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Subscribe to RSSHip2Save.com's Collin Morgan explores some of the top deals you can get when shopping at warehouse stores and offers her advice about products that may be a better buy at drugstores and grocery stores.
Warehouse stores can save buckets of money, but not everything is a smokin' deal. Some items are cheaper at grocery stores and drugstores -- even more so for shoppers who wait for sales and snag coupons.
"Fresh produce is best to buy at warehouse clubs," says Hip2Save.com’s Collin Morgan.
Rotisserie chickens are about 50 percent less than a grocery store -- and heftier, too, leaving leftovers for chicken salad and sandwiches.
Those savoring gourmet cheeses will find great prices at warehouse stores. Butter can be about half the price of grocery stores. It can be frozen, alleviating the pressure to plow through that bulk purchase.
Pure maple syrup is another, um, a sweet deal.
While other items may appear to be no-brainer deals, you're better off buying them at a grocery store or drugstore. Personal care products are one example, Morgan says. (Do you really need a six-pack of underarm deodorant?)
Diapers on sale at a drugstore or grocery store can save a dime per diaper -- which adds up as quickly as the wee one's waste.
Cereals are cheaper in grocery and drugstores, as are condiments and dressings.
"Bigger is not always better," Morgan says.
Warehouse stores do have their devotees. The three most popular warehouse chains in the United States — Costco , Wal-Mart's Sam’s Club and BJ’s -- combined have more than 122 million members. The smart shoppers watch for the best prices everywhere.
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Bigger is not always better. If you buy and throw away, it is not a bargain.
And dont forget that Sams Club will give you double your money back on meat and produce, so dont throw it away. Return it and make some money.
For example, we always buy the gigantic sour cream at Sams and end up pitching half of it. It's actually about the same price we would have ended up paying for the amount we could actually consume.
If its the same price for the gigantic size what do you have to gain for throwing out half of it? Especially if you have to pay for your own trash! Its just irresponsible to waste. I'm not a big fan of milk so I buy the 32OZ small jug even though 64OZ might only be 80 cents more. Whats the point of having to waste 32 ozs of milk? I leave that on the shelf for someone on welfare or WIC that might need that much milk.
Why in the world would you buy something and then throw half of it out. What a waste. Having a small household, it doesn't pay to buy giant quantities at Costco. We buy our coffee pods there (much cheaper), an occasional chicken and sometimes vitamins. Have also bought some appliances there, including my washer and dryer (Whirlpool Duet). Excellent price but unsatisfactory product. We do use their pharmacy regularly but one doesn't need a membership for that I believe.
If you have leftover sour cream, you can do an internet search for banana bread recipes using sour cream (or other quick bread recipes). This is a good way to use up that leftover cream cheese and sour cream!
i have a suggestion for leftovers there are lots of homeless people who dont have any give it to them. and also we shop at sams because we buy for the whole month saves money that way
I shop exclusively at Costco. When I figure in gas expense, it doesn't pay to drive around for a few nickles. I'm careful not to buy things that can't be frozen for longer storage.
I'm sure that the locally-owned small businesses in your community really appreciate your exclusive loyalty to Costco.
I'm always amazed to discover how happily most people will sell their communities down the river to save a couple lousy bucks on a bag of groceries. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Barkingshins-3042045
You might be ashamed to know then that the "small" local business owner is shopping at Costco, Sams to stock their little ma and pa store only to mark it up to 10% above retail.
I once upon a time worked at a small country store which did just that. They also shopped at Wally World.
Yeah, except there aren't any of those where I live. Besides, what's actually the benefit of doing so apart from maybe some altruistic feelings? If I'm struggling to feed my family, I'm going to look for the cheapest way to do that and not go pay more money just for some "community" warm fuzzies.
It annoys me when people wallowing in nostalgia complain about societal shifts that are impossible to stop or change.
groceries are overpriced, the consumer divisions of each state need to look into price gouging , its really getting out of hand
Sometimes the government agenceis are what causes prices to be higher than what they actually should be. In the state that I live in the state dairy commission sets a minimum price that grocery stores can sell dairy products. They say this is to protect the local farmers from out of state farmers that may have larger farms that can sell cheaper than the local farmers. A few years ago one of the local grocery stores had a July 4th ad where if you bought an apple pie you got a quart of ice cream free. The dairy commission came in and told the grocery store that they couldn't do the ad as the commission took the price of the pie and divided the price of the pie by two as the consumer was getting two items for the price of the pie and the average price was less than what the minimum legal amount of what a quart of ice cream could be sold at. The consumer needs to be protected from our government at times also.
