How do y'all deal with Costco??? Is it worth it?

[Anonymous]

We do delivery for a lot of non refrigerated goods from Costco. It's worth paying. A little more and still cheaper than local.grocery stores. There is no Walmart really close to us in MoCo.

[Anonymous]

I love Costco and other than the parking lot it’s not that bad honestly. I found my kitchen aid mixer there for a great price. Their clothes is decent too for lounge stuff and my teens briefs, for example

[Anonymous]

it doesn't take much to make it worth it. for instance, we switched over to a tmobile phone recently. the tmobile at costco gave 400 dollars in costco credit for doing so. the tmobile store did not.

if it is close to you you could save on gas every week.

we don't use it a lot, but i feel like we get our money's worth with just two people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It entirely depends on what you buy, but you can definitely save a lot of money. Last night I paid $5.99 for quart of half and half at Safeway. I know 1000% the same brand at Costco is $2.99. Huge savings.

+1. Every single thing I buy at Costco is cheaper and better than the equivalent at the grocery store. If not, I buy it at the grocery store, which I have to go to anyway for things I don't want/can't get at Costco. But I usually spend less than $50/week at the grocery store and $100-$150/week at Costco. If Costco isn't saving you money, you are doing it wrong.

+2. My kids eat tons of sliced Pepperidge Farm bread. $5.79 for 2 loaves at Costco. Regular price $4.99 for 1 loaf at Giant. Sometimes Costco even has it on sale.

See this makes me think that Pepperidge Farm is selling an inferior product to Costco and Costco is fine selling that because its customers just value price and size and are happy because of PF labeling. Like they're using odds and ends ingredients in these loaves or are slicing them a bit thinner or are using even cheaper preservatives and fillers but the customer would never realize it. I realize huge retailers like Costco negotiate hard with manufacturers and manufacturers want to supply them bc of the sheer volume of product moved, but PF selling bread at basically 50% of the price to Costco than it is to Giant, HT etc. makes me NOT want to go running to Costco.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It entirely depends on what you buy, but you can definitely save a lot of money. Last night I paid $5.99 for quart of half and half at Safeway. I know 1000% the same brand at Costco is $2.99. Huge savings.

+1. Every single thing I buy at Costco is cheaper and better than the equivalent at the grocery store. If not, I buy it at the grocery store, which I have to go to anyway for things I don't want/can't get at Costco. But I usually spend less than $50/week at the grocery store and $100-$150/week at Costco. If Costco isn't saving you money, you are doing it wrong.

+2. My kids eat tons of sliced Pepperidge Farm bread. $5.79 for 2 loaves at Costco. Regular price $4.99 for 1 loaf at Giant. Sometimes Costco even has it on sale.

See this makes me think that Pepperidge Farm is selling an inferior product to Costco and Costco is fine selling that because its customers just value price and size and are happy because of PF labeling. Like they're using odds and ends ingredients in these loaves or are slicing them a bit thinner or are using even cheaper preservatives and fillers but the customer would never realize it. I realize huge retailers like Costco negotiate hard with manufacturers and manufacturers want to supply them bc of the sheer volume of product moved, but PF selling bread at basically 50% of the price to Costco than it is to Giant, HT etc. makes me NOT want to go running to Costco.

That’s a bizarre theory, sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally depends on which one you go to and when you go.

But the Pentagon City one is the inner circle of hell no matter when you go, FWIW.

And this is the one closest for me. Sigh.

Go to the DC Costco, at least you can buy liquor there! The only one in the region unless you’re driving to Delaware.

+1 I’m the Wheaton Costco PP above but I go to DC once or twice a year to stock up on booze.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It entirely depends on what you buy, but you can definitely save a lot of money. Last night I paid $5.99 for quart of half and half at Safeway. I know 1000% the same brand at Costco is $2.99. Huge savings.

+1. Every single thing I buy at Costco is cheaper and better than the equivalent at the grocery store. If not, I buy it at the grocery store, which I have to go to anyway for things I don't want/can't get at Costco. But I usually spend less than $50/week at the grocery store and $100-$150/week at Costco. If Costco isn't saving you money, you are doing it wrong.

