Taking COSTCO Membership?

**subbu** · 05-02-2009, 06:52 PM

Hi All,

I am new to this site and I have this q.

I live in Toronto with my wife and we have a Food Basics next to my house.

My friends are suggesting that it is a lot better to buy from COSTCO as we may be saving money.

Is this true ?

Pls advise

**frugal.lass** · 05-03-2009, 12:26 AM

Well...it depends on a lot of things but generally, I would say that a Costco membership does NOT equal big savings. First off, I don't buy many brand name items and I rarely buy things at retail. I don't often find food items at Costco that are cheaper than the store brands on sale at my local grocery store. Secondly, I'm single and don't have a huge apartment...I simply don't have space to stockpile some of the goods that they sell and the chances of me using them up before they go bad are slim (if you manage to split your purchases with a friend you might be better off).

I have found that Costco can sometimes be a good place to find deals on things like books, small appliances and some clothing articles. You really have to know your prices when you shop at Costco because it's easy to think you found a great deal...only to crunch the numbers and find you paid much more than you usually do.

**Thevail** · 05-04-2009, 02:05 AM

That's not just in Canada either. A gallon of ranch dressing is a pretty big commitment!

**mommy4ever** · 05-04-2009, 10:12 AM

It depends. I'm not sure of the other store.

Things I get at costco cheaper than even Superstore:

Milk(by up to $1/4L)
cream
Flour
Sugar
Chicken
Printer ink
photo printing/developing
garbage bags
ziplocs
vacuum seal bags
Mattresses for kids(savings of $80 per mattress, I have 3 to replace but waiting for their coupon to come out and save more).
dog bicuits

When on sale I stock up at Costco
Ecos laundry detergent - 3 bottles last my family of 6 a year.
Toilet paper

But I agree for everyday shopping, it's not cheaper. But for select items, I go great. We get the executive card as well, and it pays for the membership every year with their rebate checks.

**Must-Stash** · 05-05-2009, 02:16 AM

For us, Costco offers great savings on so much more than just food. The selection of green and organic merchandise is very impressive. The quality of large and small appliances, electronics, housewares, bedding, furniture, yard and patio items, sporting goods, exercise equipment, books, toys, pet items, nutritional supplements, etc. surpasses anything I can buy locally. The quality of all of the above, IMHO surupasses Sam's so that there's no contest.

We buy our printer ink and paper, photo copy paper, pc security software, and anything else we need for the pc and printer from Costco.

You can buy a car with a membership as well as automobile and home insurance. You can go on a cruise, get your prescriptions filled, see their opthomologist for new eye glasses, buy tires for your vehicle and have them put them on for you and then gas up at their gas station. You can even buy a casket or urn from them.

The quality of the goods and services offered are phenominal. The only way one could not, at the very least, get the price of their membership back is if they purchased one and then failed to use it.

I am not now, nor have I ever been an employee of Costco. I don't have a financial stake in them. I'm just a very satisfied customer.

**craftypam** · 05-05-2009, 06:55 AM

Originally Posted by Must-Stash

For us, Costco offers great savings on so much more than just food. The selection of green and organic merchandise is very impressive. The quality of large and small appliances, electronics, housewares, bedding, furniture, yard and patio items, sporting goods, exercise equipment, books, toys, pet items, nutritional supplements, etc. surpasses anything I can buy locally. The quality of all of the above, IMHO surupasses Sam's so that there's no contest.

We buy our printer ink and paper, photo copy paper, pc security software, and anything else we need for the pc and printer from Costco.

You can buy a car with a membership as well as automobile and home insurance. You can go on a cruise, get your prescriptions filled, see their opthomologist for new eye glasses, buy tires for your vehicle and have them put them on for you and then gas up at their gas station. You can even buy a casket or urn from them.

The quality of the goods and services offered are phenominal. The only way one could not, at the very least, get the price of their membership back is if they purchased one and then failed to use it.

I am not now, nor have I ever been an employee of Costco. I don't have a financial stake in them. I'm just a very satisfied customer.

Just for you info; you do not have to have a membership to get prescriptions filled

**craftypam** · 05-05-2009, 06:59 AM

Sams is closer to me and the membership is cheaper; but I find you can get food cheaper at the grocery store on sale and using coupons. When it comes to things like electronics; they sell top of the line. I usually do not buy top of the line so it is cheaper to buy those things elsewhere.

**lisaflex** · 05-05-2009, 07:00 PM

not always a bargain. toilet paper is the same...grocery sales are cheaper. it is more about convenience.

**monkeywrangler71** · 05-06-2009, 07:06 PM

Subbu, have your friends ever been to Food Basics? You won't get cheaper food at costco. Costco is all expensive name brands and they don't accept coupons. Even though everything is supposed to be cheaper because of the giant package sizes, everything I've looked at there has had a unit cost comparable to that of the regular size package at the grocery store. If you are currently buying mostly equality brand items at Food Basics, your grocery costs would skyrocket going to Costco.

They do have good prices for books, electronics, etc, although they suck you into buying things you might not need because you are afraid it will be gone next time you come back (this constant rotation of stock is a very powerful marketing technique, people tend to overspend dramatically in their stores). There is also the psychological effect of paying for the membership. People feel they need to buy more in order to make the membership 'worth it'.

Personally, I wouldn't pay anyone for the opportunity to sell me something.

**Contrary Housewife** · 05-06-2009, 07:34 PM

It might be a good place to get items in bulk, but my experience with such places has been pretty hit or miss. They'll have the brand one month but not the next. Some trips they didn't have anything in that department -- I remember once not being able to get cat food and once not being able to find soft soap for our bathroom pumps. Most of the time I had to go to the regular grocery store to finish shopping for the week.

Perhaps you can go with your friend on his membership as a guest and have a look around and see what they have, and if it is items you'd buy. Make note of prices of things you eat or use and compare them to where you shop now.

**craftypam** · 05-07-2009, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by Thevail

That's not just in Canada either. A gallon of ranch dressing is a pretty big commitment!

That is soo

referring to a gallon of ranch as a commitment

**Libby** · 05-19-2009, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by Thevail

That's not just in Canada either. A gallon of ranch dressing is a pretty big commitment!

I sooo concur on this! We bought one for work to split amongst 10 women who brought their own containers...we still had 1/2 a bottle left! Hahahaha.

I find that shopping at the discount grocery stores actually more cost effective then Costco unless you're going to use what you're buying ASAP and ALL of it - example, the gallon of ranch dressing or baked goods. I know you can freeze the baked goods but will it get eaten or forgotten in the bottom of your freezer?

There's 2 in my house and since I'm always sharing with my sister or friend its still not worth to buy in bulk unless its non food items and even then, its still sometimes cheaper to buy multiples from Food Basics / No Frills / Price Chopper then one huge individually packaged case.

**peanut** · 05-23-2009, 07:37 PM

Nope. not from my perspective. We had a membership and didn't renew. We found some prices cheaper, but they were for bulk items...like a couple litres of beef OXO granules...which lasted us over five years btw. We found produce and meat cheaper at Superstore. Especially if we hit the sales or clearance racks.

I bake my own breadstuff, so wouldn't use Costco. I must admit I am on a very healthy diet and I didn't find Costco sold the food products I needed for that diet...certainly not at prices that beat Superstore's. And not in a quantity that wouldn't go bad before I finished the product.

Having said that...we did find good deals on computer products, clothing, and books. But it did tend to encourage us to buy more of those than we normally would. With DH being a librarian we have a love for books. But really, he can bring them home from work for us! So why are we buying them? Especially kids books.

I tried to switch my pharmacy to Costco once and the pharmacist was so rude I decided I didn't want to deal with her. I stayed with a small local pharmacy. I'm afraid it's going to go under some day though...and I'll be out looking again. I would really like to be in a cross-country chain so if we move when DH retires, it will be easier on that end of things.

Anyway, that's just been my experience. Obviously everyone has their own take on these things. If you like to buy brand name things at discount prices, Costco is good. But if you never buy brand name anyway, and couldn't care less about brand name, save your money and don't buy the membership.

**frugalfranny** · 05-23-2009, 11:24 PM

I shop the store sales so I don't think Costco is cheaper on any of the basic things. Toilet paper...not cheaper. Vitamins...not cheaper. Bread...not cheaper, in fact pricey. Still, I have a membership.

You don't have to have a membership to go to the eye dr. or get RX. But you can't buy the glasses/contacts there and that is one thing that I found them cheaper ....eye glasses...unless you go to another discounter, (EyeMasters, etc) then I don't know. They are usually second only to WalMart for an RX, sometimes, and they won't price match.

What I do really like is the quality of their meat. Have never gotten a tough pork chop or steak there. (but it isn't cheap!!) And I love their cooked chicken. The flavor is the best. I eat on it for a couple days...toss it in a pot with broth and slow cook it until all the meat falls off the bone, fish the bones out, and fix another huge pot of something (toss in some noodles, or potatoes, or ?) that not only makes enough for couple more days but gives me some to put in the freezer. Not bad for about 6 bucks.

I also like the quality of their produce...just wish some of it wasn't such huge groups. (IE: bananas)

What I did do is split the cost of membership. If you live in the same house (wink) you can each get a membership. That saves me. But the coupons go to the 'house' address.

Still, I am thinking about not renewing next year as sometimes it is just 'too fun' to shop there. If I can get out of there for under $100 I figure I 'have done good'.....

**monkeywrangler71** · 05-24-2009, 07:32 AM

Peanut, are you looking for a national pharmacy just to making moving easier or are you planning to travel as well? Shoppers drug mart is everywhere, you'd have no trouble finding one wherever you go. Service levels in chains vary at every store of course, but the one we go to is absolutely wonderful. The first week my daughter was on her medication, the pharmacist actually called me at home to check how she was doing and if I had any concerns or questions.