That sounds like you live in Louisiana. The price of milk is kept high by an minimum low price.
Many states have minimum dairy prices. Let's face it, anything that purports to protect consumers by keeping prices high is a joke.
I believe the prices are kept high to protect the producers, not the consumers.
Trucks have to pay for fuel.
If you hadn't noticed, when fuel prices went way up so did the price of everything you buy.
Sane Central - are you a little slow on the uptake? Of course the prices are kept high to protect the producers. Why would you think differently? The only way the consumer would be protected is if the prices were kept low. If you represent the average intelligence of the voting public, then there is no wonder that this country is in the trouble in which we find ourselves.
Yes I have notived the price of everything has gone up as the price of fuel goes up, and rightfully so. But the question I have is why don't the prices come back down when the price of fuel goes down then? Once again price gouging?
@ UMGator - before you go dissing someone else's intelligence, make sure you have it right yourself. Sane Central's comment was part of a thread that began w/Dean's comment on his state's dairy commission keeping dairy prices artificially high to protect producers. Others commented similarly until Barry-NJ commented about high prices in place to protect consumers. Sane Central was politely correcting his misperception. Much more politely, I might add, than your response to Sane Central.
At this point, I could take a page from your book and make some gratuitously rude remark about intelligence and the trouble this country is in, but gators aren't known for intelligence anyway, so I'll just skip that part.
Not really all that simple.
Fuel prices are like the old 2 steps forward one step back analogy.
They go up 12 cents then drop 3 cents. Makes us all feel good.
I honestly remember 22 cent a gallon gas.
As fuel prices go up everything goes up. Those tires on that truck cost more. The truck costs more.
Food costs more so the trucker needs more income to support his standard of living.
It is all connected and never real easy to solve.
Fuel prices need to come way down for a long period of time to impact what we pay.
It would help if we had more refineries, the big guys bought out the little ones and closed them down in the 80's.
One theory is that minimum prices protect the consumer by maintaining the supply. If prices drop too low, the producers could all leave the market thus impacting the consumers' access to a commodity. Or, all but a small number of producers could leave thus making the remaining producers able to hike prices i response to a sudden shortage,
Not saying that I support or agree with minimum prices but I do recognize that there is a rationale fo having them.
Yes JOregon actually it is that simple. I realize that all prices will creep up as time goes on. I guess you didn't quite understand the statement, which is OK. I know gas prices vary so please allow me to simply use the prices in my local area. Within the last several months gas prices have reached as high as $3.92/gal which was a significant increase from the $3.40 range we were at. natrally the price of fresh trucked goods went up to compensate for that $.50+/gal . Within the last month gas prices have dropped to as low as $3.19/gal...currently at $3.29...but the price of fresh goods has not dropped. The raise the prices immeadiately as the price of fuel rises but do not lower the prices immeadiately when they drop, and cite fuel prices for the increase. Another thing I am mystified by is that as I was growing up, and yes I remember fuel prices in the $.20 range also, but diesel fuel was always cheaper than gas, Then they got all these diesel cars and pickups out there and raised the prices higher than gas. I also realize that this is a bit off topic and sorry about that.
I understand what you are saying Marlo, I don't think you fully understood what I was saying.
Small up and down prices in gas mean little. The trend is for prices to go up.
The problem is a lack of Oil Refineries.
Back in the 80's when Reagan ended the subsidies US oil production went down and the smaller oil refineries were closed. Up until 1981 the US government subsidized smaller refineries.
Prices shot up.
Recently several Oil refineries have been shuttered. (not enough demand) You will still see fluctuation but with reduced capacity prices will still be going up.
Because there is a trend of increasing prices truckers still have a long term approach. Also, when prices do shoot up everyone takes a financial hit. Maintenance gets postponed, savings get drained, etc.
Prices always go up faster than they go down.
I don't know if the US has enough small diesel vehicles to make an impact. The rest of the world does. Thing is, it is much easier to make diesel fuel but the (reduced number of) refineries are ramped up to make gas.
i dont know how you people feel about obamma and romney but we need a president that wont be wishy washy about opening up anwar for oil so we dont have to rely on the middle east for oil and then maybe gas prices might go down but not if the teaparty republicans have any thing to say about it
We actually have plenty of oil. They closed the refineries because we had so much oil that it wasn't profitable for them.
Several have closed this past year.
The President has no control over the price of gas. At least not since 1981 when Reagan ended the subsidies and and price controls.
Now without price controls big oil makes big bucks.