+2. My kids eat tons of sliced Pepperidge Farm bread. $5.79 for 2 loaves at Costco. Regular price $4.99 for 1 loaf at Giant. Sometimes Costco even has it on sale.

See this makes me think that Pepperidge Farm is selling an inferior product to Costco and Costco is fine selling that because its customers just value price and size and are happy because of PF labeling. Like they're using odds and ends ingredients in these loaves or are slicing them a bit thinner or are using even cheaper preservatives and fillers but the customer would never realize it. I realize huge retailers like Costco negotiate hard with manufacturers and manufacturers want to supply them bc of the sheer volume of product moved, but PF selling bread at basically 50% of the price to Costco than it is to Giant, HT etc. makes me NOT want to go running to Costco.

That’s a bizarre theory, sorry.

NP here. Might be bizarre but it isn't as impossible as you'd think. I have a cousin who owns a small commercial bakery - no where near the size and scope of Pepperidge Farm, nor do they sell to the likes of Costco. Using cheap inputs is done all the time and it isn't a sneaky thing. Retailers come to them and say - we need to make $x profit per loaf but if we price it more than $y per loaf, we know the product won't sell, make us a cheaper product. And the manufacturer does just that. Sometimes they'll cut the size of the existing product negligibly, and sometimes - yes they will use cheaper inputs to lessen the cost of the product. Gone are the days where a retailer demands a cut rate price and the manufacturer dutifully continues to provide the best product possible while taking a haircut themselves.

YMMV but I think there are already so many additives in US food that aren't used worldwide + US food is already so cheap relative to the rest of the world, that I really don't want to be running to buy THE absolute cheapest thing I can find just because of price/quantity.

FWIW I have multiple friends who've bragged soooo much about how healthy eating is so much easier and cheaper now because they buy 20 lb bags of salmon or cod or whatever from Costco. Every single time I've been treated to one of these fish dinners, the fish has been stringy and not the quality you can buy at a fish market or even a good grocery story like Publix (down where I am in the south) or Harris Teeter in NoVA. Which makes sense bc if Costco is selling you fish at 1/2 the price, something is gotta give in terms of quality somewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never, ever go on a weekend if I could help it. 10:30 on like a Wednesday is the only time I’ll go.

This!!!! I go to the pentagon city one and never between thanksgiving and new year's.

That Costco is nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It entirely depends on what you buy, but you can definitely save a lot of money. Last night I paid $5.99 for quart of half and half at Safeway. I know 1000% the same brand at Costco is $2.99. Huge savings.

+1. Every single thing I buy at Costco is cheaper and better than the equivalent at the grocery store. If not, I buy it at the grocery store, which I have to go to anyway for things I don't want/can't get at Costco. But I usually spend less than $50/week at the grocery store and $100-$150/week at Costco. If Costco isn't saving you money, you are doing it wrong.

+2. My kids eat tons of sliced Pepperidge Farm bread. $5.79 for 2 loaves at Costco. Regular price $4.99 for 1 loaf at Giant. Sometimes Costco even has it on sale.

See this makes me think that Pepperidge Farm is selling an inferior product to Costco and Costco is fine selling that because its customers just value price and size and are happy because of PF labeling. Like they're using odds and ends ingredients in these loaves or are slicing them a bit thinner or are using even cheaper preservatives and fillers but the customer would never realize it. I realize huge retailers like Costco negotiate hard with manufacturers and manufacturers want to supply them bc of the sheer volume of product moved, but PF selling bread at basically 50% of the price to Costco than it is to Giant, HT etc. makes me NOT want to go running to Costco.

No, that's not how it works. Costco basically sells its items at cost and makes the majority of its profit in membership fees. But its totally fine with me if you don't want to shop there. More for us!

[Anonymous]

6am? Sir, they don't open until 10am. And yes for our large family it's definitely worth it. Can't imagine shopping there for a family of 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It entirely depends on what you buy, but you can definitely save a lot of money. Last night I paid $5.99 for quart of half and half at Safeway. I know 1000% the same brand at Costco is $2.99. Huge savings.

