Is a Costco Membership Worth it?

[Bens Momma]

Just wondering exactly what the title says! We are out of the diaper stage (except occasional nighttime use) so that's not a draw for us. We've only ever had a BJs membership which I let lapse several years ago. Now we live fairly close to a Costco and I've heard great things. We eat a fair amount of organic but not exclusive and are a family with 3 kids. What does a membership run and is it worth it?

Thanks!
Momma to 2 ACTIVE DS :bouncy::bouncy:
and the Third Musketeer :superhero:

[ChicagoNDMom]

I am sure you will get more comprehensive answers than this, but: YES! Just the savings on nuts alone (not counting anything else) pays for the membership for me. Love their other prepared food and freezer food, seafood, wine/beer, clothes, sheets, chicken breasts, organic ground beef (tastes SO much better), Kirkland shampoo, etc. All cheaper/more convenient than anywhere else. Tires and gas are also huge $ savers. Saves me a ton. Biggest risk: overbuying when you are there for just a few items.

[pharmjenn]

We buy a lot of berries (DH can eat an entire 12oz blackberry container as a single serving snack.) They have both organic and non most of the year. Their roasted chicken is huge and inexpensive (as compared to the ones at Safeway)
I also buy Sara Lee bread, because we go through a lot but I don't think it is any cheaper than elsewhere.
I agree that the gas is a huge savings, but our closest Costco always has a long line, so may not end up being worth the wait for a couple dollar savings.

[gymnbomb]

When I lived close enough to use their gas station, savings on gas alone came pretty close to covering the cost of my membership. Now we have BJs instead (no Costco nearby) and the gas savings are less so I am not 100% sure I save enough to make it worth it. When mine expires I wait a couple of months to renew and they always end up sending me a $10 off membership coupon.


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[JBaxter]

Yes I much prefer Costco over BJ's or Sams I go at least 2x a month We also use their optical dept.

[legaleagle]

There are tons of threads on Costco favorites around here. I love it - savings in cheese avocado/olive oil and organic sugar alone are worth it.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I have the $55 membership and think it's worth having. I buy lots of stuff there- workout clothes, batteries, sugar, vanilla, eye glasses...
If you use your Costco membership to rent a car, you'll save well over $55 compared to other deals so for that alone it's worth it.

[scrooks]

Yes! We actually have memberships to both Sams and Costco. The Sams is 5 mins away so we do our weekly shopping there but run to costco once about every 4-6 weeks. I wish we lived closer! We generally buy our fruit/veggies and meat from warehouse clubs along with paper towels, tp, laundry det., sparkling water by the case plus extra goodies like clothes and often toys at Xmas!

[rkold]

I use it all the time to rent cars. We're a 1 car family, and certain times of the year we need a second car. We also use it for car rentals on vacation. I've saved enough on car rentals to cover the cost. They also have nice tires should you ever need them. We've gotten some tires there. We buy our gas there, they're the only place around here that doesn't charge more for using a credit card and their prices are the lowest.

Great prices on Organic Olive Oil and Avocado Oil. In some recent tests regarding is it actually olive oil, Costco Organic came back as a yes unlike many other brands. I buy chocolate chips, BluRays, books occasionally (I just paid less for the Crayons Come Home at Costco then I would have via Amazon) as well. Sometimes I buy the organic sugar. Before Passover, I travel to a different Costco that carries Kosher for Passover cheese. I can get 2 lbs of shredded mozzarella for $8 instead of paying $8 for 8 oz!

We also sometimes get great deals on small appliances.

We're a family of 3 and I find my Costco membership still worth it.

[georgiegirl]

Yes! We live only 5 minutes away, so we go very often. In addition to groceries, we use Costco travel for car rentals and some vacations. We've used the optical department and the photo department for holiday cards. And I've been getting my flu shot there for years. And gas of course!

[cmo]

I was on the fence too, and ended up getting a membership one year as a xmas gift from the in-laws. They had asked me what I might want as a gift, and I am hard to buy for, so it worked out well and now that's what they give me every year. Our whole family benefits, and it helps that the ILs are Costco fans too!

