Is Costco really that cheap for food?

[Jeeebus]

If only for the ribeye steaks, rotisserie chicken, grass seed/soil/plants, Costco is worth it.

Snorgle snorgle ribeye.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: QueBert

Originally posted by: UsandThem

Originally posted by: QueBert

Those people probably don't have access to a Super Walmart, great selection with prices that are almost always better than Costco. And no membership fees means you save even more.

However, then you have to shop at Walmart. Parents beating and yelling at their kids, narrow ass aisles, and the worst meat selection out of any company. Have you tried their "fresh" steaks and hamburger? Yuck.

I went there a week ago with my wife because she wanted a few things, and walked by a large family of immigrants from our southern border, and the damn kids were coughing and hacking everywhere.

One actually sneezed on my arm when I walked by, and I had to head straight to their bathroom to do a washdown.

I would gladly pay more to shop in peace.

Shop in Peace? A typical Costco I go to is crowded as hell with a lot of people who have no matters and will either leave their carts in the middle of the isle blocking you and other people. Or not paying any attention and cut you off left and right. Costco's are like a circus, they might not have as many children, but they're typically packed with people who pay no attention to anything around them. Costco's are always loud and the checkout lines take for fucking ever.

Compared to Walmart, it's still paradise. Wide aisles and if you use the self-check out lanes, you can get out with ten minutes.

Costco > Walmart

 

[ElFenix]

whole beef tenderloin is a good deal. the organic milk is a decent deal (their regular milk is usually beaten by the grocery stores). the rotisserie chickens are a way better deal than the local grocery stores.



wally world has a horrible produce section. they have a great dry/canned/frozen section, because it works with their distribution network. but their produce section doesn't, and it shows. not that costco has a particularly great produce section.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: Parasitic
18" pizza for $10
$1.50 hot dogs
2lb Starbucks house blend coffee (aka Kirkland house brand, the $10 stuff).

hahaha those are probably loss leaders for them to attract customers, i wouldn't go on those prices to figure out how cheap the rest of their stuff is...

The 1.50 hot dog/soda combo, i read it's a way of getting customers to feel real good about their shopping experience when they leave costco. It certainly makes me feel good to get such a cheap snack after shopping :thumbsup:

 

[bonkers325]

yes, if you can deal with the large quantities you have to buy in. otherwise you are better off shopping in a supermarket

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: QueBert

Originally posted by: UsandThem

Originally posted by: QueBert

Those people probably don't have access to a Super Walmart, great selection with prices that are almost always better than Costco. And no membership fees means you save even more.

However, then you have to shop at Walmart. Parents beating and yelling at their kids, narrow ass aisles, and the worst meat selection out of any company. Have you tried their "fresh" steaks and hamburger? Yuck.

I went there a week ago with my wife because she wanted a few things, and walked by a large family of immigrants from our southern border, and the damn kids were coughing and hacking everywhere.

One actually sneezed on my arm when I walked by, and I had to head straight to their bathroom to do a washdown.

I would gladly pay more to shop in peace.

Shop in Peace? A typical Costco I go to is crowded as hell with a lot of people who have no matters and will either leave their carts in the middle of the isle blocking you and other people. Or not paying any attention and cut you off left and right. Costco's are like a circus, they might not have as many children, but they're typically packed with people who pay no attention to anything around them. Costco's are always loud and the checkout lines take for fucking ever.

Compared to Walmart, it's still paradise. Wide aisles and if you use the self-check out lanes, you can get out with ten minutes.

Costco > Walmart

Go at the right times. FBB is from Fremont and when I went to that Costco once I nearly spent 10 minutes trying to park because the parking aisles were so small and people INSISTED on squeezing by because they couldn't wait for one guy to back out etc. Costcos are terrible on weekends, but if you pick a time say after work on a weekday? Insanely easy. My coworkers like to hit up Costco for lunch sometimes. I just run through the store and grab a few things while they're walking around eating samples. Those are the best times.

Pick a Saturday or Sunday? You're screwed. But even then It's only as bad as a Walmart on a weekday night. Walmart is hell on the weekends. I just want to shoot myself.

That and Costco's service >>>>> all. I don't know how but their cashiers are speedy (people pay by credit usually and not cash like 99% of people at Walmart) efficient, and rather friendly. It's something about their training because even people at Safeway aren't that nice.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: Parasitic
18" pizza for $10
$1.50 hot dogs
2lb Starbucks house blend coffee (aka Kirkland house brand, the $10 stuff).

hahaha those are probably loss leaders for them to attract customers, i wouldn't go on those prices to figure out how cheap the rest of their stuff is...

The 1.50 hot dog/soda combo, i read it's a way of getting customers to feel real good about their shopping experience when they leave costco. It certainly makes me feel good to get such a cheap snack after shopping :thumbsup:

Doubt the hot dogs are loss leaders, since you don't have to be a member to buy one. Could be wrong.

18" pizza for $10 isn't that special. You can get a 20" here for $12 from a local pizza place, and it is actually better than the Costco one in flavor anyway.

 

[DT4K]

Spices are ridiculously cheap at Costco. They don't have a huge selection of spices, but for the basics like garlic powder, granulated onion, basil, oregano, chili powder, etc., it's a great deal. You get a container 3 times as big for the same price as the one in the supermarket. Same for things like Olive Oil, Balsamic vinegar, vanilla, etc.
Their dairy products are a good deal too. Milk, cheese, eggs, etc. Half and Half is like $1.79 a quart while our local grocery has it around $3.
Packaged frozen goods are also good. We always buy potstickers, spring rolls, frozen vegetables, salmon, teriyaki chicken.

