is costco's membership worth the cost?

[zerocool84]

OK heres the thing about Costco, its cheaper but it carries high end stuff... if you shop at wal-mart or target, Costco will be more expensive, you shop at higher end organic stuff places then Costco is cheaper, also Alcohol is CHEAP...

Costco also has lots of monthly coupons so if you buy year's supply of whatever the coupons are for that month that's a WIN

Also, some programs offered throughout the year that will reimburse a good part of your membership, for example, in December I opened a no commitment high interest saving account with capital one and received a $60 for that!! (min 10K balance). The interest was much higher than what I was getting at BAO.

That's why you need to compare prices. At Costco right on the price-tag they show you how much everything you buy is per unit/lb/etc which is great so when you go to other stores you can buy what would be cheaper at Costco and cheaper at other places.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Costco is just like any other shopping. You want to make sure its the best deal.

 

[Squisher]

None of the Costcos by me sell liquor. Beer and wine, yes.

As for the OP, yes it's worth it for me.

 

[geckojohn]

I think so...

 

[gophins72]

for the ones that sell liquor, even their cheap liquor is pretty good. "house brand" stuff to make drinks.

 

[Spike]

For me and my wife it's more than worth it for the executive membership. Heck, if you don't get at least a $50 membership return they will give you the difference up to the $50 so there is no reason not to get an executive membership. As for the base level membership we save enough on just a few staples like veggies, meat, and paper products to make up the differences, and thats before the Amex return we get as well.

All this is in addition to the fact that our Costco's don't sell liquor (stupid WA state laws). If they did it would be beyond a no brainer. Plus I have a costco less than 5 min from my home and another less than a quarter mile from my work so I'm covered 🙂

 

[QueBert]

If you have a Super Walmart in your area, no. They have no membership fees, better prices on some things, and about the same prices on the rest. But the kicker is they have 10x the selection. I'd take a store that cost a bit more and had selection over Costco. So a store that winds up being cheaper, and kills in the selection department.

Yeah it's no contest.

 

[Vic Vega]

My wife and I initially purchased the membership for diapers/formula/wipes for our first child; it paid for itself about 10 fold that first year.

 

[zerocool84]

If you have a Super Walmart in your area, no. They have no membership fees, better prices on some things, and about the same prices on the rest. But the kicker is they have 10x the selection. I'd take a store that cost a bit more and had selection over Costco. So a store that winds up being cheaper, and kills in the selection department.

Yeah it's no contest.

I prefer not going into a Walmart if I can help it. I'd gladly pay more so I don't have to go into that cesspool.

 

[eldorado99]

It would be worth it to me if I couldn't already just take my mom or dad with me and shop there without my own membership a few times a year.

 

[Vic Vega]

If you have a Super Walmart in your area, no. They have no membership fees, better prices on some things, and about the same prices on the rest. But the kicker is they have 10x the selection. I'd take a store that cost a bit more and had selection over Costco. So a store that winds up being cheaper, and kills in the selection department.

Yeah it's no contest.

Walmart's prices are much higher on many things, like baby supplies.

The quality of the good is also a major factor. If you have an item which has basically the same price at both stores the Costco item is guaranteed to be of a higher quality.

 

[mmntech]

A Costco membership has paid off in spades for me. The quality of their meat and produce alone makes it worth it. Far superior to any grocery chain around these parts. After years of eating the shoe leather steaks from A&P, switching to Costco's beef was like heaven.

 

[QueBert]

Walmart's prices are much higher on many things, like baby supplies.

The quality of the good is also a major factor. If you have an item which has basically the same price at both stores the Costco item is guaranteed to be of a higher quality.

It varies, I've had a Costco membership, and I can tell you for everything that's more expensive at Walmart there's an item that was more expensive at Costco. But to be fair to Costco, they don't even carry about 70% of what I buy at Walmart. As for the higher quality, really? Are you telling me the same Hebrew National franks are magically higher quality at Costo? Riiiiight. The only store brand things I buy would be Toilet Paper, and I honestly can't call which place has better TP.

 

[Capt Caveman]

If you have a Super Walmart in your area, no. They have no membership fees, better prices on some things, and about the same prices on the rest. But the kicker is they have 10x the selection. I'd take a store that cost a bit more and had selection over Costco. So a store that winds up being cheaper, and kills in the selection department.

Yeah it's no contest.

Pay me $50 a year and I still wouldn't go to Walmart.

