should I join costco?

[nageov3t]

I hear people recommending specific products from costco all the time, but I'm not really a "bulk" eater. I'm cooking for one almost every night of the week (well, 2 if you want to count the fact that I usually double-up whatever I cook to have for lunch the next day at work) and I don't really eat a whole lot to begin with (I've been restricting my caloric intake pretty heavily for the past year or so to lose weight... 50 pounds to go, woohoo)

 

[SonnyDaze]

Don't have Costco but we have a Sams. Besides bulk foods they do have good sales on other items at times.

 

[guyver01]

Originally posted by: loki8481
I'm not really a "bulk" eater. I'm cooking for one almost every night of the week (well, 2 if you want to count the fact that I usually double-up whatever I cook to have for lunch the next day at work) and I don't really eat a whole lot to begin with

well you have your answer there.

unless you feel like spening $50/year to be able to buy toilet paper by the case, which you might if you're a heavy shitter...

i don't see any reason you would need membership into a "bulk" warehouse when you won't use it.



as an aside... i have a costco membership, and the only thing i use it for is buying Toilet Paper, Paper Towels, juice boxes, healthy snacks in bulk. Comes in handy with a 4 year old in the house.

occasionally i'll buy "bulk beef" (no they don't come in alternator size) when we're going to entertain the GF's family (Father, Uncle, Brother-in-law, myself .. that eat BBQ like men do..)

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: loki8481
I hear people recommending specific products from costco all the time, but I'm not really a "bulk" eater. I'm cooking for one almost every night of the week (well, 2 if you want to count the fact that I usually double-up whatever I cook to have for lunch the next day at work) and I don't really eat a whole lot to begin with (I've been restricting my caloric intake pretty heavily for the past year or so to lose weight... 50 pounds to go, woohoo)

Then it's probably not worth it to you cus then you'd just be throwing away all the uneaten food and wasting money.

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: guyver01

Originally posted by: loki8481
I'm not really a "bulk" eater. I'm cooking for one almost every night of the week (well, 2 if you want to count the fact that I usually double-up whatever I cook to have for lunch the next day at work) and I don't really eat a whole lot to begin with

well you have your answer there.

unless you feel like spening $50/year to be able to buy toilet paper by the case, which you might if you're a heavy shitter...

i don't see any reason you would need membership into a "bulk" warehouse when you won't use it.

I hear they have chicken nuggets that aren't breaded and fried, though

 

[Capt Caveman]

Depends - gas, costco branded otc drugs, non-food items, etc may be worth it to you. But there also plenty of food items that you can freeze what you don't use also.

 

[Baked]

It doesn't have to be bulk beef, they sell a lot of bulk produce and other healthy food. Their fish is very fresh. I always buy my catfish @ Costco.

 

[guyver01]

Originally posted by: loki8481
I hear they have chicken nuggets that aren't breaded and fried, though

yes... but do you need to pay $50/year for 10 pounds of chicken nuggets?

 

[Mo0o]

They sell a lot of other things that make being a member worth it. I get my contact Rx filled there. we buy a lot of our electronics there and all kinds of household things. If they dont spoil, its much cheaper to buy in bulk and just slowly use it up.

 

[RU482]

sounds like guyver had a bad run in with the Cos-co-Mcnuggets

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: guyver01

Originally posted by: loki8481
I hear they have chicken nuggets that aren't breaded and fried, though

yes... but do you need to pay $50/year for 10 pounds of chicken nuggets?

Yea I don't see a single person living alone needing Costco unless they have a seperate fridge/freezer to store all the extra.

 

[guyver01]

Originally posted by: RU482
sounds like guyver had a bad run in with the Cos-co-Mcnuggets

nope... never had a bad experience... Costco is worth it if you use it..

but a single person, who doesn't "eat much" (op's words.. not mine) won't find a use for any bulk warehouse, unless they buy non-food items constantly.

Even the nice discount on electronics/dvds/etc isn't enough to offset the cost of membership.

 

[axelfox]

They sell much more than food.