Their fresh produce is usually a good deal also. Especially for expensive fruit like strawberries, blackberries, etc.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: torpid

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: Parasitic
18" pizza for $10
$1.50 hot dogs
2lb Starbucks house blend coffee (aka Kirkland house brand, the $10 stuff).

hahaha those are probably loss leaders for them to attract customers, i wouldn't go on those prices to figure out how cheap the rest of their stuff is...

The 1.50 hot dog/soda combo, i read it's a way of getting customers to feel real good about their shopping experience when they leave costco. It certainly makes me feel good to get such a cheap snack after shopping :thumbsup:

Doubt the hot dogs are loss leaders, since you don't have to be a member to buy one. Could be wrong.

18" pizza for $10 isn't that special. You can get a 20" here for $12 from a local pizza place, and it is actually better than the Costco one in flavor anyway.

Technically you don't (they don't check for costco cards), but you can't get into our costco without a card.

$10 for an 18" pizza here in CT is cheap though, it'd be like 15 bucks for a similar pizza at a local joint (i'm talking about the ones with toppings)

 

[DT4K]

Also...
Batteries
Books
Clothes
Snack foods like granola bars

It helps that we have 5 kids, because we can buy larger quantities of everything and not have to worry about it going bad, but I'm pretty sure our membership fee easily pays for itself in a month or two.

 

[MrToilet]

For the most part, I'm pretty happy about Costco's prices - I usually get my salad, milk, alcohol, and "dry" non perishable stuff there. I bought some lunch meat one time (I think 3 pounds or something) and about half of it went bad. For most things, though, the prices aren't too bad. Like everyone has said, it's convenient, 1-stop shopping.

I do get into trouble though, when I see good prices on the large-quantity stuff; I buy it, and then realize as I'm lugging to my car or apartment that I didn't really need a 6-pack of toilet bowl cleaner, 25 pounds of potates or 2 gallons of ketchup. 🙂

 

[Regs]

I would think it's more because of the quantity you get. You're buying wholesale at large unit sizes without the retail mark up with smaller quantities.

 

[dullard]

I've always wished ATOT readers would band together and scan prices as they shop. Then have them automatically put into a real-time online price comparison site. Scanners are cheap and were free for a while.

But, alas, that'll never happen.

 

[PottedMeat]

Originally posted by: dullard
I've always wished ATOT readers would band together and scan prices as they shop. Then have them automatically put into a real-time online price comparison site. Scanners are cheap and were free for a while.

But, alas, that'll never happen.

Are you talking about those 'cuecats'? Anyway all the barcode scanners I've seen need a computer w/ serial or usb interfaces - kinda awkward to bring into a grocery store. Maybe cell phone cameras + barcode image processing software hmm.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: PottedMeat
Are you talking about those 'cuecats'? Anyway all the barcode scanners I've seen need a computer w/ serial or usb interfaces - kinda awkward to bring into a grocery store. Maybe cell phone cameras + barcode image processing software hmm.

Cuecats were free and would do the trick. I'd just like to see us get closer to true competition - where prices and information are readilly available.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: PottedMeat
Are you talking about those 'cuecats'? Anyway all the barcode scanners I've seen need a computer w/ serial or usb interfaces - kinda awkward to bring into a grocery store. Maybe cell phone cameras + barcode image processing software hmm.

Cuecats were free and would do the trick. I'd just like to see us get closer to true competition - where prices and information are readilly available.

There needs to be a barcode scanner that attaches to an iphone, that would do the trick nicely :3

 

[Baked]

Originally posted by: torpid


Doubt the hot dogs are loss leaders, since you don't have to be a member to buy one. Could be wrong.

Like somebody else said, you can't get into Costco w/o being an member. I've seen people sneaking into Costco to buy food at the food court only to get call out and thrown out by the door man.

 

[Itchrelief]

Originally posted by: Baked

Originally posted by: torpid


Doubt the hot dogs are loss leaders, since you don't have to be a member to buy one. Could be wrong.

Like somebody else said, you can't get into Costco w/o being an member. I've seen people sneaking into Costco to buy food at the food court only to get call out and thrown out by the door man.

All the Costcos near me have ghetto outdoor food courts. No membership needed.

 

[Anonemous]

$1.50 for 18 eggs? $3.89 for 2 super long loaves of bread? A year's supply of TP for $18? 🙂

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: Anonemous
$1.50 for 18 eggs? $3.89 for 2 super long loaves of bread? A year's supply of TP for $18? 🙂

Yep. Even being single I save enough on food to more than pay for my membership. Their price for two gallons of milk is also the same as all the local stores prices for one.

 

[ponyo]

Originally posted by: Baked

Originally posted by: torpid


Doubt the hot dogs are loss leaders, since you don't have to be a member to buy one. Could be wrong.

Like somebody else said, you can't get into Costco w/o being an member. I've seen people sneaking into Costco to buy food at the food court only to get call out and thrown out by the door man.

BS. You don't need membership card to go in if all you want is to buy food at the food court, purchase a prescription from the pharmacy, or purchase liquor. It's against state laws to require membership for prescription drugs or liquor. The liquor law only applies in select states but is valid in large states like California. Prescription drug law is pretty much universal across the US.

You can also get in and purchase any item at Costco without membership if you use Costco cash cards.

To answer OP question, things are cheaper at supermarkets during sales. Costco is generally more expensive than Super Walmart for the same items. Private label stores like Aldi and Trader Joes are cheaper too.

I like Costco for their Kirkland brands which I prefer to the national brands and meat/seafood selection. It might not be the cheapest but the quality is usually top notch for the price.