UMGator
I was politely informing a previous poster who had the wrong impression.
But since you responded so nicely... foad you worthless fuk stain mental midget douche-bag. Is that better for you?
Have a nice day. And remember, reading is fundamental.
If you wait for the right sales and stock up at supermarkets, it is WAY cheaper than going to those wholesale clubs. Especially when you factor in yearly membership dues at the wholesale clubs. I still find it odd that stores charge 50 bucks yearly for the chance to spend your money there, and people keep paying it.
My membership to costco is free as the company that I work for has an employee card. Also I work about a block from a Costco so I really don't have to spend much in gas driving around.
Warehouse clubs are not for everyone. If you have a really big family and burn through supplies and groceries fast, it's worth it. Some folks also buy in bulk and split the groceries/supplies and cost with friends/neighbors/family...which can save money. We have a family of three, so I mostly buy the big jugs of laundry detergent, some cleaning supplies, paper towels, toilet paper, and other things that won't expire or can't be frozen. Also, if your warehouse club has gasoline pumps, that's a plus since prices are usually lower than other gas stations. Every now and then, our warehouse club will have great prices on tires, soft drinks, etc. My advice: stay away from pinto beans in bulk if you have a small family - didn't take long for that huge sack of beans I bought to become absolutely rock hard!
I share a Costco card with my son and we have executive membership with the 3% back we don't pay a membership fee at all plus we get all the extra perks. I buy TP once a year, pet supplies are way cheaper, and lots of non-perishables. Their meats are excellent and what I don't use right away gets tossed into the freezer for the following week or month. When Christmas rolls around they provide most of presents. Yeah for Costco!!
After shopping around I found the best deal for a Flat screen TV at B.J.s. One purchase and the card paid for itself plus some.
Not a bad deal, actually. And the writer is correct about the chicken. BJ's chicken is MUCH bigger than the Publix chicken, tastes better and is cheaper. The salmon is a money saver too. Just these items make it worth it for us, plus the gas is usually about 5 cents cheaper (but not always). If the math works for you...then it's a good deal. If not...don't do it. There's a reason "people keep paying it." Do the math.
The last batch of coupons from BJs saved me $25, and that was in one trip. The key to warehouse stores for me, is to buy stuff that you use constantly, but that doesn't spoil. Paper products and cleaning supplies are great bargains at warehouse stores. Cereal is usually a good deal, but Big Lots usually is better on food.
We just picked up some great steaks at Sams. I was, frankly, amazed at the quality and taste. I didn't expect it.
We usually do Sams for paper products and some other bulk items and a few of the things they carry that our local stores does not. Sometimes we pick up a great buy on an item we've been shopping for too ... and added bonus!
I'm sure that diligent shopping would result in getting some things cheaper than they are at Costco. I prefer not to spend that much time and effort; for me it's easier to throw that big old package of Kirkland TP into the buggy and forget about it for a few months
But there are things like excellent meats, their tuna (the BEST), cheeses, Italian sodas...that either are not available elsewhere or are 2-3 times more expensive. And who doesn't love a Costco cake :)
I'm a fan but I keep my visits to every 6 weeks, otherwise it's too easy to overspend on impulse items
Can't believe anyone doesn't love Costco. I've been a member since 1988 and would travel miles to get to one if I had to. The quality is great, watch the docu on Costco on TV and see the efforts that go into getting a product into their stores. Most people either shop on line or check out pricing on products they are looking to purchasse (no food), so if you know what you are looking for and have priced it before you go to Costco you cant go wrong. They stand behind their products and returns are never an issue. Food and clothing well...what can I say, I purchase all my fish, meat, most of my produce, wish they had more veggies, and most household goods. Love it love it.
Friend of mine drove a truck for a meat supplier. They supplied meat to be ground for the burger sold at Costco.
E-Coli popped up. Because there were so many suppliers they weren't able to trace who was responsible.
Steak is good at Costco - but overpriced. I can get the same 'Choice' quality elsewhere for less.
Chicken in sealed bags is convenient for freezing, also available at Winco for less money. I get it even cheaper when I seal my own.
Farmed Salmon is in too big a portion for my usage. I usually try for fresh or previously frozen Sockeye or Chinook though, better prices elsewhere.
Chicken sausages are a good deal at Costco. Some cheeses are good deals, as is printer ink.
I only really miss the 3lb gag of whole bean coffee, but I was getting tired of the same Colombian.
Winco is slightly more expensive but I have many more choices such as Tanzanian Peaberry.
