at 12:50 PM on January 31 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Also, I'll note that I'm definitely not brand-agnostic, but I do find that the Kirkland brand products are better quality than any other store's generic label, and often better than top national brands. The national brands they do carry are at least among the best of their product categories.
posted by General Malaise at 12:52 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
posted by General Malaise at 12:52 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
We have 4 kids so our situation is a bit different, but to for us, the savings on maple syrup alone almost pays for the membership.
Costco maple syrup runs at a discount of $10/quart minimum relative to winco, which is the cheapest in our area. there are tons of other staples we buy that make it worth it. I also save ~$20/ tank with costco gas. any breakfast with eggs consumes a dozen eggs , more if the Beefchilde is home in the morning so you can knock pretty substantial amounts off your groceries with a bare minimum of planning if you have a larger family.
posted by Dr. Twist at 1:16 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
Costco maple syrup runs at a discount of $10/quart minimum relative to winco, which is the cheapest in our area. there are tons of other staples we buy that make it worth it. I also save ~$20/ tank with costco gas. any breakfast with eggs consumes a dozen eggs , more if the Beefchilde is home in the morning so you can knock pretty substantial amounts off your groceries with a bare minimum of planning if you have a larger family.
posted by Dr. Twist at 1:16 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
To add, I agree with AzraelBrown's take and what they describe in terms of options for products was exactly my problem.
I have a membership. I don't think most of the prices for the products are very much different than the local grocery store, but there are a few things that are pretty cheap, and if you can get a discounted membership its probably worth it.
posted by The_Vegetables at 1:20 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
I have a membership. I don't think most of the prices for the products are very much different than the local grocery store, but there are a few things that are pretty cheap, and if you can get a discounted membership its probably worth it.
posted by The_Vegetables at 1:20 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
I’m in an apartment and mostly buy paper products (TP, paper towels, Kleenexes), dishwasher detergent, electric toothbrush heads, vitamins/supplements, allergy meds, and use their discounted car rentals. I only go in person once a year or so and otherwise use their delivery for all of the above.
When I do go in person, I only grab high value items with a long shelf life that don’t take ton of space - Better than Bouillon, medjool dates, nuts, dried blueberries. Back when I had a car and lived a couple miles away, I would grocery shop for parties because it was the only time I needed 8 avocados or 12 lbs of chicken, but I don’t do that now that I’m further away with no car. They do have great deals on fish, though.
posted by A Blue Moon at 1:21 PM on January 31
When I do go in person, I only grab high value items with a long shelf life that don’t take ton of space - Better than Bouillon, medjool dates, nuts, dried blueberries. Back when I had a car and lived a couple miles away, I would grocery shop for parties because it was the only time I needed 8 avocados or 12 lbs of chicken, but I don’t do that now that I’m further away with no car. They do have great deals on fish, though.
posted by A Blue Moon at 1:21 PM on January 31
Best answer: Costco also has a pharmacy (which you don't need to be a member to use) but they sell Plan B for ~$7. Usually it retails for around $50.
The allergy pills are like $12 for 365 pills instead of $12 for 12 pills at the drugstore.
The optometry center has nice glasses that are more affordable than other places. (I think the online glasses places are still more affordable but Costco has designer options and you can try them on in person.)
The car buying program will save you a ton of money if you use it.
Maison Margiela fragrances that retail for $220 are $95 at Costco.
There are also bulk gift cards with a discount.
I had to stop buying toilet paper there because my new apartment's tp roll holder is too small and the Costco rolls are ginormous. I didn't realize grocery store tp was so expensive.
posted by meemzi at 1:21 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
The allergy pills are like $12 for 365 pills instead of $12 for 12 pills at the drugstore.
The optometry center has nice glasses that are more affordable than other places. (I think the online glasses places are still more affordable but Costco has designer options and you can try them on in person.)
The car buying program will save you a ton of money if you use it.
Maison Margiela fragrances that retail for $220 are $95 at Costco.
There are also bulk gift cards with a discount.
I had to stop buying toilet paper there because my new apartment's tp roll holder is too small and the Costco rolls are ginormous. I didn't realize grocery store tp was so expensive.
posted by meemzi at 1:21 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Some weirdly specific things that we find worthwhile besides food stuff:
- flea and tick prevention for pets (bring the script to the pharmacy, savings might cover the membership for the year)
- someone mentioned the allergy meds which are cheaper (they also have most name brands)
- sometimes LEGOs, but you’ll have to check regularly which are in stock, and if you’re far, it might not be worth it
- toothbrush heads, though to be fair, I haven’t checked if these are cheaper elsewhere, but conveniently in bulk
- family has bought vacations through them
posted by sincerely yours at 1:25 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
- flea and tick prevention for pets (bring the script to the pharmacy, savings might cover the membership for the year)
- someone mentioned the allergy meds which are cheaper (they also have most name brands)
- sometimes LEGOs, but you’ll have to check regularly which are in stock, and if you’re far, it might not be worth it
- toothbrush heads, though to be fair, I haven’t checked if these are cheaper elsewhere, but conveniently in bulk
- family has bought vacations through them
posted by sincerely yours at 1:25 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
As a 2-person household, there is plenty of food that will work for you. There are lots of premade items that can make for a quick lunch at home like frozen panko shrimp or taquitos. I buy brazil nuts there, and the package fits in my freezer. Bagels too but cut before you freeze! The produce is usually a good price, but it ages quickly.