[psimpson3-5]

I will admit my bias as my mother works for Costco, however, YES. JOIN NOW!

We buy so much at Costco. Even as a family of 3, soon to be 4. I think many people assume they only buy grocery items, but we buy everything else: Glasses, contacts, vacations (our honeymoon!), car rentals (Avis is the best deal), clothes, sheets, tvs, computers, recently a trashcan that opens automatically, furniture, rugs, computers, gift cards, photo printing (esp Christmas cards), gas, air filters for our home, windshield wipers, purses, wallets, socks, shoes, TOYS, etc, I could go on for days.

Grocery wise we buy: amazing olive oil, SkinnyPop (trust me, you'll be addicted), parmesan cheese, bottled water, berries, organic pre-sliced apples, meats, desserts, salt & pepper, applesauce packets, over the counter medicines, shampoo, conditioner, honest company shampoo for DS, etc.

I live in PA, so we go to the DE Costco to buy wine, beer, and spirits. Their selection as well as the Kirkland (Costco's) brand items are amazing!!!!

Having been to BJs, I can tell you that Costco has a MUCH smaller selection. Typically for any item, it's either Kirkland brand or 1 other name brand. I like have so few options; honestly, I felt overwhelmed at BJs. Also, Costco's prices tend to be about 15-20% cheaper on most items.

I also want to make sure everyone is aware about how awesome this company is. They pay their employees a living wage. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/19/reasons-love-costco_n_4275774.html

Happy Shopping!

[sariana]

I just want to add that if you join and are unhappy, they will refund your membership fees. Their return policy and customer service reputation alone make a membership worth it to many people.

[khm]

It is for us. We probably go every 3-4 weeks. But, we have several favs that when compared to grocery store/Target prices, the Costco price is way way cheaper. When I see these things in the grocery, I'm a bit taken aback by their small size and high price. (And, I am NOT a very astute price follower.)

If we lived closer, we'd get more gas and more milk there, but as it is, we are a bit far out for that.

We have a checklist in our phones that toggles things checked/unchecked, so we can run through the house before we go and set the list!

Quinoa
Hummous
Cheese
Breakfast Sausage
Romain/Spinach
Berries
Carrots
Alcohol
Milk
Sour Dough
Deli Turkey & Ham
Hamburger Patties
Stacy's Pita Chips
Granola Bars

[carolinacool]

We joined about 10 years ago before DH and I were married and now we're a family a three. We definitely take advantage of the gas. But I can't really say we have a ton of staples we get in store beyond:

kitty litter
Goldfish
Oatmeal

But we keep our membership because it's nice to have Costco as an option. I do like using the photo department, and the rental car service has come in handy as well. And we do pick up random stuff here and there. So we like it a lot, but we probably would get along fine without it.

[belovedgandp]

I live 5 miles from two different stores. I do a majority of my grocery shopping there. As a family of five drinking 3-4 gallons of milk per week, I pay for my membership in milk.

Like anything you will lose those savings if you start impulse shopping there; really hard not to do. We have purchased lots of great items over the years - toys, clothes, costumes, toilets, shoes, fertilizer, wiper blades (crazy deal on those about once a year).

Just know your prices and you'll do great. Occasionally I will get suckered into buying something we didn't really need. It's a catch-22 since there are great deals and they are often gone in a week or two so the need to buy is great. I've definitely taken advantage of their great return policies to fix a couple of those purchases when I got home and thought more clearly.

[NCGrandma]

Even though my family makes fun of me for keeping my Costco membership (although they don't reject the many bargains I've found for them!), it is still worth it for me as an apartment-dwelling single person.

Last year I renewed my membership when they had a particularly good sale on brand-name Allegra. The total cost for the membership and a 6-month supply of Allegra was actually lower than it would have cost me for the CVS generic fexofenadine alone.

The other big draw has been electronics and small appliances, both for price and for the generous return policy.


