Costco... New SC question...

[steffferickson]

Hi there,
I am new to couponing and i was wondering if costco was worth getting the membership since they only take instore coupons...
like everyone else on this site, i wanna get the best bang for my buck!!!

[baybey_doll]

hmmmmm i never thought of that as costco is more than an hour away

[skingdon]

I have a costco membership but since I started couponing I definitely do not spend as much money there. However I do find that they are better for some things. I buy eggs and mixed greens there monthly as they are cheaper and I like there eggs the best. I also buy my sour cream and cream cheese there and some medications. So I think depending on what you are buying it is worth it.

[HMW]

I love costco for the non-food items like gifts, books and clothes. I read a money saving book once that said you got the best deals at big box stores but who knows if they were taking coupons into account.

[steffferickson]

I have a costco membership but since I started couponing I definitely do not spend as much money there. However I do find that they are better for some things. I buy eggs and mixed greens there monthly as they are cheaper and I like there eggs the best. I also buy my sour cream and cream cheese there and some medications. So I think depending on what you are buying it is worth it.

well i love me my mixed greens; i cant have nothing but the best eggs; sour creme is delicious and i cant eat my morning bagel without my cream cheese!!! :D
how are the meat and cheese to buy there? cheaper than RCSS or Save-On?

[steffferickson]

I love costco for the non-food items like gifts, books and clothes. I read a money saving book once that said you got the best deals at big box stores but who knows if they were taking coupons into account.

good advice!

[Nikkie84]

A close friend of mine has a costco membership, she does all her meat shopping there and she says it saves her hundreds a month, mind, she doesnt coupon at all, and they eat like they have 3 times the expendable income they have, so i can't really say whether that's useful, I do know my husband will only buy steaks there though. for 20-25$ you get a pack of 4-6 MASSIVE steaks, really tender and juicy, for my family (2adults & 4y/o) its at least 2-3 meals, my husband is the only real steak efficianado in our family, but even he can't eat a whole one. So at least when it comes to the steak meals, we've found it to be a great money saver. That said, we go with my friend and give her the money, so we don't have a costco membership.

The costco by my house also has the best gas prices in my area by at least a cent (Today: 115.4 there compared to 116.9-121.9elsewhere nearby). another plus for their membership.

[Reaper1001]

This took some hard research initially but it is not really worth buying the goldstar membership unless you spend a lot of money there. The best method is to aquire a gift card. This can be done by simply having a friend buy one for you. It can be in any dollar amount however if you spend more then the gift card you must pay cash (maybe debit not a 100% on that one). You walk through the exit and go to customer service and ask for a day pass as you have a gift card. They will try to sell you a membership just say you want to see if it is worth it. Enjoy free samples.

I usually get a $100 card since that lasts me 3 trips as all I usually want is candy and ziploc bags.

[coffeejunkie]

If you wait for a sale on cheese, it's worth it. I buy cod, cottage cheese (much cheaper), eggs (omega 3), books, etc. For other things and food items, I try to wait till they go on sale. If your family's small, it might not make sense as you need to buy large quantities of everything. If you use coupons, I say, do not buy razors, hair & cleaning products as you can always get them for free or nearly free. I purchased Nexxus shampoo & conditioner about a month ago; the price was good (or so I thought). Now I can get these items for free with coupons. Regret .......... I suggest you ask around to see if any of your friends have a Costco card and go with them just to see for yourself before you make a purchase. Or try to sneak in (you will not be able to buy anything but you can look around). I also have Costco really close to my home so I do not spend a lot on gas just to get to the store. Hope this helps. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

[luvfreestuff]

My boyfriend has a Costco membership and I usually just go with him if I need to buy anything there. I think it definitely depends on what you are going to buy. Some things there are definitely overpriced and you can get them much cheaper when you buy smaller quantities at your local grocers and use coupons. On the other hand there are a ton of great deals to be found. I find there meat to be cheaper and it is really tasty. I think you really have to know your prices if you want to shop there.

[steffferickson]

well I think i will try it out! they offer a $10 gift card when you sign up and its money back guarantee if i dont like it so i dont think i have anything to lose thanks for everyones help!

[p4eli4ka]

... The best method is to aquire a gift card. This can be done by simply having a friend buy one for you. It can be in any dollar amount however if you spend more then the gift card you must pay cash (maybe debit not a 100% on that one) ...

Totally agreed I use a GCs over a year ago (I don't spend a lot there). But here (Quebec) we don't need a day pass. I made a phone call to CS and they told me that I need a day pass. Went to Costco, at the CS they told me "We can't give you a day pass, we don't make this a couple of years ago, simply show your GC in the entrance and after that pay with, the cashier know what to do"

I go for the meet (we eat a lot of porc and chicken), beer, Philadelphia (when I can't wait a special), flour, some spicy (same price like the other stores but bigger packs). Before I went for Tide too, now I have a Tide for 1 or 2 years in stock very cheap

[Dayanara]

I have my membership with my parents and for two households it is definitely worth it (we have the executive membership). Luckily when we applied for the membership I still lived with them and had the same last name (I moved and changed to my married name less than a month later).

Their cuts of meat are sooo much better than other grocery stores, as well as some of their fresh fruits and veggies. I watch their sales and look at sales in other stores before doing a shopping trip for day to day stuff. If there are sales/coupons then regular stores are much better, but on regular priced items Costco does work out to be a bit cheaper if you can store the amount you get in bulk.

And as others have mentioned the non-food items like gifts are usually really great prices. I buy all my husband's socks there, sooo much cheaper and good quality too!

[blueeyetea]

I gave up my membership a long time ago because with Costco being in the neighborhood, nearby grocery stores have become more competitive and their prices are comparable to what I would pay at Costco without having to buy huge quantities. (Extra storage space required also carries it's own cost as well.) And I don't have to pay for a membership either, which adds to the cost.

If you combine your coupons with a sale, I'm pretty sure it will be much cheaper than what you'd pay at Costco.

[BVOGT30]

I find that meat, dairy products, spices and big canned items (like a 5lb/2kg can of Heinz ketchup), fresh produce, lunchmeats and big purchase items are cheaper USUALLY. Occassionaly a grocery store will have something on sale that is cheaper but at least I can build a baseline grocery list with cost using the Costco prices. Costco is my last shopping location this way I can try to find a better deal before reaching Costco.

As for membership price my DH and I have an American Express card through Costco and our yearly membership fee for the credit card is waived PLUS we get cash back from the credit card AND the Costco shoping we do every year. I think we ended up with $100 back this year.