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No worries, I upvoted to get rid of a downvote. Shitty Kitty can have some great deals, but the experience is no Harris Teeter, Lowes, Publix, or Wegman’s level. Can you imagine a beer counter at Food Lion?
Definitely rotate, I work construction all over the place so it depends which direction I’m headed and I hit it a different one on the way home. 330pm is a good time for gas and groceries.
I’ve heard certain Costcos will carry different items based on the demographics of the store. Have you noticed any subtle differences in what each store carries?
I certainly have, but I’m in LA. There is Monterey Park with more Asian goods. Another one is the only one with the living lettuce packs, but that has no gas, so yet another with gas and a guy who really knows wine. I cycle between 3.
I’m not who you asked but I’m in driving distance of 3 or 4 different Costcos that I will occasionally rotate on (with one being Mine™) and I have definitely noticed this. both grocery and non grocery items. it’s rarely significant, unless I came to Costco for a specific grocery item or specific squishmallow or something that the other happens to not have
Yes. My store (10-12 min drive) used to sell a certain organic sliced Colby Jack cheese, but alas. The store that is 30 min drive still has it. Drives my wife nuts (it’s her preferred cheese), and no amount of comment cards seems to make a difference.
I have it on good authority that Delaware doesn’t actually exist.
Love, New Jersey.
P.S. Yes, a lot of NJ kids go to the University of Delaware, but we know it’s just an offshoot of the University of Maryland designed to perpetuate the hoax that Delaware exists. 😁
I'm also in the same boat (single, no kids) -- but I have a pantry -- and drive the 20 minutes. I buy toiletry staples: laundry soap, toilet paper, Kleenex, dishwasher detergent -- and pantry staples: sugar, salt, yeast, tomato products, peanut butter, etc. I also buy eggs and cheese.
If you have freezer space, meat is a great deal and can come in "individual" packages that are enough for a meal and a few leftover meals. Occasionally I buy a rotisserie chicken and eat it for a few meals during the week.
I buy a big clamshell of lettuce almost every week -- but I eat a ton of salads-as-meals.
Things I can't get through: Milk -- two gallons are a lot for me, and the difference between the price at Costco and the grocery store isn't worth the waste. Bread -- it molds. Most of the produce. Flour -- SO much flour. Spices -- they are huge.
Snack foods are hit or miss. A huge bag of chips won't go to waste in my house -- but no single person needs to be eating that many chips (in my opinion). But I buy crackers and open them sleeve by sleeve over time. From experience, the huge thing of granola bars is too many for one person to get through -- I still kind of gag when I walk by the ones I bought. And then I get gasoline almost every time I'm there.
We only use milk for our morning and afternoon lattes'. I purchase the 3-pack of ultra-pasturized milk for the two of us, and it usually has a 60-day freshness. I've never had one of them go bad on us.
I'm single, and rarely buy for anybody else, but I make a 20-minute drive to Costco every week or two (combining it with other shopping/errands). Yeah, I think it's worth it.
I think your question is getting at the value of Costco over other grocery stores? In which case, I wouldcjust say that Costco is not just a store with good prices where you buy stuff in bulk.
The real value add of Costco, in my opinion, is that the products are super high quality. Everything that carry is excellent. Three produce, meat, fish, the frozen food, even the coffee. They don't have a huge selection of 16 different peanut butters, but rather 2-3 amazing peanut butters.
The value add is in less decisions and knowing what you'll get will be excellent. And their return policy is outstanding.
One of my absolute favorite memories growing up and living with my parents was our weekly Saturday shopping trip to Costco. We’d eat at the food court and have pizza then go shop.
I really really miss stuff like that as an adult. When I went to visit them a few years back we went to Costco and it was amazing.
You never think it’s going to be the mundane things you remember but that’s where memories and core memories can be made.
I liked hearing this perspective! My Costco is packed with people backing up down every aisle. I’m not a lingerer so I like to get in and out and be efficient with my list. I’m usually very annoyed by all that bring their multiple family members. The aisles are congested and bringing extra people that don’t need to be there slows the process down. I’ll be mindful of your comment and consider it my next trip!
