Recession watch: Finally joining Costco
Filed under: Bargains, Shopping, Recession
This post is part of a series about real-life signs we're in a recession. As a city dweller, I've always found visiting Costco with my parents something of a treat. The cheap food at huge quantities, the surprisingly affordable gadgets, the mounds and mounds of remarkably affordable clothes.
I would make an afternoon of it a couple of times a year, bring my kids, wander the aisles with my folks and sample the free goodies. At check-out time, the bill would inevitably come to something in the $200 to $300 range, I'd write a check to my Dad, and we'd leave feeling like we had a kind of expensive but amusing family outing. I didn't join Costco since the idea of paying a fee to save money on purchases just didn't make sense to me. And how often would I really get there?
But finally, just a month or so ago, in my own personal sign of recession, I decided that it was time for me to join Costco myself. I know I'm not alone. Costco is one of the few retailers doing pretty well these days. Lots of Americans are worrying about the rising price of food. No matter how secure my husband and I feel in our own jobs, we see rising job insecurity all around us. Given that backdrop, I decided it really is worth it to pay $50 to join the Costco club.Plus, as my family and food bills have increased -- I noticed something about those earlier guest visits to Costco. Although it seemed I spent a lot each trip, those purchases saved me a ton of money in the weeks that followed. Stocking my freezer with tasty frozen foods kept me from ordering out so much. Many items are just a ton cheaper than my neighborhood store -- household cleaning supplies, diapers, light bulbs, toothpaste, ibuprofen -- and the large quantities are convenient to have on hand.
I took my three kids there last Sunday and spent over $300 on my usual haul of household goods, plus a few discretionary purchases that I probably would have foregone if they hadn't seemed such a good deal. I still am not sure how much my family budget will benefit if I make such trips once a month rather than twice a year. But at least it was a pretty fun time (as grocery shopping trips go) and I won't have to run out to my local drugstore to buy baby wipes (oh, by the way, the Costco wipes are the best), for quite a while.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-09-2008 @ 9:24AM
BECKI MC COY said...
Cost-Co is like Disney Land to me...it's the only place I DO like to shop because when I spend $100 there...I have something...the food items are unique only to Cost-Co and I appreciate the savings....
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5-09-2008 @ 10:59AM
Michelle said...
I agree with you completely. I recently joined the warehouse club to save .10-.15 a gallon on their gasoline.
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5-09-2008 @ 10:34AM
Rick said...
Hey Michelle i don't know where you live but I just wanted to let you in on something else that will be expanding throughout the United States its a company called coupster and it will Guarantee to save you money if you use it.I live in south florida and I have already saved over $100 in 2 months.Go to mycoupster.com and check it out there is about 450 vendors in florida and growing everyday soon to go nationwide.
5-12-2008 @ 4:12AM
superyankees said...
Costco is only cheaper if you know your prices. For garbage bags, kitty litter and tissues its ususally alot cheaper. However for meats I know the sales at my local supermarket chains are far superior. Usually a below half off deal or buy one get one free beats costco everytime.
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5-12-2008 @ 10:13AM
kk1979 said...
Has anyone ever tried BJ's? I got a 60-day free trial membership, which they added on to my yearly membership. So I got 14 months for the price of 12. Plus, their baby section is HUGE, much more geared towards families. Their store brands are excellent and they often offer quantities that are much more managable. They always send me a monthly coupon book, plus they take manufacturer's coupons!
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5-13-2008 @ 1:40AM
SMT said...
BJ's is only a New England thing, maybe one in NY or PA, but they are definitely not national like Costco (my mom has a membership with them in MA), so for the rest of us our choices are Sams or Costco. Oh and Costco does the coupon book thing too, and if you have a family you go through the produce and meats enough to make them worthwhile if you freeze the meats. People keep thinking costco sells ONLY commercial sized stuff or large flats of occasional purchases (like 500 toothbrushes) or something. That was only in the early days of warehouse stores, now since a huge majority of warehouse shoppers are families you can do almost all of your shopping there. However you can't be brand loyal, for most things Costco only carries one national brand and the costco brand, if there is a tie in popularity of national brands for an item in your area that costco may have a second nationa brand. lThe only things we buy elsewhere is milk (cuz we're not big milk drinkers and wouldn't go through 2 gallons before they expire) and spicy peppers (cuz costco only carries bells and mini-bells). Oh and for the organic lovers out there, everytime we go there is another item that costco has switched over to an organic brand.
