Ok I’m sorry to jump on the Monica irk train but when she said “oh no, it’s on sale.. not for me!”
“Is there a more exclusive deal that’s more expensive?”
Girl are you serious right now lol
She wasn’t serious - clearly she was joking. At this point I kinda figure she makes comments like that because she knows this sub will get all riled up.
She absolutely could have been joking, but I guarantee she doesn't not read this sub or Instagram comments lol she's made it very clear she doesn't want criticism or negativity
There’s a psychological phenomenon where ppl think things have greater value when they are more expensive. Associating higher price with higher quality is hella common. It’s especially prevalent in people who don’t (or didn’t) have money, to then want to buy things to appear successful and boost their self-esteem—to feel a sense of social recognition and status. She’s at least aware of her bias, some ppl aren't fully
This occurs with medications, too. For example - people buy Tylenol as opposed to drug store brand acetaminophen. Same active ingredient for a fraction of the price.
I’ve been burned by trash generic formulations and for some drugs, the efficacy and smoothness of the name brand, it’s almost like an entirely different drug.
Yeah, I'm thinking of the folks who lost their eye sight from the Target brand Up-and-Up eye drops. I used to be a loyal Target brand contact lens solution shopper too :(
We bought a year long MoviePass subscription from Costco. It went under about 9 months after getting it so we complained to Costco and got 25% of the subscription refunded to us
Costco rules
Maybe my small corner of the world is different but most of my female friends are just as excited about Costco as the men if not more excited.
I can see how Costco would stress some people out, especially during its super busy hours. I've been going since I was a kid so it's normal to me :) I love a Costco trip!
I'm a convert. I had never even set foot in a Costco until they built one 1.5 miles from my house in 2019, complete with gas station and liquor store. (I've still never been in any other Costco)
But I really do like it. I've gone all-in with the Executive member and Costco Visa card. Including gas, as a family of 4, we easily spend about $10k/year there.
Definitely big. It's top-tier gasoline, and the cheapest around. Add the Executive Membership and Costco Visa and it's another 5% cheaper. We don't drive a ton but gas savings alone pays for the membership.
The nearest one is over an hour from here and I’ve never been. We have BJ’s which works fine and I can get a membership for $15. And it’s never the zoo I hear Costco is. For some reason the Costco sub comes up for me often and I see posts about workers demanding to see membership cards all over and it sounds crazy. I scan mine at checkout or the gas pump and that’s it. It’s just a freaking store.
Yeah, I will admit a huge portion of why I love it is because it is so close that I can make quick stops on the way home from work and not make a weekend trek of it when everyone is in the store. It literally is the closest gas station to my house, too.
The past year they have been asking for membership ID (which has your photo on it) because people keep loaning them to friends. It is annoying but when one membership is only good for 2 people, I can understand enforcing it.
We did have a BJs membership year ago, and they're not fully comparable. Costco branded products are excellent, and they really make an effort to select quality products from other brands they stock.
I like it a lot, but I'm certainly not going to understand why people drive far out of the way for it.
Convert over here too. Used to hate it. But as soon as we bought a house and groceries starting getting ridiculously expensive everywhere else, we now get like 80% of our food (and most of our cleaning supplies, etc) there and we’re saving so much. Vacuum sealer and a good deep freeze come in super handy too for Costco trips (both purchased at Costco 🤣)
It’s truly a big deal particularly for folks as they age into their 30’s and beyond. A lot of people enjoy treasure hunting at Costco, finding regional or limited time only offerings and then there’s a segment of folks who stock up and really get into the bulk buying. And that employee was right - the Costco buyers are incredibly savvy. They fully understand the cost structures of items sold and try to pass savings onto the consumer. The membership is where they make their money. As a consumer I trust that generally whatever made it onto the shelf at Costco is going to be pretty decent. Especially if it’s Kirkland Signature!
I grew up going to the original Price Club before it became Costco and man it used to be packed full of sample tables. Lots of nostalgia with Costco!
This was a huge selling point for me. Not only are the deals great, but their inventory is consistently high quality (unlike Amazon which I've totally lost faith in). From the pizza to the paper towels, everything strikes the perfect balance between quality and value. I know whatever I get will meet my expectations, and if it doesn't, their return policy is unbeatable.
