I am not cut out for Costco

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just did a quick spreadsheet on Costco things vs Walmart. Coffee (Walmart starbucks much cheaper than costco brand), dish detergent (cascade platinum plus much cheaper at Walmart vs Costco)

I don't get the appeal. I would NEVER breach the doors of Costco for a couple burritos.

You can’t pay me to step foot in Walmart. Plus it’s a good 30-40 min away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Right before it snows is NEVER a good time for Costco. Let alone most people still are not back to work from the holidays. You picked a bad day to go.

+1 Wait a few weeks for the weather and holiday to calm down. This was a bad time to have your first Costco experience!

I’m less familiar with the MD stores but in VA, it’s known to avoid Fairfax, Sterling, and Pentagon City and to try Chantilly and Alexandria Mt. Vernon instead. Springfield is also not bad but they are smaller and don’t have as much stock. I’ve been to Woodbridge once and thought it was fine I just hate driving around there.

Just a humble brag. I live one mile from the Mt Vernon Costco. If the "light gods" are in my favor, I can be inside the Costco three minutes after I pull out of my driveway (yes, I've timed it!) It is the closest "grocery store" to my house and I will often stop by even if I only need one item. It is the smallest Costco I've ever been to so it doesn't carry as much stuff. We used to go to the Springfield/Newington one before ours opened - I occasionally still stop in there and it is HUGE compared to the Mt Vernon one.

I agree with so many other posters on here on times to go and times to avoid:

GO: right when they open or an hour before close. Late afternoon is also good - 3:00pm ish. It's too early for people getting off work. It's too close to elementary school pickup times. I usually gas up before they open (between 8:00am - 9:00am) and never have to wait.

NO GO: The day after a closure. The day before a closure or any holiday. Saturdays and Sundays. Lunchtime (11:00am - 1:00pm during the week.). The gas lines are usually crazy on Sunday nights - people topping off their tanks before the work week.

Hello neighbor! The Engleside Safeway is closer to me. The Lorton location is supposed to get gas pumps and I might just go there most of the time if that happens because the Mount Vernon is small and does seem to get a smaller selection of items. For instance, no rugelach at Mount Vernon.

Yes, there was a small low rise office building that shared a parking lot with the Springfield Costco, it has since been torn down and that’s where the gas station is supposed to go! Can’t wait! I’m not 100% on this but I’ve heard Costco is building all the new gas stations with car washes too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just did a quick spreadsheet on Costco things vs Walmart. Coffee (Walmart starbucks much cheaper than costco brand), dish detergent (cascade platinum plus much cheaper at Walmart vs Costco)

I don't get the appeal. I would NEVER breach the doors of Costco for a couple burritos.

You can’t pay me to step foot in Walmart. Plus it’s a good 30-40 min away.

I’m guessing PP uses Walmart Plus and gets items shipped. My husband braves Walmart 1-2x a year to stock up on certain things (it’s 15 minutes away for us) but it’s not my cup of tea so I don’t go.

[Anonymous]

OP I hear you.
I have been a Costco member for over 10 years. I know the best times to go to my DC store, and yet every time I have set foot into that place over the past 2 years I debate cancelling my membership. It's become way too annoying, the checkout folks are rude and get mad at me for not knowing exactly how they want things (and then the next time I go and remember to do as they asked, the new person has a different preference with how they want it.) Do you want my card in the divider so you can scan it ASAP or not? Do you want all the items out of my cart? Ok. Or wait, no you don't. Also I'm not convinced I'm saving that much now that Lidl is an option.
2025 is quite possibly my last year as a member.

[Anonymous]

Make sure to check out costco online. Shipping is free and they have amazing deals on high end beauty products - La Mer, Le Labo, Sisley, etc.

They offer 2 day shipping on toilet paper, coffee, etc if you spend $75 which is easy to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Make sure to check out costco online. Shipping is free and they have amazing deals on high end beauty products - La Mer, Le Labo, Sisley, etc.

They offer 2 day shipping on toilet paper, coffee, etc if you spend $75 which is easy to do.

Prices are lower in store though. They even tell you that when you order online.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make sure to check out costco online. Shipping is free and they have amazing deals on high end beauty products - La Mer, Le Labo, Sisley, etc.

They offer 2 day shipping on toilet paper, coffee, etc if you spend $75 which is easy to do.

Prices are lower in store though. They even tell you that when you order online.

Sure, but still a savings and often worth not having to go in.

Also, there are some items like the La Mer that are not in store.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gaithersburg is widely known as the worst Costco in the world. (My personal favorite Costco is the one on Kauai!).

The only good time to go to Gaithersburg Costco is 7 pm on a weekday when it is pretty close to empty. (My kid has a soccer practice near there.).

The Wheaton Costco is definitely better. The Laurel Costco is even better. The Frederick and Arundel costcos are my favorites in Maryland (although that random one of i95 is also okay). The College Park one is controversial.

We only go to Costco maybe 6 times a year so it’s easy to combine with other things when we are gojng to be near Arundel, laurel, Frederick, etc.

The worst Costco in the world is Pentagon City Costco in Alexandria.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just did a quick spreadsheet on Costco things vs Walmart. Coffee (Walmart starbucks much cheaper than costco brand), dish detergent (cascade platinum plus much cheaper at Walmart vs Costco)

I don't get the appeal. I would NEVER breach the doors of Costco for a couple burritos.

Did you compare to Kirkland brand and did you check the size of things? Kirkland brand items are pretty good.

[Anonymous]

You don’t go to Costco when it’s about to snow! ❄️ especially if you are a novice. You gotta know where everything is and have someone waiting in line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most people are not working the Friday after New Year’s Day. It’s the perfect time to take a few days off to have a five-day weekend.

I hear you though. Costco can be nuts at times.

The people at Costco are!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most people are not working the Friday after New Year’s Day. It’s the perfect time to take a few days off to have a five-day weekend.

I hear you though. Costco can be nuts at times.

This is possibly the most ignorant statement I have ever read on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people are not working the Friday after New Year’s Day. It’s the perfect time to take a few days off to have a five-day weekend.

I hear you though. Costco can be nuts at times.

This is possibly the most ignorant statement I have ever read on DCUM.

+1. It’s all the feds who have been off since 12/20.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gaithersburg is widely known as the worst Costco in the world. (My personal favorite Costco is the one on Kauai!).

The only good time to go to Gaithersburg Costco is 7 pm on a weekday when it is pretty close to empty. (My kid has a soccer practice near there.).

The Wheaton Costco is definitely better. The Laurel Costco is even better. The Frederick and Arundel costcos are my favorites in Maryland (although that random one of i95 is also okay). The College Park one is controversial.

We only go to Costco maybe 6 times a year so it’s easy to combine with other things when we are gojng to be near Arundel, laurel, Frederick, etc.

The worst Costco in the world is Pentagon City Costco in Alexandria. [/quote

The worst is Sunnyvale, CA. Imagine Gaithersburg but with richer, more entitled people, and much larger families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just did a quick spreadsheet on Costco things vs Walmart. Coffee (Walmart starbucks much cheaper than costco brand), dish detergent (cascade platinum plus much cheaper at Walmart vs Costco)

I don't get the appeal. I would NEVER breach the doors of Costco for a couple burritos.

You can’t pay me to step foot in Walmart. Plus it’s a good 30-40 min away.

They deliver free over $35 and often very quickly - some things arrive the same day.