5-18-2008 @ 2:59AM
John said...
Costco is the best place to shop. Of course, you should constantly look for better price elsewhere. You can get better price on computer parts & meats outside of Costco.
In most part, taking trip to Costco is a joy. I don't feel that way when I go to local supermarket even though they are close by.
I love costco.
http://www.CostcoShoppers.com
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5-23-2008 @ 6:42PM
M. Gainey said...
I'm not a big fan of warehouse clubs in general if you have 3 or fewer people in your household. Now maybe if one of them was a baby, the diapers and wet wipes at one of these places would be worth the high annual fee, but otherwise, I agree with the poster who said you could get better buys on sale items and using coupons at your local grocery store. And as for paper goods and toiletries, I can get the same quantities and prices at places like Dollar General and Family Dollar; sure, the ten pumps of liquid antibacterial soap at Family Dollar aren't shrink-wrapped in a single package, but who cares about that? Costco sells the cheapest and unhealthiest lunch or dinner in town (about $2 with tax for a hotdog and drink with unlimited refills), and the customer service is always top-notch, but I doubt that the poster who started this thread who believes that she'll save money in the long run buying huge quantities at Costco will truly do so.
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5-23-2008 @ 1:23PM
John said...
I have total 2 people in the household. Costco elevates my life-style.
Yes, you can save by shopping at 99 cents only store. But, comparing 99 cents items with Kirkland Signature products? please...
Just so you know, Costco have coupons also. I just saved $41.25 just a few days ago with Costco coupons. That almost paid for my 1 year membership.
http://www.costcoshoppers.com/images/08/0521a.jpg
John, the Costco fan.
:)
5-23-2008 @ 6:48PM
M. Gainey said...
John,
The Kirkland brand is a very good house brand, but Dollar General and Family Dollar -- which BTW are NOT 99 cent stores but are discount stores, a slight difference -- have name brands for much less than the Kirkland house brand and the quality is the same. Along with Big Lots, these discount stores are much closer to my home and have no annual fees.
But thanks for the link on the coupons. I did not know that, yet Costco having coupons will not get me to plunk down my hard-earned money on a membership. As Jean Chatzky said in an April column in my hometown paper, "Don't go shopping just because you have a 20 percent off coupon. You'll save 80 percent by staying home." I would add "or by shopping at Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Big Lots."
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5-30-2008 @ 9:22AM
kayee said...
CostCo is my "grocery store"-- for a family of four adults. We have the "Executive Membership" with the CostCo AmEx-- the rebates more than pay for the membership fee, and the extra coupons can help, too (I don't use many of them, though-- just not interested in the products featured).
Also, at CostCo the gas is ~10c/gal cheaper than other local stations.
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6-21-2008 @ 8:13AM
Francis Schwalm said...
When shopping, we hit the 99 cent only store first. Some items bought there are more than $2.00 elsewhere.
Yes you have to check quality on fresh and refrigerated items, buit overall, the price can't be beat.
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6-21-2008 @ 11:55AM
Barbara Holland said...
love costco, saved 3,000 dollars on my Honda Odyssey last year. also, costco meats are not gassed to make them stay red on the shelf longer. most purveyors do gas their meats to extend shelf life. the customer service at costco is excellent.
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6-21-2008 @ 8:10PM
Diane said...
Costco is the place to get gas when you are there, don't go out of the way but almost everywhere the cheapest or very close.
Costco is again the cheapest place to get your medical prescriptions filled . It was an inside trick for years now Consumers Report even knows it.
You can often by the larger size or double pack give away one or half and still pay less than the average grocery store.
They are good on produce.
I've often gotten my LCD and various electronics their because when they have a sale and often when they don't it's cheaper than anywhere online or brick and mortar shops.
I saved more than my membership on one medicine my insurance wouldn't pay for and if you don't have insurance it is even a bigger cost saver.
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