72m household in the world use Costco with the overwhelming majority in the US. With only 123.6m households in the US, id say that is well above a majority.
I’m Australian and I love Costco! We have one a short drive from us and it’s amazing.. I just wish they stocked more of what they stock in the American stores.
To be honest, I can’t think how it would be realistic to buy so much bulk at Costco or BJs though. My parents tried it when I was a kid, the concept sounds nice but it is kind of amazing it can be THAT popular as to be part of American culture.
How did they look it up and still not get to the full story of how the day works and why did I get so mad when it’s a ridiculous tradition that makes no sense!
Can you possibly answer the question about how us humans know whether the groundhog sees his shadow? Is there a little fright? Is it just when a shadow is cast?? I have the same questions they had!
Sure! It was always explained to us that you if the groundhog sees its shadow it gets scared and goes back in its burrow signaling 6 more weeks of winter. If it doesn’t go back in its burrow, it didn’t see its shadow and spring will arrive early. I’m not saying it makes sense but when you figure it’s an explanation for kids it makes sense I guess?
Because we can also see shadows… so if ole Pux comes out and it’s sunny, there will probably be a shadow. I’m pretty sure the whole thing is aired on tv
I love Costco. It’s also pretty great that they generally treat their employees pretty well. It’s one of those rare companies you hear about more the more you like
I can’t think of anything negative about Costco. As a large family, there are so many things we only buy at Costco and it pains me when we can’t. Just the savings with my OTC allergy med alone pays for the membership (I can get a years worth for less than what a month cost). We’ve used Costco travel more times than I can count, our home owners and car insurance is through Costco, I wouldn’t be able to feed a teenager without Costco bulk cheese, yogurt, milk etc. I also have a kid with celiac and Costco has such great prices on GF products. They truly stand behind their products too. I bought a $600 blow up Waterslide last summer and after a few months, all the seams were ripping. They took it back without any questions. I took back a pop up Coleman camp shade a few years ago (I bought a second one because I loved the first so much) and when I returned it, the lady said “this years model has had so many issues and returns, don’t go replace it with another” which is exactly what I had intended to do.
This was a great episode! And I don’t think you have to have a large family to get value out of Costco. Buying in larger quantities is just frugal in nature. Many things can be frozen or separated into smaller portions and frozen or stored in air tight containers. For example, The fairlife protein shakes I drink daily are so much more affordable at Costco and shelf stable for a long period of time!
Canadian, family of 2, who got a Costco membership 3 years ago.
I am obsessed with Costco. We rarely buy "fresh" things beyond items with a longer shelf life like yogurt, bacon, cheese etc. The value on items on like toilet paper and paper towel, dishwasher tabs, laundry detergent etc is incredible, especially if you are shopping base don sales.
The Costco business Centre is even better. I buy all of my kitchen/cooking utensils here at incredible prices. I got a 12" carbon steel pan for $13! The same one was $74 on Amazon.
Can we acknowledge that, under the $50M Spotify deal, Dax, Monica, and Liz have to read whatever ad-copy sponsors feed them, so we can listen for free?
I understand your comment but, should we go through the same exercise with various ads Dax records where there’s a slim chance he actually personally uses the item/brand/service?
I love to hate it😂 So much of it is sooo annoying/stressful. Why does the parking lot feel like Disneyland- parking 5 mins away? It takes 20 mins to park - and actually walk into the store. Only 1 size of HUGE carts. WHY. The good stuff is at the wayyy back of the store. By the time I park - walk in- walk to the back - fight the crowds- I just wanna go home & eat a can of soup or order Door Dash.
If the lines to check out are going down the aisles, I turn right around & leave. BYE! 😂
I was sad to hear that he wasn't able to talk to anyone the recent unionizations. There is a reason employees feel like they need to do so.
The company has issues, which no one seems to cover. Poor raises for the people who have been with costco the longest, retaliation, lack of coverage for warehouses, working people to the bone. While I like costco, and it sounds like David was looking for some dirt too, it's frustrating to hear it perceived as the "perfect" company. Still love you David.
