I gave up my Costco membership last year as was finding I wasn't using it enough. I am reconsidering joining, simply due to the fact that I am having trouble finding items in bulk on sale. I have the room to store large quantities, as we have a scrawl space under all of the 1700 sq foot bungalow. A bulk store recently opened up in our town but I was unimpressed with the prices as can do better simply by buying in large quantity.
This week I bought 8 kg (approx 17.5 lbs) of rice for $13.99 which is not a great deal. Last year I paid approximately $3 less for the same bag. This month normally brings sales on rice but I desperately needed rice last week so finally bit the bullet and bought it at the regular price. If I see some on sale now I will still buy it and store it.
I also bought 20 lbs of potatoes for $8 which is an ok deal but not great. The cheapest we generally see the same amount here is usually $5 for 20 lbs in the fall. We eat a fair amount of potatoes and some are currently being stored in the garage which is never heated and nice and cool this time of year.
I prefer to shop local and don't consider Costco to be local, however, they do employ a large amount of people (including one of my stepsons as a meat-cutter) and treat their employees well. So what do you my readers, think. Should I jump back on the Costco bandwagon as now prefer to buy in large quantity bulk and can now split costs/purchases with my Mother who just moved here? I now have less time to scope out bargains and do use coupons but find I am using less and less based on all the scratch cooking we do.
Anyone a die hard Costco shopper? Thoughts?
Love these money savings tips, I remember the awe I felt when going with someone to a bulk grocery store recently. The prices! So low! but nope, I don't have a membership to one. They're all far away. I do work one day a week in a raw vegan kitchen to take advantage of the generous bulk food discounts they offer us workers though. Love saving money on food, it can be so inexpensive if you let it.
ReplyDeleteLocation is key, in Alberta the Costco was so far away I had to spend two hours just to go there, shop and come home. The one by us now is a five minute drive, and on the way home from my part-time job. Great deal on your vegan kitchen discounts!
DeleteI love Costco too and we did renew this year after about 4 yrs of deciding not to. But we don't have one on PEI, which means a 2 hour drive to Moncton NB and $50 to cross the big bridge that connects us. Not very frugal! However, we like to make a day of it and hit all the other stores we don't have here and do lunch, etc.
ReplyDeleteNo Costco on PEI? What are they crazy? Wow, I am not sure if I would go if it was 2 hrs away but I imagine, like you say, there are other things you combine the trip with.
DeleteEvery now and then I miss being able to go to Sams Club, but I spent way too much money there and buying in bulk didn't really save us that much when I compared it to local supermarket sales. I think though if you have someone to split the cost with, then it's worth it. There are good prices on other things besides food in those clubs.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it the TV in our bedroom came from Costco, and two of the pair of pants, (both over 3 years old) in hubbys closet came from Costco. They do have lots of non-food item deals!
DeleteI have a membership because there are certain things I can get there much cheaper like cereal, vitamins, nuts, spices and so on. Just the Agave syrup itself saves me big bucks. But I'm not a die hard. I let my membership lapse for a couple of years and didn't really miss it. I got one again mostly because I buy stuff in bulk to use at school with our breakfast program and little store that we run. I'll probably let it lapse when I retire.
ReplyDeleteIt seems everyone has their favorite go to item at Costco. Hubby found some items for our business so that might actually help pay for the membership too. If it wasn't so convenient I am not sure we would do it but it is really just down the road from us.
DeleteWe are still members... tin foil, parchment paper, ice melter, windshield washer fluid etc are easier to buy in one store in bulk than having to visit several stores. Out nearest Costco is and hour and a half away so we only go a few times per year.
ReplyDeleteJane x
I immediately spotted the parchment paper, only started cooking with it this year and LOVE it! So am taking advantage of that as it rarely goes on sale.
DeleteI've never been, but we have had memberships to bulk food stores before (Sam's Club) but didn't use it. We have little storage and there is just two of us. I'm hoping to buy pistachio's though!
ReplyDeleteI think we are going to make the membership back in OTCs alone as can only travel to the USA approx every six months or so. Fortunately, storage is not an issue here.
DeleteI live in the Valley and have a Costco membership that will soon expire. I will not be renewing it as I really don't shop there enough. But on the other hand if I had someone to share the membership with and go shopping together I might reconsider.
ReplyDeleteI agree, in the end I will be sharing the membership with my Mother. Hopefully we can split the cost of membership and also split larger items like bags of veggies
DeleteDo you have a friend with a Costco card who could go shopping with you occasionally? Maybe shop for yourself and your mother a couple times a year? We dont do enough shopping at Costco to justify the cost of the card but about twice a year the SIL comes to visit and takes us to Costco to do a big shopping of stuff we use (like a roll of aluminum foil that will last us literally more than a year or a giant bottle of laundry detergent that lasts us six months).
