Is costco worth the money?

[freefreed]

I have the Executive membership and it pays for it self easily! Now will that change with my new way of life? (couponing) I don't know...

My reasons for having a costco members:

1. Kirkland garbage bags... are the BEST and the only one I will buy... now this may change because our garbage pick up is changing next month, so high quality bags may not be required

2. Their Clothing! I am to fat for anything they sell, but we get the boys clothing and most of hubbies clothing there... as we can't get those deals anywhere and still let the boys dress in brandnames.

3. Kirkland TP... Now this will change... with couponing I have try other brands, in hopes of finding a few I like that I can stock up on for cheap... So far I HATE Royale, even complained and get some coupons sent to me... so TP for the Food bank they became.

4. Dog Treats... The have the best deal ever on duck jerky and chicken jerky... and our pup only gets the best!

Other then that I could do with out!

[ah2k]

Yes, you can use the gift card without a membership.

Thanks for clarifying.
But you just don't get to use those coupons right?

[IRefuseToPayFullPrice]

1. Pharmacy dispensing fee - $4.11 (compared to $11.99 to the pharmacy attached to our family doctor's office)
2. Tire centre - Got Bridgestones for cheaper than no name brands at other retailers
3. Return policy - already discussed by a few posters above
4. Bakery - Their carrot cake is to die for!
5. Free photofinishing - All you have to do is wait for an online code for free photofinishing.
6. Baby formula - If I run out of Similac cheques, their Kirkland baby formula is $18.99 (compared to $28.99 Similac Advance) and very comparable in quality.

[Starbaby55]

1. Pharmacy dispensing fee - $4.11

A pharmacist told me the other day that you don't have to be a member of Costco to use the pharmacy.

[BCSparkyGirl]

Thanks for clarifying.
But you just don't get to use those coupons right?

I think those coupons you are thinking of are not coupons, they just advertise the items on sale that week, and that is taken off at the till.

[tjthemanto]

Alright, so this is what I want to know, basically- can you find really, truly amazing deals on items (essential needs, really) at costco? Should I save my half of the 55 (splitting with mom) and just coupon? I really want to know!

Also, if you can give me any feedback on the store in Moncton, as well as that huuuuuuuuge one in Halifax, that would be great!

Depends if you buy in bulk & if you have lots of storage space/freezer etc where things won't go bad & be wasted if you buy in bulk .

I don't think Costco accepts MFR coupons unless they are thet are their own Costco coupons ... so with coupons & Price matches you can get stuff cheaper outside too if you want .

Costco Pharmacy is also really good .. they have really low prescription charges as compared to other place ... & you DON'T need Costco membership to use their pharmacy as by law they have to give you access to it

Also you can ask your friends or family who are Costco members to buy Costco Gift Cards for you ( & you pay them for it ) . You can walk into any Costco with these GC & use them .. you don't have to be a member to use the Costco GC

So there are still ways to shop at Costco without paying their membership fees

Costco is good for people who like to buy club sized products & have lot of consumption in their homes . Also Costco customer service & return policis on electronics etc are generally much better & lenient than most other stores like Wal Mart , Future Shop , Best Buy etc ..so there are pros & cons of Costco ..its upto to you what your individual needs are .

Plus some items are Costco exclusive which are really hard to find anywhere else .. sometimes just one really good deal or exclusive item bought can help you recover your entire $ 55 fee , if you are lucky

Me personally I wouldn't pay $ 55 to shop @ Costco , but my needs today are different & they might change tomorrow in which case it might be worth it for me to pay the $ 55 , but as of today NO I wouldn't pay that .

[tjthemanto]

Thanks for clarifying.
But you just don't get to use those coupons right?

Yes they only accept their own COSTCO coupons , not MFR ones the ones we use in other stores .. ( I think ..not sure though ) ..Costco members might know more about this

[tjthemanto]

A pharmacist told me the other day that you don't have to be a member of Costco to use the pharmacy.

That's true ..by law they have to give you access to their pharmacy whether you are a member or not .

Costco generally has the lowest price on drugs + prescription/dispensing charges in Canada .

[travelgeek]

Yes they only accept their own COSTCO coupons , not MFR ones the ones we use in other stores .. ( I think ..not sure though ) ..Costco members might know more about this

they do not accept any mfr ones at all and you can't use any costco ones without a membership.