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[MMMommy]

YES! So worth it. Love Costco, absolutely love it. My weekly trips for the big bag of organic mixed greens (for daily green smoothies) result in me buying way more than I intended, but I love it. Excellent return policy, great prices. I buy anything there--eggs, greens, meat, organic frozen fruit (for smoothies), toilet paper, gas, rental cars, snacks, clothing items (pjs for kids), etc.

[squimp]

Not for us. But for me it is a 20 min drive and I just never seem to make it work for our small family.

[AngB]

For us, only for gas really. (Just filled up there @1.92/gal, everywhere else is 2.14, and earlier this week it was also 1.92 when everywhere else was 2.36...). On average it's 10cents lower a gallon but sometimes like recently even more. DH drives 35min to work so the savings for him adds up.

Our Aldi's has better pricing on produce and better quality (comparing non organic for both). (ie. pumpkins for 3.99 right now!) There are a handful of things we buy at Costco--uncrustables, dog food, toilet paper, etc. --but nothing that we would really miss if we canceled our membership, pretty much things I buy only because we have a membership. Lately our stores have stopped carrying a lot of stuff that we bought pretty regularly, and they were sold out of Batman costumes in preschooler sizes even before Sept. and won't order more (so annoying), plus just going in to get a few things and checkout is a huge hassle. We only have 1 in our county (as opposed to 3 different Sams within 15 min of each other), and it is always pretty annoyingly busy, even in the middle of the day in the middle of the week. We refuse to go anywhere near it on weekends.

I am getting a free Sams membership from the New mom deal and if the gas prices are anywhere comparable to Costco's we will probably cancel our Costco membership when it is up.

[zukeypur]

I love Costco!!! I think it's worth the membership price just for the return policy alone. It's nice to be able to buy something knowing that if it doesn't work out you can return it. We have the executive membership which almost pays for itself. This year we got a rebate check of $85, so getting the executive membership is actually cheaper for us than getting a standard membership. We buy conditioner, breakfast items, eggs, most of our meat, TP, kleenex, and tires from Costco, along with about a million other things.

[baymom]

Yes!! It's worth the membership price for everyone, not just families. We LOVE Costco and do the majority of our grocery shopping there every week. In addition to all the other household items (that PPs have already mentioned), glasses, travel, organics.. the membership pays for itself may times over. We are lucky to live 2 miles from our Costco and within 10 miles of 2 other Costco stores, though. DH and I have had a membership since we got married, many years before we even had kids. I confess to being surprised when it very occasionally comes up in conversation that someone is NOT a Costco member! It just makes sense.

[Myira]

Yes we are there almost every week. Since we started drinking green smoothies for breakfast, we get smoothie greens (power greens and 50/50 and spinach)and organic frozen fruit bags there. Also lots of seasonal organic fresh berries for the kids.
Also the following-
Bag of baby carrots
Cute cucumbers
Hanna hummus( individual packs are perfect for on the go)
Ezekiel bread
Organic eggs
Parmesan cheese
Kids clothes and pjs
Organic quinoa
Chia/hemp seeds
Coconut water
Garlic
Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes

And lot of seasonal produce like squashes in the fall etc. plus non perishables like paper towels, dishwasher tabs, toilet paper, body wash, shampoo conditioner, tooth paste, hand soap etc.


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[KrisM]

I've tried it twice now and can't love it. Sam's and Costco are only .5 miles from each other, but Sam's is significantly more convenient to get in and out of. So I don't go to Costco enough to learn where anything is and spend way too much time trying to find things. Last year, I had both and the prices were the same at both stores for what I buy.

[AngB]

I've tried it twice now and can't love it. Sam's and Costco are only .5 miles from each other, but Sam's is significantly more convenient to get in and out of. So I don't go to Costco enough to learn where anything is and spend way too much time trying to find things. Last year, I had both and the prices were the same at both stores for what I buy.

And even when you do learn where they are, they regularly randomly move stuff, at least at our store.