Babybel cheeses, both kind of butter (regular and European style), their whole cheese section is high quality, plus pepperoni, ramen cups, bacon bits, sourdough bread, tortillas. They often have 2-3 servings of premade soup and the chicken tortilla is very good.
posted by soelo at 1:26 PM on January 31
Babybel cheeses, both kind of butter (regular and European style), their whole cheese section is high quality, plus pepperoni, ramen cups, bacon bits, sourdough bread, tortillas. They often have 2-3 servings of premade soup and the chicken tortilla is very good.
posted by soelo at 1:26 PM on January 31
I am probably somewhat unusual (though my wife and I are retired empty nesters). The things that make sense for us:
- Over the last 2 years my Windows and Linux towers (plus my Windows laptop) died. I went and bought equivalents at Costco because they have a very reasonable return policy (check before you buy though, in case I am not aware of fine print).
- We pay a house cleaner to come monthly and clean our home. She uses (and so we buy) her favorite swiffers, glass cleaner, bathroom cleaner. They sit in a foyer closet for her to use (and let us know when it's time to buy more).
- I specifically like their Kirkland protein bars (brownie and chocolate chip flavors) but note that putting them in the microwave for 6 seconds makes them less tough and easier to chew.
- I also like their Perdue Chicken Nuggets, super big bag. But we have had a freezer in our house for many years, so that makes it easier to store frozen in bulk.
- We give out candy to kids on Halloween. Whatever boxes were not opened get returned.
- If either of you go to an optometrist or ophthalmologist you can ask for the prescription and take it to Costco to order glasses for less than (in my experience) what they would charge you. One trick they pull is not including the PD (Pupil Distance) on the Rx, but Costco can measure your PD and then order glasses. For me the difference was $250 Costco vs. $400 eye doctor.
- Costco also has a pharmacy but we don't use it, so I can't rate that service.
- My wife drinks a LOT of Diet Coke which is cheaper to buy at Costco, as long as you can lift it into your cart and from the cart to your car and car to home.
- Paper/plastic products can be purchased at a discount in bulk (toilet paper, paper towels, picnic plastic ware. A ream of printer paper is also cheaper.
FWIW & YMMV.
posted by forthright at 1:26 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
- Over the last 2 years my Windows and Linux towers (plus my Windows laptop) died. I went and bought equivalents at Costco because they have a very reasonable return policy (check before you buy though, in case I am not aware of fine print).
- We pay a house cleaner to come monthly and clean our home. She uses (and so we buy) her favorite swiffers, glass cleaner, bathroom cleaner. They sit in a foyer closet for her to use (and let us know when it's time to buy more).
- I specifically like their Kirkland protein bars (brownie and chocolate chip flavors) but note that putting them in the microwave for 6 seconds makes them less tough and easier to chew.
- I also like their Perdue Chicken Nuggets, super big bag. But we have had a freezer in our house for many years, so that makes it easier to store frozen in bulk.
- We give out candy to kids on Halloween. Whatever boxes were not opened get returned.
- If either of you go to an optometrist or ophthalmologist you can ask for the prescription and take it to Costco to order glasses for less than (in my experience) what they would charge you. One trick they pull is not including the PD (Pupil Distance) on the Rx, but Costco can measure your PD and then order glasses. For me the difference was $250 Costco vs. $400 eye doctor.
- Costco also has a pharmacy but we don't use it, so I can't rate that service.
- My wife drinks a LOT of Diet Coke which is cheaper to buy at Costco, as long as you can lift it into your cart and from the cart to your car and car to home.
- Paper/plastic products can be purchased at a discount in bulk (toilet paper, paper towels, picnic plastic ware. A ream of printer paper is also cheaper.
FWIW & YMMV.
posted by forthright at 1:26 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
I found their pharmacy prescription drugs to be cheaper. For a while there i was saving about $ 70 month. Note that in Canada you do not need a membership to use the pharmacy.
Their over the counter stuff( vitamins, cold meds. allergy pills) is quite a bit cheaper than Shoppers Drug mart.
Groceries I don't really buy .
The quantities are too big.
posted by yyz at 1:27 PM on January 31
Their over the counter stuff( vitamins, cold meds. allergy pills) is quite a bit cheaper than Shoppers Drug mart.
