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05-12-2013, 06:33 PM   #1
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Costco, Sam's - Warehouse Clubs

I just watched a sort of documentary on TV about Costco Warehouse and found it very interesting. I'd like some input from those who have shopped at any of the big warehouse club type stores and to know if their prices are really that much better to make a trip to one. Where I live there is nothing like this and would like to save money on groceries and household items. I did a search and found only Sam's Club and BJ's within a drive-able day trip.

Right now we do our grocery shopping every other week. We go to the nearest small city (60 miles away) where there is some competition having at least 2 big grocery store chains plus an Aldi. We've found the Aldi is the best for prices but have a limited selection - we will buy everything on our list at Aldi first then the rest is shopped between the other 2 stores. If we choose to use one of the big wholesale club type stores, we would probably work it with a one trip per month shop. I found that there is a Sam's Club and a BJ's ~65 miles away but in different directions.

First off, it looks like you need to give them $50 to belong. I'm sorry, but that just goes against all my principals - pay a store so you can buy from them? Even if I get over that, then I would have to figure out where the breaking point of savings is after that initial $50 is covered.

Then the question comes if the prices are really that much better than the bigger grocery stores items when they are on sale. My wife spends hours with the sale flyers from all the stores in the city that we travel to for our supplies plus uses any coupons she can find. It's a long all day process since it involves going to as many as 6 different stores in one trip. But, she has her list figured out and buys each respective item that is on sale at each store.

Budget wise, we spend ~$500 per month on groceries and basic household supplies. So are these warehouse clubs worth the cost and are the savings significant enough?

05-12-2013, 07:10 PM   #2
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You don't say whether or not you have kids or have people who eat with you a lot otherwise and that will make a difference actually in terms of whether or not these types of stores are for you or not. If you're talking two people, I'd say not. Reason being places like these are really all about bulk shopping. If you're not buying larger quantities of things than you may be better off skipping them and hitting your local stores once a month or a big box store like Walmart. They do sometimes have awesome buys on things like electronics but for day to day shopping for a small family I don't think it's particularly cost effective, particularly when you do have a tight budget.

Technially they're buyer's clubs, not regular retail stores and it's like buying any other club membership. Memberships do have their privileges. Depending upon what membership you buy you can really save a lot but that's the price you pay just to get into the place. First time you buy something big, like a camera, it would be cost effective, for that year, and it's also good for stocking stuff to people to eat in offices and that, or for bigger families. But for a couple not into bulk shopping I think it's not really as cost effective as just hitting Target or Walmart if you don't mind shopping there.

We got a membership when we first moved here. Honestly it didn't save us much because the sizes of things were overkill for us. But our park employees love them because they can stock up the clubhouse and their office and get bulk packages of everything and it saves them money trying to feed the whole crew all the time. We quit going pretty quickly. I sometimes regret that when I see that they have a really great gear deal going or something but it still would not be worth the membership fee for me to go there again.
05-12-2013, 07:33 PM   #3
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Costco really is awesome I must say. If you pay $100 instead of $50 you get rebates that are usually enough to pay the membership fee and of course the prices are good. It is only me and my wife and it is still worth it. Not even a question if you have a family. Return policy super-generous. You can't do all of your shopping there, but it is good for the stuff they have. I did have to buy a second freezer. All of those places will give a "guest pass" to wander around and look at things before joining -- you just can't buy anything without a membership. (Pharmacy is usually an exemption -- that may be state by state.)
05-12-2013, 07:49 PM   #4
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magkelly - yes it is just my wife and myself. But because of the travelling distance to anything, we do stock up for a month at a time normally. But as you say, it probably wouldn't be worth the extra fuel and cost of membership to make a special trip. Also, we buy our beef by the side once a year, so meat doesn't come into the equation either.

vonBaloney - Costco itself is not even on my list now once I found that the nearest one is 110 miles away.

05-12-2013, 08:33 PM   #5
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The problem with Costco is it is too darn popular. I go right when it opens or not at all. Their return policies are indeed generous, and they extend the warranty of major electronics by 1 extra year.

I really would love to buy beef by the side. Do you buy grass fed?
05-12-2013, 09:40 PM   #6
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I like Costco very much. I avoid Walmart, Walmart Superstore and Sam's Club like the plague.

Costco does not carry everything nor all the brands, however for what they do carry - the sizes are large and costs are very reasonable. Paper towels, toilet paper, laundry soap, dog briskets, breads, canned goods and cereal beef, pork, fish and chicken - excellent quality and prices.

You could probably go once a quarter and make it worthwhile - given a good shopping list. They will let you in on a tour to see if you want to try it. I would call first and make sure - given the distance. When I was living up in Seattle (their original location), folks would come down from Alaska and load up a container and ship it up to their home (and neighbors).

We have 2 IGs (Italian Greyhounds). IGs are notoriously extraordinarily difficult to house train. Lord help me if I ever run out of their duck jerky from Costco. I did once and tried to substitute the chicken jerky. It was not pretty. They suddenly started pooping in front of the toilet in the Master Bathroom (for a month), until Costco (finally) got new supply in. I now keep three bags on the shelf in addition to the one that is open. I think they have me trained.

05-12-2013, 11:26 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by interested_observer Quote
I like Costco very much. I avoid Walmart, Walmart Superstore and Sam's Club like the plague.

