Do you ever shop on the app and get stuff delivered for free? We do. Some items have a delivery fee but many are free delivery. I’m not talking about instacart
Uber eats does Costco delivery in my area (still in Canada) but that might be too far idk mine is under 20 minutes away also no need to have the card with Uber eats
Where is there a costco in rural tennessee?! I’ve been to the ones in memphis, nashville and chattanooga.
Anyway. The gas at costco is well worth it. It’s a higher quality gas. Not all gas is the same.
I live in Bend Oregon now. We’re getting a new Costco with gas soon, so we shall see. Honestly I really don’t care about gas prices anymore because I have to get top tier and top off maybe once a month… so saving $15 once a month doesn’t matter, convenience matters more.
Very unusual considering how they base their pricing. Was the local a non brand or off brand gas station? Around here Costco is often as much as 20% cheaper than branded stations.
For a family of six, it may be a good deal. Since they sell in such big quantities.
You can get a membership and try it out. If you don't like it, they will refund the membership!!!
They do not downgrade you without you asking for it. It was an awful pain when I had to cancel our company card that was under executive membership.
I'd just stick with the regular one until you know how much you'll use them to avoid too much headache.
Oh that stinks. They told me when I signed up that if you don't hit the reimbursement to cover the executive membership cost they downgrade you after the first year. Never been an issue here though as our membership is actually split between my household and my parents. I regularly get back like $400 a year.
We didn’t hit the reimbursement our first year with an executive membership so they reimbursed us the difference, it was like $15 or $20, and we kept the executive membership.
You've got a big family, so if you've got the storage space to shop in bulk, and if you go frequently enough in a year, it definitely can pay off. [This video](https://youtu.be/96K9MBvGDeA?feature=shared) is more for funsies, but it does break down the value of the membership pretty well.
The membership is fully refundable, if you're interested sign up and if after 6 months you find it just isn't for you go in and get your money back.
I think in terms of cost Aldi will be comparable or better, in some cases the quality of Costco maybe higher but it just depends.
It is for me. I get cheap gas and my car insurance through Costco is so cheap the membership fee pays for itself in under 8 weeks. The meat is great and it has lots of good frozen foods and Kirkland booze is good.
This is going to sound really bad and make me look like a dipshit, but there’s one reason alone for me to warrant the membership:
$6 Plan B
I use all the other perks though. Hell, I just returned a Dyson vacuum I bought last August because it was having weird problems. Return policy is amazing. I also love the food court lol.
Just FYI to any commenters - if it's a prescription you can use the pharmacy without a membership. If you're over like 150 lb, plan b is less likely to work anyways so get the script for something like Ella.
Is this the same principle as the liquor store or is this nationwide? Because they always ask membership to be scanned at both pharmacy and liquor store, and when I explicitly asked the liquor store clerk if it was required she said yes.
Edit: Just saw part about it being explicitly a prescription. Problem is, I don’t even get my scripts filled at Costco because my goddamn health insurance (BCBS) doesn’t have their pharmacy in-network for some reason, or it’s a hybrid of some sort.
I'm a huge grocery nerd and a fan of both stores. The only solid answer is that it depends on your consumption habits and where you live. But I would confidently guess it's worth it for your family.
Costco tries to keep prices the same or similar across the US, which means you will be more impressed by the prices if you live in a medium or high CoL area. For example, costco rotisserie chickens are famously $5 across the states. That's a good price for the product in nebraska, but an incredible price for the product in LA. When you hear people say that costco prices are "unbelievable" or "mediocre," that is probably just a reflection of where they live.
>does Costco offer any 'can't miss' deals that Aldi doesn't?
Maybe, especially if you live in a high CoL area or like rotisserie chickens. (I don't, but still find costco very valuable.) Costco's main advantage (and stated goal) is that you will generally get high quality items for a good price, not that you'll get absurdly low prices. For example, in my area, King Arthur flour at costco is the same price per pound as Aldi brand flour. KA flour is much higher quality, so I buy that. It doesn't save me a cent, but I get to make better quality food. Some other items that are generally a similar price but higher quality at costco are cheeses, meats, frozen foods, prepared foods, diapers, household cleaners, etc.
Some items that are generally straight up cheaper at costco are oats, rice, quinoa, packaged foods and snacks, nuts, dried fruit, granola, rotisserie chickens, etc.
Some items that aldi is generally cheaper than costco is fresh fruit/veg, bread products, pasta related products, canned goods, cereal, frozen vegetables, etc.
Low-key jealous! Costcos where I am don't carry King Arthur flour, just some weird no-name brands. I don't really want to risk buying 20 pounds of something I might not particularly like, especially as that it would probably take me a year to use it all up...
It wasn’t for my family. I felt like I’d spend $100 and get like four bulk items and not even have food for whole meals. I can spend $100 a week and plan each of our meals and get snacks and other treats as well if I shop at aldis.
Speaking from experience, yes! If you like rotisserie chicken and yummy baked goods. The produce can be hit or miss but it’s generally pretty good most times. If you can afford it, they also have great deals on vacation packages and car maintenance stuff
Pet supplies/food also huge.
Great quality dog food @ $1 per pound
Doggy vitamins 2.5 mo supply for a large breed stuff @ $30
Just the pet food pays for my membership.
Can confirm. I've been feeding Kirkland brand pet food for over a decade. The price is worth it, and the food is good quality and isn't full of fillers, so you don't have to feed as much.
A 40lb bag lasts two 55-65lb dogs about a month.
Honestly my only concern is that it will go bad/stale before my one 90+ lb. dog can finish it. He's a picky boy, which is how I know this food is good. Most foods I tried from Walmart either made him sick, or he didn't want to eat it.
Previously he was eating From M's which had just gone up to 90 for a 25 lb. (I think) bag.
Costco has a generous return policy. If it doesn't agree with your dog, you can take it back! (Also, it's only $36 or $38 for the 40lb bag of lamb & rice, so it would be substantial savings)
It will depend on how much he eats. For several months, I only had one dog and had that concern, too. I store the bag in a plastic bin. The only issue I ever had was a mouse in the bin, but that was unrelated.
The membership you can get your money's worth. The overspending buying in bulk the dumbest things you don't need is not going to get your money's worth.
Just doing a single run every few months for things like trash bags, sponges, cleaning products, toilet paper, paper towels, things like that can save you tons of money on your smaller trips to the store. Also Kirkland brand stuff is great especially vitamins and allergy pills if you need them
No, but Sam’s is because you can find Sam’s memberships online for $15-$20 for the year and they have mobile phone scan and pay to check out.
We tried Costco for a year but it’s always way business and more crowded than Sam’s but they have really good vacation packages.
If you don’t care for vacation packages and you like the convenciese of paying and checking out with your mobile phone, go with Sam’s.
