Costco… everything is not as rosy as it appears.

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Yeah, the one time we had a membership in our household we learned quickly that we never finish the large volumes before they get all moldy and nasty. Shoot, we have trouble getting through the little regular boxes and cans of stuff we buy. So, generally, we never went to those places even enough to make up for the membership fees, let alone to get any real savings from them. No Costco stuffs for me.

I was discussing the exact same phenomenon with a friend the other day... The interesting thing is that I've price shopped Sams Club vs our local Walmart, and for most things- the cost per unit is the same, you can just get the bulk at Sams club that isn't available at Walmart.

I MISS Costco... fell in love with it first time I was in USA, and second time was always there... lots of careful shopping. Third time I just went silly with non-essentials... but I needed a tray of muffins to see me through that vacation month LOL I really either need to relocate to the USA, or a Costco open up down here on my island LOL

My personal beef with Costco is the lack of nutritional information on their own food products. I'm not exactly sure how they don't have to label, but it frustrates me keeping track of calories/protein/sugar.

Have you watched Extreme Couponing? Hello? Who needs whole stockrooms of juice boxes and dish detergent? Drowning your stuff in merchandise is just as indicitave of a problem whether it's BMWs or Ragu. How much of this crap do you NEED?

I dont do costco..but I do Sams. I buy mostly butter, cream powdered sugar and oil for my cake business. If my hubby goes..
Forget it! He thinks we need it all! And yeah...where for you grocery shop that cheap??????

You're not really "saving" at Wal*Mart, either.

you can't shop @ costco for a household of two people!! maybe the canned and non-food items that will last you half the year, but not on perishables!!

I use to spend about $200 each visit to Costco or Sam's but now I take cash only so I can not go over budget and have to think about if I REALLY need a $40 gallon bag of Cheetos!

my dad always said you can't get out w/out spending $100

Costco is a place that saves me money with prices 7/10 times can't beaten by other market, electronics, or even online stores. You buy items in bulk quantity, so that's why the prices are higher, but if you read their labels and check the unit price, you're actually saving money. Sure, most to nothing is under $10 there, but if you have a $50 budget for the week, then I suggest going there and start planning your weeks ahead with purchases. I go there once a week and shop for items. Some items can last me up to a month or two from having to buy again. So instead of monitoring every week for the newspaper and clip coupons for other stores to try to get the best price for that week, just go to costco. By the way, it's nice how they setup samples for you to test drive meals and drinks before you buy. I'm always up for a light snack when I'm on the go.

10 bucks is exactly how I estimate each item in my Costco cart so I have an idea of how much I'm spending! So long as you have storage space, many non-perishable items can be great buys. I keep an eye on grocery store prices though too, and I clip coupons.

I've been in Costco several times with someone who is a member, they had good deals but you had to buy 12 tubes of toothpaste at a time and there are only 2 of us here so it doesn't make sense I think I do better at the supermarket with the cents off card on my keys. Actually I find that in a place like Costo or like Target, a big box store I spend far more because of all the impulse buys

Ha! I've been trying to convince people of this for years. I don't shop at Costco for that very reason. You end up buying a lot more than you really need, unless it's non-expiring products.

Buying in bulk works for staples. If you have a deep freezer, buying meat in bulk is a GREAT idea, I do it every month. I also get TP and paper towels in bulk, because it lasts me at least three months. The trick is to monitor costs and see if bulk buying actually saves you in the long run. I know it does for us :) and to jump off my "bulk is awesome" soap box, yes, I have walked out of Sams and said to myself, did I really need three pounds of pistachios? Yeah, um, no. lol

Tip: the real savings are in the dry goods like baking supplies, cat/dog food, and cereal/crackers. Avoid anything bulk with expiration dates unless you're planning to use or freeze immediately (dairy, fruit/veg, meat). Price out "instant" frozen foods and compare to other stores, rarely are they a good deal (I try not to buy pre-fab food anyway, fresh is so much better tasting).

You betha it isn't - Got burned there recently purchasing a new computer setup. Still hasn't been staightened out. No Costco - you aren't rosy!

when you go to costco for your 5-6 items don't grab a cart, you will truely only leave with what you came for and most likely under $100...good luck!

I love Costco! Cheapest way to buy things like diapers, wipes and toilet paper. My problem is finding a place to store all the rest of that TP when I get it home!!!!