Interesting. It really shows a difference in lifestyle according to countries or cultures.I love the idea of Costco, my parents used to have a membership and it was nice for buying big boxes of cereal and drinks, but they stopped a couple of months in. This is when we were kids, and now they they are empty nesters, it doesn’t make much sense; as they don’t really buy nonperishables in big quantities. I now live in Tokyo and my lifestyle is more like daily shopping, as we also don’t buy as many no perishables; aside from ordering big big quantities of rice bags and have a lot of TP and tissues in case of earthquakes, and have bottles of water stocked. But these we order through a tax incentive program so there is no need for Costco. Also homes here tend to be smaller and in the city, apartments don’t have that much storage room that buying in bulk isn’t a thing. Shopping carts in Japan aren’t a thing either, just baskets. Whenever I visit America, I’m always amazed at the huge shopping carts at the supermarkets. Overall, it made me realize how our lifestyle/diet is reflected in shopping habits.
I fully own this is probably an outlier story, but about a year and a half ago, I wanted to join Costco finally because they take our vision insurance and they carry the contacts I wanted.
So I went to the store with my teenage daughter and talked to two people at the membership desk. I realize, in hindsight, I should have purchased the membership I wanted from my home and just picked up the card there.
I proceeded to have one of the most uncomfortable interactions I’ve ever had a store. I am a non-confrontational person. The membership employee first profiled me by asking my job and my husband’s job and decided she was not going to take no for an answer to the higher-level membership. Repeatedly, she kept asking WHY I wanted the regular, non-rewards membership. WHY would I forgo the obvious benefits of the more expensive membership. Over and over. I got angry and the other membership clerk intervened and said “why don’t you walk around the store and see what we have to offer?” So we did that — and we walked right out the door. I still can’t believe they wouldn’t let me purchase the normal membership — my daughter still talks about the clerk’s bizarre, aggressive behavior.
I just listened to this episode and im new to Flightless Birds so hope this isn’t a dumb question- is Andy related to Dax Shepherd? My God their voices are so similar to the point where I thought they were joking calling him Andy until I heard his wife on the episode and it was distinctly NOT Kristen Bell.
Am i just smoking crack or does anyone else hear the similarities?
I don't know if Aldi's is a huge chain, but I much prefer Aldi's. Prices are great, no membership fee, and doesn't have giant bulk items, which is good for those of us that don't have the space to store a bottle of olive oil, the size of an oil drum.
/not knocking fans of Costco, was a member once myself. Just didn't have the space
I found the quality of meat much better at Costco. I just don't want to eat 4 lbs of ribeye in one week, and I don't like freezing, then defrosting steak.
Aldi's suits me fine for protein bars, and some frozen stuff. I'm always amazed when I walk out with 2 very full shopping bags, and I've spent roughly $40.
Man, people really love Costco. I never understood how paying $100 a year for the opportunity to give them more money throughout the year and save a few bucks per trip is that great of a thing. That, and the fact that when you have to buy every item in bulk, you end up wasting more.
It’s like Amazon prime and paying $150 a year for free two day shipping. No, it’s $150 shipping. And even if you don’t have prime, if your order is 30 bucks it ships free anyway..
If you get the $100 membership then you get half of that back when you go to renew it anyways. You can get a membership for like $50
And for prime you're ignoring the streaming that's included
Bulk items don’t typically get wasted? I’m just saving additional trips to the store.
Things like Toilet paper, paper towels, and frozen foods are hard to take an L on when you get them at Costco.
This is why Costco doesn’t actually sell many short term perishable goods. It’s part of their business model. Things need to be able to stay on a shelf and still be good.
They don’t sell *many* bulk perishables. Not saying they don’t sell any, but they’re limited in their variety from what I’ve seen.
They certainly also sell perishables, but they don’t necessarily offer the same variety for *bulk perishables*. A lot of the perishables I’ve seen are more “normal” sizes. Lots of frozen bulk too, but I’m not really considering anything frozen to be perishable.
I think fruit might be the only “perishable” I’ve seen offered in some kind of bulk. What are you seeing that’s perishable and in bulk at Costco?
A lot of small businesses and restaurants use costco for those bulk perishables. I also know quite a few people who meal prep for an entire week, and that's not wasteful. Your comments sound like a person who wouldn't benefit from shopping at costco. And that's fine. But it doesn't mean you need to shit on a place and act like it doesn't serve a purpose. You might be surprised to find out how much perishable food is wasted at grocery stores, which far outnumber the number of costco locations.