Fresh veggies at Costco? Overpriced, too large a quantity, and not necessarily that fresh.
Kirkland brand socks, and t-shirts were great quality.
When the last of my 4 kids moved out I no longer needed Costco. Now I've discovered I was getting ripped off when I did shop there.
This is absurd. Buy produce in bulk? Anything that will spoil should not be purchased in bulk unless you are a tribe, not a family.
produce in bulk, the way costco does it, is not buying cases... its just a little bit bigger than everything being separate. And, some people have large families of 5 and 6 people all over the age of 10 years old. Buying 6 romaine hearts or 12 tomatoes isn't a lot for a weeks worth of 6 people eating.
Depends. When the boys were playing High School Football our house was known for good food. I served fresh food when possible, vegatables in particular. They were both interior linemen so were their friends. Five pounds of string beans or fruit didn't last long.
Shame was a couple of kids parents shopped at Sam's too and would stock up on things like frozen dinners, microwave mac & cheese and not much else. I don't think they had a good home cooked meal until they came to our house.
My mom my buys stuff at Costco and it helped her a lot when my most of my other siblings lived at home. My one brother that played football could finish off a gallon of milk in a day. Some items that you can buy in bulk do save you money but you have to buy wisely.
The produce at Costco isn't such a massive quantity that you can't eat thru it. And it's much fresher so it stays longer in your frig. The Romaine lettuce hearts are fabulous as is the bulk orange/yellow/red peppers. They also have great cherries and blue berries.
I'm getting hungry now!
Have you been to BJ's? While you CAN buy in bulk, they have normal size packages too. I buy the same bell pepper package there that I do at my local store, but save about a buck. So, while they may not be selling individual peppers, the packaged foods are about the same size. Lots of things in the produce section aren't that bulky and we buy them all the time. It's just the two of us now, and we cook most of meals at home. We don't end up throwing out anything.
I'm kind of questioning a few of the tips on here as well. He says not to buy bulk deodorants, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Personal care items are things you WILL use, WON'T waste, and you WILL replace. For mine, multipacks bring it down to like $2.60 a piece, whereas grocery stores sell it individually for over twice as much.
Personal care products aren't groceries. I don't like to shop at Walmart but you can do better there.
Where I live there is a regional store (Bi Mart) that has good prices.
I haven't checked Rite Aide but I often buy personal care products at Fred Meyer.
Fred Meyer = Kroger = 20% more over Walmart... But if you spend $300 you get a $1.00 discount on gas so by spending $60 extra you save $20 at the pump... so that works out to what??? 13% over priced?
For the price of deodorant it saves because of driving distance.
I find Walmart grocery prices to be too high. FM beats them (had the best price anywhere on Fresh Copper River Salmon), Safeway beats them, Market of Choice (depending on what) beats them. Winco stands on top of them and pummels the #&*! out of them.
And yep with the Freddies Rewards (10 cents a gal) FM has the cheapest gas in town.
Around here it is Smiths (Kroger) and Albertsons. Knowing that those usually cost $2+ more than wal mart, now I'm curious what sams and costco sell it for!
you can have your copper river salmon me i get my Kings for free yummy LOL as for freddys gas up here safeway has the same thing with their gas and also Shell has gone in cahoots with fred meyers and if you pay in cash the give you 5 cents plus what ever discount you have at freds at safeways i have saved as much as a dollar off on gas and that alot up here where gas is over 4 dollars a gal
I like both the Sockeye and the Chinook (King) what I don't like is the farmed and the Coho.
Yep we catch salmon in the river that is about 45 feet away from my home. Steelhead too!
Up in the High Lakes, Kokanee rules. A land locked salmon that has them all beat for taste.
Safeway offers a 3 - 5 cent discount which makes it still more expensive than elsewhere.
FM gives a 10 cent discount which makes it the best price in town.
Since I don't eat Salmon and the like I can't compare there.. I stick with the basics. But lets do a basics compare
Milk... whole, 2% or skim... 2.38 at walmart.. 2.88 at kroger for store brands
4 jimmy deans breakfast sandwich to a box.. 4.98 at walmart 6.28 at kroger
Eggo Waffles 12 pack 4.98 walmart 5.98 at kroger
soup... walmart 1.28 kroger 1.58
Bananas walmart 52 cents a pound kroger 54 cents When they are grass green of course.
distance to kroger 1.5 miles distance to walmart 2 miles.
If I manage to make the dollar discount on gas I've spent another 40 total.
I don't buy enough to shop Sams or Costco... Well I could I guess but there is a reason they call it the $200 store these days LOL.