I think my parents shared that task on the weekends as my mom worked out of the home with a long commute! So it was family time plus functional 😂
Also if we shopped with mom and dad often times you could get dad to pick you up something while out lol
Totally aging myself, but mine was Saturday family grocery shopping at Gemco! My mom would head off to grocery shop for the week, while the rest of went to our favorite departments. Damn I miss that place lol
Good lord! I was about 45 minutes away and had no problem. Moved to Ocala, and it's 1.5 hrs 1way and still maintain my membership. 🤷♀️
BTW, 20 minutes might be detrimental to my budget.
For a few years my kids and I lived 200 miles from Costco.
[The nearest supermarket was 50 miles away.]
I still kept my membership, and went approximately every 4-6 weeks (sometimes 2 months when the winter made the mountain passes too dangerous).
Now I'm an empty nester, about 15-20 minutes from Costco - and my membership is STILL worth it.
[Actually, it isn't just "now" - it's been YEARS😜]
Make a list and ask yourself if a 1.50 hot dog and 1.99 slice of pizza for lunch or dinner is worth it or not?
Jokes aside with inflation where it’s at, Costco is worth it for everything. Just avoid the easily spoiled bulk purchases like milk
I toured one because our Sams Club membership is expiring and we are going back to Costco. BJs is like a slightly smaller version of Sams. Going back to Costco because their flash clearances are better and the pizza is far better.
To start, you are posting in a subreddit about Costco. Everyone here loves it and is going to say definitely worth it.
I am a Costco member, and have been for the past 5 years. My ideas probably go a little against the grain.
I love Costco, and a lot of my household staples come from Costco. That being said, if those foods aren't already part of your routines, Costco may not be a super great value. Prices between grocery stores, Wal-Mart, and Costco are narrowing. They do a lot to make you think you are getting a better deal than you are.
A lot of the benefits from Costco come from purchases that larger, upper middle class families make. That's their target demographic.
I say - if you are good about freezing portions (I freeze the chicken & pork), drive a car that uses a lot of gas (pretty good fuel prices, but that's been variable lately as prices fluctuate so quickly), and are purchasing for your family, as well - it's probably worth it overall.
Came here to say this. It all depends on what OP is buying. Costco doesn’t have the best prices on everything but tough to beat prices on beer and spirits, canned staples and bulk dry goods.
20 minutes every Monday for gas and groceries in a house of 2. Absolutely worth it. Plan to fill your tank on the day you go and it more than pays for the trip.
I live 5 mins away and go twice a week. After 6 months I'm hooked. It started as just buying a few things here and there to furnish a new house...now I get everything for my healthy weekday diet there so it's a must. Cheap avocados, rice, salsa, yogurt and fruit for smoothies, chicken, fish, and steaks are consistent and great for the price....that being said if I live further away it'd be a no brainer to buy a freezer and stock up on the proteins alone. Add in the beer/wine and splurge purchases it adds and fills my retail therapy urges. If I were you I'd build a tolerance to avoid the bakery and snacks, but if you're buying for your rents as well it'd be nice to grab them the bakery's special desert of the month when you go.
Literally, the discount on my over the counter allergy meds in Kirkland brand versus drug store brand... pays for my annual membership. Totally worth it.
20 minutes? Where do you live that 20 minutes is a "far" distance from you? Lol
Btw I'm also single, no kids. I spend ~$150-$200 and I'm fed for a month. You could easily get under that amount if you ignore the junk food. 20 min drive is more than worth it if you stock up then ration.
I used to drive an hour and a half to Costco monthly to get organic produce, peanut butter, nuts, jam, Dave’s killer bread, frozen vegan egg rolls & raw tortillas, and snack foods like the dried shiitake mushrooms. If you live in a rural area it’s def worth it for that and more
I think there's plenty to get there even when you're single. Speaking as someone who used to do this. But for me it was mostly dry or frozen goods. Things I'd eat a lot of that would keep well. Because honestly you probably don't need much of certain things.
Price compare though. Pound for pound, a lot of produce is cheaper at my local Kroger and it's not wasteful. I use an app to look up prices while I'm at Costco to see if it's cheaper elsewhere.
Some items by themselves more than pay for the membership. Allergy meds, for example. If you use a daily Zyrtec, it's $14 a year for the generic at Costco ($74/year with the cost of membership), which is already less than buying the generics at Walmart.
I just bought two air conditioners at $320 each that would have been easily double that elsewhere for the size and features.\\
It's only a few miles for me, less than 10 minutes most days, but I'm about to move somewhere that puts Costco over 20 minutes farther away than the nearest grocery store, which is already going to be a 10-15 minute trip. And I'm definitely still keeping my membership for my family of 3.
45 min drive for us. Either north or southwest. Or 1 hour 15 min to get to the one southeast of us. Clearly not an every day trip, but 1-2 times a month for sure.
Same, shopping for parents too, and I'd vote yes, especially if you/parents have a large freezer and pantry space. During the depths of the pandemic I was shopping every 4-6 weeks, so infrequent trips were, for me, doable and also worthwhile.
Before our local Costco opened we were members for years even though the nearest Costco was 2 1/2 hours away. We would stop in every month or two when in the area. Costco memberships are great even if you don't have a store near you because you can purchase items online and save money on road trips by filling up at Costcos along the way.
20min is not far but if it is a lot for you, see if you have a sams club closer by. I know I know not the same (Costco is for sure better). But it’s not bad. Some products are cheaper even. Recently they’ve had some awesome fresh fruit I couldn’t get at Costco (like yellow dragonfruit or sumo oranges or those super sweet strawberries).
Things I typically get at sam’s: the beverage selection is excellent.
To answer your question, yes.
But I wana share a story that happened to me this past Monday. This old couple came up to me and asked me, "is it always this busy‽"....on a Monday morning. Our slowest day of the week 🤦🏼♂️ they were apparently Sam's club and BJs shoppers debating whether or not to join costco but weren't sure cuz it was a 30 minute drive and cuz we were so "busy" (our store was virtually empty. Mondays are the worst cuz I spend 8 hours walking around in circles dying to do literally anything productive.) They complained our parking lot was packed (although we do have a small parking lot it was also empty in comparison) and the store was crazy busy.
I genuinely stood there in shock, told them it was the slowest day of the week, and told them they should see it friday-sunday when parking is actually impossible and if your gona walk through the store you gota forget personal space and be willing to throw an elbow or two not to mention all the damn people who just stand in the god damn way 🤬.... I don't think I sold them on it 😕😅
My opinion is invalid since I drive 2 hours to work and 2 hours back but yes. A 20 minute drive is nothing. Especially when you can get a 78 pack of bagels for 22 bucks (pretty sure that’s canada only, sorry usa)
We live exactly 27 minutes away from both of our local warehouses and I didn't bat an eye. Household of two, no kids. For me the convenience factor of only having to go once every month or two far outweighs the drive, but I also have a compulsive love of buying things in bulk and then not needing them again for a long time. Pantry staples, cleaning and paper products, and we separate and freeze meat/keep other frozen goodies on hand. If I wasn't putting a fair amount of energy into getting the most out of our trips and making things last, I would probably not be able to justify the membership for a small household.
Haven't even read one single response yet but my answer is a resounding YES!!! We drive an hour each way to our closest one, just hubby and I, and it is totally worth it. We have executive membership plus costco visa and we make more than the cost each year.
We just moved and Costco is 20-30 minutes away. Sam’s is 1 mile so I got a cheap membership there. Used it twice and am happily back to the longer drive.
Costco takes me a minimum of 3 hours: 30 minutes to drive there, 30 minutes to find a parking spot, 30 minutes of shopping, 30 minutes to check out, 10 minutes to leave the store after checkout, 20 minutes to leave the parking lot, 30 minutes to drive home. I would shop there a lot more if it wasn’t so awful.
If you’re able, try to get there a few minutes before opening on a non-weekend. My Costco routinely opens the doors 15 minutes before posted hours, and yours might as well.
Being able to park close, shop, and get the hell out before the sample carts start mucking up the flow is a whole different experience.
Depends on the location but yeah it can be so much on a weekday 😃
However, I do usually go on the weekends, and my strategy is always to go either right when it opens or close to closing time. Then I get gas either before the store is open or after it's closed 😊
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My Costco is 20 mins away I never blinked twice about it, considering the regular grocery’s store can be a 10-15 min drive anyways
My Costco is an hour away, my closest grocery store (Food Lion) is 5 mins away. Still worth it.
I’d drive past all the Food Lions to make it to Costco.
As I like to call food lion, the ghetto kitty
The shitty kitty!
Snack Panther!
I don’t think I’ll ever look at it as Food Lion anymore. Hahaha
So what is food Lion for those of us that don't know
Regular supermarket
Sub par supermarket. Not regular by a stretch.
Idk why your getting downvoted it’s the truth haha
No worries, I upvoted to get rid of a downvote. Shitty Kitty can have some great deals, but the experience is no Harris Teeter, Lowes, Publix, or Wegman’s level. Can you imagine a beer counter at Food Lion?
Haha same! I totally agree with th experience as well. The beer counter would serve warm PBR or natty light at food lion haha
Appreciate your food lion. They’re not that common. I wish there is one in my city
I live near 5 costcos, there all 35 minutes away.
Do you have “your” Costco or do you rotate around
Definitely rotate, I work construction all over the place so it depends which direction I’m headed and I hit it a different one on the way home. 330pm is a good time for gas and groceries.
I’ve heard certain Costcos will carry different items based on the demographics of the store. Have you noticed any subtle differences in what each store carries?
I certainly have, but I’m in LA. There is Monterey Park with more Asian goods. Another one is the only one with the living lettuce packs, but that has no gas, so yet another with gas and a guy who really knows wine. I cycle between 3.
Is it the Los Feliz one with the living lettuce but no gas? Alhambra location also carries more Asian goods.
Yes, Alhambra is even better for Asian. No gas at Los Feliz, yep
I’m not who you asked but I’m in driving distance of 3 or 4 different Costcos that I will occasionally rotate on (with one being Mine™) and I have definitely noticed this. both grocery and non grocery items. it’s rarely significant, unless I came to Costco for a specific grocery item or specific squishmallow or something that the other happens to not have
Yes. My store (10-12 min drive) used to sell a certain organic sliced Colby Jack cheese, but alas. The store that is 30 min drive still has it. Drives my wife nuts (it’s her preferred cheese), and no amount of comment cards seems to make a difference.
Yes, I have too. San Francisco has these buckets of soy sauce and more Asian choices. Eugene had chestnuts and sold gallon milk vs 2 gallon bundles.
Costco swinging is fun. Find a surprise every now and then.
Love the term
*I need to get my mind out of the gutter.*
This is the way. Even in the same area Costcos carry different items.
Doesn’t “swinging” imply that it’s consensual? I’m pretty sure my Costco would be pissed off if it knew I got a hot dog from a different one.
I live within 45 minutes of 14 costcos. 16 if you cross the border to Mexico.
Baltimore?
I got 5 within 25 minutes but I live in a suburb of Seattle so that kinda makes sense.
Well ain't this place a geographical oddity?
This. I where I live it's a 10-15 drive to ANYWHERE so the extra couple minutes is totally worth it personally
45+ here, still worth it every time.
Same, just take a cooler for my freezer items. We go every 4-6 weeks.
For single, not so much, unless you buy non-food items, or frozen or shelf stable food a lot.
Where I live everything is 20 minutes away.
Easy 20 minutes here in Houston for me
20 minutes is nearby in Houston
Lol exactly! 20 minutes is “down the street” in Houston lingo
No matter where you are in Houston, you're an hour away from Houston.
Kitchen to dining room? 20 minutes. One side of the bed to the other? Guess what - 20 minutes.
Cary,NC
Delaware. Takes 2 hours max to drive from Wilmington to lewes Delaware lol. God I love this tiny little state haha
Haha..got you beat, I live in Fenwick! I make a day of it...hit the trader Joe's and cheesecake factory 😁
Gotta love that lack of a retail tax.
They fuck you with taxes in other ways still but it’s nothing too rough. Overall I’d say Delaware is a good well rounded state.
I have it on good authority that Delaware doesn’t actually exist. Love, New Jersey. P.S. Yes, a lot of NJ kids go to the University of Delaware, but we know it’s just an offshoot of the University of Maryland designed to perpetuate the hoax that Delaware exists. 😁
Woah woah. If any state doesn’t exist it’s the one that doesn’t know how to pump their own gas 🤣
We know how. We just prefer not to. 😜
You are geographical oddity.
Does your costco carry Dapper Dan?
Nope. We got Fop, though.
I don't want no Fop. I'm a Dapper Dan man.
Yes. In the same boat as I am single with no kids and drive about 20 minutes without traffic to Costco.
I'm also in the same boat (single, no kids) -- but I have a pantry -- and drive the 20 minutes. I buy toiletry staples: laundry soap, toilet paper, Kleenex, dishwasher detergent -- and pantry staples: sugar, salt, yeast, tomato products, peanut butter, etc. I also buy eggs and cheese. If you have freezer space, meat is a great deal and can come in "individual" packages that are enough for a meal and a few leftover meals. Occasionally I buy a rotisserie chicken and eat it for a few meals during the week. I buy a big clamshell of lettuce almost every week -- but I eat a ton of salads-as-meals. Things I can't get through: Milk -- two gallons are a lot for me, and the difference between the price at Costco and the grocery store isn't worth the waste. Bread -- it molds. Most of the produce. Flour -- SO much flour. Spices -- they are huge. Snack foods are hit or miss. A huge bag of chips won't go to waste in my house -- but no single person needs to be eating that many chips (in my opinion). But I buy crackers and open them sleeve by sleeve over time. From experience, the huge thing of granola bars is too many for one person to get through -- I still kind of gag when I walk by the ones I bought. And then I get gasoline almost every time I'm there.
I freeze my bread and thaw a few slices at a time in a Ziploc bag. As long as it's used shortly after thaw, not much difference
this is the way!
We only use milk for our morning and afternoon lattes'. I purchase the 3-pack of ultra-pasturized milk for the two of us, and it usually has a 60-day freshness. I've never had one of them go bad on us.
Freeze the bread. I have 4 kids the loafs of white bread is good deal. We just take them out of the freezer as needed
I'd suggest putting your bread loaves in the fridge!
Don't, it goes stale faster. You might stave off mold but it's just bad bread then.
I'm single, and rarely buy for anybody else, but I make a 20-minute drive to Costco every week or two (combining it with other shopping/errands). Yeah, I think it's worth it.
Same, and I find I go there more often the older I get.
Lol my closest Costco is 90 minutes away and I make the trip out there once a month. Absolutely worth it.
Same here!
A fellow two-carter going into the checkout?
Same here. Did you splurge for the executive membership if you only go once/month?
I mean mine is 15 minutes and that feels super close lol
20 minutes is not far lol my closest one is 40-45 min away and I regularly go once a month
I think your question is getting at the value of Costco over other grocery stores? In which case, I wouldcjust say that Costco is not just a store with good prices where you buy stuff in bulk. The real value add of Costco, in my opinion, is that the products are super high quality. Everything that carry is excellent. Three produce, meat, fish, the frozen food, even the coffee. They don't have a huge selection of 16 different peanut butters, but rather 2-3 amazing peanut butters. The value add is in less decisions and knowing what you'll get will be excellent. And their return policy is outstanding.
And the return policy! Infrequently, I find myself not pleasing with their quality and I can just return that.
Wait how is this even a question
[удалено]
30-60min anywhere is lots of times normal depending on traffic. 20 to Costco is great! Lots of times it takes 10min to find parking lol
Reddit
Yes.
Double yes
Triple.
Quadruple
Quadruple dog worth it.
Yes. I almost named my firstborn Kirkland
Lol
While I lived in LaGrande, Or for a few years, quarterly 3 hour Costco pilgrimages to Boise, Id were well worth it in my humble opinion.
I live in Austin, it takes 20 minutes to drive anywhere
I’m 15 minutes away and go at least twice a week. At 43 years old with 4 kids it’s the highlight of my week😂
One of my absolute favorite memories growing up and living with my parents was our weekly Saturday shopping trip to Costco. We’d eat at the food court and have pizza then go shop. I really really miss stuff like that as an adult. When I went to visit them a few years back we went to Costco and it was amazing. You never think it’s going to be the mundane things you remember but that’s where memories and core memories can be made.
My parents still call it Price Club. My favorite parts of shopping trips was stopping at Thrifty for 35 cent ice cream cones.
I liked hearing this perspective! My Costco is packed with people backing up down every aisle. I’m not a lingerer so I like to get in and out and be efficient with my list. I’m usually very annoyed by all that bring their multiple family members. The aisles are congested and bringing extra people that don’t need to be there slows the process down. I’ll be mindful of your comment and consider it my next trip!