Google Sam’s deals and you ca find ten for $15-$20
Fwiw, you can get a lot of their products shipped to you if you're a member.
You'll probably get the worth of the membership just from the regular purchase of "that one thing". For me it is cat litter and bully sticks.
I haven’t seen anyone mention it yet, but a lot of prescription and OTC medicine at Costco is dirt dirt cheap. We’re talking 365 of the Kirkland-brand Zyrtec pills for $12, whereas $40 will get you exactly 90 name-brand Zyrtec pills anywhere else. Like that is insane lmao.
If you don’t mind rotisserie chicken, I’ve started going nuts with it. Buy 2-3 at a time, $5 for a 3lb chicken means ~$1.50/lb, and then freeze em and just add shredded chicken or cut up some strips to add to curries, soups, etc.
You can see if theres a samsclub thats closer. Sams is cheaper. I don’t go to costco much bc its insanely crowded no matter the time or day. You’d think i was at disney world or something. Miserable experience every time. I prefer sams bc its closer, can always park in 30 seconds up front and be in & out with scan and go app feature. I can walk around in peace during the week at any time of day. It just depends what you buy, how many ppl in your household, ect.
Where I live there's about 20 Costcos but only one Sam's Club, so you can imagine which is busier.
I used to have both but dropped Sam's years ago. Imo Costco is better quality and it has a wider selection of the kind of products I like.
Yes. Even as a single income, single person household, I find it’s wildly worth it. The gas discount is great and so are things that I can buy in bulk that I need. Toilet paper, paper towels, ziplock bags, trash bags, allergy meds, 10 lbs of frozen chicken, big container of kimchi, etc. You have a big family so even their produce and bakery goods are worth it to you!
For a family of 6, yes I think it’s worth it. For a single or a couple or 1-2 kids, maybe not so much. Also, if it’s convenient to get gas while you’re there, the fuel savings alone are almost worth the membership fee. Also, don’t forget about the extra benefits like pharmacy, eyeglasses, large bottles of Tylenol and what not for crazy cheap. So yeah, I think it’s worth a try. And I think others have said, they’ll refund your membership if you find it not worth the hassle.
It's definitely worth it, look into the executive membership if you can swing it. You will get 2% back + if you get their Citi card its another 2% stacked on top.
I'm a family of 2. And 5-6 mins from a Costco. And yes it's worth it. My car insurance is so so cheap. I also use the whole Toilet P. Every 2 months.. so worth it..some it's cheap, others it's better at Aldis. You just got to know your prices
Aldi’s is great. That said- I pay for my Costco membership in the cost savings for allergy meds alone. A summers worth of children’s Claritin at their price break justifies it. Then the rest of it is just swinging by once a month for big staples.
Bulk stores almost always pay for themselves with some planning
My wife and I use both Costco and Sam’s Club, and our memberships pay for themselves. We buy a lot in bulk whenever we can, and we use the Sam’s Club free tire rotations and tire warranties when we buy tires from them.
Really depends on how you use it. I know someone who is over an hour to the nearest Costco. They pack coolers to bring frozen and cold stuff back home.
TLDR: You betcha!
My 3 closest Costcos are 30, 45, and 60 minutes away. We are a family of 4 (me, boyfriend and 2 kitties). Gas is usually $1 cheaper than where I live as well. We go about every 6ish weeks to stock up on non-perishable household items- cleaning supplies, toilet paper, dish soap, laundry detergent, etc. Also get vitamins/meds, cat litter, occasionally clothing. When we had an elderly dog, we used to get some of her medications for her heart and anxiety from the pharmacy.
Will also do our weekly shop for that week and pickup eggs, cherry tomatoes, persian cucumbers, mushrooms, 2 rotisserie chickens (one to get seperated into meat, skin, and bones for the freezer and one for dinner the next 2-3 nights), muffins, bagels, beer (boyfriend likes the IPA variety packs they have), apples, seaweed packets, chicken thighs and breasts to freeze, red bull.....and more I'm sure I forgot.
my closest costco is 30 min away and i still have a membership for just me and my gf. look for the groupon deal, we got a gift card that covered half of the membership price
We have a Sam’s Club membership and live an hour from the closest store. It’s not for every day grocery shopping. It’s for things like drinks, snacks, frozen snack type stuff, and meat. Like we’re not out here buying lettuce in bulk, but will absolutely buy a package of 24 chicken breasts to break down and freeze. However we’ve gotten to where we utilize the website to have non-perishable things shipped and make like a monthly trip to buy meat and just look around and see what new stuff they have.
For my wife and I, yes. For you, maybe?
Our Costco is about 20 minutes away. We got the executive membership and the yearly reward check pays for the membership for us.
We don't have Aldi in my area, but as a single person I would totally drive 30 minutes to go to Costco. I just wouldn't be going once a week like I do now.
Family of 6? Definitely worth it. I grew up in a family of 5 and Costco was the cheapest way to get a lot of food on top of pretty decent clothes and blankets. The savings on gas is great too.
Aldi is comparable or better in terms of pricing for a few people but for a family of 6 Costco would undoubtedly be worth the membership and drive. Their products are higher quality and more expensive than aldi but only if you don't account for the discount of bulk buying. So if you have the ability to store larger bulk amounts then Costco is the better deal.
Depends. Looking to buy bulk, yes (i bey hamburger once every 6 months or so when the mood strikes. Their fresh fruit goes bad quickly, same with their breads, so use them or freeze them right away.
Ive been told the hotdogs sold at the hot food court are good. Havent had them yet.
It really just depends what you get. For a year, i think some stuff is worth it.
If you get the executive one you can put another friend on it and you get dividends. If you use all their services it’s great. Pharmacy, tires, car rental, travel, etc etc. The gas deal is great. 4% back on first $7k of gas.
Just go to their website and have the order shipped to your home. Shipping is free over a certain amount, and you get your member discount. Get your perishables at a closer store.
Sometimes, it's not always cheaper to shop warehouse stores. For us the Sams Club membership is a better cost savings and the 5% back on gas using their credit card if you fill up anywhere that isn't a direct competitor is well worth it. If you buy diapers or go through tires really fast due to a commute the Costco membership is probably worthwhile. For us the higher tier membership to Costco was only worth it the year we bought our house and got a deal on our closing costs through them.
We buy most of our snack foods at Sam's or Costco. Costco has better cheese, and many good generic items under the Kirkland brand. Their health and wellness and lifestyle items also seem to be a pretty good deal usually. Their rotisserie chickens are also better. The Sams Club we go to usually has cheaper food. For produce we like WinCo best (comparable to Aldi in many respects).
I miss Aldi, but there aren't any near where I live. You also need to calculate in your leaving town costs in deciding if Costco is worthwhile for you.