We have a different idea of basics.
I don't buy milk but I do buy half-n-half. Never buy the ultra-pasteurized stuff so that eliminates a few places.
Usually get it at Market of Choice, or Dairy Mart. Last month FM had the best price in town.
I don't eat the Jimmy Dean stuff.
I do eat Chicken, Fish, Pork, and Beef. Usually get them at Safeway or Winco. Last week FM had the best price on Rib-Eye's $5.99/lb (thick too just like I like them)
Walmart meat prices were always so high I quit looking a long time ago.
FM has some Nitrite free pork Winco doesn't Albertson's doesn't either last I checked. Not sure about Walmart, Safeway is nitrite free, but Market of Choice has Nitrite, Hormone and Antibiotic free pork.
Market of Choice also has all natural chicken and beef. Prices aren't bad either.
All Natural Painted Hills Boneless Beef Country-Style Spareribs
Oregon-raised, 100% vegetarian-fed, antibiotic-free beef. 4.99 lb
All Natural Draper Valley Fresh-Split Chicken Breasts
Value pack – Vegetarian-fed, antibiotic-free chickens raised in the Northwest. 1.99 lb
I can hit MoC on my way home from work, or if I go the other way Safeway is on the way home. FM is close, Walmart is a good 5 miles or so away, once I am in that neighborhood Winco is the better place to shop.
I do go to Walmart for my prescription, $10 for 90 days of thyroid replacement.
All in all I look around and have a pretty good feel for where to shop, check the sales and shop wisely.
That's why I don't shop at Costco. I used to, but it cost me too much money.
I got those big letters by copy and pasting from their ad - HERE
The nice thing about MoC, Winco, Walmart, and FM is you don't need a card to get the deals, unless you want that gas price break at FM.
I buy non perishables when they're on sale.........hence 2 mustards, 1 ketchup, etc. in the pantry. Meat that we'll eat in a specific amount of time. We just have to use our heads and not listen to an article. I have shopped for groceries since I could drive and I believe I'm pretty good at it. I hate wasting food.
I have heard that neighborhoods will go shop at Costco together and split the large bulk items into more managable portions. Even finding one other family to split the perishables with is a good deal.
Costco meats are fantastic! Pricey? Yes... but the quality/taste is so superior to the bland meat I get at the local supermarket. Not all fresh produce is so much you can feed a village. Every week I buy the plastic containers of baby spinach and spring mix salad, along with cucumbers, tomotoes and a few other items. I take a salad to work every day -- along with their roasted chicken for all of $4.99, so between hubby and I, we save about 50% of what it would cost me in the supermarket and it lasts the full week! You just have to be a smart shopper and know the price differences between a big box and your local supermarket,
I belonged to BJ's club for a few years. I ended up stopping my membership. I don't think I ever had a single year where I saved enough to get my membership fee back.
Saved more than one hundred dollars on a single, one-month prescription at Costco! They publish their prices online, and do not require membership to buy meds. Literally, a life saver.
Cereal is cheaper at Sam's Club than the grocery store. Check out the "per ounce" price and you will save money.
Exactly right.
I was looking for someone to say this. I never spend more on cereal at Costco not sure why the writer would indicate that. I buy all my cereal exclusively at Costco. I get two or three regular size bags of cereal in a box and have never paid higher than seven dollars a box when I combine the Costco price with whatever brand happens to be in the coupon book that month I save even more. This article is off base imo.
If you buy a "store band" frosted flakes at your regular grocery store it will certainly be cheaper than Kelloggs Frosted Flakes at Costco (per oz.) and frosted flakes are frosted flakes..
Kirkland doesn't "make" everything..
Plus they only have about 10% of the cereal variety at the clubs so you are kinda stuck with what they have..
.
It does depend on what you get. Alieve at Sams in the gelcap is 2.5x the size as the store. Buying it means I don't pay 3x the taxes on it and I can split the bottle up for where I need it.
Bulk toilet paper and paper towels, cleaning supplies means I don't have to stock up as often. Same price either way but less trips to buy it.
Meats we can buy lots, cheap, and freeze most of it after splitting into smaller bags. I use it for getting my rice milk in bulk for cheap.
We have both Costco and Sams. Different products at each that we like. Both close to home and work. We may not always balance out with the membership, but it's worth getting what we want.
It's more often small business owners who buy LOTS of stuff all the time. And for people who may live miles from the nearest stores. People around here who live up in the mountains sometimes only come down every few months. Buying in bulk for them is just life.
