Worth it to join costco?

Hi All,

Ran all over Oak Park today looking in vain for a tri-tip roast. Got a lot of blank stares. Even tried the recommended Blue-Ribbon Meat Market and was disappointed. Based on reading this forum, I'm starting to feel that my best bet for interesting cuts and decent prices will be Costco.

Question is: Is the $50 yearly fee really worth it? We try to be frugal.

If, after being a member for a month or two (or 364 days), you decide it isn't worth it, they'll refund your membership fee in full.

One of the longest running, most interesting threads over the last year has been the one on Costco. You should check it out and make up your mind.

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4718&start=0


Geo

Thanks for the tips. Hard to argue with a money-back guarantee.

For me the no-brainer factor came with the gas station: at 5-20 cents cheaper than anyone else (depending on the market forces -- sometimes there's barely a gap between them and the guy across the street, sometimes it's significant), the $50 was more than made up in savings to fill the Van.

If your Costco doesn't have a gas station, or your vehicle can't be measured in gallons per mile, I'd be less excited, but YMMV.

Just got my rebate coupon from AmEx on my Platinum Cash Rebate CC that is available with no additional fee to Costco Exec members ($100 rather than the standard $50 membership).

The coupon (essentially a non-negotiable check redeemable for cash or goods at any Costco store) is in the amount of $357.79 this year (about average for us).

That's in addition to the roughly $150 or so we get back on our Costco purchases annually as Executive members. The combination puts me a net ~$400 a year in cash to the good, after deducting the cost of the membership, exclusive of any savings on the price of the merchandise compared to other stores.

The only goods I've ever felt compelled to return due to quality/satisfaction issues were a couple of bottles of house (Kirkland) brand shampoo and conditioner. They were half used before I decided I couldn't stand the stuff any more, and I had long since thrown out the receipt. A full refund was cheerfully given, no questions asked.

What your costs/benefits of membership will be really depends on what and how much you buy, and whether you choose and use a Costco AmEx card.

It's not for everyone, but yes, I guess I'd call the membership worthwhile for us...

What did two half-used bottles of house shampoo set you back? That's funny.

Costco is great. It's worth the $50. The "executive" membership is worth the $100 if you hit the store often enough. They will refund you to "regular" if it's not worth your while. Plus it's really fun to watch what other people have in their carts. It's a game we play to pass the time. Stuff you'll see in people's carts, sometimes all at once. :

1. Four frenched racks of lamb
2. Three cryovaced beef tenderloins
3. One two-stroke gasoline-powered 1600 H2O psi power washer
4. Two Hundred and Fifty Fish Oil Capsules
5. Three carbon monoxide detectors
6. One package of tri-color mini bell peppers
7. Two one ounce jars of Spanish coupe grade saffron
8. Two pounds of Jarslberg
9. One pound of Stilton
10. A case of Pellegrino
11. A case of organic soy milk
12. A case of motor oil
13. Every automotive battery available except for the 1998 Ford Taurus
13. One package of frozen "Cod Loins"
14. Stickley furniture

About Costco, the no-brainer for us was diapers. Since then (6 years ago), our Dominick's had begun carrying the monster pckg. at the same price, but we've moved past diapers and still find it worthwhile.

As discussed in other forums, the House Brand Extra-V. Olive Oil (both the plain variety in lg. jugs, and the vintage dated version in .750s is a huge bargain).
Ditto the smoked salmon. Not like specialty-store quality, but for an informal brunch or party, you can't beat it.
Various small appliances and cookware.
Occasional "finds" among the books/CDs/DVDs
House label utility clothing e.g. jeans, underwear, cheap gym shoes, occasional good-enough-for-the-casual-office bargains as well. Also kids' stuff.
Artichoke hearts, Calamata olives, Stacy's Pita Chips in the huge bag, rice crackers and snack mixes, breakfast cereals.
Butter, juice, canned goods, crackers.
Produce is iffy, but worth looking at.
Cheese (not "Stands Alone," T.I. or Caputo's level, but again, excellent value for money for Manchego, French Feta, Mozz., goat logs, etc.)
In general, lots of stuff which is marked up way past the insulting level at your avg. grocery, is tolerably priced at Costco.

The lefty bleeding heart in me sometimes worries about the meat: is it cheap because non-unionized workers with no benefits are being crippled by carpal tunnel syndrome while they slaughter hormone-addled animals in abusive, unsafe conditions? I don't know. But I do like Costco overall.

As far is entertainment derived from speculating on the contents of others' carts---This didn't happen at Costco, but still amused me:

Stopping into my local Dom's very late in terrible weather for some necessity, like diapers or cat food, I stood behind someone who was paying for the following:
* Economy size cooking oil
* Lg. role of duct tape
* Lg. pack of batteries

Nothing strange about any single item, but you have to wonder about the circumstance that would absolutely require you to go out for just those 3 things, in terrible weather in the middle of the night. At first I giggled, but giggles quickly turned to shudders as imagination ran rampant...

To that I would add the giant packages of Amy's (Leon's daughter I believe) Organic Apple/Gouda Chicken Sausages.

Another no-brainer reason:

If you have dogs, the treats, food and chew toys are all way cheaper than other outlets. And definitely diapers (and wipes).

Meat section is fantastic, as detailed in the thread referenced above.