Groceries I don't really buy .
The quantities are too big.
posted by yyz at 1:27 PM on January 31
We drive a lot so cheaper coscto gas pays for the membership within 6 months. It is usually a longer wait than a regular gas station so it helps if you are flexible about going off-peak hours.
Supposedly their eye exam/eyeglass Rx service is the cheapest/easiest but we have not used that yet.
As others mentioned, travel perks. Costco membership allows a second driver on the rental car without being married (both must be active Costco members at the time of the actual trip and car rental companies do verify the membership card). That to us also paid for the membership in 1 trip since many car companies charge $10/day for adding a second driver.
Someone mentioned that if you don't like a product, you're out $20 for a large size versus $5 for a normal size package, BUT Costco has a great return policy.
If you're not into fashion, Costco has great clothes that last well.
The rotisserie chicken can pay for itself lol but we don't buy it often because of all the preservatives/extra ingredients.
Costco berries are typically very fresh so we don't end up throwing any out.
Aside from that, it's typically cheaper to buy store brands at Lidl/Aldi. But you also don't HAVE to buy all the giant packages. Go visit once (say you're buying a membership and they let you in) and see if you can find stuff you would realistically buy.
posted by dabadoo at 1:39 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
Supposedly their eye exam/eyeglass Rx service is the cheapest/easiest but we have not used that yet.
As others mentioned, travel perks. Costco membership allows a second driver on the rental car without being married (both must be active Costco members at the time of the actual trip and car rental companies do verify the membership card). That to us also paid for the membership in 1 trip since many car companies charge $10/day for adding a second driver.
Someone mentioned that if you don't like a product, you're out $20 for a large size versus $5 for a normal size package, BUT Costco has a great return policy.
If you're not into fashion, Costco has great clothes that last well.
The rotisserie chicken can pay for itself lol but we don't buy it often because of all the preservatives/extra ingredients.
Costco berries are typically very fresh so we don't end up throwing any out.
Aside from that, it's typically cheaper to buy store brands at Lidl/Aldi. But you also don't HAVE to buy all the giant packages. Go visit once (say you're buying a membership and they let you in) and see if you can find stuff you would realistically buy.
posted by dabadoo at 1:39 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
Wow, thanks sincerelyyours for the tip on pet flea/tick meds. We are up to 4 cats and a dog (help, the cats alone outnumber us) so that is a huge area we would love to save money, and I never in a million years would have thought to bring the Rx for that to Costco.
posted by fennario at 1:39 PM on January 31
posted by fennario at 1:39 PM on January 31
Best answer: Others have chimed in with most of the two-person household things I would list: olive oil, maple syrup, ibuprofen and generic zyrtec, frozen organic blueberries, coconut milk, organic peanut butter, and Tasty Bites shelf stable pouches of instant Indian food for emergencies are just some of the compact things that we use. Also car rentals and sheet sets less often.
A couple community benefits that haven't been mentioned: today Costco announced they are raising the pay of hourly workers to $30 an hour. This is huge (negative implications for their union Teamsters workers aside). Home Depot and Target in my area offer $19 an hour.
Second, if you have any homeless outreach groups working in your community, Costco has a consistently good deal on boxes of 80 pack Hot Hands heat warmers that can be donated to street outreach efforts in cold months.
posted by lizard music at 1:55 PM on January 31
A couple community benefits that haven't been mentioned: today Costco announced they are raising the pay of hourly workers to $30 an hour. This is huge (negative implications for their union Teamsters workers aside). Home Depot and Target in my area offer $19 an hour.
Second, if you have any homeless outreach groups working in your community, Costco has a consistently good deal on boxes of 80 pack Hot Hands heat warmers that can be donated to street outreach efforts in cold months.
posted by lizard music at 1:55 PM on January 31
I must have the same palate as Costco's buyers, because there has been exactly 1 foodstuff that I've bought at Costco that I was 'meh' on, and it wasn't even Kirkland branded but an actual branded filled ravioli.
Kirkland-label single barrel bourbon shows up at my warehouse, like, twice a year and the stock lasts exactly 1 weekend each time. They partner with fantastic manufacturers (Barton, for the bourbon for example) to make the Kirkland stuff.
But to the very first question, when I was single and lived in a small apartment during the W years, I kept a Costco membership just as a political statement. It's less than $6 a month, isn't it? I just saw a headline that all Costco employees will be making more than $30/hr moving forward.
posted by Huggiesbear at 2:02 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
Kirkland-label single barrel bourbon shows up at my warehouse, like, twice a year and the stock lasts exactly 1 weekend each time. They partner with fantastic manufacturers (Barton, for the bourbon for example) to make the Kirkland stuff.