I went to Costco a few years ago. They were trying to convince me to buy a membership but I asked them to please let me look around so I could see what they had to offer. The huge bags of shredded cheese had mold in them, and the tomatoes were not even ripe, but that wasn't even the last straw. When I saw the fridge that was storing the meats was leaking a mysterious pinkish fluid (which no one was cleaning/tending to) and I reached inside to confirm my suspicions that the raw chicken and beef were warm and not cold, that was enough to convince me that I would never buy any sort of meat here. Meat not stored at the proper temperature is something very serious, people can get very sick! I'd say Costco is a pretty good deal for household products, prescriptions, eyewear and electronics, even shelf products but I wouldn't want to buy any fresh produce or perishables from here. If you thought customer service was lacking at Wal-Mart, Costco's even worse. Good luck finding an employee around the aisles.
My husband is a refrigeration technician and he fixes coolers each and every day. Every single cooler/refrigerator on the planet needs to be fixed from time to time. Your experience doesn't prove that the store is in adequate, just that they had a broken piece of equipment which I'm sure was repaired later that day. I've spotted broken equipment in every grocery store I regularly shop at and many convenience stores. Nevertheless, don't ever buy meat from a case that is too warm.
My Costco is awesome. Things do break from time to time and I have never ever seen any mold on any product I have ever purchased from Costco. As for their customer service lacking and no one being in the isles I would have to say I find that highly unlikely since their sample servers are everywhere (they are regular Costco employees). I had a incident at Costco where my granddaughter managed to slip away from be and ended up stuck in the water/toilet paper display where she could not get out and also has having trouble getting air. The excellent workers at Costco (the ones you indicated aren't around) teamed up together and tore an entire display of toilet paper pallets down to get her out. They were kind and polite to me and over the top quick. Thank you Costco I am a member for life.
I have always heard Costco treats their employees relatively well -- decent pay, good benefits, opportunity to advance -- and whenever I go there, I see those reports corroborated by the helpful and courteous staff. As much as any other reason, treating their employees decently is enough to make me choose Costco over Sam's (but it doesn't hurt that Costco seems to have slightly higher-quality goods).
Hot-in-Miami #15: You stated that you visited Costco "a few years ago." Things change all the time. Have you made a return trip recently to see if your complaints about its fresh food products and customer service are still valid?
My guess is that you'd be pleasantly surprised, especially if you like organic foods, fine wines and gourmet cheeses. Its own Kirkland brand products offer great value. But price isn't the only reason why Costco parking lots are always crowded. The company takes its responsibility to live up to the high standards its sets for its products, services and employees very seriously.
Full disclosure: I've been a Costco member for years. My city has three of their warehouses within driving distance of my home; I shop at all of them, as my whereabouts and needs dictate. I have never had a single problem, period. I walk out smiling every time. How many businesses can you say that about?
IMO Costco is simply the best in warehouse shopping. Love love love it!
Shopping at Costco does not save me money as a single person in a small living space. You have to buy food in too large quantities for me and it goes bad or stale before I finish using it. Electronics seem to be a better buy from an online store. I found two things I really like at Costco--Vitabath liquid shower shop and Mach razors, but they discontinued carrying them.
I just received a bill for $55 a year (up $5 a year) to shop there and except for cheap gas, not worth it. You always seem to wait 15 minutes to get to the pump. If you are driving an SUV, then it might be worth it. I drive a 4-cylinder compact and drive about 7,000 miles a year.
My other problem is that my San Diego Mission Valley store is too crowded with people in large groups, small children roaming the aisles (creating safety issues), and people talking on cell phones blocking the aisles. The screaming children make me want to leave. Ikea offers daycare while you shop, but Costco is like a toddler playground.
I am letting my membership expire in August.
I used to live in San Diego and have been in that Costco many times. I too am a single guy and yes I am careful not to buy foods in to large a bulk for me to get through.
But quite a bit of the produce is much better deal than a supermarket. I buy broccoli by the bag and it's probably half the price of a supermarket. Spinach as well. Of course they don't have the selection that a supermarket would have.
Paper goods are a much better deal at Costco and the quality is good.
Electronics are not that much better than Best Buy or similar. But their standard free extended warranty is great.
Also in general, Costco's return policy is really great for electronics.
I too am single. However, I am also an executive member of Costco because it offers me great values on most items. Reason: The amount and cost of bulk items I don't really need/can't use/can't eat by the expiration date can be spread among like-minded family members, friends, neighbors, and local charities and food banks.
IMO that's a win-win-win.