[JBaxter]

Costco chicken salad yummmmmm and Jack lives on the Costco mickey mouse chicken nuggets

[Tenasparkl]

In addition to all the other great stuff mentioned already the wrapping paper is fantastic. They have giant rolls of reversible paper (single rolls of holiday and four packs of birthday/solids) that's nice and thick. You also can't beat the price on a sheet cake. I was getting cake for kid parties at a delicious local bakery and then switched to the Costco cake. The kids all like it and I'm saving a fortune. I buy a pair of ugg-like boots for DD every year for $20 (maybe even less than that). Parking and lines at my store are horrible, but it's still worth it for me.

[daisysmom]

We let ours lapse after our DD got out of diapers, so I will be a voice of dissent here (insert bag over head) and say that we haven't rejoined. It isn't the membership fee issue that stops me, it is the whole huge store, huge packaging, overbuying that we did when we belonged. We only have one DD (plus two dogs) but at this phase in our life, we stop at our local market and buy stuff more than big store shop for groceries. I just don't have a few hours to devote to a big shopping thing right now. We **still** have a huge 4 box container thing of Giredelli brownie mix that we bought there 7+years ago. It is the reminder that I bought tons of stuff that we actually didn't use or need. We have a great farmers market and local small grocery that has a ton of organic fruits and veggies and I feel some need to keep them in business.

[Twoboos]

I like it. The closest one is about 40min from us so I'm not there regularly, more like every few months. But I keep a list going and watch the coupons so know when it's worth it to go. In fact I need to go soon!

I am also able to buy member-only stuff online, which is great. For example, I got the Ugg-knock-offs for me and DDs, ordered online. Last year I saw them in store but they were out of the right sizes. DDs are in adult sizes now to it makes a huge difference to pay $29 for the boots instead of $150 (never gonna happen LOL).

I joined when there was a membership deal through somewhere - Groupon? - so got a bunch of free stuff like batteries, rotisserie chicken, and other stuff I can't remember. We get the items we use regularly so shampoo/conditioner, parchment paper (great!), cornbread mix (delish!), canned organic tomatoes, organic chicken stock, etc. And my favorite bras have been from there. :bag

[khm]

In addition to all the other great stuff mentioned already the wrapping paper is fantastic. They have giant rolls of reversible paper (single rolls of holiday and four packs of birthday/solids) that's nice and thick. You also can't beat the price on a sheet cake. I was getting cake for kid parties at a delicious local bakery and then switched to the Costco cake. The kids all like it and I'm saving a fortune. I buy a pair of ugg-like boots for DD every year for $20 (maybe even less than that). Parking and lines at my store are horrible, but it's still worth it for me.

OMG, yes, the wrapping paper is amazing and lasts forever, the fake UGGS are wonderful. I think 80% of the girls in my daughter's middle school wear the Costco version, we call them CUGGS, they are very nice and I cannot believe how inexpensive they are. The Target TUGGS were a sad disappointment the year we missed the CUGGS. And the CAKE...... yum!

I totally can see it not being a good deal w/ the overbuying other stuff, or being unable to eat all the fruit/veggies in time. Totally. But, at this stage, we have learned that "It's only $8" adds up when it's 10 different things are $8 each. We know how much fruit/veggies we can handle before it goes bad (their romaine lettuce is amazing though, it really lasts so much longer, I don't know why).

We zoom in with our core list and zoom out. We are pretty strictly on a budget at the moment, so there is no overbuying! I do think for our core set of goods, it is worth it for us. But, that certainly does not mean it is for everyone!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Even though my family makes fun of me for keeping my Costco membership (although they don't reject the many bargains I've found for them!), it is still worth it for me as an apartment-dwelling single person.

Last year I renewed my membership when they had a particularly good sale on brand-name Allegra. The total cost for the membership and a 6-month supply of Allegra was actually lower than it would have cost me for the CVS generic fexofenadine alone.

The other big draw has been electronics and small appliances, both for price and for the generous return policy.


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I wasted so much $ buying generic Allegra at the drug store. I bought dh a 365 day supply for like $15 vs 30 pills (or less) for that same amount.

