Over spending at Costco

[SnowFlakey]

We've been Costco members since the store first opened. And yes for the first few years we were guilty of over spending at Costco. It felt like Christmas morning with all those products available, just buy buy!!!! And the taste testing! Well, seems like everyone makes a bee-line for that.

But after a while we got wise. I make a list and only get when i need .......... but with some extras! lol Not very many extras. We have always managed to hold the cost down to between $50 and $100, which i think is very very good.

Now my daughter and her friend went to Costco this morning. And since i wasnt planning a trip to Costco in the near future, i asked her to pick me up a box of Tim Hortons coffee. Which she did. When she dropped it off, she told me she bought $300 worth of stuff and her friend bought $500 worth of stuff. I mean, REALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!! She was so excited that she had $800 worth of Costco stuff in her car!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didnt ask what they bought; i didnt want to know. But i do know that it is easy to rack up the dollar signs at Costco. Anyway, they both seemed to enjoy their shopping at Costco. So be it!

[walkonby]

I enjoyed reading your thread @SnowFlakey
When Costco became the rage out here, we were not that close to any of them so the temptation was just not there.
I was invited to go with a friend once and was flabbergasted at the sizes of all the products. It reminded me of various comedic bits about buying a 500 gallon tub of mustard ( exaggeration )

Anyhow, we just never bothered period. The sticking point for me was " they want me to PAY them to shop there?"
bwahahahaha!!!! nope.

I suppose if our circumstances were different ( if my sister had lived closer or a neighbour wanted to share a membership )
I may have entertained the thought.
Now there is no point at all as we are buying even less than back in those days.

[SnowFlakey]

We live within 20 minutes of 3 Costco stores. Go figure. Lots of peeps shop at Costco for there to be 3 stores so close together. some things are worth buying at Costco. For instance, i do a lot of baking so i buy all my baking supplies there because it is much more cheaper than in the stores: brown sugar, walnuts, maraschino cherries, baking powder, raisins, etc. And i store what im not using in the freezer. Also cat food. And certain spices that i use all the time. And tim Hortons coffee. Otherwise i dont buy much there.

Our membership card expired in April and i havent renewed it. We shared the expense with 2 neighbours so it didnt cost us much. But both our kids have membership cards now which they share with their friends so their costs are also down. when i want something i ask them to get it for me. Im thinking of renewing our membership just for the convenience; i dont want to ask the kids all the time when they are going. Our 2 neighbours have been asking if we will be renewing so i know the membership fees wont cost much. Anyway, something to think about.

[Thatdone]

If you live close enough to one that has a gas bar and purchase your gas there, that alone is worth the membership fee

[walkonby]

@Thatdone I was told about the cheap gas at Costco.....like you said , ya gotta live close by to make it work.
I'll have to stick with my current .13 cents off each Litre that I get from Petrocan for now.
@SnowFlakey Costco seems to have worked out very well for you and your family! Sharing a membership is the key I'd say.
Happy baking!!

[SnowFlakey]

If you live close enough to one that has a gas bar and purchase your gas there, that alone is worth the membership fee

I usually fill up about once a month with a top off when i see my daughter. The gas where she lives is always about 5 cents cheaper than at any of the 3 Costcos.

[johnb56789]

We've been Costco members since the store first opened. And yes for the first few years we were guilty of over spending at Costco. It felt like Christmas morning with all those products available, just buy buy!!!! And the taste testing! Well, seems like everyone makes a bee-line for that.

But after a while we got wise. I make a list and only get when i need .......... but with some extras! lol Not very many extras. We have always managed to hold the cost down to between $50 and $100, which i think is very very good.

Now my daughter and her friend went to Costco this morning. And since i wasnt planning a trip to Costco in the near future, i asked her to pick me up a box of Tim Hortons coffee. Which she did. When she dropped it off, she told me she bought $300 worth of stuff and her friend bought $500 worth of stuff. I mean, REALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!! She was so excited that she had $800 worth of Costco stuff in her car!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didnt ask what they bought; i didnt want to know. But i do know that it is easy to rack up the dollar signs at Costco. Anyway, they both seemed to enjoy their shopping at Costco. So be it!

I only had a Costco membership for a little while (My parents had me on their account), and I think I only went once, spending a whopping $2.00 (A Chocolate Milk). Shortly after that, we cancelled my card. I just never went and couldn't justify them spending the money for me. For me personally with the couponing, I could NEVER make Costco worth the membership fee, and for me personally the prices are much higher than I would pay at RCSS for equivalant products.

[SnowFlakey]

I only had a Costco membership for a little while (My parents had me on their account), and I think I only went once, spending a whopping $2.00 (A Chocolate Milk). Shortly after that, we cancelled my card. I just never went and couldn't justify them spending the money for me. For me personally with the couponing, I could NEVER make Costco worth the membership fee, and for me personally the prices are much higher than I would pay at RCSS for equivalant products.

I hear Ya!! I also do couponing, price matching, loyalty cards, etc. but i still find some baking supplies cheaper at costco and since we shared our membership with 2 other people it was worthwhile.

[Arjon]

If you live close enough to one that has a gas bar and purchase your gas there, that alone is worth the membership fee

Typically, how much less is Costco's price per liter of regular?

[lizzie bargain]

In Calgary it is usually about 5-6 cents per litre cheaper. Refilling your propane tank there for the BBQ is way cheaper-like about $11. Liz

[Frugalbigmama]

Typically, how much less is Costco's price per liter of regular?

The other day it was 13 cents cheaper per L.

[SnowFlakey]

At our local BMR store the propane refill is $8.99. At some of the other store in my town it averages from about $12.99 to $19.99.

[vino_er_coach]

I hit Costco once, sometimes twice a month.

It just works for me. Cat food is cheaper, dog food is cheaper, clothes for the kids...way cheaper. It just depends on what you are buying.

I pass on a lot of things. I could pick up 3 loaves of bread for $5.99, but what is the point when I can spend $1.68 a loaf at No Frills?

I recently bought a new SS garbage can...$40 less than everywhere else. Beautiful bread maker...$80 less that everywhere else. Oh, an did I mention they are the only store that currently has breadmaker yeast on their shelves? Bought a huge pork loin. Was just under $20. I got 25 1 inch chops from the centre and 2 roasts off the ends.

It works for us, so it is worth it...right now.


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[Thatdone]

Alot of people that already go there do not take advantage of their pharmacy

Here is a list of stores dispensing fees

Costco $4.35 Walmart $9.80 Loblaw $10.10 Safeway $11.00 Shoppers Drug Mart $11.65 Sobeys $12.15 Rexall $12.15

[crafter]

Wow Costco fee is a huge difference if a person is on a lot of meds. of note, you can always try to negotiate on dispensing fees with your pharmacist. Years ago, my meds cost around $1200 a month I told the pharmacist that I was giving more than enough business and wanted the pharmacy owner to waive my dispensing fees. They did even more than that, the whole family was free for years! of note, that was a small privately owned pharmacy

Alot of people that already go there do not take advantage of their pharmacy

Here is a list of stores dispensing fees

Costco $4.35 Walmart $9.80 Loblaw $10.10 Safeway $11.00 Shoppers Drug Mart $11.65 Sobeys $12.15 Rexall $12.15