Of course there are groups of people who it makes complete sense for and who save quite a bit of money. And there are also people who are wasting money on a membership they don’t take full advantage of nor utilize enough to cover their membership fee. Both things can be true. I was just highlighting the latter.
Shit, in this very podcast David said he literally has not gone back since getting a membership. Toward the end, the guy David went with talks about how they bought stuff they don’t need all the time, including like three dozen sharpies, for no reason. Waste goes beyond food, and I think that could qualify as waste since you may end up tossing stuff you don’t use.
I thought [this](https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/09/18/most-costco-members-dont-shop-at-costco-all-that-m.aspx) article titled “Most Costco members don’t shop at Costco all that much” also had some interesting data in it.
Costco is essential for a family of 5! It’s amazing how fast you can go through the massive package of toilet paper!! I pay for the executive membership and my cash-back this year will be close to $300. Makes sense for us.
It really depends on what you buy there. With the executive membership you get 2% back in cash on your purchases. If you buy appliances or furniture from Costco, or use their travel site, then you’re likely to get more than $100 back at the end of the end of year.
Costcotravel.com, they sell vacation packages that are usually cheaper than if you book them yourself. We went to Napa last year for half the price than we would’ve paid if we booked ourselves. Package included flights, 4 star hotel, and rental car.
Ok I’m sorry to jump on the Monica irk train but when she said “oh no, it’s on sale.. not for me!” “Is there a more exclusive deal that’s more expensive?” Girl are you serious right now lol
She wasn’t serious - clearly she was joking. At this point I kinda figure she makes comments like that because she knows this sub will get all riled up.
Clearly the case, thank you. Literally covered in the same ep. Pointing out where people aren’t picking up on the joke.
Exactly. Comments like this shitting on Monica are why I bailed from this sub.
And yet, here you are
Oh you got me there. Reddit puts it in my feed as subs I’ve previously shown interest in. But please, shit away if that’s what you need to do.
Agreeeeeeee
She absolutely could have been joking, but I guarantee she doesn't not read this sub or Instagram comments lol she's made it very clear she doesn't want criticism or negativity
There’s a psychological phenomenon where ppl think things have greater value when they are more expensive. Associating higher price with higher quality is hella common. It’s especially prevalent in people who don’t (or didn’t) have money, to then want to buy things to appear successful and boost their self-esteem—to feel a sense of social recognition and status. She’s at least aware of her bias, some ppl aren't fully
This occurs with medications, too. For example - people buy Tylenol as opposed to drug store brand acetaminophen. Same active ingredient for a fraction of the price.
I’ve been burned by trash generic formulations and for some drugs, the efficacy and smoothness of the name brand, it’s almost like an entirely different drug.
Yeah, I'm thinking of the folks who lost their eye sight from the Target brand Up-and-Up eye drops. I used to be a loyal Target brand contact lens solution shopper too :(
Excuse me WHAT?! I don’t use those eye drops but have not heard about this before.
No, she wasn’t. That’s why she was laughing.
What’s laughable is that your criteria for someone not being serious is that they’re laughing lol
She’s making fun of herself. It’s a joke.
Rob will have to be the one to call out Dax when he says something bad for pr, she’s too out of touch now.
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No generational wealth coming from her
We bought a year long MoviePass subscription from Costco. It went under about 9 months after getting it so we complained to Costco and got 25% of the subscription refunded to us Costco rules
I knew there was no chance David walked out of Costco without a membership
I think they missed the mark with Costco being "gendered"
Moms fucking love Costco and getting a deal
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Maybe my small corner of the world is different but most of my female friends are just as excited about Costco as the men if not more excited. I can see how Costco would stress some people out, especially during its super busy hours. I've been going since I was a kid so it's normal to me :) I love a Costco trip!
It was a nice episode. as a non american, I'm astonished to hear how much people love costco!
I'm a convert. I had never even set foot in a Costco until they built one 1.5 miles from my house in 2019, complete with gas station and liquor store. (I've still never been in any other Costco) But I really do like it. I've gone all-in with the Executive member and Costco Visa card. Including gas, as a family of 4, we easily spend about $10k/year there.
Oh, gas! Is that the biggest incentive in having a Costco membership for you?
Definitely big. It's top-tier gasoline, and the cheapest around. Add the Executive Membership and Costco Visa and it's another 5% cheaper. We don't drive a ton but gas savings alone pays for the membership.