But to the very first question, when I was single and lived in a small apartment during the W years, I kept a Costco membership just as a political statement. It's less than $6 a month, isn't it? I just saw a headline that all Costco employees will be making more than $30/hr moving forward.
posted by Huggiesbear at 2:02 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
Single person, small single family home. I joined Costco a few months ago and went for the third time today. Honestly I don't like shopping there. It's too overwhelming and I can't find the things I need.
I do a lot of my shopping at Aldi and Trader Joe's so I'm certainly not anti-house brand but yeah as a single person I don't love having to commit to a half-gallon of tomato sauce if I'm not sure I'm going to love it, and prices on e.g. Rao's tend to be less than the regular price at other area stores but more than the sale price.
If I only stuck to the stuff I needed I would probably be breaking even or coming out ahead on the membership but I have trouble finding the stuff I need (coffee filters?) and I get seduced by things I don't need (snacks, mostly). The stores have no aisle labels in order to require you to wander around to find what you need, and I haaaate that - I am a tactical, list-driven shopper. Probably won't renew.
posted by mskyle at 2:05 PM on January 31 [4 favorites]
I do a lot of my shopping at Aldi and Trader Joe's so I'm certainly not anti-house brand but yeah as a single person I don't love having to commit to a half-gallon of tomato sauce if I'm not sure I'm going to love it, and prices on e.g. Rao's tend to be less than the regular price at other area stores but more than the sale price.
If I only stuck to the stuff I needed I would probably be breaking even or coming out ahead on the membership but I have trouble finding the stuff I need (coffee filters?) and I get seduced by things I don't need (snacks, mostly). The stores have no aisle labels in order to require you to wander around to find what you need, and I haaaate that - I am a tactical, list-driven shopper. Probably won't renew.
posted by mskyle at 2:05 PM on January 31 [4 favorites]
Oh, and you can't buy a raw chicken for what they sell their rotisserie chicken for ($4.99), and it's freaking fantastic. A nearly "free" dinner for the night you go shopping, every time.
posted by Huggiesbear at 2:11 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
posted by Huggiesbear at 2:11 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
Best answer: The headlines about Costco wages are a bit misleading: "In March, hourly wages for store clerks and assistants at the top of the pay scale will go up by $1 to $30.20 an hour, rising by another $1 each year after that. Wages for entry-level workers will increase by 50 cents to $20 an hour."
It is seen as a better than average place to work, but there has been anti-union activity. They are under threat of a strike right now.
posted by soelo at 2:32 PM on January 31 [3 favorites]
It is seen as a better than average place to work, but there has been anti-union activity. They are under threat of a strike right now.
posted by soelo at 2:32 PM on January 31 [3 favorites]
I would definitely look for a way to try out a couple of visits, per suggestions made by ssg above, and see if it works for you. After getting a membership, I discovered I was wholly unable to deal with shopping there, due to teeming thronging crowds, parking lot frenzy, limited hours (10 am-8:30 pm in the location nearest me), and everything being in a different place every time I went. Even without those, though, I could not deal with the completely overwhelming gigantitude of items. I live alone, in a small apartment, with a small freezer and not much storage; even regular-grocery-store sized packages of perishables (meats, cheeses, vegies) almost always go bad before I can finish them, let alone the XXL sizes from Costco, and I have room for, at most, a six-pack of toilet paper at a time. And I've come to realize I just don't buy all that much *stuff* anymore (elderly, few needs/wants, yearning to pare down/simplify, etc.) But clearly, the other comments here indicate that many others have found ways to cope with all this, so it's probably worth giving a shot.
posted by Kat Allison at 3:17 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
posted by Kat Allison at 3:17 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
Two member household here. We spent $300 on gas, $3k+ at the warehouse, and $2800 online last year. Southwest airlines gift cards was part of that. The warehouse is out of the way for us, so I go when I can combine it with going that way anyway.
posted by olopua at 3:23 PM on January 31
posted by olopua at 3:23 PM on January 31
Dragged into a Costco membership by my spouse and initially horrified by the experience. Too big, too many people, get me outta there! I don't want to be a mega-consumer who only comes to town on shopping trips once or twice a year! And I dislike how a significant part of the operation seems to be selling vitamin supplements. However, I have experienced some good foods & etc they sell, now; so it's not all bad, but I still dislike the place. It's definitely better than WalMart.
posted by Rash at 3:49 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
posted by Rash at 3:49 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I'm a singleton, an apartment-dweller, and honestly pretty brand-loyal, but the DEI support is the main reason I've been considering getting a Costco membership. However, forthright's comment about diet Coke swings me toward getting one! The nearest is across the border in Georgia, but only 6 miles.
FWIW, although I can't vouch for this being true in all locations, my Texas friends who are real evangelists for Costco said you can buy inexpensive caskets there relative to the retail marketplace.
