Costco revisited

[pearlieq]

A couple of things:

1.) Costco-brand (Kirkland Signature) products are often near the top of the list whenever Consumer Reports rates household goods (dish soap, lightbulbs, etc.) They seem to have a quality house brand.

2.) Their snack bar is amazing! And there's always what we call the "sample buffet". One could have a very cheap (if not terribly healhty) lunch or dinner there.

3.) Anyone can use their pharmacy--you don't have to be a member. So, if you wanted to check it out, you could tell them that you were there to use the pharmacy and they'll let you walk right in. You wouldn't be able to buy anything except for perscriptions unless you became a member, but you could at least case the place and see if the prices on things you would buy are good enough to make it advantageous to join.

4.) Costco frequently offers a $10 gift card when you sign up for membership. Check the freebies board here or do some googling and find yourself an offer before you join.

[PrincessPerky]

If they wont let you 'cruise' to see what they have..you don't want to shop there...you might have to talk to a manager, but you should be able to get a guest pass, just wont be able to buy anything.

Regardless of what you decide this time, keep rechecking, the one product that saves you more than the cost of membership might go up (or down elsewhere) in a week.

As to the start up cost, put that 6$ away for a couple of weeks and you have it, and the dog food doesn't all cost 70$....buy the cheap stuff...and you can save on 'little' things, like milk, 50 cents (at least) saved per gallon might not seem like a lot, but multiply by 5 gallons a week, that is 2.50 each week, (which is $130 a year, well over the $50 joining fee)

[musubi]

along with all of the other reasons to have a costco membership, remember that costco treats its employees humanely. they earn a decent wage and have excellent benefits. that alone makes me feel good about paying that membership fee.

but i love that costco has the cheapest gas prices in my area as well--

[LuckyRobin]

I think Costco is good for diapers and wipes, TP, Paper products, bags (like Ziploc), books, milk, bread, produce, light bulbs, batteries, oil (both cooking and motor) and canned soups, chili, sauces, condiments and the like. It's pretty bad on meat (except seafood), and I'm not impressed with their canned meat, canned veggies or canned fruits.

The reason I stay with them is for the gas. It's a difference of between 30 and 50 cents a gallon right now.

[Plassky]

is Costco the same as Sam's?

[My English Castle]

same sort of concept, IMHO, better store.
Plus--very nice flowers!

But Trader Joe's has my heart, even though I spend too much there...

[kimiko]

Unlike others, I find Costco more of a deterrence to spending since the majority of their merchandises cost at least $10 to buy. So none of those "well it's only a couple of dollar" thing. Everything I buy goes through careful deliberation since I stand to lose a lot of money if I don't use it, not to mention taking up trash space. Don't know about BJ but I certain like the quality and price of Costco's products.

[eisor]

We have a Costco membership. We buy our toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, dish soap, trash bags, shampoo, conditioner, some clothing, flowers, etc.

Also, they are GREAT for electronics purchases. They have the best return policy ever. My sister bought a projector & screen and returned it a year later because the bulb exploded inside of it. She got a full refund.

Their prescription costs are great too! I was paying $30 a month with my insurance at a chain pharmacy. But, once I went off insurance it went up to $33. I went searching and now, by buying 3+ months in advance, I get it for $17 a month! That alone pays off our Costco membership. Once I get back on insurance at the end of this month, Costco will still probably be cheaper than buying my prescription with insurance again.

Their photo prices are reasonable too. I really like the enlargement packages.

Lastly, we love their pizza! Random, but it's so good. Plus, it's much cheaper than ordering delivery.

[Broken Arrow]

Also, they are GREAT for electronics purchases. They have the best return policy ever. My sister bought a projector & screen and returned it a year later because the bulb exploded inside of it. She got a full refund.

Huh, it would seem that they DO have the "best return policy ever".

All projectors (that I know of) have bulbs that have a limited life expectancy. Much like a conventional light bulb, it could have simply been "used up" through a year's worth regular use. In fact, bulb burnout is expected so much so that most projectors are designed with bulb replacement in mind.

Replacement bulbs are expensive too (at ~$200), but I digress. The point is, bulb burnout is normal, and therefore, most likely not covered in any warranty. So, they didn't have to take it back if they didn't want to. But the fact that they did is something of an amazement to me.

Ah, if only Costco was closer... BJ's is the one warehouse that is close to me, but I've decided that it's not worth joining it... even if a promotional offer.

[Saving in So Cal]

Our Costco is only a few miles from our house. We use it for gas, prescriptions, TP, paper towels, produce, organic milk, organic eggs, butter, cheese, chicken nuggets, some meats, and some cleaning products. We go into the store (as opposed to through the gas island) about once a month. We only visit the food/sundry/cleaning supply areas of the building and avoid the areas with other merchandise. We are careful to buy only what we really need, can reasonably store, and will use before it spoils. Believe or not, on each of my last two trips I spent around $40. I don't know if our Costo takes newspaper coupons, but they usually mail us a book of store coupons once a month. Usually, we find one or two items we would characterizes as "deals."

[eisor]

Replacement bulbs are expensive too (at ~$200), but I digress. The point is, bulb burnout is normal, and therefore, most likely not covered in any warranty. So, they didn't have to take it back if they didn't want to. But the fact that they did is something of an amazement to me.

The bulb didn't just burnout. It actually exploded inside the projector. There was glass everywhere inside. Plus her projector had a counter where it kept track of the hours you've used it. Then, told you approx. how many more hours there were until you're bulb would need replaced. She was over 1000 hours away from needing a new bulb.

[Aleta]

I know that BJ's have passes and it allows you to go inside and if you want to buy anything, they charge you 5% more. I think it would be a good idea just to check it out. I like B.J.'s for tires and the rotation and balancing is free for the life of the car, or maybe they tack something on extra to the bill, but its's worth it.