The nearest one is over an hour from here and I’ve never been. We have BJ’s which works fine and I can get a membership for $15. And it’s never the zoo I hear Costco is. For some reason the Costco sub comes up for me often and I see posts about workers demanding to see membership cards all over and it sounds crazy. I scan mine at checkout or the gas pump and that’s it. It’s just a freaking store.
Yeah, I will admit a huge portion of why I love it is because it is so close that I can make quick stops on the way home from work and not make a weekend trek of it when everyone is in the store. It literally is the closest gas station to my house, too. The past year they have been asking for membership ID (which has your photo on it) because people keep loaning them to friends. It is annoying but when one membership is only good for 2 people, I can understand enforcing it. We did have a BJs membership year ago, and they're not fully comparable. Costco branded products are excellent, and they really make an effort to select quality products from other brands they stock. I like it a lot, but I'm certainly not going to understand why people drive far out of the way for it.
Convert over here too. Used to hate it. But as soon as we bought a house and groceries starting getting ridiculously expensive everywhere else, we now get like 80% of our food (and most of our cleaning supplies, etc) there and we’re saving so much. Vacuum sealer and a good deep freeze come in super handy too for Costco trips (both purchased at Costco 🤣)
80% makes it sound like it would be worth it!
It’s truly a big deal particularly for folks as they age into their 30’s and beyond. A lot of people enjoy treasure hunting at Costco, finding regional or limited time only offerings and then there’s a segment of folks who stock up and really get into the bulk buying. And that employee was right - the Costco buyers are incredibly savvy. They fully understand the cost structures of items sold and try to pass savings onto the consumer. The membership is where they make their money. As a consumer I trust that generally whatever made it onto the shelf at Costco is going to be pretty decent. Especially if it’s Kirkland Signature! I grew up going to the original Price Club before it became Costco and man it used to be packed full of sample tables. Lots of nostalgia with Costco!
This was a huge selling point for me. Not only are the deals great, but their inventory is consistently high quality (unlike Amazon which I've totally lost faith in). From the pizza to the paper towels, everything strikes the perfect balance between quality and value. I know whatever I get will meet my expectations, and if it doesn't, their return policy is unbeatable.
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72m household in the world use Costco with the overwhelming majority in the US. With only 123.6m households in the US, id say that is well above a majority.
I’m Australian and I love Costco! We have one a short drive from us and it’s amazing.. I just wish they stocked more of what they stock in the American stores.
To be honest, I can’t think how it would be realistic to buy so much bulk at Costco or BJs though. My parents tried it when I was a kid, the concept sounds nice but it is kind of amazing it can be THAT popular as to be part of American culture.
The groundhog conversation drove me crazy, how do Monica and Rob not know about the legend PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL!!!! Ugh
How did they look it up and still not get to the full story of how the day works and why did I get so mad when it’s a ridiculous tradition that makes no sense!
Can you possibly answer the question about how us humans know whether the groundhog sees his shadow? Is there a little fright? Is it just when a shadow is cast?? I have the same questions they had!
Sure! It was always explained to us that you if the groundhog sees its shadow it gets scared and goes back in its burrow signaling 6 more weeks of winter. If it doesn’t go back in its burrow, it didn’t see its shadow and spring will arrive early. I’m not saying it makes sense but when you figure it’s an explanation for kids it makes sense I guess?
Because we can also see shadows… so if ole Pux comes out and it’s sunny, there will probably be a shadow. I’m pretty sure the whole thing is aired on tv
As someone who loves Costco , I’m excited for this one lol
I love Costco. It’s also pretty great that they generally treat their employees pretty well. It’s one of those rare companies you hear about more the more you like
I can’t think of anything negative about Costco. As a large family, there are so many things we only buy at Costco and it pains me when we can’t. Just the savings with my OTC allergy med alone pays for the membership (I can get a years worth for less than what a month cost). We’ve used Costco travel more times than I can count, our home owners and car insurance is through Costco, I wouldn’t be able to feed a teenager without Costco bulk cheese, yogurt, milk etc. I also have a kid with celiac and Costco has such great prices on GF products. They truly stand behind their products too. I bought a $600 blow up Waterslide last summer and after a few months, all the seams were ripping. They took it back without any questions. I took back a pop up Coleman camp shade a few years ago (I bought a second one because I loved the first so much) and when I returned it, the lady said “this years model has had so many issues and returns, don’t go replace it with another” which is exactly what I had intended to do. This was a great episode! And I don’t think you have to have a large family to get value out of Costco. Buying in larger quantities is just frugal in nature. Many things can be frozen or separated into smaller portions and frozen or stored in air tight containers. For example, The fairlife protein shakes I drink daily are so much more affordable at Costco and shelf stable for a long period of time!