I'd been thinking of buying Plan B to have on-hand for any friends who might eventually need it, so hey, yeah, I'll get a Costco membership just for the diet Coke and Plan B!
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 4:03 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
FWIW, although I can't vouch for this being true in all locations, my Texas friends who are real evangelists for Costco said you can buy inexpensive caskets there relative to the retail marketplace.
I'd been thinking of buying Plan B to have on-hand for any friends who might eventually need it, so hey, yeah, I'll get a Costco membership just for the diet Coke and Plan B!
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 4:03 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
Best answer: > Avoid going there on the weekends though.
Pro tip: The single best time of year to go to Costco is *during* the Superbowl. Ideally during the first half of the game, but definitely not before it starts. Also, if you have a local NFL team, go during their games.
posted by gingerbeer at 5:23 PM on January 31 [4 favorites]
Pro tip: The single best time of year to go to Costco is *during* the Superbowl. Ideally during the first half of the game, but definitely not before it starts. Also, if you have a local NFL team, go during their games.
posted by gingerbeer at 5:23 PM on January 31 [4 favorites]
Given that you've gotten great answers above I'll just say - yes, it's very very likely that the $ you spend on membership will at least be worth trying it out. I appreciate costco for a number of reasons but the bottom line is that I can turn my cynical skeptical always-computing defensive- consumer brain down to very low, and just buy what i need. That alone is worth something.
The only issue is space, but it's not really that dramatic.
posted by Dashy at 6:10 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
The only issue is space, but it's not really that dramatic.
posted by Dashy at 6:10 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
The sensory experience is terrible, the quantities are often embarrassing, but I really do like a lot of their stuff. Big bricks of Gruyère, super soft socks, organic meats for cheap, and THE perfectly portioned salmon filets.
posted by eirias at 6:19 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
posted by eirias at 6:19 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Single person, in a small studio. Completely worth when my old laptop died, and I got a new MacBook Pro for about $300 less than anywhere else.
posted by spinifex23 at 6:56 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
posted by spinifex23 at 6:56 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
My late 20s eldest son and his wife live in a two-bedroom apartment, and they do the vast majority of their shopping at Costco... so much so, that they took the relative location into consideration with their last move.
posted by stormyteal at 7:45 PM on January 31
posted by stormyteal at 7:45 PM on January 31
Good price on gas.
This alone has made our membership worthwhile. Anything else is just gravy. We don’t have space to store much of the oversized or double-packed stuff they sell, but we occasionally get stuff we use often enough. But the gas prices are the big draw for us.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:56 PM on January 31
This alone has made our membership worthwhile. Anything else is just gravy. We don’t have space to store much of the oversized or double-packed stuff they sell, but we occasionally get stuff we use often enough. But the gas prices are the big draw for us.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:56 PM on January 31
Best answer: The big ticket items have made it worth it for me. In the last couple years I’ve bought 3 iPads - they were $250 each, that was Christmas sorted - and a new desktop. The first one had Wi-Fi issues: I returned it and got another one and it was so hassle free I was astounded. I have also bought 2 mattresses, a duvet and, recently, a roomba for $150 less than anywhere else. Their stuff often seems the same as other places but it’s usually top of the line in quality and cheaper for what it is. So it’s been worth it to me for that. And the wine and cheese.
posted by mygothlaundry at 8:10 PM on January 31
posted by mygothlaundry at 8:10 PM on January 31
I signed up for a membership last year. The in-person experience is way too much for me, but I was able to buy a new refrigerator online for cheaper than any other place, plus free delivery and haul away of the old one - that saved me a few hundred dollars right there.
posted by chbrooks at 11:11 PM on January 31
posted by chbrooks at 11:11 PM on January 31
Definitely give it a go. Apparently they have a really good return policy, so if you want to cancel your membership at any time it's not a big deal.
I really like their pasta sauce and salsa.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 11:56 PM on January 31
I really like their pasta sauce and salsa.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 11:56 PM on January 31
The Kirkland Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil there (sold in 2 liters, make sure you get the organic one!) is very high quality stuff. We buy bread there, and put one loaf in the freezer. I buy vitamins and allergy meds there as well (my doc put me on a vitamin regimen after watching my blood numbers for a while.) other things we get are laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, kitchen trash bags (sold in a 200 pack for I think $17, and they’re the higher quality mesh reinforced ones), cheddar cheese (Tillamook 2.5 lb blocks for about $9), paper towels, TP (having a Costco pack saved us during the initial covid shortages!) and various other things. Some things of course may be on par with the grocery store, but most of the time you’re far better off getting it at Costco if you have the space and ability to use it in time.
posted by azpenguin at 1:47 AM on February 1
posted by azpenguin at 1:47 AM on February 1
I save the entire annual membership cost by ordering a year's worth of contacts through them, although I have astigmatism so my contacts tend to cost more than simpler prescriptions.