[*newmomma*]

I wasted so much $ buying generic Allegra at the drug store. I bought dh a 365 day supply for like $15 vs 30 pills (or less) for that same amount.

This exactly! We were buying generic Zyrtec at Target or Kroger for around $12 for 40 pills (I think). We got it at Costco last week...365 for $12! Amazing.

[RedSuedeShoes]

It is totally worth it for us. You have to be careful to not buy gigantic amounts of something you really won't use in a reasonable time frame or don't need (or can't store!). But we have our staples we always go there for, and they make it worth it. I personally hate going there, but it's super convenient for DH to stop there after work, when it's not busy (7:30 or so). I have a standing Costco list on my phone, check off items as we need them, he texts when he's stopping, and I text him the list.

[Simon]

We started there because milk allergies forced us onto milk alternatives (almond, soy). The lower price point on organic milks at Costco saved us enough (vs. non-organic at grocery store) to pay for the membership. We do a small weekly trip (milk, fruit, gas) and then every 4-6 weeks a larger trip (pesto, Indian cooking sauces, frozen items). We mostly stick to food and occasional items like tires, but its been a great deal overall a cost savings. Plus, the kids love to go to Costco for the samples so its much less of a drag to shop there as a family.
ETA: Our stores are great about opening a new register if there is a line 4 people deep, so we rarely have to wait long. The only exception has been things like a weekend before a major holiday.

[schrocat]

It is worth it for us. We don't buy diapers there but we get organic eggs, broccolli, organic apples, various fruit and rotiserrie chicken from there. We get gas from there. We go there to get a cheap pizza for the kids. We pick up books and various items from there.

[azzeps]

Gosh, I have a Costco membership and I almost never use it. In fact, it seems that I'm up for renewal every time I go in there, which must mean I go every 12+ months. It is not far away, but for some reason, we haven't worked it into our purchasing routine. It may be that it's just to big for me, I get overwhelmed, and I don't enjoy dragging the kids shopping and end up spending more or having to say NO all the time (to them and ME!!) that it just isn't worth it. But maybe I should try to get over there again! I do find that Costco is rather "un-fun" when you have to stick to a list and be mindful of spending.... because there's so much COOL STUFF there!!! Ha ha, that's probably another reason I don't go.

[oneplustwo]

I have the $55 membership and think it's worth having. I buy lots of stuff there- workout clothes, batteries, sugar, vanilla, eye glasses...
If you use your Costco membership to rent a car, you'll save well over $55 compared to other deals so for that alone it's worth it.

We never thought joining Costco was worth it for us until we needed a rental car for a trip to FL. I'd learned from the BBB that Costco had great pricing on car rentals and sure enough, when I shopped around the best deal was from Costco for the minivan we wanted to rent (another family of 5 here, plus we were going to have relatives joining us). The savings, even with a Costco membership factored in, were substantial. When we joined we were well past the diaper stage, and we've found plenty of things at decent prices to make us feel our membership is worth it: regular purchases of groceries, tires for our cars, winter gloves, Fugg boots and clothing for everyone in the family, Contigo commuter mugs, refills of printer ink cartridges, and more recently, hearing aids for me at HALF the price of other audiologists (I have worn hearing aids since I was six years old). The other thing that continues to bring us back, beyond the good prices, is the solid customer service. When we had three under the age of three and were awash in diapers, we belonged to BJs ~ we were members for years. The service always ranged from meh to horrible there. Costco's customer service is like night and day! People at my local Costco will go out of their way to help us at times, the cashiers and baggers are friendly and efficient, most everyone seems knowledgeable and act like they care. World of a difference, and another thing that keeps us coming back.

[legaleagle]

I should also say that we are nearish 4 Costcos and one is significantly less crowded with better parking lot. The one nearest us is older so smaller with terrible parking lots So I generally avoid that one. The one I like best is also across the street from TJs so generally combine trips. There is a noticeable difference in product mix between them so I do make occasional trips to the others.