@georgiaguy - you're right that it has to be about what works for you. I live alone also, with limited storage space. And even if I had more space, not sure i'd want my money tied up in shelves full of toilet paper and paper towels. But I split the cost of membership with my son and we often shop together. We split the multi-packs of juice, toothpaste and things to make the purchases less expensive for each of us. Add those savings to savings on items like car batteries, tires, patio furniture and other larger ticket items, and even as a single person, I save more than the cost of my membership every year. But not sure that would be the case if it wasn't for splitting things with my son.
As for the Ikea/ warehouse store comparison, Ikea is selling, in part, their shopping experience. A warehouse store's selling point is cheaper prices. All depends on what you want to pay for.
lizzie from boston you could do like my sister does she lives alone since our mother past and shey still buys in bulk but she open the packages and splits them up to what she need for each meal and repackages them in zip locks and puts them in the freezer for futur use
I just bought a 50 gallon drum of mayo and a 2-pak of grand pianos.
You forgot the dental floss didn't you.
What, no Beefarino? It's really keen-o
Why yes, I do buy deodorant in a six-pack. That's not something that I want to run out of and I've never had it go bad.
I purchase most of my groceries at Sams. Recently I bought several 8-packs of Progresso Clam Chowder for $2.11 each. That's $2.11 for EIGHT cans. Since my daughter likes it for lunch, it seemed to be almost free.
A trick at Sams is to look at the price. If it ends in a one, it's probably a steal.
Absolutely Laura. Having a stock of deodorant, or Hair Spray that I use each day saves me from having to make a trip to the local grocery. So not only do I save on the cost of the product, I save trips to the store.
One item not mentioned is medicine. I get 1000 bottles of Ibuprofen for considerably less. Always good to have some around for the aches and pains
"(Do you really need a six-pack of underarm deodorant?)"
WHY NOT! It won't go bad by the time you use the sixth one.
Shopping at warehouse stores is just like shopping anywhere else. You can save money if you use COMMON SENSE!!! You can waste as much money buying useless crap at the regular grocery store than you can waste by buying too much crap from the warehouse. Use COMMON SENSE when you buy anything and you will end up saving money.
Articles like this one are for morons!
For small businesses these clubs are fine if there is one near you. My wife and I have a small business, there is a costco near by and we pay for the business membership. We buy a some grocery items there which probably offsets the membership fee in savings but then we have a few other larger purchases each year that we save a small bit of change. If it wasn't near by and if not for the fact there are a few grocery items there we really like that you can't get at our grocery stores near by it wouldn't be worth it.
We use Sam's for pool supplies. We rarely buy anything else there as it is just my husband and I. We like using coupons in combination with sales at the regular groceries.
I don't shop there. We don't eat processed food, pop, junk food and the produce is in too large a quantity. Also, who wants to walk that far on concrete to get what you can get much quicker in a small to medium sized grocery store for a similar price. Most of the people I know who shop there buy prepared foods like pizza, lasagna, etc. and junky food there. Of course, that's mostly what many people buy wherever they go!
I'm with you, Janet. It's gotten so that I can't stand prepared foods. Too much salt, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, etc. They say that one should shop only on the perimeter of the grocery store, never down the interior aisle. That's basically where I shop...the produce section, meats, eggs and dairy,etc. the only time I go down an aisle is when I need flour, sugar or herbs and spices. Those of you who think that Costco and similar stores have the best prices on fish. Remember that their fish is usually farm raised, which is high in mercury and other pollutants.
A new Costco is supposed to open this summer in my town. I'll check the prices and quantities on fresh produce and gas, but I have a feeling that the local supermarket will still be the place to go for the overall best prices after factoring in the cost of membership at Costco.
Where do you find all these people who buy processed foods? Your statement is mostly false from where I sit. I occasionally buy processed foods to have handy in the freezer but meat, vegetables, dairy, etc is better quality than my "other" grocery store. If you should happen to get something you aren't happy with...no questions asked and money is refunded.
I think you are a bit confused while farm raised fish may not be free of mercury it is actually the wild fish that contain the most. Costco does provide a excellent organic section for vegetables. You can also buy organic meats, milk and eggs just to name a few. I realize that packaging is a bit larger but it is often times products that are packaged in normal size servings and then repackaged as a bulk sale. An example of this would be Laura's Lean Beef the package contains 3 one pound packages for easy freezing. The chicken sells in packages of 6 packs. I just separate them and freeze.