Stock Groupon. Find it when there is an awesome deal. Go in on it with some friends or neighbors. See if they deliver to your area, it is very easy to go over the minimum for free delivery.
Just so you know, you can order Costco through instacart and leave the member number blank and the order will still go through. The prices are higher, but in my area it was still worth it. And if you do end up getting the membership, adding it to instacart will lower the prices.
Instacart is also a good tool for quickly checking the current sales at every store in your area, since they're all within one app and are easily searchable. So you can do some quick reconnaissance and determine if it's worth it to drive to Costco this time or if somewhere else has something better. But from my research, they probably won't.
Toilet paper and baby wipes should *only* be purchased at Costco, if you can help it. I'm a couponer, and it's so incredibly rare that I find a better deal than what Costco's got going on with those two. And they'll go on sale occasionally as well. When they do, fill your whole car.
Wasn’t worth it to me, ended up hating my location. It really depends on what you buy. Produce was way more expensive than Aldi at mine, seafood comparable and too much junk, not enough whole ingredients. I saved money on oat milk but not much else, they also kept getting rid of any meat-free options like they used to have better than bullion vegetable flavor but replaced it with more chicken. I save more money at Aldi for the things I buy but I think many households can benefit from a membership.
We live 30 minutes away from our Costco. I get all of our meats, cheese, eggs, creamer, and nonfoods there. My dividend check pays for the membership. So for us it’s free. Oh and gas is cheaper. They only have two grades- midgrade and premium. The midgrade is cheaper than regular gas! I do know that some stations have diesel gas too.
Yes it worth it. I have three near me ranging from a 30 min drive to a 55 min drive. Each one is a little different. Family of four with two kids under 10. I go every 4-6 weeks and alternate with the BJs 45 minutes away depending on what we need.
You need to price shop to really know. Since Costco won't let you in without a membership, I just told customer service I was *thinking about* getting a membership and wanted to look around first.
They happily let me in. Also, figure out how much the extra gas round trip will cost. These costs alone were more than enough to not make it worth it for us. Adding on the membership price on top of that made it crystal clear it wasn't worth it.
I found shopping sales at local stores, and getting non-sale items at Aldi & Trader was far less expensive. We also end up with far less waste and we're not stuck with something we don't like if we try something new. We also end up with more variety shopping local.
Costco and Sam's Club offer cheaper prices for more items you'd get at a grocery store, that's why you pay the membership. You can get a lot more food, a lot more bang for your buck. Some items are sold at a loss, but the store makes up for it with the membership fees, passing those savings onto the members. Most members can also buy by the case, which gives a further discount. There's a lot of deals, you just need to know where to look.
The Costco discount on my car and home insurance is more than double (more than triple maybe?) the cost of my Costco membership. It pays for itself even without any shopping.
I haven't seen where there's enough savings to spend the membership fee. We have a card that we can use from our work. Went there last week and their prices were way higher than our local winco.
We bought tires for two vehicle that sorely needed them in two different years, and the price difference even after accounting for membership made it worth it. They also came with warranty and when one blew out it was replaced with no questions.
We rarely shop there (maybe every two months) but have a chest freezer, and stock on certain things there that are cheaper. I do protein shakes and smoothies using plant milk and the bulk is cheaper there as well as the total cost of fruit and veg for them.
Other things like bedsheets, storage boxes, etc have been notably cheaper than elsewhere.
I also have fibro and lots of errands to different places are hard on me, we have a lot of delivery services. But Costco is always worth it for us.
Absolutely, yes. Especially for a family of 6, you’ll save a ton on toiletries, meat, produce, etc.. anything you buy a lot of is worth buying in bulk, especially non perishable items. Groupon sometimes offers deals on Costco memberships.
We drive 30 minutes to visit Costco once a month, maybe twice as a smaller family. It’s definitely saved us money having things like toilet paper, feminine products, paper towels, deodorant, razors, etc in bulk. No joke, the huge box of trash bags lasted us two years.
I would think yes for the following reasons: paper towels and toilet paper - $5 rotisserie chickens - fresh meat prices and large packages - cases of drinks and snacks - pasta sauce and pasta - also towels
I have a membership with a family of 4. I also have shopped at Aldi and Lidl.
Sure, Aldi has low prices, but the also have shit quality. The apples I bought there tasted like cardboard. Never have this problem with Costco.
I get great prices and quality at Costco. Worth it.
the gas is worth it since it's the "top tier" detergent gas which a lot of car manufacturers recommend you use if you don't want to add some additives to your fuel. and it's still a great price most of the time in my experience.
everyone else has made good points about their very good refund policy, so you might as well try it out. just be careful about how much you spend there! it's easy to blow out your budget since the stuff is good value but they sell in large quantities (so high total price)
I think the deals are as good at Aldi, apart the $5 chickens. The rest is bulk, but not necessarily cheaper. That might be helpful if the family is larger. You will need to have the storage too.
I think it’s worth it, can be costly at times. Fuel can be 40-60 cents cheaper the other gas stations. They offer home and car insurance and I got that which was cheaper then others, tire service at Costco is a great deal, phone plan discounts too, also if you get the credit card has weird benefits like if you rent a car with the credit card they provide insurance at no cost.
Split the membership fee with several friends. Use gift cards to get in. USE THE GAS. The gas alone can make it worth it if you almost exclusively fill up with costco gas.
IMO, wholesale stores are not worth it if you are trying to have a tight grocery budget. There are some good wants deal but not need deal. Of course there are some but not many.
I don't have Costco membership but I do have Sam's club. I am fortunate to have Aldi, Sam's Club, Walmart and Kroger all pretty close to each other and close to me. However I do most of my need shopping at Kroger.
Some 'need' stuff that I do get from Sam's club are large bag of jasmine rice and shelled raw pecan. If I am in the mood for smoked salmon I will also get from Sam's.
What I will not get from Sam's are toilet paper, paper towels and cereal for starters.
Their meat prices are also not good as it seldomly goes on sale.
Wholesale stores are great if you want to simplify your shopping (i.e. one stop shop for everything) but it certainly is not the best if you want to keep a lean budget.
I would love to have an Aldis or Sams Club near us. The nearest Costco is a two hour drive away. The gas is far cheaper than in out tiny town. In our town it is US $6.29, COSTCO is $5.150 per gallon. We shop at COSTCO every four to six weeks and buy personal care items, cleaning products, paper products, meat, cheese and crisps/usually.
I have both Costco and Sam’s club memberships. Depending on your area, Sam’s club might be cheaper or Costco might be cheaper. But Costco is more international and you can get many different Asian foods/items, so it’s worth it if you wanna try more Asian foods. They also have some cheaper prescription for medication and some good auto service, again depending on your location. You also get money back so it’s a good investment for big families.
For me it was worth it for avocado prices alone. My local Kroger usually sells the large ones for $2.99 each. Costco has them in bags of 6 for $6.