[AnnieW625]

Yes. I have had a membership for 15 yrs., so pre kids and marriage. I got it when you had to have an association membership or be a small business owner to join, I joined because the prior CEO graduated from my alma mater, and he extended membership to alumni association members. I have an executive membership now, but might switch back to a regular one.

I had Sam's Club for a year and would get it again if it was only $25 (which is what I paid for it through groupon).

[Mommy_Mea]

I thought of this thread today as we were buying jumbo pumpkins for $6.99 each, and how those pumpkins alone would pay for a good chunk of our membership.

Not quite the same as going to the pumpkin farm, but we will do that too and spend more time running through the corn maze :)

[94bruin]

I have to agree with the PP that said Costco customer service is top notch. On my way out of the store today, the receipt checker asked if I had any stamps or movie tix. I then remembered that I had forgotten to purchase movie tix (which are a great bargain at Costco). I was ready to forget about them, no way I was headed back in on a busy Saturday. He said, wait here, and I'll get a supervisor to ring you up right on the other side of the exit. Within a minute or two, a sup came with my 2 pairs, rang me up, and I was on merry way. How awesome was that!

[calebsmama03]

I'm surprised how many people are saying it is worth it for gas! Ours is never more than 5c cheaper than other local stations so it isn't worth my time to drive out there. I only get gas when I'm there for something else and the line is short. Milk, too. The price for organic milk at ours isn't much cheaper - I can usually get it cheaper by shopping the sales.

That said, YES. I find it to be totally worth it. Frozen organic fruits for smoothies, muffins, etc. Butter (I don't prefer their brand but when the rest is too pricey I buy it), hormone free cheese, Hillshire farms naturals lunch meat for school lunches, coconut oil, fish oil/vitamins, DS1's glasses, oregon chai concentrate, LED lightbulbs (!!) in addition to many other things I've seen mentioned already. I buy Jasmine rice in a giant bag and store in a rubbermaid container in the basement, refilling our pantry container as needed. I eat a lot of rice and even though it takes a year to get through it the price is around 65 cents a pound so more than worth it. Better than Bouillon soup base is dirt cheap.

[Mommy_Mea]

I'm surprised how many people are saying it is worth it for gas! Ours is never more than 5c cheaper than other local stations so it isn't worth my time to drive out there. I only get gas when I'm there for something else and the line is short.

Me too! I am always shocked by the huge lines to save 3 to 5 cents a gallon. Maybe people don't realize that is only $0.50 savings on a fill up? And they probably waste that idling in the lines 6 cars deep? It is nuts!

[khm]

Me too! I am always shocked by the huge lines to save 3 to 5 cents a gallon. Maybe people don't realize that is only $0.50 savings on a fill up? And they probably waste that idling in the lines 6 cars deep? It is nuts!

It must vary by location. I just looked up today's prices on a gas tracker type site, and regular was only 8 cents cheaper, but premium was 39 cents cheaper. Our Costco either doesn't have diesel or it doesn't show up on the gas tracker site, not sure.

So that can definitely at up! I don't get to use Costco gas all that often, but if I were closer, I'd surely use it b/c I am supposed to buy premium for my car and if I can get it for the same price as regular elsewhere.... why not?

[gymnbomb]

I'm surprised how many people are saying it is worth it for gas! Ours is never more than 5c cheaper than other local stations so it isn't worth my time to drive out there.

When I got gas at Costco it ranged from 5-20 cents cheaper than nearby gas stations. I would say the average was about 10 cents. But the big thing for me is that it was the closest place to get gas for me, so there was also an added convenience, not an extra drive.

Now our BJs gas is only 0-5 cents cheaper, so I only go there if I am driving by it and happen to need gas.


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[belovedgandp]

I have already stated my love for Costco, but do think it varies by location. Our house is exactly 5 miles from two different stores and the difference between the two stores is striking. The kids know I call the one "bad Costco."

The "bad" store has the most ridiculously designed parking lot. The checkout lines are always long. Doesn't matter that it is 11 on a Tuesday; still long.

