They are much better to their workers than Amazon. So that helps make it attractive to us.

We really love Costco. We are a family of 4 and we have two boys in diapers, however, they are not formula fed and they don't eat much foods so what we save on diapers cancels the food savings of a normal 4 member household iwth older kids. The $5 rotisserie chicken sometimes save our lives, the lunch there as well. WE have the executive gold star membership which rewards 2% back and some years when I think we have not used our membership worth, we always get a check which pays for itself. Our favorite items to buy are wine, movie tickets, diapers, vitamins, nuts, pure syrup, beer, frozen foods, household items like toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags, laundry detergent, dish washing detergent, bona, pasta, pasta sauce, soap, shampoo, boys clothing, socks, underwear items for the whole family, organic blueberries, raisin bread, can goods (you get teh point, most of our items aren't all baby items but more universal to most families). Everything really adds up. I think Costco really put a lot of thought into what they purchase to sell to their members. Every trip I make to Costco, we always find something useful. We also had the executive gold star membership when we didn't have kids, but we bought a lot of furniture as we had bought and sold 3 properties and each property required a little more furniture. With this said, Costco is also less then 3 miles from us so we can make trips on a whim if we wanted to. I say it would be worth it if Costco was a short distance from you or you like thoughtful and helpful products.

Worth it for the gas alone, but I live nearby.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Costco is basically screwed because of Amazon and Wal-Mart. They need to either open more stores or start selling more stuff online.

You buy groceries and fresh and frozen food on Amazon?

Amazon just entered the grocery market, but I don't think it's available in DC yet. I buy most non-food items from Amazon using Subscribe & Save.

We were members for at least 10 years. Once I started using Amazon Prime, Costco was no longer worth the money.

Anonymous wrote:Costco is basically screwed because of Amazon and Wal-Mart. They need to either open more stores or start selling more stuff online.

You buy groceries and fresh and frozen food on Amazon?

Costco is basically screwed because of Amazon and Wal-Mart. They need to either open more stores or start selling more stuff online.

The hordes of people in the store everyday think it is worth it.

OP here-We are a family of 4 and no more diapers (yippee!). Kids are elementary age so we need lunch box stuff. I do have a large freezer and room to store bulk items, but I could never tell if I was really saving money when I bought there. We let our membership lapse, but I am thinking about renewing since we are trying to cut expenses and eat at home more.

We now have a gas station. 100% worth it.

Part of what makes it "worth it" to us is that I can do so much of our shopping in one place. One big trip to costco and we have 95% of what we need for the month.

definitely worth it. I buy dry goods, spaghetti sauce, meat, beer, cheese, fish, paper products, cleaning products, toothpaste, mouthwash, allergy med/motrin/vitamins, Front Line for the dogs, etc. I shop at farmers markets or the regular grocery store for my produce and I get most of my dairy/bread from the grocery store.

We have a freezer and believe me I fill that up.

I've been asking myself the same question. We are a family of 4 with no one in diapers anymore. We've had a membership for more than a decade and no doubt we have saved on some big purchases (laptops, cameras) as well as on diapers, wipes, soap, shampoo, and other toiletries.

For food items, I think it would be worth it if I shopped there every week or even every month but it's a hassle. We still get coffee, bread, and some frozen items but even with a family of 4 who eat lots of fruits and vegetables it's hard for us to get through everything if we buy produce there.

I think it depends on how large your family is. I am just finishing my first (and last) year of Costco membership. I did it for the diapers and wipes, but I can save just as much, or come very close, with Amazon Mom discount, so won't be renewing. Most of the food items were just too large for us, and the other great deals/products (e.g., beach towels) don't make up for the membership. I think if there were more people in the household, it would be worth it.

Do you find a membership at a place like Costco to actually save you money on your groceries and household supplies?