Costco does not carry everything nor all the brands, however for what they do carry - the sizes are large and costs are very reasonable. Paper towels, toilet paper, laundry soap, dog briskets, breads, canned goods and cereal beef, pork, fish and chicken - excellent quality and prices.

You could probably go once a quarter and make it worthwhile - given a good shopping list. They will let you in on a tour to see if you want to try it. I would call first and make sure - given the distance. When I was living up in Seattle (their original location), folks would come down from Alaska and load up a container and ship it up to their home (and neighbors).

We have 2 IGs (Italian Greyhounds). IGs are notoriously extraordinarily difficult to house train. Lord help me if I ever run out of their duck jerky from Costco. I did once and tried to substitute the chicken jerky. It was not pretty. They suddenly started pooping in front of the toilet in the Master Bathroom (for a month), until Costco (finally) got new supply in. I now keep three bags on the shelf in addition to the one that is open. I think they have me trained.

Duck jerky, is this a pet product? If not, I need to get some. I love all things duck.

05-12-2013, 11:38 PM   #8
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The wife and I have a Sam's Club membership, and we do take advantage of it every now and then. I'd say the membership fee pretty much eats the savings we get to make us about break even... BUT (and this is the big but) if you see something on sale, and get it, odds are you'll pay for that membership in one shot. We picked up toys for the kidlings there at Christmastime which came much, much cheaper than if we had ust gone out and grabbed something elsewhere, and my camera bag was about 1/3 the MSRP (mainly because it was a discontinued model so they were trying to unload them).

Between the two we did a pretty decent job at saving.

What we mostly use the membership for are dry good (pasta, cereal, canned goods that we end to use a lot of, toilet paper, paper towels, etc). One run to Sam's will usually mean we won't have to worry about TP or paper towels for 6 months (or more). I'm sure when the boys get older and start using it, we'll start needing to stock up more often.

The other big savings they have is on weird stuff. They're basically geared towards small businesses/restaurants/etc, so you can get stuff like stainless steel kitchen carts for a hundred bucks, industrial grade rolls of plastic wrap, etc.

As far as meats go... meh. The prices aren't all that different from Walmart, and what you do get you'd better be prepared to bag up and divide since its at minimum two meals, usually more worth of stuff.

Your best bet is to get a guest membership when they're available and go in and just do a check of the place to see whats what.
05-12-2013, 11:45 PM   #9
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I especially like Costco at Christmas. Often they have great stuff there unavailable virtually elsewhere - like books. But I found you tend to overspend and overbuy if you aren't careful.

And sometimes without warning they'll discontinue a certain brand, but that is how a lot of warehouse - type stores operate.

The savings on a battery for my trailer paid for one year's membership. That having been said - we haven't gone there in about 2 years. It's a 30 minute drive for us and we didn't think it was worth it for us to renew.

I like it better when I buy more local stuff, helping my own community and all that.
05-13-2013, 05:31 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by kenafein Quote
I really would love to buy beef by the side. Do you buy grass fed?
If you mean by grass fed, that the beef is raised on a farm where the cows graze freely, then yes. We buy it from an Amish farmer - best lean beef you've ever had.
05-13-2013, 05:37 AM   #11
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We use one of those stores occasionally.
I don't like the packaged food - too much per pack, overpacked in layers of plastic boxes and bags, and often unhealthy, high in fat and salt.
05-13-2013, 06:36 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by kenafein Quote
Duck jerky, is this a pet product? If not, I need to get some. I love all things duck.
Yes, its a pet product......

05-13-2013, 07:17 AM   #13
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As a Canadian eh I can speak to the benefits of Costco while the kids were at home. With their executive membership we always got back the membership costs. They do have better prices on most stuff (as long as you want a 8 litres of Ketchup for example ha!). Another upside is here they have the liquor store (cheaper prices but you don't have to be a member to use it) and gas station (with 5 - 9 cents/litre savings). The food samples. On a good day I can walk in hungry and leave full. And fianlly while i have heard the return policy has changed , even know it's still one of the best out there.

Since the kids left home we don't go there as often - but still probably more often that we should (see downsides below)

The down side is their stock (non food items) can be somewhat erratic. We have learned over the years if there some seasonal or specialty item you are thinking about, think hard as your next visit it may not be there and it may never be there again. Another downside is you can get caught up in the good deals and spend more than you would normally. We have certainly been guilty of that.

Overall though if you are diligent I believe Costco to us at least is a worthwhile membership and will save you money in the long run, even with having to pay the yearly membership fee and even as 'empty nesters'.
05-13-2013, 07:20 AM   #14
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I belong to BJ's Wholesale Club. Is it worth the membership? I think so. You do have to be careful and shop around. Not everything is a bargain. There are good deals on food items but you have to buy a pretty large package. Since the kids are gone and it's just my wife and me, most of my food purchases are limited to non perishables and frozen. Most produce is sold in large packages that would spoil before we ate it all. Since I live in a rural area and a round trip to the store is 30 miles, we normally do a large shop about once a month. We fill the pantry and freezer. Walmart, BJ's's and the Hannaford Market are all within a block of each other so we hit all of them for certain items.

The nearest Costco and Sams Club are 50 miles away and not worth the trip but from my couple of trips, they are mostly the same as BJ's. All of these places offer free trial memberships from time to time so my advice to anyone is to take advantage of one, shop there a few times and see if the savings will be worth it. For some people, it isn't.
05-13-2013, 08:18 AM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by interested_observer Quote
Yes, its a pet product......

Rats, they have all the luck.
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