The store that is my regular store is 8 miles from this one and completely different. Lines generally short and even when long they move fast. Parking lot is easily navigated even when crowded. Once in a blue moon I find myself at Costco on a weekend and I do question the sanity of that. It's amateur hour. DD and I go every Monday at 10:30 and can be in and out super fast. We can make our weekly trip to the store that is 5 miles away door to door from our house in under an hour and that usually involves stopping at the food court.

Our Sam's is closer but I've tried to love it and just can't. My parents have a membership there but the employees are rude and the place is always crowded. My mom buys me the items I need twice a year from there.

[hwin708]

I'll join the chorus discussing the great car rental deals. I just rented a car through Costco's site that came out to about $120 cheaper than the next lowest price I found anywhere else. And everywhere else, the lowest price was for their lowest model, a compact economy car. The Costco lowest price was for an SUV. Easily made back my $55 membership fee.

The gas at ours is pretty consistently $0.20 cheaper than the other gas stations around. I am lazy, so I don't go out of my way for a good gas deal, but Costco is regularly on my route home, so if I am passing it and low on gas, it's a no brainer. There are rarely any lines at mine for gas, and when they are, I find they run better and faster than the lines at the standard gas stations, which are smaller, and thus have lines just by the nature of there being only 4 pumps.

They occasionally do these membership checks to try to encourage people to switch to the executive membership. When you are checking out, their register will alert them if your spending indicates that you would save money by switching to the more expensive membership level. You get 2% back as an executive member, so they are basically letting you know when you spend enough to make the extra $55 of the executive membership back. I'm honestly too lazy to fill out the paperwork when I am checking out, so have never bothered. But it's nice that they do the math for you when it comes to the decision of which membership level to get.

[ett]

I'm surprised how many people are saying it is worth it for gas! Ours is never more than 5c cheaper than other local stations so it isn't worth my time to drive out there.

Checking online today the Costco gas is 28c cheaper than the closest gas station to my house. The Costco gas is 6c cheaper than the gas station I used to get gas at before Costco built their station, but getting gas at Costco is way more convenient for me as I'm already shopping there. Plus there's rarely a line and it's easy in, easy out as opposed to finagling my way around a tiny gas station.

[mommy111]

Seeing everyone saying they but their organic apples from costco, are the apples there organic? I find boatloads of apples but none says organic, and most of the produce is not (except for the spinach and the spring mix)

[khm]

Seeing everyone saying they but their organic apples from costco, are the apples there organic? I find boatloads of apples but none says organic, and most of the produce is not (except for the spinach and the spring mix)

I would say at mine, a large percentage of the produce is organic. Fresh and frozen! I get a lot of frozen fruit and frozen broccoli and frozen mixed veggie packs, they are all organic. For most things, I don't think there is a non-organic alternative. The lettuces we buy are all organic. Fresh berries are too. We honestly don't buy a lot of apples there for whatever reason, but there are a lot of varieties, I'm sure at least some are organic. I'm NOT in a particularly..... organic obsessed area, so I don't think it is driven by that. I wonder if it is just location and logistics.

[Simon]

Our Costco has both organic and conventional for fresh apples, berries, greens, and broccoli. I think we only have organic frozen fruits. I don't recall seeing organic citrus, but I could be wrong.

[AnnieW625]

Our Costco has both organic and conventional for fresh apples, berries, greens, and broccoli. I think we only have organic frozen fruits. I don't recall seeing organic citrus, but I could be wrong.

Same with ours and ours has organic bananas. Ours just got back the organic frozen chicken breasts:). Everything that is organic has a green sign next to it.

[missliss55]

YES! I was just there yesterday. :)

[Cam&Clay]

Here gas is easily 40 cents cheaper than gas from regular stations. It is very much worth it!

[SnuggleBuggles]

The gas prices at ours aren't amazing and they don't have car window squeegees so I only go if I really need gas and am there.