I get Lamb Loin Chops each and every time. Delicious quality.

grant wrote:What did two half-used bottles of house shampoo set you back? That's funny.

Geez. Now we've got the grammar and syntax police parsing posts?

Seriously, I search out the half-used stuff everywhere. Don't you? After all, you can't beat the prices. They're only half the cost of a full bottle.

Personally, I don't think that a Costco membership is worth it. The year that I joined, I purchased well under $300 **DESPITE** weekly visits.

Personally, it is cheaper for me to go with my friend for free ... well, I do he have to feed him periodically. (g)

mrbarolo wrote:The lefty bleeding heart in me sometimes worries about the meat: is it cheap because non-unionized workers with no benefits are being crippled by carpal tunnel syndrome while they slaughter hormone-addled animals in abusive, unsafe conditions? I don't know. But I do like Costco overall.

Well, yes. But that's not to say that Costco's beef is any worse than Jewel, or Dominick's, or Paulina Market's, or Blue Ribbon, etc, in this regard.

Regarding the produce, above, between having no idea how long it's been there and it not being a particularly good deal compared to Stanley's or even (in some cases) Treasure Island, both of which are less than two miles away, it's hard to see a point.

As previously mentioned, their brand diapers, wipes and especially soy milk are a great deal. I also have seen fresh mussels for 1.99/lb, but haven't tried them. The organic spinach/cheese ravioli is great for a quick mid-week meal.

I have to chime in about the gas - we have noticed that we get worse gas mileage with Costco gas. This is just a brief observation from using it about a month, and it has been colder of course, but hubby pays close attention to these things.
LO

i like to think of myself as a pretty savvy shopper (read "cheapo"). for example, at a major grocery store, if i don't save at least 40% off retail prices with coupons and in-store or store card savings, i spiral into a deep depression and mutter schizophrenically about how the corporate grocery overlords are out to bankrupt me. having seen costco's prices, i didn't find it financially worth it to join. that is, until i had a kid. when i realized that at costco diapers and formula sell at, literally, half the significant price (and wipes not too differently) as compared to almost anywhere else, i became a devoted convert. once these items are no longer a necessity, i'll have to reevaluate, but for now i'm hooked.

HI,

I bought the mussels recently. They are the Prince Edward Island mussels from Canada I've notice some menus boasting proudly their source. I cooked them over two days with very, very little loss.

Regards,

LO wrote:I have to chime in about the gas - we have noticed that we get worse gas mileage with Costco gas. This is just a brief observation from using it about a month, and it has been colder of course, but hubby pays close attention to these things.
LO

In all fairness, subzero weather will cost you at least 25-30% efficiency even on a newer vehicle. That is coming from a person who 1) rarely uses the heat or air conditioning on teh vehicle and 2) has kept a log book for many years.

For example, I generally get 380 miles per tank. Last week, I achieved 297 miles, an all time low. (And the weather was the coldest in the 6 years that I had this car in Chicago.) In May, I am usually closer to 410. FWIW.

The same tankers fill up most of the gas stations in the area.

gleam wrote:Well, yes. But that's not to say that Costco's beef is any worse than Jewel, or Dominick's, or Paulina Market's, or Blue Ribbon, etc, in this regard.

Regarding the produce, above, between having no idea how long it's been there and it not being a particularly good deal compared to Stanley's or even (in some cases) Treasure Island, both of which are less than two miles away, it's hard to see a point.

There was a big deal made on that OTHER BOARD regarding the quality of the meats at Costco versus the other warehouse club. In most cases, I have noticed that they are pretty much ordering the same NAMPS items and generally from the same source. This is no real surprise as about 80% of the beef is produced by 2-3 large producers and you are seeing few imports among the retail beef.

Yeah. All I know about the Costco beef is that it's processed at an IBP packing house. Or, at least, that's the only label I've ever seen on it.

(off topic)

While the baby wipes are definitely cheap at Costco and diapers are too, you can get diapers cheapers elsewhere. Amazon.com sells the large packs for the same price as costco with no shipping charges and no tax. But what makes it cheaper is almost every month there is a $30 coupon off of either Huggies or Pampers (they usually alternate months) if you spend $90. So essentially you get the huge pack for $20 a piece.

(back on topic)You can't beat Costco's olive oil prices

ok. finally broke down and went....on a Sunday. Oy, the people!

Anyway, I dragged the whole family through every aisle, looking interesting items and major cost-savers which could cover the fee. Some highlights for me included:

Tri-tip roast! Finally a source! yummy.
Cryovac-packs of pork butt at well under $2/lb
cheap 4-pack of 100W-equiv fluorescent bulbs
nice leather couch (wouldn't fit in cart)
5-pack of gorgeous (not overripe) avocados for $5
cheap giant blocks of uber-sharp tillamook

disappointments:
didn't see night-time sleep diapers (goodnites) for post-toddlers.
don't take discover card (or any card but Amex)

In summary, I am quite pleased we went... what I didn't expect was the large variety of food which you just don't see at the local stores. This might have been the deal-maker for me. What I worry about now are the thoughts I catch myself thinking..."maybe I should run over to Costco today to get my money's worth..."

Deglazer wrote:don't take discover card (or any card but Amex)

They do take all debit cards, though.