 

[gophins72]

their meat selection is excellent as well. their ribeyes are very nice quality, only problem is you have enough to serve 8.

 

[Ns1]

It varies, I've had a Costco membership, and I can tell you for everything that's more expensive at Walmart there's an item that was more expensive at Costco. But to be fair to Costco, they don't even carry about 70% of what I buy at Walmart. As for the higher quality, really? Are you telling me the same Hebrew National franks are magically higher quality at Costo? Riiiiight. The only store brand things I buy would be Toilet Paper, and I honestly can't call which place has better TP.

veggies/meats/frozen product @ costco > walmart by a mile

 

[GagHalfrunt]

It is for me.

 

[sactoking]

If you have a Super Walmart in your area, no. They have no membership fees, better prices on some things, and about the same prices on the rest. But the kicker is they have 10x the selection. I'd take a store that cost a bit more and had selection over Costco. So a store that winds up being cheaper, and kills in the selection department.

Yeah it's no contest.

I would never, EVER buy meat or produce at a Super WalMart instead of Costco. Meat at WalMart is waterlogged. Produce is terrible. Meat at Costco is awesome and produce is of decent quality. The trick to Costco meat is to buy a $100 vacuum sealer and then loins/primals and seal/freeze what you don't do right away. Nothing like pork chops or NY Strip for $0.99/lb or $5.99/lb.

 

[JTsyo]

My dad has the membership, I leach off him. Good for him though since he gets the 2%.
Also I thought there was no membership fee if you had the AmEx?

 

[Powermoloch]

why are you asking this kind of question?

IT'S A YES

 

[skim milk]

For housing, furniture, kitchen stuff... How does it compare to ikea?

Btw I made this thread because I browse from my phone a lot and needed a quick response

 

[QueBert]

I would never, EVER buy meat or produce at a Super WalMart instead of Costco. Meat at WalMart is waterlogged. Produce is terrible. Meat at Costco is awesome and produce is of decent quality. The trick to Costco meat is to buy a $100 vacuum sealer and then loins/primals and seal/freeze what you don't do right away. Nothing like pork chops or NY Strip for $0.99/lb or $5.99/lb.

I buy my meats from a Super Target in my area, very good quality and great price. Either that or I have a neighbor who's in the Navy bring me back Rib Eyes from the Commissary. Awesome steaks and much cheaper than Costco. For the produce I get I like Walmart just fine, they have fresh Honeycrisp apples & Grapes that's about the extend of product I get outside of the salad in a bag. Which is the exact same brand Costco has. In the end the selection is what gets me going to a store. I'd have to go to 3 other supermarkets to find everything I get at 1 Walmart.

 

[quikah]

Furniture and housewares is better at Costco, BUT it is seemingly random what they have. You cannot go into a Costco because you need a kitchen table unlike Ikea. Just look at costco.com and see what they offer, you can't buy it in the stores usually anyway.

If you don't want to bother with chasing deals Costco is pretty good. If you have the time and patience to follow deals you can usually get WAY cheaper on just about everything. The meat is good, though you need a vacuum sealer if you aren't a family of 10+ people. 🙂

 

[JEDI]

handles of cazadores for under $30
handles of goose for under $45
24 packs of beer for $19 consistently
massive packages of chicken thigh/breast
the best fresh OJ ever @ $6/gallon
2pound clamshells of blueberries for $6
$70 coupons for tires


just a few things off the top of my head....

yes on tires!
no hard alcohol in VA 🙁 any states between va and ny have costco that sells hard alcohol?

fresh oj?! where in the store is it located? and name brand?

 

[blinblue]

Formerly a Executive member card holder (2% rebate).

2009 - $12.72
2010 - $20.19

Switched back to Regular membership. It's only worth it if you get 2% back to pay for your next annual membership fee. But you'll have to spend >$5,000/yr to accomplish that. I usually end up buying the same times every 2 weeks for about $45/visit.

With the executive membership you are always guaranteed $50 if you don't get to that amount in rewards. If the reward check is less than $50, just go the membership desk and they'll give you the difference.

And for me, the $50 is well worth it. A gallon of skim milk at the regular grocery store around here is about $2.80, at costco its usually $1.80. Buy a gallon a week and you pay for the membership in a year (and the milk is from non-hormone injected cows, for what its worth).

That and the cheap yeast, flour, meat (prime top sirloin for $5.99 is near impossible to beat pricewise), great return policy. Its a pretty great store. Check it out, if it doesn't have things you'll need, just get your membership fee refunded.