In regards to membership cost I have a executive membership which runs me 100 dollars a year, now 110 for new members. I get cash back on every purchase (2%) which I receive in the form of a check around Christmas time (nice one Costco) and I can use it in store or cash it and leave. You are guaranteed a refund that is equal to the membership cost even if your check is smaller. I believe that that applies only to the executive add on cost which would be 55 dollars. Not sure on this because mine is always larger.
The monthly coupon book is where you will save the most and that is usually what I use to base my bulk shopping on. If it's in the book I buy it if it's a product I use then I usually have enough to last until that product is in the book again.
Those strawberries may look pretty enough but they are devoid of flavor and in this case that's a good indicator of nutritional dearth as well. I made the mistake of purchasing Costco 3 packs of cantaloupes twice--both times they all went straight to the compost pile--tasteless. No wonder Americans don't eat enough fruits and vegies. I prefer to purchase food by quality not quantity. Ppl whom buy everything based on dollars per pound NEED a SUV just to haul there fat asses around town.
Wow, did you eat sour grapes today?? You sound very nasty.
Maybe so, Fuel, but I bet that most of them know when to use "their", a possessive pronoun, and when to use "there". That puts them a step above you in intelligence.
You have to pick & choose what you buy at a discount store. If you bought three pack cantaloupes at Costco once, and they were tasteless, why on earth did you buy them again? I buy their asparagus there only when it looks good. The spinach is always good. We have 2 or 3 salads out of the gigantic bag, then I cook the rest before it goes bad. When cherries are in season, I do buy those, and they are always great. Their bagged grapefruit is also excellent, but only in season. The rotisserie chickens are very tasty and provide several meals for the two of us. When I bring one home, my husband skins and bones it and then slices the breast meat. This provides us with 2 or 3 dinners and enough for chicken salad and a chicken vegetable soup for lunch. The once or twice a year that we splurge on a filet mignon dinner, I always buy them at Costco. The filets are trimmed of most fat and are cut thick enough to be considered steaks, rather than the 1/2 inch meat called steak in grocery stores. Our Costco is also a bargain for buying baby aspirin, vitamins, and other over the counter medications we take often. They are also great for shampoo, soap, some cleaning supplies, freezer bags, paper products, plastic wrap, coffee and tooth paste. Wine is a teriffic bargain as opposed to buying it elsewhere. Not every Costco shopper is a junk food addict.
For other vegetables, I use a local produce market, and I buy most of my meat at a local meat counter at our farmer's market. Since there are just the two of us, we use very little bread, so I splurge by buying a loaf of bread at Panera every two weeks or so.
Coffee is a great deal...I think we pay just over $6/lb for SFB French Roast at Costco, while the supermarkets (very) occasionally drop their price to $8/lb for their house brands, or $10/lb for something like Tully's, but it's usually much more expensive than that. Similar with the powered creamer.
Beer is another good one. Redhook is about $24/case, and only twice a year does my local grocery store match that cost per case (1/2 cases on sale are usually $14 or $15...almost never $12 anymore).
Even on a great sale, Tillamook sharp cheddar is still considerably more expensive at the grocery than the Costco daily price.
Costco gas price is sometimes decent, sometimes just competitive...but it's just across the parking lot, so it's certainly convenient.
Bought a '90 Nissan pickup via Costco...back then, Costco deals was only select dealerships, and Toyota refused to participate with Costco at all. Got that Nissan truck for over $2K less than the MSRP. Needed a new truck six years ago, this time Toyota was happily participating, got a really nice deal on an '06 Tacoma. No-haggle price is nice.
Also in 1990, bought a 25" TV for just $200...but it was an Emerson, it was totally fubar within 6 days, and Costco took it back with no hassle. Electronics deals these days are better with e-tailers: ex. got my 54" Panny plasma for $1535 shipped two years ago, which would have cost about $1700+tax at Costco.
I learned to stay away from much of the fruit at Costco. The bananas never tasted right to me, even texture is weird. Things like mangos seem to usually be over-ripe, or not yet ripe, and there's at least one per box that's yuck. Usually need to toss about 15-20% of strawberries within a day or two. Washington apples almost always fine, tho'. Mushrooms and bell peppers usually good, usually less than the grocery store.
Produce? No way! There is no way to eat all the produce before it spoils unless you eat it for three meals a day plus a midnight salad snack. That makes no sense at all. And, I beg to differ on the cereal-is-cheaper-at-the-grocery-store claim. Not even close. Price it per ounce and you pay pennies! One example is Honey Bunches of Oats: 12.2 oz. is $4.69 at Cub Foods in Minneapolis. I get the exact same thing, 58 oz. for $6.79 at Costco. You do the math.