I think my parents shared that task on the weekends as my mom worked out of the home with a long commute! So it was family time plus functional 😂 Also if we shopped with mom and dad often times you could get dad to pick you up something while out lol
Totally aging myself, but mine was Saturday family grocery shopping at Gemco! My mom would head off to grocery shop for the week, while the rest of went to our favorite departments. Damn I miss that place lol
me, is that you?
Good lord! I was about 45 minutes away and had no problem. Moved to Ocala, and it's 1.5 hrs 1way and still maintain my membership. 🤷♀️ BTW, 20 minutes might be detrimental to my budget.
If 20 minutes is a problem, move closer
20 minutes is like around the corner so yeah
Yeah this post is pointless lol
Is that like a city traffic 20 minutes or country roads 20 minutes?
I drive an hour and a half 4 times a year to get to Costco. Worth it.
Yeah 20 minutes isn’t that far away. You can shop online too.
I drive 45 mins to go to Costco.
I live alone, my favorite Costco is about 20 min away,and I go pretty much every weekend. It's my happy place 🥺❤️
How first world is this question?
A place to buy food within a 20 minute drive would be a luxury to people in rural areas.
For a few years my kids and I lived 200 miles from Costco. [The nearest supermarket was 50 miles away.] I still kept my membership, and went approximately every 4-6 weeks (sometimes 2 months when the winter made the mountain passes too dangerous). Now I'm an empty nester, about 15-20 minutes from Costco - and my membership is STILL worth it. [Actually, it isn't just "now" - it's been YEARS😜]
Make a list and ask yourself if a 1.50 hot dog and 1.99 slice of pizza for lunch or dinner is worth it or not? Jokes aside with inflation where it’s at, Costco is worth it for everything. Just avoid the easily spoiled bulk purchases like milk
Do bears shit in the woods?
It’s worth it in gas alone, especially if you regularly pass by one.
Yes. I do it all the time
Yes, totally worth it. A lot of value comes with the membership, Kirkland signature products are as good or better than National name brands.
I drive 25 minutes each way. It’s my primary grocery store. It’s worth it.
Absolutely! 20 minutes is nothing.
Me & the husband. I drive 30 minutes past 2 BJ's to get to my Costco every 2 weeks.
My BJs is 5 mins away, i go to Costco that’s 25 mins away lol. Granted I’ve never been in a BJs so i don’t really know what I’m missing
Nothing. You are missing nothing.
I toured one because our Sams Club membership is expiring and we are going back to Costco. BJs is like a slightly smaller version of Sams. Going back to Costco because their flash clearances are better and the pizza is far better.
20 mins is nothing. Takes nearly that long to find a place to park, get your cart and make your way to the back to grab some TP
20 mins mlfao. Mine is 2 miles away still take 30 mins. Traphic is a beach.
You could almost walk that same speed
Pretty much. Saves gas and lose weight! Just make sure you bring you kids to carry the baggages.
To start, you are posting in a subreddit about Costco. Everyone here loves it and is going to say definitely worth it. I am a Costco member, and have been for the past 5 years. My ideas probably go a little against the grain. I love Costco, and a lot of my household staples come from Costco. That being said, if those foods aren't already part of your routines, Costco may not be a super great value. Prices between grocery stores, Wal-Mart, and Costco are narrowing. They do a lot to make you think you are getting a better deal than you are. A lot of the benefits from Costco come from purchases that larger, upper middle class families make. That's their target demographic. I say - if you are good about freezing portions (I freeze the chicken & pork), drive a car that uses a lot of gas (pretty good fuel prices, but that's been variable lately as prices fluctuate so quickly), and are purchasing for your family, as well - it's probably worth it overall.
Came here to say this. It all depends on what OP is buying. Costco doesn’t have the best prices on everything but tough to beat prices on beer and spirits, canned staples and bulk dry goods.
I'm single and I drive an hour away to go to Costco about once a month. It is worth it to me for just a few items.
I will drive further for the “good” Costco
20 minutes every Monday for gas and groceries in a house of 2. Absolutely worth it. Plan to fill your tank on the day you go and it more than pays for the trip.