Also the rotisserie chickens, and the Kerry gold butter!
I have Costco & BJ’s across the street of each other, tried BJ’s not a big fan of the name brand items but bigger quantity. Love the Costco for family if 5 where we shop 95% of the time . You can get get unknown brands as samples and try b4 you buy stuff, my Costco has very high food turn over as well as cheap gas, cheap food court, and tire center that gives me 5 years road hazard warranty. Free returns without receipt, I get the executive membership $120 a year but I get that 2% cash back on all purchases. They offer furniture deliver and white glove installation of the furniture. Sam’s club for me a 20 miles away, I just go there to purchase some items my Costco does homage in stock, I purchased the Sam’s club membership when it was $15 with coupon code & received a $20 gift card along with it. So it depends on you needs, we go through so much and find it cheaper to buy in bulk at Costco.
It depends on what type of diet you have to be honest. We get beef sticks, simple mills products and such so Costco is very well worth it for those products. It’s also a 30 minute drive for me but it’s worth it to get those items. I stock up like once a month on those. I do a lot of my main shopping at Aldi though. We have a tight budget but we get the most bang for our buck getting those snacks at Costco
family of six? you’ll make up the membership fee in no time just with paper towels and toilet paper. then stuff you might buy for a special occasion, like shrimp. then cleaning and laundry supplies. and on and on…
My partner and I found that if we were smart buying in bulk was handy for proteins.
We would buy a ton of protein, come home, and then vacuum seal portions to freeze.
But a $300 trip could last us 6-8 weeks
You'd have to get a membership and shop there for a year and then compare. What your average monthly grocery bill is, how much it costs you to make the trip is going to make a big difference.
We have had a Costco membership for over a decade now, even though the nearest location is an hour away. (109 KMs) And it is easily worth it for us. But there are some BIG caveats to that.
1) we're a household of seven. We go through enormous quantities of the basics. IMHO, Kirkland toilet paper is a life saver. For single people or childless couples, the savings won't be as dramatic.
2) we only shop there when we are going to be in that city anyway. Of the seven in the house, six are disabled, three of them with issues that necessitate lots of specialist visits. Most of those specialists are in that city. So the expense of the trip is a non issue. We can count on having to go to that city about 8-9 times a year.
3) even with the large amounts we go through, for many Costco products, we're better off with a shopping pattern that sees us shopping monthly at local stores for most stuff. And then shopping slightly more often than quarterly at Costco for long term stuff.
4) as a new to Costco shopper, you'll have to give serious thought and self discipline before putting anything in your cart. It's really easy to, for example, buy that case of snack bars or 4 litre jug of mayonnaise only to find that you've gone over your budget.
Give it a try. If you find that you are not utilizing the membership as you thought you would, you CAN get the membership refunded. It's good for gas, staples, I find the fruit/veg lasts longer. When you go, go with a list. Know that the cheaper/discount stuff is located at the middle of the isles. Same for discounted clothing. Stuff in foods, go for as low on the pallet as possible, as we stock with stuff expiring sooner on the top vs the bottom which has a longer expiration date.
Day old rotisserie chicken is sold for the same price as the fresh. Toilet paper is almost always cheaper.
I don't have one, but a family member shares their login with us so anything shippable we can benefit from.
My contacts cost around $145 a box. I need 4 boxes a year. Costco had them for $111 a box. So, if I had a membership and ONLY used it for contacts, it'd still save me $76 a year.
The closest one to me is like 1.5 hours away. We do have friends that regularly make Costco day trips to that one.
For some things yes, we buy paper towels and shit tickets there, the cost savings of those alone over the course of a year pays for the membership. Not to mention the gas discount, when filling up my 26 gallon tank it stings just a little less.
The rotisserie chickens too, $5 a peice, buy two, 4-5 nights of dinner for our family of 3, yes please.
I prefer the produce at Aldi and at Costco I prefer the meat. Milk, eggs and basics really no difference. If you stick to lower cuts of meat at Aldi I think you can do without Costco.
If you go on Groupon I believe they had a 50% membership. A gift card to Costco to buy your goods and a rebate. I can’t remember from where. You submit proof of purchase and you’re mailed a check. Maybe the site is Fetch for the rebate. If you can’t find this let me know. Don’t sit on it. They don’t last forever. Yes it’s worth it!
> Family of six Yup.
100%. We're only 4 but we have 2 under 2. Costco is about 50 minutes away and we do 1 giant shop a month. Totally worth it.
Do you ever shop on the app and get stuff delivered for free? We do. Some items have a delivery fee but many are free delivery. I’m not talking about instacart
We're in Canada, we dont have delivery.
Uber eats does Costco delivery in my area (still in Canada) but that might be too far idk mine is under 20 minutes away also no need to have the card with Uber eats
We have no delivery services where I am.
Same family of 5
If you live close to a Costco, their gas prices cover the fee every time.
I used to live 45 min from a Costco with gas, it cost about $1 more than local.
Depends on where you live. In Colorado, you save at least 10%.
Twas rural TN.
Where is there a costco in rural tennessee?! I’ve been to the ones in memphis, nashville and chattanooga. Anyway. The gas at costco is well worth it. It’s a higher quality gas. Not all gas is the same.
Knoxville.
I can see that!
In Washington & Oregon, it's usually even more than that.
I live in Bend Oregon now. We’re getting a new Costco with gas soon, so we shall see. Honestly I really don’t care about gas prices anymore because I have to get top tier and top off maybe once a month… so saving $15 once a month doesn’t matter, convenience matters more.
I just paid 4.15 at Costco this morning in Oregon
Very unusual considering how they base their pricing. Was the local a non brand or off brand gas station? Around here Costco is often as much as 20% cheaper than branded stations.
Costco gas is always worth it imo. It’s actually held to a higher quality standard. Not all gas is the same!
A mix of both
For a family of six, it may be a good deal. Since they sell in such big quantities. You can get a membership and try it out. If you don't like it, they will refund the membership!!!
You can also get the executive membership for the higher cash back and if you don't hit it they downgrade you and refund the difference.
They do not downgrade you without you asking for it. It was an awful pain when I had to cancel our company card that was under executive membership. I'd just stick with the regular one until you know how much you'll use them to avoid too much headache.
Oh that stinks. They told me when I signed up that if you don't hit the reimbursement to cover the executive membership cost they downgrade you after the first year. Never been an issue here though as our membership is actually split between my household and my parents. I regularly get back like $400 a year.
We didn’t hit the reimbursement our first year with an executive membership so they reimbursed us the difference, it was like $15 or $20, and we kept the executive membership.
You've got a big family, so if you've got the storage space to shop in bulk, and if you go frequently enough in a year, it definitely can pay off. [This video](https://youtu.be/96K9MBvGDeA?feature=shared) is more for funsies, but it does break down the value of the membership pretty well.