Lol, sorry but that sounds more like "consumer error" than Costco's problem. I regularly come in well under $100 there, many times with gifts added to my regular groceries, and I shop for a family of 4. If you really spend that much I hope you sprang for the "Executive" membership so you'll at least get a nice check back at the end of the fiscal year. Think our last one was roughly $50, not too shabby!

You have to know how to shop there for your family. Our little family of 3 get non perishables like toilet paper n paper towels here, along with bulk dry goods like rice and oatmeal and soy milk, and things that can be frozen like chicken n steak. It took some trial and error to figure out how to shop there without ending up with compost, though :)

The key to Costco or winning at any store is unit pricing. How much are you paying PER UNIT. We never got out of Costco for under $260 as a family...Not my idea of a great deal for "grocery" shopping. There are items where you actually save money but those items are not your typical grocery shopping purchases. For instance - A 20 piece set of Royal Albert China (Dinnerware for four) is $125 at Costco. It's $299 or more anywhere else. I find that I can get gr8 deals at Target but I also watch the Per Unit rule. And Samurai Shoppers have a game plan before leaving home. I have found that I can check pricing online to see who has the best deals per items that I actually need and then, attack the aisles, calculator in hand. Note: Grocery stores hike prices at the beginning of the month and for holidays on staple items. Example: a $2.99 bag of greens was $4.99 for Thanksgiving! Shop prior to these times for best deals.

Costco is fun for me, as I get a full-range of browsing at electronics, household gadgets--think freezers, heaters and the like--outdoors stuff, and food. And, like you mentioned, samples. I like their bakery items, i.e. breads and pastries. Though I am ashamed of myself, I like meat, lots of it, so Costco is great for procuring meat for many meals, though one could do that at his local green grocer easily enough. I like the Kirkland brand t-shirts which really do wear well and stand against repeated washing. But, yes, the cost always seems inordinate, but I think to myself, Well, since I got it in such large quantity, it will last forever. Though it never does. The gasoline I purchase from Costco is the cheapest in town, so I figure it is worth the price of the membership. Usually, I spend an hour or better in its store, tinkering with things and lusting after large amounts of fancy cheeses, olives, and noodle salads, so I chalk it up to an entertainment expense. I despise the fluorescent lighting and cattle call entrance. And, even more so, I hate that I have show my receipt to the lady with the magic highlighter who is the only person who wields the power to allow you to leave the store. But, all-in-all, I have a pleasant experience, though, yes, Costco manages to unhand me 100 bucks. Those "samples" aren't really free after all.

You can quit - just don't pay to renew your membership next time! Last time we were there we spent $60 on 2 dog beds and some Easter candy. I'm kind of proud of that. :-)

Other than short term promotional stuff, usually poorly made and almost never something I really need, I can get everything I need at other stores that I don't have to pay to enter. That and the fact that they carry almost none of the brands that I prefer makes it pretty easy to avoid them.

Give it a try. You can do it!

And I'm pretty good a grocery tetris. ;-)

I can fill my cart at Costco and get out for about $250-$350. Going to the grocery store, I fill my cart, I pay about $300, two carts will run me around $450. Never filled up a cart or two at the grocery store and get out for less than $150. You packages must have a lot of packing air in them! I never buy meat at costco (we slaughtered a cow and our portion was about 300 pounds of meat) only chicken.

Is it a bad thing when the greeter (and/or receipt checker....oh...and many of the cashiers) know you by name??? Love Costco! Yes... you have to be careful what you buy there but those jumbo size Cheetos or mega packs of cereal sure come in handy when you have a house full of teenage boys!!!

one kid and storage challenged but we quit because the prices went up so much

Grocery Tetris! <3 it!

I gave up Costco two years ago...that's because I had enough to get me through until now...my supplies have run out and I hear the call o Costco...not bad if I can do it once a year...

i like costco, deffinately make a list and stick to it. of course there is some stuff i don't want to buy a 3 mo supply of cuz i don't have the room so i still visit the local grocery. impulse purchases at places like costco really smack you in the face at checkout time

We just redid our Costco membership --- We shop very carefully --- but must admit that just the savings on our Starbucks with a coupon makes it worth our while. We have really gone hog wild in there --- "unfortunately" for our bank account we were there when they did the phenomenal Blendtec demo! Bought one for ourselves and one for our daughter's home-----next time up will get one for our son's home --- and the thing is PHENOMENAL! Green smoothies --- but get our organic greens elsewhere! One just needs to be wise; really try to stick to their own budget and yet -- not be afraid to take advantage of a good deal if it is there!