A 3 pack of contact solution is $11.49 locally, which is about what I would pay for a single bottle at CVS
They have allergy nasal spray, about a 2 year supply, normally $20 in my area but currently on sale for $16, which is less than half what a 1 year supply at CVS would run.
Those alone make it worth it for me, I'll occasionally use their same day delivery but I try to avoid it because it appears to have a 17% mark up versus buying things in store.
I'd also recommend waiting a week or 2 before joining as some of their employees are likely to go on strike soon
posted by I paid money to offer this... insight? at 2:01 AM on February 1
A 3 pack of contact solution is $11.49 locally, which is about what I would pay for a single bottle at CVS
They have allergy nasal spray, about a 2 year supply, normally $20 in my area but currently on sale for $16, which is less than half what a 1 year supply at CVS would run.
Those alone make it worth it for me, I'll occasionally use their same day delivery but I try to avoid it because it appears to have a 17% mark up versus buying things in store.
I'd also recommend waiting a week or 2 before joining as some of their employees are likely to go on strike soon
posted by I paid money to offer this... insight? at 2:01 AM on February 1
Best answer: I don't much enjoy shopping at Costco except during quiet times early and late: roughly, whenever they are not giving out samples. I also don't like to stockpile a lot of stuff except for office supplies. I have found though that if, just a few times a year, I have to get a bunch of things for a party or an event, it pretty much covers the cost for that year.
As an employer, they have their problems but nothing compared to most big retail. A close friend was a manager at the store level for years and they had a lot of personal emergencies and I was in awe of how well they were treated. Things have gone downhill in that regard everywhere, but there still seems to be excellent rapport among the people at that store, which is always a good sign imo. There seems to be real inclusiveness in hiring too.
posted by BibiRose at 5:26 AM on February 1
As an employer, they have their problems but nothing compared to most big retail. A close friend was a manager at the store level for years and they had a lot of personal emergencies and I was in awe of how well they were treated. Things have gone downhill in that regard everywhere, but there still seems to be excellent rapport among the people at that store, which is always a good sign imo. There seems to be real inclusiveness in hiring too.
posted by BibiRose at 5:26 AM on February 1
Best answer: These are all excellent comments - no one really mentioned clothing, so I will. Costco has some excellent deals on high quality casual clothing (sweats, t-shirts, underwear, jackets, and so on).
My only complaint/observation is that the stock rotates frequently so those awesome dry-fit t-shirts or divine merino wool socks may or may not ever show up again. Get 'em while you can!
Our Costco has a car wash next to the gas station and for 7.99, beats any deal around. We've gone all EV here, but were only buying gas at Costco until that point because it was the cheapest in the area.
posted by jquinby at 5:47 AM on February 1 [1 favorite]
My only complaint/observation is that the stock rotates frequently so those awesome dry-fit t-shirts or divine merino wool socks may or may not ever show up again. Get 'em while you can!
Our Costco has a car wash next to the gas station and for 7.99, beats any deal around. We've gone all EV here, but were only buying gas at Costco until that point because it was the cheapest in the area.
posted by jquinby at 5:47 AM on February 1 [1 favorite]
Best answer: There seems to be real inclusiveness in hiring too.
Something I've always loved about Costco is the employees can wear their own clothes. I feel like every time I go there I'm saying something to my cashier like oh I love your nails or that's a fun shirt or that haircut is great. Seems to be a lot of room for personal expression for a retail space. Being in control of my own personal style choices is something that matters a lot to me, and I can see a way that I care for myself reflected in the dress code at Costco. It's a basic level of respect that an employee is capable of deciding for themselves how they want to present.
posted by phunniemee at 5:48 AM on February 1 [5 favorites]
Something I've always loved about Costco is the employees can wear their own clothes. I feel like every time I go there I'm saying something to my cashier like oh I love your nails or that's a fun shirt or that haircut is great. Seems to be a lot of room for personal expression for a retail space. Being in control of my own personal style choices is something that matters a lot to me, and I can see a way that I care for myself reflected in the dress code at Costco. It's a basic level of respect that an employee is capable of deciding for themselves how they want to present.
posted by phunniemee at 5:48 AM on February 1 [5 favorites]
Best answer: We are childless adults who don’t even own a car, and we have not just a Costco membership but an executive membership (which has an annual reward on spending) AND the credit card (which has its own cash reward). We pretty much only use the credit card for Costco / Costco Travel purchases. Between warehouse purchases and travel we spend enough over the course of the year that we earn more in rewards than we pay in membership fees. We probably shop at the warehouse around ten times a year, give or take a couple. To get to the warehouse we either ride with a relative when she goes or borrow her car if we need to go and she doesn’t.
The only things we buy that come in packages large enough to present a storage problem are toilet paper and paper towels. If you’re not a coffee snob the coffee can be a great deal (we buy beans for my wife’s cold brew where the finer details are lost, but typically not for hot coffee). We buy a lot of basic ingredients there (milk, eggs, butter, bacon, some cheese, canned tomatoes), and some produce (lemons and limes when we’re going through a lot of them, Brussels sprouts, avocados, bananas, apples), and skip other produce unless we can split it with local relatives (russet potatoes are a great deal, but we don’t use them fast enough). We buy some of our booze there, but the wine is really hit or miss for our tastes. We buy flour because I bake bread every week and bagels on occasion, but our Costco also has flour in packages smaller than 25 lbs (which would be annoying to store, even at the rate I go through it). We also regularly buy dried fruit, cereal, and peanut butter, because we go through them, but your needs may vary. We sometimes buy smoked salmon to go with the bagels I bake, but that’s not something we buy on every trip. We also regularly stock up on allergy medicine, esomeprazole (generic Nexium that I need for GERD), and CeraVe (that I need for eczema). And probably other things I’m forgetting.
Other than that list, everything else is based on what they may have, or have on sale, at the time. Sometimes we get chips or other snacks, sometimes we get cereal, sometimes we stock the freezer, and so on.
Aside from warehouse purchases we book rental cars several times a year (for regional road trips or when traveling elsewhere) and I’ve ordered OTC medicine and vitamins for delivery when the warehouse didn’t have what I needed or we couldn’t make a shopping trip happen. We also bought our microwave through Costco, which saved us money and came with an extra year of warranty.
If we got a reward certificate in the mail that was less than our membership fees I’d think about changing things, but we clearly get enough value out of our membership that it literally pays for itself without us having to buy crap we’re not actually using.
posted by fedward at 10:11 AM on February 1
The only things we buy that come in packages large enough to present a storage problem are toilet paper and paper towels. If you’re not a coffee snob the coffee can be a great deal (we buy beans for my wife’s cold brew where the finer details are lost, but typically not for hot coffee). We buy a lot of basic ingredients there (milk, eggs, butter, bacon, some cheese, canned tomatoes), and some produce (lemons and limes when we’re going through a lot of them, Brussels sprouts, avocados, bananas, apples), and skip other produce unless we can split it with local relatives (russet potatoes are a great deal, but we don’t use them fast enough). We buy some of our booze there, but the wine is really hit or miss for our tastes. We buy flour because I bake bread every week and bagels on occasion, but our Costco also has flour in packages smaller than 25 lbs (which would be annoying to store, even at the rate I go through it). We also regularly buy dried fruit, cereal, and peanut butter, because we go through them, but your needs may vary. We sometimes buy smoked salmon to go with the bagels I bake, but that’s not something we buy on every trip. We also regularly stock up on allergy medicine, esomeprazole (generic Nexium that I need for GERD), and CeraVe (that I need for eczema). And probably other things I’m forgetting.
Other than that list, everything else is based on what they may have, or have on sale, at the time. Sometimes we get chips or other snacks, sometimes we get cereal, sometimes we stock the freezer, and so on.
Aside from warehouse purchases we book rental cars several times a year (for regional road trips or when traveling elsewhere) and I’ve ordered OTC medicine and vitamins for delivery when the warehouse didn’t have what I needed or we couldn’t make a shopping trip happen. We also bought our microwave through Costco, which saved us money and came with an extra year of warranty.
If we got a reward certificate in the mail that was less than our membership fees I’d think about changing things, but we clearly get enough value out of our membership that it literally pays for itself without us having to buy crap we’re not actually using.
posted by fedward at 10:11 AM on February 1
Response by poster: Thank you - we joined. I did it online and then Mr. Blah went to the store to get his card & have a look around. He came back with photos of several items that we know are brands we like and stuff we'll automatically use, so I'm guessing this is going to pay off for us. And I'm happy to support this company.
Thank you for your opinions! I could have marked them all best answer.
posted by BlahLaLa at 12:10 PM on February 1 [6 favorites]
Thank you for your opinions! I could have marked them all best answer.
posted by BlahLaLa at 12:10 PM on February 1 [6 favorites]
I just found the macadamia nuts I was asking about, in the Honolulu Costco.
posted by Rash at 2:47 PM on February 1
posted by Rash at 2:47 PM on February 1
Costco UK member here. I live alone in a small flat, so bulk buying is limited. But I'm able to find big bags of coffee beans here (the default in the UK is for people to drink instant or pod coffee and I don't like either). I also regularly buy avocados (which need 10 days to ripen but are far superior in taste and quality to anything I can find in Tesco), big punnets of heirloom tomatoes, the roasted, mixed unsalted nuts (expensive, but delicious and last for ages), and when I go with a friend we'll buy packs of things we can split.
I also like the American products I find there, primarily Costco's own Kirkland brand, that are better quality than the UK versions, e.g. bin (garbage) bags.