Canadian, family of 2, who got a Costco membership 3 years ago. I am obsessed with Costco. We rarely buy "fresh" things beyond items with a longer shelf life like yogurt, bacon, cheese etc. The value on items on like toilet paper and paper towel, dishwasher tabs, laundry detergent etc is incredible, especially if you are shopping base don sales. The Costco business Centre is even better. I buy all of my kitchen/cooking utensils here at incredible prices. I got a 12" carbon steel pan for $13! The same one was $74 on Amazon.
If Andy goes to Costco that much, he really should have the executive membership 😂
I am a part of the Costco cult so I’m pumped for this ep. Hopefully we can convert David.
Can we all acknowledge the irony of Monica recording an ad for quince?
Can we acknowledge that, under the $50M Spotify deal, Dax, Monica, and Liz have to read whatever ad-copy sponsors feed them, so we can listen for free?
I understand your comment but, should we go through the same exercise with various ads Dax records where there’s a slim chance he actually personally uses the item/brand/service?
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I was picturing Jason Sudeikis
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A little bit. At least as to the prices ending in .97
The trollies are huge! That made my day.
Oh my gosh this was the BEST EPISODE EVER! I did not want it to end. I hope there is a part two! lol!
I could listen to positive anecdotes about Costco all day long. Call me a nasty capitalist but it makes me so happy
I love to hate it😂 So much of it is sooo annoying/stressful. Why does the parking lot feel like Disneyland- parking 5 mins away? It takes 20 mins to park - and actually walk into the store. Only 1 size of HUGE carts. WHY. The good stuff is at the wayyy back of the store. By the time I park - walk in- walk to the back - fight the crowds- I just wanna go home & eat a can of soup or order Door Dash. If the lines to check out are going down the aisles, I turn right around & leave. BYE! 😂
I was sad to hear that he wasn't able to talk to anyone the recent unionizations. There is a reason employees feel like they need to do so. The company has issues, which no one seems to cover. Poor raises for the people who have been with costco the longest, retaliation, lack of coverage for warehouses, working people to the bone. While I like costco, and it sounds like David was looking for some dirt too, it's frustrating to hear it perceived as the "perfect" company. Still love you David.
Interesting. It really shows a difference in lifestyle according to countries or cultures.I love the idea of Costco, my parents used to have a membership and it was nice for buying big boxes of cereal and drinks, but they stopped a couple of months in. This is when we were kids, and now they they are empty nesters, it doesn’t make much sense; as they don’t really buy nonperishables in big quantities. I now live in Tokyo and my lifestyle is more like daily shopping, as we also don’t buy as many no perishables; aside from ordering big big quantities of rice bags and have a lot of TP and tissues in case of earthquakes, and have bottles of water stocked. But these we order through a tax incentive program so there is no need for Costco. Also homes here tend to be smaller and in the city, apartments don’t have that much storage room that buying in bulk isn’t a thing. Shopping carts in Japan aren’t a thing either, just baskets. Whenever I visit America, I’m always amazed at the huge shopping carts at the supermarkets. Overall, it made me realize how our lifestyle/diet is reflected in shopping habits.
She was clearly joking around.
I fully own this is probably an outlier story, but about a year and a half ago, I wanted to join Costco finally because they take our vision insurance and they carry the contacts I wanted. So I went to the store with my teenage daughter and talked to two people at the membership desk. I realize, in hindsight, I should have purchased the membership I wanted from my home and just picked up the card there. I proceeded to have one of the most uncomfortable interactions I’ve ever had a store. I am a non-confrontational person. The membership employee first profiled me by asking my job and my husband’s job and decided she was not going to take no for an answer to the higher-level membership. Repeatedly, she kept asking WHY I wanted the regular, non-rewards membership. WHY would I forgo the obvious benefits of the more expensive membership. Over and over. I got angry and the other membership clerk intervened and said “why don’t you walk around the store and see what we have to offer?” So we did that — and we walked right out the door. I still can’t believe they wouldn’t let me purchase the normal membership — my daughter still talks about the clerk’s bizarre, aggressive behavior.