Buying in bulk never works for me and my son, we just couldn't force ourselves to eat enough of one thing (even cheetos) to make it worth it.

We've only just entered the universe of mega bulk buying here in Australia. Our solution to Costco is to go once a month with three mums and split much of the bulk buy stuff, most of us don't have the cupboard/fridge or freezer space to store these "bargains" otherwise. But yes we have to stick to a list strictly and we still have to shop at the local aldi each week to "top up" and get the things that are cheaper.

I'm a single dad of a two year old and I tried Costco once. Never again!

its funny, i always guesstimate my costco total by how many things r in the cart, and it always averaged out to $10 an item.. sure, some stuff might be 7, but the other stuff will be 13.. and im always very close in my guess

$100 dollars!! You're doing awesome because I rarely walk out under $200! I'm going tonight for 2 cans of frozen lobster meat and some sort of dessert. I'm sure the total of my bill will not be less than $200.

I have to agree with you, when we check out, it is insane what we spend at costco. And some times their prices are more than the grocery store, you just have to know your prices.

Love Cheetos. Love organic milk, too. (no, not together!) and for a truly spectacular mouthful of deliciousness, dip the Cheetos (we're talking the fluffy cheese puff kind here, though I see no reason why the crunchy ones wouldn't be awesome, too!) in melted white chocolate or almond bark. So good.....you know you want to try it. You're welcome! ;-)

And how many dvds and games were in your cart? Those add up fast. Meat does as well. There are certain things that make a lot of sense to buy in bulk and other things we just ignore.
And how do you get out of the grocery story under $100? We rarely do that either.
I usually do to Costco when I need to fill the car (Gas is cheap there), but since I drive a Prius for mostly short drives, that means once every 2-4 weeks.

I love Costco because you can reduce packaging waste. If you're actually going to use the product in a timely manner, why buy 4 small bags instead of one big one at Costco? In this day of "going green", I think Costco should promote lower packaging and then try to reduce the packaging they do use. That being said, there's only a few things I get there because I usually can't use many products fast enough.

The thing about Costco is that everything is sold in bulk. even bread is sold in packs of three. And unless there's a sale or you have coupons (or both), five pounds of ground beef is going to cost you much more at a grocery store than it is at Costco. And then there's comparing the quality of the beef (where I live, Costco kills the grocery store beef every time). We buy big and freeze it, or we don't buy it. Something like mayo costs the same for a small jar as a HUGE jar at Costco, but the fact is that we won't go through the big jar and it just takes up space in our fridge. So we spend the same amount (or sometimes a buck more) for a jar 1/4 the size. Some things ARE a good value (toilet paper, laundry detergent, etc). The rest of it though, you're better off not buying in bulk.

I think I've had this exact same conversation before! In true addict fashion I keep going back because, well, I'm addicted. I love and hate Costco!

I can easily get out of Costco for less than $100 bucks, I know what I want when I go in...I do look around and if there is a good deal, I look at it, walk away, finish my shopping and if I still have room for the item in my budget, I need it anyway and I won't find a better deal elsewhere, I'll put it in my cart. The process their own meat and I know their standards are super high in that department and at their meat plants, so I prefer to buy meat at Costco than anywhere else. And yes, a vacuum sealer is perfect for that kind of shopping!

I always say, when shopping at Sam's or Costco, that "I can't afford to save this much money!" Instead of buying a. ^( sixty-nine cent jar of mustard, I save by buying a six dollar jug of the same...

It definitely doesnt save me money bc I always end up buying stuff I wouldnt have bought ifd I hadnt seen it...plu sI have a relatively small family..i think it's worth it for big families buying in bulk. I STILL cant get out of Target without spending $100 :)

Jeez - I never get out of Costco for under 200 bucks -

I only go there for the huge box of diapers that cost me half of what it would if I had to buy them at walmart. Their big boxes have more in them and last me a month and a half, where I would have to buy at least 2 of the normal ones at walmart at the price of $35 each. One big one at costco? About $43. But that is all I go for, and I get my friend to do it...

I found it is cheaper to buy things a Drug stores with coupon than it is for some things at Costco!!

I have discovered that it is often cheaper to buy the smaller packages. The trick is to get them on sale or with coupons. Example...3 smaller bottles of oil is cheaper than that economy gal with a discount. It takes a little effort but when I try, I almost always leave the store saving no less than 1/3 of my bill. I never make it out of any store for under $100 either, and only go to Costco got 3 particular items....bulk spices for one.