The only downside is when you buy something, love it, and then never see it again. I still mourn the disappearance of the Prana Organic Chic Chocs that were on the shelves for one brief, wonderful, winter and then vanished, never to be seen again.
posted by essexjan at 6:01 AM on February 2
I also like the American products I find there, primarily Costco's own Kirkland brand, that are better quality than the UK versions, e.g. bin (garbage) bags.
The only downside is when you buy something, love it, and then never see it again. I still mourn the disappearance of the Prana Organic Chic Chocs that were on the shelves for one brief, wonderful, winter and then vanished, never to be seen again.
posted by essexjan at 6:01 AM on February 2
Financially, the biggest issues are avoiding food waste and that some things are overpriced, so it really depends how you shop and compensate for those.
If you only buy things that are shelf-stable (or frozen), that you can eat before it goes bad, split with others, freeze most of, etc you can avoid waste. If you have a chest freezer and are ok with freezing stuff like bread, produce, etc, it's not too hard to manage.
If you currently shop carefully for sales/good prices, you'll find that Costco has a mix of excellent value, fair value, and overpriced items, and can choose accordingly. On the other hand, if you currently buy most groceries without thinking about whether they're a good price, especially "luxury" things like nice cheese/cuts of meat/bagged greens/convenience products, Costco is likely to save you money because on average, their regular prices fall below regular grocery store price. But many things are higher than their usual sale price, and sometimes even above regular price, especially for more basic/inexpensive items. They will often be better quality though, and I find that produce is often fresher so it lasts longer.
So you definitely can save money even as a single person or couple. Whether you can save more than the membership fee really depends on what you buy and how much you spend now. If you're already very frugal, you likely won't save enough to be worth the fee. If you currently spend a lot on groceries, you might.
The best of both worlds, which is what I do, is if you can find a friend to bring you once or twice a year to stock up on the biggest deals that Costco has, without paying the fee (or maybe splitting the fee and going a few times a year).
Non-financially, for some people the membership fee is worth paying (especially if you save enough there to discount it a fair bit) just to have access to some of the higher quality products that Costco carries. It's also nice to shop in a store where almost everything is high quality, where you know the staff are treated well, and even if you can find many cheaper elsewhere, most things aren't an outright rip off, unlike a regular grocery store.
If you find yourself wasting a lot of food, rarely shopping there, having more food stored in your house than you want, or just spending way more than you used to, you may want to re-evaluate. It also may be tempting to eat bulk amounts of junk food/high-calorie treats because they're a such a good price.
posted by randomnity at 8:07 AM on February 2
If you only buy things that are shelf-stable (or frozen), that you can eat before it goes bad, split with others, freeze most of, etc you can avoid waste. If you have a chest freezer and are ok with freezing stuff like bread, produce, etc, it's not too hard to manage.
If you currently shop carefully for sales/good prices, you'll find that Costco has a mix of excellent value, fair value, and overpriced items, and can choose accordingly. On the other hand, if you currently buy most groceries without thinking about whether they're a good price, especially "luxury" things like nice cheese/cuts of meat/bagged greens/convenience products, Costco is likely to save you money because on average, their regular prices fall below regular grocery store price. But many things are higher than their usual sale price, and sometimes even above regular price, especially for more basic/inexpensive items. They will often be better quality though, and I find that produce is often fresher so it lasts longer.
So you definitely can save money even as a single person or couple. Whether you can save more than the membership fee really depends on what you buy and how much you spend now. If you're already very frugal, you likely won't save enough to be worth the fee. If you currently spend a lot on groceries, you might.
The best of both worlds, which is what I do, is if you can find a friend to bring you once or twice a year to stock up on the biggest deals that Costco has, without paying the fee (or maybe splitting the fee and going a few times a year).
Non-financially, for some people the membership fee is worth paying (especially if you save enough there to discount it a fair bit) just to have access to some of the higher quality products that Costco carries. It's also nice to shop in a store where almost everything is high quality, where you know the staff are treated well, and even if you can find many cheaper elsewhere, most things aren't an outright rip off, unlike a regular grocery store.
If you find yourself wasting a lot of food, rarely shopping there, having more food stored in your house than you want, or just spending way more than you used to, you may want to re-evaluate. It also may be tempting to eat bulk amounts of junk food/high-calorie treats because they're a such a good price.
posted by randomnity at 8:07 AM on February 2
Their services are the best reason to join if you cannot make use of items for purchase. In particular, their Pharmacy has excellent prices on prescription drugs, you can get many OTC items there, and then there are other services like Home/Auto insurance, discounts on travel, and discounts on home services, like HVAC. Research it ahead of time, but it is definitely worthwhile even if you don't buy their goods.
posted by drossdragon at 5:59 PM on February 2
posted by drossdragon at 5:59 PM on February 2
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