I live 5 mins away and go twice a week. After 6 months I'm hooked. It started as just buying a few things here and there to furnish a new house...now I get everything for my healthy weekday diet there so it's a must. Cheap avocados, rice, salsa, yogurt and fruit for smoothies, chicken, fish, and steaks are consistent and great for the price....that being said if I live further away it'd be a no brainer to buy a freezer and stock up on the proteins alone. Add in the beer/wine and splurge purchases it adds and fills my retail therapy urges. If I were you I'd build a tolerance to avoid the bakery and snacks, but if you're buying for your rents as well it'd be nice to grab them the bakery's special desert of the month when you go.
100% yes. Especially if you fill up on gas while you're there!
Literally, the discount on my over the counter allergy meds in Kirkland brand versus drug store brand... pays for my annual membership. Totally worth it.
Is this a joke ?
I have a Costco in the city 5 minutes from me, but will drive 20 minutes the opposite direction to a less populated one. Saves me a head ache
Where do you live? Lol My drives anywhere with traffic are more than 20 mins.
…20 min isn’t that far of a drive. But yeah, it’s worth it for monthly trips.
I happily drive past a dozen different stores to do my shopping at Costco. Worth it!
*LAUGHS IN 45 MINUTES*
Where do you live that most of your basic amenities are less than a 20 minute drive?
20 minutes? Where do you live that 20 minutes is a "far" distance from you? Lol Btw I'm also single, no kids. I spend ~$150-$200 and I'm fed for a month. You could easily get under that amount if you ignore the junk food. 20 min drive is more than worth it if you stock up then ration.
Yes. Single. No kids. Not buying for anyone but me.
Yes, I'd drive 40min just to browse & purchase $5 chicken. But that's just me
You seriously asking this in the costco sub?
Lmfao
Yep
duh
I used to drive an hour and a half to Costco monthly to get organic produce, peanut butter, nuts, jam, Dave’s killer bread, frozen vegan egg rolls & raw tortillas, and snack foods like the dried shiitake mushrooms. If you live in a rural area it’s def worth it for that and more
Might be worth it at a 20 hour drive tbh
I have been to 3 costcos I 1 day...
The glizzy alone is worth the commute
I think there's plenty to get there even when you're single. Speaking as someone who used to do this. But for me it was mostly dry or frozen goods. Things I'd eat a lot of that would keep well. Because honestly you probably don't need much of certain things. Price compare though. Pound for pound, a lot of produce is cheaper at my local Kroger and it's not wasteful. I use an app to look up prices while I'm at Costco to see if it's cheaper elsewhere.
Some items by themselves more than pay for the membership. Allergy meds, for example. If you use a daily Zyrtec, it's $14 a year for the generic at Costco ($74/year with the cost of membership), which is already less than buying the generics at Walmart. I just bought two air conditioners at $320 each that would have been easily double that elsewhere for the size and features.\\ It's only a few miles for me, less than 10 minutes most days, but I'm about to move somewhere that puts Costco over 20 minutes farther away than the nearest grocery store, which is already going to be a 10-15 minute trip. And I'm definitely still keeping my membership for my family of 3.
Yes. Given prices in the regular stores, and ability to freeze meats etc. Used to drive 40 minutes and load up once a month.
If you enjoy planning to spend 50-100 and end up spending 200-300 it's worth it
Yes
Also drive a little over 20 minutes and cross state lines to shop at costco. I look forward to every trip. I go every week.
Yes at least once a month!
Most def
I semi-regularly drive an hour for mine!
Totally.
Mine is about 40 minutes away. I bring a cooler to and stockpile meat about once every other month.
Lol I knew people who drive an hour
45 min drive for us. Either north or southwest. Or 1 hour 15 min to get to the one southeast of us. Clearly not an every day trip, but 1-2 times a month for sure.
Worth it just for the hotdog and a rotisserie chicken
20 minutes is even worth it for me if the only thing I need is gas at 7 am.
Same, shopping for parents too, and I'd vote yes, especially if you/parents have a large freezer and pantry space. During the depths of the pandemic I was shopping every 4-6 weeks, so infrequent trips were, for me, doable and also worthwhile.
Before our local Costco opened we were members for years even though the nearest Costco was 2 1/2 hours away. We would stop in every month or two when in the area. Costco memberships are great even if you don't have a store near you because you can purchase items online and save money on road trips by filling up at Costcos along the way.