[knaidel]

After being on the fence for a while, I recently got a membership. It's about 40 minutes away from me, so I don't go that often. However, like a previous poster mentioned about Passover cheese, I keep kosher and I basically joined just for the insane savings on Empire kosher chicken/ turkey. I think that in the future, I am going to try to get it together enough to bring cash with me-- to curb some of the impulse shopping.

[twowhat?]

Yes, if it's a convenient drive. Ours is about 10 min away so close enough. We go about every other week. I buy most of our fruits there, and also some produce and block cheese (yum). We get bread and snacks there as well. We often buy a prepared dinner or two (meatloaf, salmon, pasta, chicken, etc). I don't tend to buy raw meats because it's all just too much for us and I prefer to buy smaller amounts at Sprouts.

Books for the kids, basic clothing (socks, tights, jackets) are great to have available if you find you suddenly need extras. Most of my jeans and pants are from Costco:) As well as some basics like hoodies, merino wool socks, flip flops, etc. Seasonal stuff is almost always a need - sunhats, goggles, winter gloves...

Christmas wrapping paper (we're still using our roll from literally 4 years ago LOL), Christmas gifts...

I found Simply Saline nasal spray in a 3-pack today for $12.99 I think - OMG SO MUCH CHEAPER than even when it's on sale at Target! I grabbed one because our kids use this stuff every day!

Dog treats. Dog toys. DOG BEDS - they have the best beds for the price! Our dog loooooooves her furry bed and the cover zips off for washing.

Eggs. Milk. Yogurt. Orange juice.

Kleenex. Toilet paper. Paper towels. Napkins.

Large purchases like TVs, Dyson...

We buy a lot from Costco and I agree with PPs that the hardest part is figuring out what to buy that works for your family so that you are likely to actually finish stuff before it goes bad.

[AnnieW625]

The gas prices at ours aren't amazing and they don't have car window squeegees so I only go if I really need gas and am there.

Yes to this. Our Von's gas station is almost equal to Costco's and they have window squeegees. :)

[calebsmama03]

Here gas is easily 40 cents cheaper than gas from regular stations. It is very much worth it!

I'm shocked by this! It's literally never been more than 10c from the next cheapest place here! For 40c I'd be there every week!

[RedSuedeShoes]

I'm shocked by this! It's literally never been more than 10cbfrom the next cheapest place here! For 40c I'd be there every week!


And I am shocked by this! It is regularly 40-50 cents cheaper per gallon here. Not worth it for me to drive there just for that, but if I'm anywhere near there I make sure to fill up.

[pastrygirl]

We live in BJ's land, and use it as our grocery store each week as it's less than a mile away. We also use it for gas; I'm not sure how much cheaper it is, but it's a significant difference especially since we need to use premium gas for both cars.

But, we're moving about 30 minutes away from the nearest BJ's, and will also be about 30 minutes from Costco. It's a Costco I used to go to when I lived in that town (pre-marriage/kids) and remember it being crowded. Yet, the BJ's that will be closest to us is in a very congested area. I'm going to have to try both and see if I end up back at Costco! I always loved their toilet paper, of all things. I remember missing that the most. Then I discovered a great BJ's toilet paper, but after a decade, they changed it and I hate it now.

[LD92599]

Fyi that in NJ for costco gas you do not need a membership! Our new costco opens next week, unfortunately further from home but i think closer to work.

[Bens Momma]

Thanks for all your replies! We decided to take the plunge and get a membership! DH was hesitant and was giving me a little grief about it, so I took him there the other day ;) He wasn't impressed with their clothing section, but did admit that there were good deals and a membership was smart. I will be re-reading your posts about favs and good deals. I have to say that you have to know your prices and know what you want/need or you could end up spending $$$. Selection was good, definitely not as much as BJs, but good enough. I think I can do a good % of our shopping there and supplement with other local stores. Gas & milk prices are amazing!! Have been able to get some decent organic produce although we'll see how this holds up as the seasons change. Feel free to continue to share your fav products and must haves!

Thanks!
Momma to 2 ACTIVE DS :bouncy::bouncy:
and the Third Musketeer :superhero: