Do you have a warehouse membership card?

[Haku]

Such as BJs or Sam's Club?

I'm contemplating having one, but I am balking at the membership price and don't know if it's actually worth it in the end. I don't shop much, and if I do, it's usually for the basics such as soap, toothbrushes, toilet paper, and so forth. Moreover, I'm worried that I may be tempted by things they sell there that I don't need. In bulk even.

So anyways, my question is, do you have one, and if so, is it worth it?

[sweeps]

Costco here.

You have to carefully run the numbers to see if the membership will work for you. Many people make the assumption that they automatically save money because they're getting "wholesale prices". But sometimes they're spending more. People who are good at buying sale items and using coupons at regular stores can spend less.

When comparing with other stores be sure to take into consideration all factors including
- the annual membership fee charged by the warehouse
- you usually can't use your rewards credit card at the warehouse (which for me is 5% cash back at grocery stores)
- the extra gas (and time) you spend to drive to the warehouse if it's out of your way

[PRICEPLUS]

Wife and I have a Costco card. You have to look at pricing though because you don't always get the besty price there!

[Haku]

In that case, the answer for me is a definite "no". Thanks for the feedback.

[Ima saver]

No, I don't have one, we are a small family and I would have to drive hours to get to one.

[kashi]

I have a Sam's Club card. I tend to purchase things that are easily stored but expensive elsewhere, like toilet paper, paper towels, detergent, flour, yeast, butter, etc. If you have enough room to store things, it can be worth it.

[Haku]

Interesting thought, Kashi. Buying basic, essential supplies in bulk is exactly the reason why I'm weighing whether or not I should join. The warehouse store is only a few blocks from my house.

[kealina]

haku.... maybe you could see if anybody you know is a member and tag along as a guest to check out the actual prices and savings.... maybe see if somebody in your area would be willing to split some of those essential supplies with you.... i actually find myself wishing we could find someone to split things from SAM's with so that we end up with what we need and someone else would benefit too... I'd say it depends... it's our annual xmas gift from FIL so we don't have to factor in that cost... it's pretty handy for eggs, milk, cheese, and several other items we buy frequently.... good luck deciding...

[Thrifty Ray]

I have a Costco card.

I use it for certain items because the quality is so good (ie..hamburger and italian sausage, ciabatta bread, etc.)

I use it to stock up on items that I can get a good deal on (but be careful, somethings are more expensive at Costco)

I LOVE to go to Costco during the holidays...they have great Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas items..quality is great and they are very cute and or functional.

I browse Costco to get a plethora of ideas for gifts...and then I comparison shop...to get the best deal...

and I (confession here)...occaisionally stop after the shopping is done and get a hot dog (calories and fat???) and soda for $1.50. :0

You just have to be disciplined when you go there....unlike the dollar store, a cart load at Costco can be several hundred dollars...

[eisor]

My family has both Sams and Costco cards. My mom has been a member of Sams since the 80s. And a member of Costco for at least 7 years. Growing up we had 7 people in our house. My mom cooked a meal every night. We had to buy food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc. in bulk. Having a house with 6 girls, we bought shampoo, deodorant, feminine products, vitamins and much more in bulk.

Costco has one of the BEST return polilcies around. You can return anything! Plus, they don't have a time limit (except on electronics). The employees are always nice too. But, because of the return policy, it is one of the best places to buy expensive items.

I love shopping at both locations. I can get good deals on name brand shoes and clothes, too.

Edited to say that Costco sells a box of cards for like $15. And it ends up being about 50c a card for really nice and fancy cards. Definitely saves a lot of money.

[boefixepa]

They work great for the basics. Even sinigle I go once or twice a year and buy all the stuff that keeps. TP, Paper Towels, Toothpaste, deoterant, plastic wrap, tin foil, charcoal, laundry detergent, cleaners etc. Also, food stuffs, like seasonings, flour, & rice. I do have to be careful not to buy too much other food as it generally goes bad before I can use it.