ReplyDeleteBecause I recently moved to this area unfortunately I don't have a friend that could take me, but hopefully the membership will pay for itself. It is within 1 mile of our house and on the way home so I expect to be shopping there fairly regularly. Cheers!
DeleteWe don't have a Costco or Sams Club membership but we have talked about it. Diapers are a lot cheaper usually. I also like buying canned goods there and nonperishables like rice there. $8 for 20 pounds is kind of expensive I think. Potatoes are often a loss leader here.
ReplyDeletePotatoes usually can be found cheaper but not for the last few weeks and I missed some of the Christmas sales. Oh well, I will keep my eye out and if they go low enough get a whole bunch. I always wondered what Sam's Club was like, heard good things, we don't have them in Canada unfortunately
DeleteI am a big Costco fan now that there is one less than 1/2 hour away I am in my glory. Not just for bulk food I like the tarps, automotive,appliances, tools and so on.
ReplyDeleteThe first place hubby went was to the tire department lol, I have a feeling we are going to be buying a lot more items than groceries there.
DeleteCostco is one of the few big box stores that I respect. I like their ethics, and I would be proud to shop there! We have a BJS warehouse club near us, and the one really good thing about them is that they take coupons, which the other warehouse stores don't do. My friend and I do a "swap" thing. I belong to Costco and she belongs to BJS and we bring each other shopping so its like we belong to two clubs for the price of one!
ReplyDeleteCostco is the only membership club (that I am aware of) in Canada, I kind of wish they had more competition but at least they bring a selection to smaller places like Vancouver Island.
DeleteWe received a Costco card this year from our friend. We aren't sure how it worked, but she says it doesn't cost extra for her to have us on her account. Maybe it was a special offer to get new members in our local area and next year it will have a membership fee. We do shop there about once a month, but buy only a few items. My favourite is the bags of raw nuts. I love them for baking and eating as snacks. - Margy
ReplyDeleteI definitely noticed they have some items I just cannot get locally too, their bulk spices seemed cheaper even than the Bulk Barn in town.
DeleteStores like Costco tempt me too much. I buy stuff I normally would pass by. I can't join, it would be to my detriment!
ReplyDeleteI am going to have to reign myself in from the temptation for sure, that and perhaps leave hubby at home and away from their gadgets (he already found something he was wanting to buy - noise cancelling headphones lol)
DeleteI love Costco. I like buying in bulk but I can get into trouble far easier than any other store. I find staples to be priced well. My mother did the research and she says it's cheaper to shop the sales at the grocery stores than to buy most things at Costco. But I'm a fan of one stop shopping.
ReplyDeleteYou and many others love Costco! I am going to try and stay away from the prepared foods and stick to the basics. I have shopped the sales in the past and found lower prices but - in saying that have less time now and will still do both. There are a few items there that other stores can't touch the prices on. Sometimes the price is the same but quality is better ie porkchops we found this weekend.
DeleteNow that I'm full-timing in a 24 foot motor home I seldom have a Costco nearby, and no room for storing things. But I keep up my membership, sometimes my former husband kicks in and renews it (he's on it with me), so the membership fee works out well over time. I love their electronics, their fresh fruit and veggies (especially artichokes in season) , Jelly Bellies, OTC meds - they seem to have so many things I can't get elsewhere for anywhere near the same price. And they have a super good return policy. I've returned many things over the years, and never felt bad about it because they are totally non-judgmental. If you don't like it, they take it back. I think it's overall my favorite store, but for now, I only stop there sporadically and once in a while on-line. My current laptop, which I LOVE, was purchased there a year ago and I just bought AA batteries there in bulk and had them shipped. If you use the membership, the cost will be made up very quickly. :)
ReplyDeleteWe bought it and you are right, I think we will be saving on OTCs when we can't buy them in the USA (there are a couple of things here like hubby's allergy medication that is not yet approved in the USA and the only thing that seems to work for him)
DeleteI think renewing your membership would be a great idea CC, esp if you can share the cost with your Mum.
ReplyDeleteRegarding your previous post, you and I are on the same page. When I posted about doing an extra trip to Africa recently, people probably thought I was being indulgent but like you saving for travel is what I do! I make no apologies and I don't go out and buy specialty tea for sure.
Sft x
You absolutely are not being indulgent! You and your hubby saved long and hard to pay off your mortgage, you are already saving for retirement, travel is what you spend your money on! Cheers
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