 

[LS21]

fuck yeah

i live by myself and i shop at costco all the time. you dont think you need bulk food? fine, buy a vacuum sealer at costco to keep the other foodstuffs at costco in storage.

i recoup 50 bux EASILY. beyond food, theres automotive tires, furniture, charcoal, batteries, light bulbs, shit like that. people think that costco is only good for 5lb jars of mayonnaise

the point i make is that foodstuff is not only cheaper per UNIT, but its cheaper PER PURCHASE. what i mean is that lets say you need some olive oil. you go to the grocery store and get some random 500mL for 11.99$. well go to costco and you get high quality EV olive oil for 9.99$ for a twin-Liter pack. so its cheaper in absolute terms, and you get a lot more

 

[RU482]

nevermind, I suck at linking

 

[Bignate603]

It makes sense for my wife and I. Much of the food they sell doesn't really go bad. Boxed/canned/frozen stuff. We also will buy a bunch of meat all at once (they tend to sell their beef in larger than alternator sized quantities) to divide up in freezer bags and freeze.

One thing you need to realize about costco though is it won't save you money if you're not going to get stuff their often. Also, it won't save you money the first couple trips, as in the amount you pay for that one shopping trip will be more than you normally would pay. You can't buy a small amount of anything. Something might cost half as much from what you'd pay normally but you have to buy 4 times as much of it because they don't sell small containers of it. You'll spend more the first few times you go but you'll end up with a nice store of stuff and won't need to go to the store as often after a while.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: Bignate603
It makes sense for my wife and I. Much of the food they sell doesn't really go bad. Boxed/canned/frozen stuff. We also will buy a bunch of meat all at once (they tend to sell their beef in larger than alternator sized quantities) to divide up in freezer bags and freeze.

One thing you need to realize about costco though is it won't save you money if you're not going to get stuff their often. Also, it won't save you money the first couple trips, as in the amount you pay for that one shopping trip will be more than you normally would pay. You can't buy a small amount of anything. Something might cost half as much from what you'd pay normally but you have to buy 4 times as much of it because they don't sell small containers of it. You'll spend more the first few times you go but you'll end up with a nice store of stuff and won't need to go to the store as often after a while.

Well yea of course but for one person who doesn't eat much like the OP said, it probably doesn't make sense. I will always have a membership to costco as I always have friends over and eat a lot and go through tp like no one's business.

 

[IGBT]

for me it's one stop shopping. they have it all, then some. saves time/gas running around.

 

[Miramonti]

I think if you don't have much discretionary spending, its not all its cracked up to be and sometimes you're just better off sticking to your local supermarket sales. A lot of what you buy at costco is like putting money on the shelves because it takes so long to go thru it (particularly if you don't have a family.)

Costco has many items that you will be lured into getting that you weren't looking for but couldn't pass up the value (food and non-food items), so while many things are cheaper per oz./unit etc., its actually an expensive place to shop for most people imo.

Since I don't have much discretionary spending lately, I rarely go there now. Usually I only get what I need to from there...tortillas, soy milk, and a few other grocery items that I can't get cheaper elsewhere. I get my meat at supermarket sales and other food items I usually get at walmart.

 

[Muadib]

I agree with jj. I went there last weekend just to buy some pistachios, and my bill was almost $200. Stop in to the new one off 27, and tell the doorguy you just want to check it out. Make sure you give yourself at least an hour, so you can walk all of the store.

 

[guyver01]

Originally posted by: Muadib
I went there last weekend just to buy some pistachios, and my bill was almost $200.

:Q
holey shit.. that musta been some BIIIIG pistachio container... like.. oil barrel size

 

[Pocatello]

I love the fruits and vegetables from Costco.

 

[Muadib]

Originally posted by: guyver01

Originally posted by: Muadib
I went there last weekend just to buy some pistachios, and my bill was almost $200.

:Q
holey shit.. that musta been some BIIIIG pistachio container... like.. oil barrel size

 

[boomerang]

$50 - big deal. Try it for a year.

You're aware you can enter to just look around right? Check the place out before you drop the big bucks. You can buy alcohol and prescriptions without having a membership too.

LOL at everyone acting like $50 is an enormous expenditure. Less than $1 a week. I save that easily every time I buy gas there.

 

[Blieb]

Depending on how close it is ... we more than recoup our $ just on gas!

Vitamins, flowers once in a while, books, clothes ... and of course food. We buy canned veggies, cereal, chicken breast, etc.

Well worth it IMO, for just about anyone.