For a large family its great for eggs, milk, cheese, cereal, and stuff.

Some of my favorite finds have been the large package of terry towels over in the car area!! A huge package for like $12.00!! I use them as kitchen towels and can bleach them when they get messey. And I can trow them aways without feeling bad! Also in their commerical food area. The glasses and basic silverware are a steal!!! Not fancy, but how many of your spoons end up in the yard? Save the nice ones for thanksgiving and christmas. I hate buying glass glasses too! I break them! These are the clear plastic ones used in restraunts and they have worked great for me! I think I'll go with the plates and bowls there next time I need them. Not any time soon, but they aren't going anywhere.

[getforfree]

I don't have the membership. They charge like $45/ year for Samsclub. That's a lot. Unless you spend like 500/yr there its not worth it at all. Their prices are not much cheaper than the supermarkets. But at the supermarket I can get it on sale + use a coupon or even get free after rebate or coupon. Plus, you don't have to buy huge size. When the coupon says "any size" the smallest size will probably (not always) be the best shot.
Couple years ago we shared the membership with my friend. That way it costs twice less for each person. We used to go there on saturday morning when they have free samples to taste. So in the morning before that me and dh had coffe only without anything else and my son had a bottle of milk and then we went there and that was like a free breakfast. It was really close to our house, and the gas was cheaper then. Mostly we didn't even buy anything. Just sample whatever they offer like 10 times each thing. Man, I love free stuff!

[lrjohnson]

We have one, Costco. We make a couple of bigger trips each year, for things like fire extinguishers, computer junk (printer ink, blank dvds/cds), compact flourescent lightbulbs. We figure we cover the price of belonging, even if not by too much. Each year a big purchase might itself cover it; My Guys 21" flat screen monitor savings was worth the membership for 2005.

[svevans]

I have a Sam's Club card...the new annual cost is now $40 for the basic membership...which is really all you will need.

The basic membership allows you to add another person @ no additional cost. I have saved $$$$ (50%) for years on my membership by splitting the cost with a friend.

So....find someone else who would like to share the cost of a membership. It's very easy to change the name of the secondary person upon renewal each year if someone decides they don't want to continue.

[markio26]

i don't belong to any warehouse clubs.... i used to years ago.. i get better deals elsewhere.. and if you don't watch closely at those clubs, you can over buy and it really hurts the budget.

[getforfree]

I agree. Yesterday we went to costco, got a free pass. The prices are even higher per ounce than I usually pay when I use coupon. And you have to buy a huge package and pay the membership.

[lrjohnson]

I had the best experiences with non-food items at Costco. Food seems to be a lot of name brand stuff.

[stngymama]

It all comes down to price comparisons. We found that stuff like contact lenses [at Costco] were a LOT cheaper, even factoring in the membership cost.
I'm eyeing the Cuisinart (for Christmas of course ).
It can be really tempting to buy those big packages of snack food..never bring a hungry kid along (esp the dh)!
Anyhow, go as a guest first!

[sweeps]

Sometimes Costco offers coupons - for example, buy 1 get 1 free on Electrasol dishwasher tabs. Their custom cakes for special occasions are a fantastic deal. Getting pictures developed there is a good deal. Milk's pretty cheap. But there's a lot of stuff that is hit or miss, and some stuff is ridiculously priced.

[poundwise]

In general, I believe that if you are watchful for sale items and use coupons, you'll do better to forget about joining a warehouse club. The exception, in my view, would be if you do not have time, or know that you are not disciplined enough, to utilize sales and/or coupons regulalry. Another would be if you happen to have a large family and use large quanitities of paper products, cleaning products, etc., thus likely making bulk purchases at least as good as any other means of saving.

I am not a member of any club and do not intend to join either SAM'S or BJ'S, both of which are in my area, however, I do have an 'invitation' for a trial 60-day membership at BJ'S, so I may check it out - just in case.