[linaka54]

I personally love this store. I think they have the best beef around, also the garbage bags and TP like others mentioned. At Christmas and in summer they get all kinds of different seasonal stuff you can't find elsewhere and the prices tend to be really good. Their return policy is the best anywhere I believe. They have a no questions asked policy and I had an associate one time tell me they don't need to know the reason you are bringing it back, you don't want it and that is all they need to know. I also buy canned dog food there. It is about 22.00 for a case of 24 and when I priced it at Superstore it was 1.79 a can. With 3 dogs that adds up very quickly and probably pays for my membership right there. They also have frequent and excellant photo finishing offers. Books and childrens books especially are very resonable and magazines are 25% off. If you like seasonal flowers or buy them for gifts, they have great prices. Also great prices on cut flowers. If you watch online for the specials, things like freezer bags, sandwich bags etc come on dirt cheap when they have coupons running. Bread that Safeway charges 4.59 a loaf is three loaves for about 6.50 at Costco. Hamburger and hotdog buns are really cheap and they are nice buns. And you cannot beat their prices on lunch meat I don't think. When I go to other stores if I run out I get a real shock at how much lunch meat is elsewhere. But like always, you have to know your prices as not everything is a good deal there. Milk I can buyer cheaper at Walmart, same with margerine usually. I don't buy much in produce as the quantities are too large for our family.

[ah2k]

Yeah, when I'm there I've noticed some things can be cheaper somewhere else.

I always wonder about toilet paper, so next time I'm going to check their prices.
But for sure, they have some things cheaper than other places.

Like almond butter and agave nectar... it's like 8 dollars each for small containers in stores, but Costco sells them in larger containers for less than that price.

I'm not sure about peanut butter though. The kirkland one for 8/9 dollars seems a little expensive. But i think it's because it's organic or natural or something...

[cjunk]

I am a couponer a bargain shopper and a Costco member.

If you find you need at least 1 or 2 generic Christmas gifts, the inexpensive xmas baskets and 3 packs of xmas decorations are amazing savings at usually around 10.00 (great for Secret Santa), same with some of the boxes of chocolates like the 2 pack of boxed truffles for 9.99 that are huge and delicious and look classy.

If you are an avid reader of bestsellers the books are the cheapest I can find when first released.

If you are into printing photos then the photolab offers free prints online often with promo codes and their photo xmas cards are an awesome price.

Electronics often go on sale there as do items like bath towels, throw carpets etc. a few times per year.

Meat is usually pretty well priced also.

If you are throwing a big party the h'orderves like the spanakopita at 6.00 for a large box (of I think 50 or more?) are excellent.

Tires for cars as well as BBQ propane are also reasonable.

[justamy]

i'm a big costco fan! we're a family of 6 so food & household items go FAST around here and buying in bulk is a must!

i adore their cooked chickens and buy them every time i go. $6.99 and WAY bigger than the pathetic little ones from the grocery store. we buy a LOT of meat, lunch meat, frozen veggies, all our dairy items, kirkland household wipes (amazing!), detergent etc...gifts, decorations & toys that come out this time of year are FABULOUS buys. the clothes are nice too! i got a couple rock & republic t's for $10 in the summer, just got my dishes and matching serving pieces (service for 8) for only $90!! the pharmacy is amazing, their prices on generic over the counter meds/creams can NOT be beat. they have a lot of things i can't get elsewhere & for MUCH better price. dh & the kids really enjoy the food court there too

our location just got a gas bar and we're really enjoying the savings on gas too!

[IRefuseToPayFullPrice]

Oh I forgot...Vitamins! Their vitamin prices are fantastic. Their prenatal vitamins (270 ct., 9 month supply) is only $8.99 while the Materna brand is I think $14.99 for 100 ct. The children's gummy and chewable vitamins are also priced much lower than anywhere else.

[Fozzie]

I have an Executive membership. Last rebate cheque was $140 so well worth it for us. I do notice that I purchase less of some items now that the kids are grown. Having said that, their meat is second to none. I absolutely will not purchase meat from any other source unless I buy it locally. Will Costco stop me from couponing? Nope. No way but it will always have a place in my life.

Thanks for letting me know I can purchase a gift card for someone as a gift. I never knew I could do that for someone who doesn't have a card.