+1. Every single thing I buy at Costco is cheaper and better than the equivalent at the grocery store. If not, I buy it at the grocery store, which I have to go to anyway for things I don't want/can't get at Costco. But I usually spend less than $50/week at the grocery store and $100-$150/week at Costco. If Costco isn't saving you money, you are doing it wrong.

+2. My kids eat tons of sliced Pepperidge Farm bread. $5.79 for 2 loaves at Costco. Regular price $4.99 for 1 loaf at Giant. Sometimes Costco even has it on sale.

See this makes me think that Pepperidge Farm is selling an inferior product to Costco and Costco is fine selling that because its customers just value price and size and are happy because of PF labeling. Like they're using odds and ends ingredients in these loaves or are slicing them a bit thinner or are using even cheaper preservatives and fillers but the customer would never realize it. I realize huge retailers like Costco negotiate hard with manufacturers and manufacturers want to supply them bc of the sheer volume of product moved, but PF selling bread at basically 50% of the price to Costco than it is to Giant, HT etc. makes me NOT want to go running to Costco.

No, that's not how it works. Costco basically sells its items at cost and makes the majority of its profit in membership fees. But its totally fine with me if you don't want to shop there. More for us!

Costco also has "seasonal" items. They buy in bulk at a discount. When they run out, they aren't getting a shipment next week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It entirely depends on what you buy, but you can definitely save a lot of money. Last night I paid $5.99 for quart of half and half at Safeway. I know 1000% the same brand at Costco is $2.99. Huge savings.

+1. Every single thing I buy at Costco is cheaper and better than the equivalent at the grocery store. If not, I buy it at the grocery store, which I have to go to anyway for things I don't want/can't get at Costco. But I usually spend less than $50/week at the grocery store and $100-$150/week at Costco. If Costco isn't saving you money, you are doing it wrong.

+2. My kids eat tons of sliced Pepperidge Farm bread. $5.79 for 2 loaves at Costco. Regular price $4.99 for 1 loaf at Giant. Sometimes Costco even has it on sale.

See this makes me think that Pepperidge Farm is selling an inferior product to Costco and Costco is fine selling that because its customers just value price and size and are happy because of PF labeling. Like they're using odds and ends ingredients in these loaves or are slicing them a bit thinner or are using even cheaper preservatives and fillers but the customer would never realize it. I realize huge retailers like Costco negotiate hard with manufacturers and manufacturers want to supply them bc of the sheer volume of product moved, but PF selling bread at basically 50% of the price to Costco than it is to Giant, HT etc. makes me NOT want to go running to Costco.

You have it backwards. Costco stops selling items that fall beneath a quality threshold or if its cost gets too high. And if you think anything you buy is not up to standards, they have one of the best return policies in the business. They’re the larges wine distributor in the US, they sell rotisserie chicken at a loss ($4.99) and haven’t raised the price on food court hot dogs in 30 years, huge whole pepperoni pizzas are $10. You don’t understand Costco. But that’s fine with us.

[Anonymous]

I started a thread about a year ago regarding the anxiety that Costco caused me. I've never seen the hype with the store; I ended my membership after trying it out again last year.

They don't have enough of what I want, and frankly, you can buy bulk from Walmart and Amazon without the headache of the parking lot and aggressive shoppers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started a thread about a year ago regarding the anxiety that Costco caused me. I've never seen the hype with the store; I ended my membership after trying it out again last year.

They don't have enough of what I want, and frankly, you can buy bulk from Walmart and Amazon without the headache of the parking lot and aggressive shoppers.

I don't think anyone living has ever preferred the Walmart parking lot over Costco's.

[Anonymous]

Costco is basically Walmart for the over 125k median income folks. It’s also a mental illness if you ask me - no it isn’t cheaper nor better quality - just allows people to stuff themselves more. Yes I’ve tried it but wasn’t for me. I do appreciate it as a shareholder though so keep on buying 600 granola bars at a time, thx.