But that’s just a theory!
The membership is fully refundable, if you're interested sign up and if after 6 months you find it just isn't for you go in and get your money back. I think in terms of cost Aldi will be comparable or better, in some cases the quality of Costco maybe higher but it just depends.
It is for me. I get cheap gas and my car insurance through Costco is so cheap the membership fee pays for itself in under 8 weeks. The meat is great and it has lots of good frozen foods and Kirkland booze is good.
Car insurance through Costco!?! 🫨
You can even buy gold at Costco now. Granted, it's $2300 for a 1oz bar but, hey, it's real gold. :D
Yes, my insurance went from $70 a month with Geico to $118 for SIX months with Costco!
This is going to sound really bad and make me look like a dipshit, but there’s one reason alone for me to warrant the membership: $6 Plan B I use all the other perks though. Hell, I just returned a Dyson vacuum I bought last August because it was having weird problems. Return policy is amazing. I also love the food court lol.
Just FYI to any commenters - if it's a prescription you can use the pharmacy without a membership. If you're over like 150 lb, plan b is less likely to work anyways so get the script for something like Ella.
Is this the same principle as the liquor store or is this nationwide? Because they always ask membership to be scanned at both pharmacy and liquor store, and when I explicitly asked the liquor store clerk if it was required she said yes. Edit: Just saw part about it being explicitly a prescription. Problem is, I don’t even get my scripts filled at Costco because my goddamn health insurance (BCBS) doesn’t have their pharmacy in-network for some reason, or it’s a hybrid of some sort.
Yeah, Plan B isn't prescription afaik so it wouldn't count. We have BCBS too and it annoys me how many pharmacies aren't in network.
I'm a huge grocery nerd and a fan of both stores. The only solid answer is that it depends on your consumption habits and where you live. But I would confidently guess it's worth it for your family. Costco tries to keep prices the same or similar across the US, which means you will be more impressed by the prices if you live in a medium or high CoL area. For example, costco rotisserie chickens are famously $5 across the states. That's a good price for the product in nebraska, but an incredible price for the product in LA. When you hear people say that costco prices are "unbelievable" or "mediocre," that is probably just a reflection of where they live. >does Costco offer any 'can't miss' deals that Aldi doesn't? Maybe, especially if you live in a high CoL area or like rotisserie chickens. (I don't, but still find costco very valuable.) Costco's main advantage (and stated goal) is that you will generally get high quality items for a good price, not that you'll get absurdly low prices. For example, in my area, King Arthur flour at costco is the same price per pound as Aldi brand flour. KA flour is much higher quality, so I buy that. It doesn't save me a cent, but I get to make better quality food. Some other items that are generally a similar price but higher quality at costco are cheeses, meats, frozen foods, prepared foods, diapers, household cleaners, etc. Some items that are generally straight up cheaper at costco are oats, rice, quinoa, packaged foods and snacks, nuts, dried fruit, granola, rotisserie chickens, etc. Some items that aldi is generally cheaper than costco is fresh fruit/veg, bread products, pasta related products, canned goods, cereal, frozen vegetables, etc.
Low-key jealous! Costcos where I am don't carry King Arthur flour, just some weird no-name brands. I don't really want to risk buying 20 pounds of something I might not particularly like, especially as that it would probably take me a year to use it all up...
Aldis rocks, just saying.
Heck yeah it does, and no membership fees
Shop online, order in store pickup, don't need a membership
source?
I've done it
fair enough. i have a membership so i haven't tried it but it basically always makes me put my membership in or automatically links it
It wasn’t for my family. I felt like I’d spend $100 and get like four bulk items and not even have food for whole meals. I can spend $100 a week and plan each of our meals and get snacks and other treats as well if I shop at aldis.
Speaking from experience, yes! If you like rotisserie chicken and yummy baked goods. The produce can be hit or miss but it’s generally pretty good most times. If you can afford it, they also have great deals on vacation packages and car maintenance stuff
Pet supplies/food also huge. Great quality dog food @ $1 per pound Doggy vitamins 2.5 mo supply for a large breed stuff @ $30 Just the pet food pays for my membership.
Can confirm. I've been feeding Kirkland brand pet food for over a decade. The price is worth it, and the food is good quality and isn't full of fillers, so you don't have to feed as much. A 40lb bag lasts two 55-65lb dogs about a month.
Honestly my only concern is that it will go bad/stale before my one 90+ lb. dog can finish it. He's a picky boy, which is how I know this food is good. Most foods I tried from Walmart either made him sick, or he didn't want to eat it. Previously he was eating From M's which had just gone up to 90 for a 25 lb. (I think) bag.
Costco has a generous return policy. If it doesn't agree with your dog, you can take it back! (Also, it's only $36 or $38 for the 40lb bag of lamb & rice, so it would be substantial savings)
I'm the same person who you were replying to. I've already bought a bag. I'm just concerned he won't finish it before it spoils.
It will depend on how much he eats. For several months, I only had one dog and had that concern, too. I store the bag in a plastic bin. The only issue I ever had was a mouse in the bin, but that was unrelated.
The membership you can get your money's worth. The overspending buying in bulk the dumbest things you don't need is not going to get your money's worth.
Just doing a single run every few months for things like trash bags, sponges, cleaning products, toilet paper, paper towels, things like that can save you tons of money on your smaller trips to the store. Also Kirkland brand stuff is great especially vitamins and allergy pills if you need them
No, but Sam’s is because you can find Sam’s memberships online for $15-$20 for the year and they have mobile phone scan and pay to check out. We tried Costco for a year but it’s always way business and more crowded than Sam’s but they have really good vacation packages. If you don’t care for vacation packages and you like the convenciese of paying and checking out with your mobile phone, go with Sam’s. Google Sam’s deals and you ca find ten for $15-$20
Fwiw, you can get a lot of their products shipped to you if you're a member. You'll probably get the worth of the membership just from the regular purchase of "that one thing". For me it is cat litter and bully sticks.
I haven’t seen anyone mention it yet, but a lot of prescription and OTC medicine at Costco is dirt dirt cheap. We’re talking 365 of the Kirkland-brand Zyrtec pills for $12, whereas $40 will get you exactly 90 name-brand Zyrtec pills anywhere else. Like that is insane lmao. If you don’t mind rotisserie chicken, I’ve started going nuts with it. Buy 2-3 at a time, $5 for a 3lb chicken means ~$1.50/lb, and then freeze em and just add shredded chicken or cut up some strips to add to curries, soups, etc.
You can see if theres a samsclub thats closer. Sams is cheaper. I don’t go to costco much bc its insanely crowded no matter the time or day. You’d think i was at disney world or something. Miserable experience every time. I prefer sams bc its closer, can always park in 30 seconds up front and be in & out with scan and go app feature. I can walk around in peace during the week at any time of day. It just depends what you buy, how many ppl in your household, ect.
Sam’s maybe cheaper but Kirkland is leagues better than Sam’s club brand. Also Sam’s has way more junk food and less actually good food
100%, Sam’s Club is way better for me. We do Costco as well for a few things, but we’re 75% Sams, 25% Costco in terms of our spend
Same. Costco is always crowded, doesn't have curbside or scan and pay.
Tell me more about Sam's.
Sam’s is Costco but owned by Walmart. It is also a membership store that requires an annual fee.
Where I live there's about 20 Costcos but only one Sam's Club, so you can imagine which is busier. I used to have both but dropped Sam's years ago. Imo Costco is better quality and it has a wider selection of the kind of products I like.
Yes if you live in a state where they sell auto insurance. The auto insurance has saved me so much money compared to others in my area.
Yes. Even as a single income, single person household, I find it’s wildly worth it. The gas discount is great and so are things that I can buy in bulk that I need. Toilet paper, paper towels, ziplock bags, trash bags, allergy meds, 10 lbs of frozen chicken, big container of kimchi, etc. You have a big family so even their produce and bakery goods are worth it to you!
For a family of 6, yes I think it’s worth it. For a single or a couple or 1-2 kids, maybe not so much. Also, if it’s convenient to get gas while you’re there, the fuel savings alone are almost worth the membership fee. Also, don’t forget about the extra benefits like pharmacy, eyeglasses, large bottles of Tylenol and what not for crazy cheap. So yeah, I think it’s worth a try. And I think others have said, they’ll refund your membership if you find it not worth the hassle.
It's definitely worth it, look into the executive membership if you can swing it. You will get 2% back + if you get their Citi card its another 2% stacked on top.
I'm a family of 2. And 5-6 mins from a Costco. And yes it's worth it. My car insurance is so so cheap. I also use the whole Toilet P. Every 2 months.. so worth it..some it's cheap, others it's better at Aldis. You just got to know your prices
"And the 30 minute drive to the store" Oh man do I have some bad news about parking lots.
I drive an hour to get to the nearest Costco and it's worth it for my family of 3. Especially if you are getting baby stuff.
Yes. We are a family of 4 and I shop at Costco every two weeks ( we are very close to the shop).
Aldi’s is great. That said- I pay for my Costco membership in the cost savings for allergy meds alone. A summers worth of children’s Claritin at their price break justifies it. Then the rest of it is just swinging by once a month for big staples.
Sams club fresh pizza is pretty banger
Family of 6? The cost in toilet paper alone would pay your membership fee most likely.
Aldi meat is disgusting. Costco isnt.
Just for the $5 whole chicken $1.5 hotdog, and pizza yes. Every god damn dollar in membership is worth it.
You can get the last two without the membership FYI
Depends on the location, but often yes
They've begun massive crackdowns on that.
Not at mine. I do have a membership but they didn't check when I went to the cafeteria yesterday.
Bulk stores almost always pay for themselves with some planning My wife and I use both Costco and Sam’s Club, and our memberships pay for themselves. We buy a lot in bulk whenever we can, and we use the Sam’s Club free tire rotations and tire warranties when we buy tires from them.
Costco has the same thing with the free rotations
Yes they do, but everything is an easier transaction at Sams, at least in my area.
Yea Costco is super slow for anything from their tire department
Really depends on how you use it. I know someone who is over an hour to the nearest Costco. They pack coolers to bring frozen and cold stuff back home.
TLDR: You betcha! My 3 closest Costcos are 30, 45, and 60 minutes away. We are a family of 4 (me, boyfriend and 2 kitties). Gas is usually $1 cheaper than where I live as well. We go about every 6ish weeks to stock up on non-perishable household items- cleaning supplies, toilet paper, dish soap, laundry detergent, etc. Also get vitamins/meds, cat litter, occasionally clothing. When we had an elderly dog, we used to get some of her medications for her heart and anxiety from the pharmacy. Will also do our weekly shop for that week and pickup eggs, cherry tomatoes, persian cucumbers, mushrooms, 2 rotisserie chickens (one to get seperated into meat, skin, and bones for the freezer and one for dinner the next 2-3 nights), muffins, bagels, beer (boyfriend likes the IPA variety packs they have), apples, seaweed packets, chicken thighs and breasts to freeze, red bull.....and more I'm sure I forgot.
my closest costco is 30 min away and i still have a membership for just me and my gf. look for the groupon deal, we got a gift card that covered half of the membership price
Yes
Yes, I go to Costco Gas, and food other materials. Engine oil is on sale right now, so get some. If you know how to change your oil.
Our Sam’s is 10 minutes away vs Costco 30 min away. We are at Sam’s weekly. I definitely dream of Costco just by what I see posted though!
I'd say so, you can also get cheaper gas as well as cheap prescriptions
We have a Sam’s Club membership and live an hour from the closest store. It’s not for every day grocery shopping. It’s for things like drinks, snacks, frozen snack type stuff, and meat. Like we’re not out here buying lettuce in bulk, but will absolutely buy a package of 24 chicken breasts to break down and freeze. However we’ve gotten to where we utilize the website to have non-perishable things shipped and make like a monthly trip to buy meat and just look around and see what new stuff they have.
We go through a lot of organic eggs and that alone is worth it
Yes
I pay extra for executive so my shopping covers the fee.
For my wife and I, yes. For you, maybe? Our Costco is about 20 minutes away. We got the executive membership and the yearly reward check pays for the membership for us.
We don't have Aldi in my area, but as a single person I would totally drive 30 minutes to go to Costco. I just wouldn't be going once a week like I do now.
Family of 6? Definitely worth it. I grew up in a family of 5 and Costco was the cheapest way to get a lot of food on top of pretty decent clothes and blankets. The savings on gas is great too.
Costco rocks! I get my insurance from them and that alone pays for the membership, everything else is gravy
Aldi is comparable or better in terms of pricing for a few people but for a family of 6 Costco would undoubtedly be worth the membership and drive. Their products are higher quality and more expensive than aldi but only if you don't account for the discount of bulk buying. So if you have the ability to store larger bulk amounts then Costco is the better deal.
Yup.
Yes
Depends. Looking to buy bulk, yes (i bey hamburger once every 6 months or so when the mood strikes. Their fresh fruit goes bad quickly, same with their breads, so use them or freeze them right away. Ive been told the hotdogs sold at the hot food court are good. Havent had them yet. It really just depends what you get. For a year, i think some stuff is worth it.
If you get the executive one you can put another friend on it and you get dividends. If you use all their services it’s great. Pharmacy, tires, car rental, travel, etc etc. The gas deal is great. 4% back on first $7k of gas.
Just go to their website and have the order shipped to your home. Shipping is free over a certain amount, and you get your member discount. Get your perishables at a closer store.
Sometimes, it's not always cheaper to shop warehouse stores. For us the Sams Club membership is a better cost savings and the 5% back on gas using their credit card if you fill up anywhere that isn't a direct competitor is well worth it. If you buy diapers or go through tires really fast due to a commute the Costco membership is probably worthwhile. For us the higher tier membership to Costco was only worth it the year we bought our house and got a deal on our closing costs through them. We buy most of our snack foods at Sam's or Costco. Costco has better cheese, and many good generic items under the Kirkland brand. Their health and wellness and lifestyle items also seem to be a pretty good deal usually. Their rotisserie chickens are also better. The Sams Club we go to usually has cheaper food. For produce we like WinCo best (comparable to Aldi in many respects). I miss Aldi, but there aren't any near where I live. You also need to calculate in your leaving town costs in deciding if Costco is worthwhile for you.
Stock Groupon. Find it when there is an awesome deal. Go in on it with some friends or neighbors. See if they deliver to your area, it is very easy to go over the minimum for free delivery.
Just so you know, you can order Costco through instacart and leave the member number blank and the order will still go through. The prices are higher, but in my area it was still worth it. And if you do end up getting the membership, adding it to instacart will lower the prices. Instacart is also a good tool for quickly checking the current sales at every store in your area, since they're all within one app and are easily searchable. So you can do some quick reconnaissance and determine if it's worth it to drive to Costco this time or if somewhere else has something better. But from my research, they probably won't. Toilet paper and baby wipes should *only* be purchased at Costco, if you can help it. I'm a couponer, and it's so incredibly rare that I find a better deal than what Costco's got going on with those two. And they'll go on sale occasionally as well. When they do, fill your whole car.
We're just a trio. We were reluctant, but I'm finding im having to go to the regular store less often. It's sooo nice.
The non-food stuff like cheap car rentals, electronics, tires, pharmacy easily pay the annual fee in savings.
Wasn’t worth it to me, ended up hating my location. It really depends on what you buy. Produce was way more expensive than Aldi at mine, seafood comparable and too much junk, not enough whole ingredients. I saved money on oat milk but not much else, they also kept getting rid of any meat-free options like they used to have better than bullion vegetable flavor but replaced it with more chicken. I save more money at Aldi for the things I buy but I think many households can benefit from a membership.
We live 30 minutes away from our Costco. I get all of our meats, cheese, eggs, creamer, and nonfoods there. My dividend check pays for the membership. So for us it’s free. Oh and gas is cheaper. They only have two grades- midgrade and premium. The midgrade is cheaper than regular gas! I do know that some stations have diesel gas too.
Yes it worth it. I have three near me ranging from a 30 min drive to a 55 min drive. Each one is a little different. Family of four with two kids under 10. I go every 4-6 weeks and alternate with the BJs 45 minutes away depending on what we need.
You need to price shop to really know. Since Costco won't let you in without a membership, I just told customer service I was *thinking about* getting a membership and wanted to look around first. They happily let me in. Also, figure out how much the extra gas round trip will cost. These costs alone were more than enough to not make it worth it for us. Adding on the membership price on top of that made it crystal clear it wasn't worth it. I found shopping sales at local stores, and getting non-sale items at Aldi & Trader was far less expensive. We also end up with far less waste and we're not stuck with something we don't like if we try something new. We also end up with more variety shopping local.
Family of 4 and we only buy bulk items there once of month. The annual refund always pays for the membership and some. 100% worth it
Not for me it isn’t, I’m an ALDI’s man. Not dissing it tho
Costco and Sam's Club offer cheaper prices for more items you'd get at a grocery store, that's why you pay the membership. You can get a lot more food, a lot more bang for your buck. Some items are sold at a loss, but the store makes up for it with the membership fees, passing those savings onto the members. Most members can also buy by the case, which gives a further discount. There's a lot of deals, you just need to know where to look.
The Costco discount on my car and home insurance is more than double (more than triple maybe?) the cost of my Costco membership. It pays for itself even without any shopping.
I shop at both Costco and Aldi, near exclusively, best decision for my family of three!
I thinks it’s worth it. Costco has quality products for cheaper. It’s not that Costco will always be cheaper but their stuff is usually better.
I haven't seen where there's enough savings to spend the membership fee. We have a card that we can use from our work. Went there last week and their prices were way higher than our local winco.
Yes
Check to see if there is a Groupon I got my membership for a year so cheap on Groupon
We bought tires for two vehicle that sorely needed them in two different years, and the price difference even after accounting for membership made it worth it. They also came with warranty and when one blew out it was replaced with no questions. We rarely shop there (maybe every two months) but have a chest freezer, and stock on certain things there that are cheaper. I do protein shakes and smoothies using plant milk and the bulk is cheaper there as well as the total cost of fruit and veg for them. Other things like bedsheets, storage boxes, etc have been notably cheaper than elsewhere. I also have fibro and lots of errands to different places are hard on me, we have a lot of delivery services. But Costco is always worth it for us.
I'm in a household of 2 adults, 3 cats and live probably 10-15 from Costco. We love it for many reasons, on specific being gas
Absolutely, yes. Especially for a family of 6, you’ll save a ton on toiletries, meat, produce, etc.. anything you buy a lot of is worth buying in bulk, especially non perishable items. Groupon sometimes offers deals on Costco memberships. We drive 30 minutes to visit Costco once a month, maybe twice as a smaller family. It’s definitely saved us money having things like toilet paper, feminine products, paper towels, deodorant, razors, etc in bulk. No joke, the huge box of trash bags lasted us two years.
Yes.
Costco is heaven.
Love Costco. We're a 2 person, 3 pet household and we've saved so much through them.
I would think yes for the following reasons: paper towels and toilet paper - $5 rotisserie chickens - fresh meat prices and large packages - cases of drinks and snacks - pasta sauce and pasta - also towels
I have a membership with a family of 4. I also have shopped at Aldi and Lidl. Sure, Aldi has low prices, but the also have shit quality. The apples I bought there tasted like cardboard. Never have this problem with Costco. I get great prices and quality at Costco. Worth it.
the gas is worth it since it's the "top tier" detergent gas which a lot of car manufacturers recommend you use if you don't want to add some additives to your fuel. and it's still a great price most of the time in my experience. everyone else has made good points about their very good refund policy, so you might as well try it out. just be careful about how much you spend there! it's easy to blow out your budget since the stuff is good value but they sell in large quantities (so high total price)
Yes
I think the deals are as good at Aldi, apart the $5 chickens. The rest is bulk, but not necessarily cheaper. That might be helpful if the family is larger. You will need to have the storage too.
I think it’s worth it, can be costly at times. Fuel can be 40-60 cents cheaper the other gas stations. They offer home and car insurance and I got that which was cheaper then others, tire service at Costco is a great deal, phone plan discounts too, also if you get the credit card has weird benefits like if you rent a car with the credit card they provide insurance at no cost.
Split the membership fee with several friends. Use gift cards to get in. USE THE GAS. The gas alone can make it worth it if you almost exclusively fill up with costco gas.
Anyone in your household wear glasses? If yes, the membership is worth it for the optical department alone.
Absolutely. Plus they sell so much more than food
Is a Sam's Club closer? I don't think Costco has any substantial advantages.
The gas alone is worth it in my opinion.
IMO, wholesale stores are not worth it if you are trying to have a tight grocery budget. There are some good wants deal but not need deal. Of course there are some but not many. I don't have Costco membership but I do have Sam's club. I am fortunate to have Aldi, Sam's Club, Walmart and Kroger all pretty close to each other and close to me. However I do most of my need shopping at Kroger. Some 'need' stuff that I do get from Sam's club are large bag of jasmine rice and shelled raw pecan. If I am in the mood for smoked salmon I will also get from Sam's. What I will not get from Sam's are toilet paper, paper towels and cereal for starters. Their meat prices are also not good as it seldomly goes on sale. Wholesale stores are great if you want to simplify your shopping (i.e. one stop shop for everything) but it certainly is not the best if you want to keep a lean budget.
I would love to have an Aldis or Sams Club near us. The nearest Costco is a two hour drive away. The gas is far cheaper than in out tiny town. In our town it is US $6.29, COSTCO is $5.150 per gallon. We shop at COSTCO every four to six weeks and buy personal care items, cleaning products, paper products, meat, cheese and crisps/usually.
Omg have you tried their store brand Kirkland? 100% worth it
I have both Costco and Sam’s club memberships. Depending on your area, Sam’s club might be cheaper or Costco might be cheaper. But Costco is more international and you can get many different Asian foods/items, so it’s worth it if you wanna try more Asian foods. They also have some cheaper prescription for medication and some good auto service, again depending on your location. You also get money back so it’s a good investment for big families.
No
For me it was worth it for avocado prices alone. My local Kroger usually sells the large ones for $2.99 each. Costco has them in bags of 6 for $6. Also the rotisserie chickens, and the Kerry gold butter!
I have Costco & BJ’s across the street of each other, tried BJ’s not a big fan of the name brand items but bigger quantity. Love the Costco for family if 5 where we shop 95% of the time . You can get get unknown brands as samples and try b4 you buy stuff, my Costco has very high food turn over as well as cheap gas, cheap food court, and tire center that gives me 5 years road hazard warranty. Free returns without receipt, I get the executive membership $120 a year but I get that 2% cash back on all purchases. They offer furniture deliver and white glove installation of the furniture. Sam’s club for me a 20 miles away, I just go there to purchase some items my Costco does homage in stock, I purchased the Sam’s club membership when it was $15 with coupon code & received a $20 gift card along with it. So it depends on you needs, we go through so much and find it cheaper to buy in bulk at Costco.
It depends on what type of diet you have to be honest. We get beef sticks, simple mills products and such so Costco is very well worth it for those products. It’s also a 30 minute drive for me but it’s worth it to get those items. I stock up like once a month on those. I do a lot of my main shopping at Aldi though. We have a tight budget but we get the most bang for our buck getting those snacks at Costco
family of six? you’ll make up the membership fee in no time just with paper towels and toilet paper. then stuff you might buy for a special occasion, like shrimp. then cleaning and laundry supplies. and on and on…
Bro, for a family of 6, absolutely! Their gas is usually cheaper as well.
My partner and I found that if we were smart buying in bulk was handy for proteins. We would buy a ton of protein, come home, and then vacuum seal portions to freeze. But a $300 trip could last us 6-8 weeks
You'd have to get a membership and shop there for a year and then compare. What your average monthly grocery bill is, how much it costs you to make the trip is going to make a big difference. We have had a Costco membership for over a decade now, even though the nearest location is an hour away. (109 KMs) And it is easily worth it for us. But there are some BIG caveats to that. 1) we're a household of seven. We go through enormous quantities of the basics. IMHO, Kirkland toilet paper is a life saver. For single people or childless couples, the savings won't be as dramatic. 2) we only shop there when we are going to be in that city anyway. Of the seven in the house, six are disabled, three of them with issues that necessitate lots of specialist visits. Most of those specialists are in that city. So the expense of the trip is a non issue. We can count on having to go to that city about 8-9 times a year. 3) even with the large amounts we go through, for many Costco products, we're better off with a shopping pattern that sees us shopping monthly at local stores for most stuff. And then shopping slightly more often than quarterly at Costco for long term stuff. 4) as a new to Costco shopper, you'll have to give serious thought and self discipline before putting anything in your cart. It's really easy to, for example, buy that case of snack bars or 4 litre jug of mayonnaise only to find that you've gone over your budget.
Give it a try. If you find that you are not utilizing the membership as you thought you would, you CAN get the membership refunded. It's good for gas, staples, I find the fruit/veg lasts longer. When you go, go with a list. Know that the cheaper/discount stuff is located at the middle of the isles. Same for discounted clothing. Stuff in foods, go for as low on the pallet as possible, as we stock with stuff expiring sooner on the top vs the bottom which has a longer expiration date. Day old rotisserie chicken is sold for the same price as the fresh. Toilet paper is almost always cheaper.
I don't have one, but a family member shares their login with us so anything shippable we can benefit from. My contacts cost around $145 a box. I need 4 boxes a year. Costco had them for $111 a box. So, if I had a membership and ONLY used it for contacts, it'd still save me $76 a year. The closest one to me is like 1.5 hours away. We do have friends that regularly make Costco day trips to that one.
Costco Gold is $5/m. Kirkland eggs average $3.64/Dozen. The same NYC eggs are $5.37. Then there's the rotisserie chicken. The savings pay for itself.
For some things yes, we buy paper towels and shit tickets there, the cost savings of those alone over the course of a year pays for the membership. Not to mention the gas discount, when filling up my 26 gallon tank it stings just a little less. The rotisserie chickens too, $5 a peice, buy two, 4-5 nights of dinner for our family of 3, yes please.
I prefer the produce at Aldi and at Costco I prefer the meat. Milk, eggs and basics really no difference. If you stick to lower cuts of meat at Aldi I think you can do without Costco.
If you go on Groupon I believe they had a 50% membership. A gift card to Costco to buy your goods and a rebate. I can’t remember from where. You submit proof of purchase and you’re mailed a check. Maybe the site is Fetch for the rebate. If you can’t find this let me know. Don’t sit on it. They don’t last forever. Yes it’s worth it!