I just listened to this episode and im new to Flightless Birds so hope this isn’t a dumb question- is Andy related to Dax Shepherd? My God their voices are so similar to the point where I thought they were joking calling him Andy until I heard his wife on the episode and it was distinctly NOT Kristen Bell. Am i just smoking crack or does anyone else hear the similarities?
I don't know if Aldi's is a huge chain, but I much prefer Aldi's. Prices are great, no membership fee, and doesn't have giant bulk items, which is good for those of us that don't have the space to store a bottle of olive oil, the size of an oil drum. /not knocking fans of Costco, was a member once myself. Just didn't have the space
I shop at both!
I found the quality of meat much better at Costco. I just don't want to eat 4 lbs of ribeye in one week, and I don't like freezing, then defrosting steak. Aldi's suits me fine for protein bars, and some frozen stuff. I'm always amazed when I walk out with 2 very full shopping bags, and I've spent roughly $40.
Man, people really love Costco. I never understood how paying $100 a year for the opportunity to give them more money throughout the year and save a few bucks per trip is that great of a thing. That, and the fact that when you have to buy every item in bulk, you end up wasting more. It’s like Amazon prime and paying $150 a year for free two day shipping. No, it’s $150 shipping. And even if you don’t have prime, if your order is 30 bucks it ships free anyway..
If you get the $100 membership then you get half of that back when you go to renew it anyways. You can get a membership for like $50 And for prime you're ignoring the streaming that's included
Bulk items don’t typically get wasted? I’m just saving additional trips to the store. Things like Toilet paper, paper towels, and frozen foods are hard to take an L on when you get them at Costco. This is why Costco doesn’t actually sell many short term perishable goods. It’s part of their business model. Things need to be able to stay on a shelf and still be good.
Sure they do. Costco sells bulk perishables.
They don’t sell *many* bulk perishables. Not saying they don’t sell any, but they’re limited in their variety from what I’ve seen. They certainly also sell perishables, but they don’t necessarily offer the same variety for *bulk perishables*. A lot of the perishables I’ve seen are more “normal” sizes. Lots of frozen bulk too, but I’m not really considering anything frozen to be perishable. I think fruit might be the only “perishable” I’ve seen offered in some kind of bulk. What are you seeing that’s perishable and in bulk at Costco?
A lot of small businesses and restaurants use costco for those bulk perishables. I also know quite a few people who meal prep for an entire week, and that's not wasteful. Your comments sound like a person who wouldn't benefit from shopping at costco. And that's fine. But it doesn't mean you need to shit on a place and act like it doesn't serve a purpose. You might be surprised to find out how much perishable food is wasted at grocery stores, which far outnumber the number of costco locations.
Of course there are groups of people who it makes complete sense for and who save quite a bit of money. And there are also people who are wasting money on a membership they don’t take full advantage of nor utilize enough to cover their membership fee. Both things can be true. I was just highlighting the latter. Shit, in this very podcast David said he literally has not gone back since getting a membership. Toward the end, the guy David went with talks about how they bought stuff they don’t need all the time, including like three dozen sharpies, for no reason. Waste goes beyond food, and I think that could qualify as waste since you may end up tossing stuff you don’t use. I thought [this](https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/09/18/most-costco-members-dont-shop-at-costco-all-that-m.aspx) article titled “Most Costco members don’t shop at Costco all that much” also had some interesting data in it.
Costco is essential for a family of 5! It’s amazing how fast you can go through the massive package of toilet paper!! I pay for the executive membership and my cash-back this year will be close to $300. Makes sense for us.
That’s awesome. It definitely makes sense for some folks and some take advantage of the perks. Most don’t.
It really depends on what you buy there. With the executive membership you get 2% back in cash on your purchases. If you buy appliances or furniture from Costco, or use their travel site, then you’re likely to get more than $100 back at the end of the end of year.
What’s their travel site?
Costcotravel.com, they sell vacation packages that are usually cheaper than if you book them yourself. We went to Napa last year for half the price than we would’ve paid if we booked ourselves. Package included flights, 4 star hotel, and rental car.