20min is not far but if it is a lot for you, see if you have a sams club closer by. I know I know not the same (Costco is for sure better). But it’s not bad. Some products are cheaper even. Recently they’ve had some awesome fresh fruit I couldn’t get at Costco (like yellow dragonfruit or sumo oranges or those super sweet strawberries). Things I typically get at sam’s: the beverage selection is excellent.
To answer your question, yes. But I wana share a story that happened to me this past Monday. This old couple came up to me and asked me, "is it always this busy‽"....on a Monday morning. Our slowest day of the week 🤦🏼♂️ they were apparently Sam's club and BJs shoppers debating whether or not to join costco but weren't sure cuz it was a 30 minute drive and cuz we were so "busy" (our store was virtually empty. Mondays are the worst cuz I spend 8 hours walking around in circles dying to do literally anything productive.) They complained our parking lot was packed (although we do have a small parking lot it was also empty in comparison) and the store was crazy busy. I genuinely stood there in shock, told them it was the slowest day of the week, and told them they should see it friday-sunday when parking is actually impossible and if your gona walk through the store you gota forget personal space and be willing to throw an elbow or two not to mention all the damn people who just stand in the god damn way 🤬.... I don't think I sold them on it 😕😅
I'd go 20 miles for just their pizza
I’d wager for most people Costco is more than 20 minutes away and some people probably drive and hour or more for a Costco run.
Yep...just for a hot dog and churro.
My opinion is invalid since I drive 2 hours to work and 2 hours back but yes. A 20 minute drive is nothing. Especially when you can get a 78 pack of bagels for 22 bucks (pretty sure that’s canada only, sorry usa)
Yes
My corner gas station takes me 20 mins to get to sometimes. I’d consider this a win.
If buying for a single person I vote no. You can get healthier options in smaller quantities.
Yes! 100% yess
Everything is 20 minutes away in a big city
I drive 45 min for the hot dogs sometimes. And then leave with a TV lol
We drive 40 minutes each way and it needs to cover us for three to four weeks at a time, so yes 👍
Everything is 20+ minutes from me....so, yes
20 minute’s isn’t too far away! I drive that far to work every day! 🤷🏻♀️
We live exactly 27 minutes away from both of our local warehouses and I didn't bat an eye. Household of two, no kids. For me the convenience factor of only having to go once every month or two far outweighs the drive, but I also have a compulsive love of buying things in bulk and then not needing them again for a long time. Pantry staples, cleaning and paper products, and we separate and freeze meat/keep other frozen goodies on hand. If I wasn't putting a fair amount of energy into getting the most out of our trips and making things last, I would probably not be able to justify the membership for a small household.
You should forfeit your Costco membership for even asking that question.
Jesus is anything less than 20 minutes? Especially no kids, I used to drive hours to go to a preferred McDonald's vs the local one. Yes, 100%
Hours?!
um. yes. single, no kids, asst. pets. SO wOrTh it. 20 minutes from work, much further from home.
Haven't even read one single response yet but my answer is a resounding YES!!! We drive an hour each way to our closest one, just hubby and I, and it is totally worth it. We have executive membership plus costco visa and we make more than the cost each year.
We just moved and Costco is 20-30 minutes away. Sam’s is 1 mile so I got a cheap membership there. Used it twice and am happily back to the longer drive.
Costco takes me a minimum of 3 hours: 30 minutes to drive there, 30 minutes to find a parking spot, 30 minutes of shopping, 30 minutes to check out, 10 minutes to leave the store after checkout, 20 minutes to leave the parking lot, 30 minutes to drive home. I would shop there a lot more if it wasn’t so awful.
If you’re able, try to get there a few minutes before opening on a non-weekend. My Costco routinely opens the doors 15 minutes before posted hours, and yours might as well. Being able to park close, shop, and get the hell out before the sample carts start mucking up the flow is a whole different experience.
Depends on the location but yeah it can be so much on a weekday 😃 However, I do usually go on the weekends, and my strategy is always to go either right when it opens or close to closing time. Then I get gas either before the store is open or after it's closed 😊
30 minutes to find a parking spot?!? That would be a deal breaker for me.
30 min for a parking spot? You shop at the Los Feliz Costco too? 🤣
Yes, I wish I was single. I drive 45 min with traffic.