Costco vs supermarkets

[sonj]

in your experience what is better? like 10 for 10 sales are they worth it? that you have noticed

[Bluezy]

I wonder about this one myself.

Unfortunately, you have to pay the yearly fee before you can try them out. So you would really have to buy some bulk to make up for the yearly fee.

[akaivyleaf]

Most warehouse stores like Costco, BJ's, Sams will let you shop one time to see how you like it, before you commit to a membership.

However, I haven't seen the cost savings on most items. Getting a super big box of something doesn't mean anything if the cost per unit is higher, which is how I shop. I prefer to shop at Wal-Mart in my area, because the cost per unit is a few cents cheaper. Sometimes when grocery stores have 10 for 10 deals, then I can rack up on items as well, but generally speaking I don't go grocery store hopping. I do read the circulars though.

[tamip]

You have to do your homework I think on this one. I use Costco, but only on certain items. I went through and wrote down prices/sizes of items I usually use, then compared them to the sale prices I can get at grocery stores. Some things are cheaper, and I only purchase those items.

You also have to be careful not to get lured in by all the other stuff they have there. I take cash, and stick to my list.

Tami

[robex]

I was given a Costco card, so I didn't have the added membership cost. We live in Canada, and I shop at Superstore for some things and buy the rest at Costco. Superstore often has great sales on bulk items and the added benefit of having their own name brands, which generally are cheaper than the brand names at Costco.
I agree with you, Tami, about being lured by all the other stuff...some days it's difficult not to go overboard!

[genchan]

My big problem with Cosco isn't that their prices are higher - I think they are better than my local store - but that you have to buy in volume. While the per unit price is less, I end up consuming more (and faster) so in the end it costs me more.

If I go to my local store and but 2 candy bars for $1 a piece, I spend $2 and they will last a week. I buy a box at Cosco of 24 candy bars for $12, they still will be gone in a week. Even though the unit price is less, I end up spending more.

[CRFSaver]

I use Sams Club (instead of Costco) and find that some things are way over priced (computer items) but some things are very well priced. Usually their meat is 2 dollars less a pound then the local grocery store and many times better quality. My favorite thing to get there is their bottles orange juices, the little individual sizes. Very cost affective versus paying a buck a bottle at work in the morning.

[jmjj215]

My wife and I were considering buying a Costco membership. On Saturday we asked if we could just look around and they let us. We compared all of our staple foods. The only items that were (on a per unit basis) cheaper were eggs and milk - and milk we could get that cheap sometimes anyway. We weren't convinced it would be any cheaper to buy the membership and shop there. We'll stick with price-matching and shopping at Wal-mart.

[Fern]

I can't really speak about Costcos vs. sam's club, but one year i did very careful price checking compared to my other alternatives in my area, including 2 area supermarkets (stop n shop and Big Y) and a discount supermarket (Xpect Discounts).

I found that Costco had moderate to great savings on certain items, but not so on everything! It's not good to assume that if they offer a good price on Classico pasta sauce that everything will be priced accordingly. As usualy, it's a time consuming task to figure out where the best buys are, particularly for your higher expense or more frequently used items. I try to be as up to date on specific prices as i can, tho no longer have time to maintain a "price book."

[fultron]

My wife and I belong to Costco and we do save on certain items that we purchase there regularly. There are some great deals to be had but you can't just assume that everything is cheaper. There are many things that can be had cheaper when the supermarket has a sale.

The key is to make a list and stick to it. Buy what you know is a good deal and take notes on other stuff so you can compare prices.

[pennywise]

My problem with Costco is that they insist on cash or their credit card. I use a credit card that meets the needs of my family (i.e. Gm card for car savings, airline for ticket, etc.)

[marglo]

We really like our local Costco, but we don't use it for our regular grocery shopping...we just buy certain things there. We love their Roast Chicken and also buy water, sodas, electrasol tabs, love their Kirkland brand canned chicken (it's the best!), tuna and salmon (really good!). We also sometimes buy cereal, olive oil, printer cartridges, printer paper there. That's all I can think of now but if you shop carefully and don't buy anything that will go to waste before you can use it up (larger sizes), you can find some good deals there. Costco (at least here) only takes American Express...you can use any American Express...but if you use theirs you get rebates and can also use it to get into the store earlier than just having the regular Costco card.

[CherylOK]

I have a Sam's and SuperWalMart that I can shop at. I've kept a Price Book, and found that almost all staples per unit are cheaper at Aldi's. I'm not sure if Aldi's is nation wide, but check it out if you are near one!