New Video: Come Shop with Me at Costco (+ What to Buy at Warehouse Clubs & What NOT to Buy)
Have you ever wondered whether a membership to a wholesale club like Costco, Sam’s Club or BJ’s is worth the annual fee?! Well, this video below may help answer that question for you or at least get you thinking! Although warehouse clubs are great places to snag amazing deals on produce, meats, and select dairy products, they are definitely not the best place to snag personal care items, diapers and more. Watch below as I share with you what items to buy at Warehouse Clubs and what items not to buy.
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What TO Buy at Warehouse Clubs
(note that Warehouse prices and pictures are featured below on the left; grocery store prices and pictures are featured below on the right)
Fresh Produce like Strawberries
Rotisserie Chicken
Select Dairy Items like Butter
Specialty Cheeses like Pecorino Romano
100% Pure Maple Syrup
What NOT to Buy at Warehouse Clubs
Personal Care Products
Select Baby Items like Diapers and Pull-Ups
Cereal
Condiments
So now that you’ve watched the video and read through my post about what to buy and what not to buy, I would love to hear your thoughts! Do you shop at Warehouse clubs? If so, do you have any tips/suggestions for getting the most bang from your buck? If you don’t shop at Warehouse Clubs, why is this the case?
Looks like that Boar’s Head cheese is actually $13.99 per lb – huge savings at Costco!
since couponing i have definitely cut back on my purchases at costco and really considered not keeping it….but i LOVE to get my meats there, fruits, veggies, breads. but there are lots of things i use to buy that i avoid now b/c i can’t free or super cheap with coupons. thanks for this inisght!
i get things from costco once or twice a year (and that may be stretching it a little), so it’s not worth it to have a membership. i just ask my sister-in-law to pick it up for me with her membership and then i pay her back for it.
I MISS Costco! My husband and I just moved to Wisconsin… NO Costcos here. The nearest one is 45min away in IL. BOO! We always bought our dog food, block and string cheese, dog food, and meats there are great quality for the same price as our commissary. Now even the closest commissary is 40min away. I have had to learn how to ad match at Wal-Mart. I can’t believe how much ground beef and boneless skinless chicken are at Wal-Mart I might as well shop at Jewel…
Sometimes these type of stores run deals on memberships or have trial days… anyone know if there is one for Sams Club currently there is one close to me and I would like to try them out… Maybe I won’t be so broken up about not being close to a Costco LOL
Sams Club will give you a one-day pass…all you need to do is go in and stop at the service counter.
Where in Wi are you? There is one in Grafton and Pewaukee wi. I know Pewaukee opened last year.
There are two costcos in Wisconsin…one in Grafton and the other in Pewaukee. Otherwise I’ve found that Sam’s club is almost as good! HTH! 🙂
there’s also one in Madison WI and the one in Sun Prairie should be opening soon.
Kenosha… we just moved here a month ago and I am still feeling out the stores. According to Google maps the closest Costco was in Shaumberg IL. I looked on the Sams Club site and saw that there is one in Kenosha. I will have to go try them out.
Im in Illinois right across the border and we have a Sams club in Gurnee and there’s a Costco in Vernon Hills.Much closer than Schaumburg 🙂
Guess the Costco is near Vernon Hills-its actually in Mettawa,IL
Super cute video! I also like to stop for lunch at their little restaurants. At Sam’s Club, the hot dogs are $1 or 1.50 and ice cream is $1. Yum!
and don’t forget their (huge!) soft pretzels!
Yea zoom in on that cheese the boars says that chunk is only. 48 lbs not even half a pound.
exxxxactly, desi 😉
I buy some of your “not” to buys at BJs and use coupons. They take manufacturer and their store coupon and if it’s 2 packaged up, you can use 2 coupons. Often a better deal than other stores!
I agree Jen. I was about to say the same thing. So far, BJs is working for me. I love the fact that I can pair manufacturer coupons with BJs coupons.
Agree! I always stock up when I can use a BJs coupon with 1 or more manufactures coupons. Also BJs store brand is an excellent deal on diapers & formula ( which they also have coupons for)
Same here! I ALWAYS pay less on items such as diapers, dishwashing tablets, condiments, personal care, and cereal at BJs. BJ’s is a MUST for me because of their coupon policy!
I love BJS and loved finding out that I could stack their store coupons with maufacturers coupons. If I had enough coupons I could get things for free! I have even made money there with my coupons! They are getting a great selection of organic foods also. I got the gold membership, which was $70 last year. You get a percentage back so that it pays for your membership. It’s $100 this year, but you get two memberships and they don’t have to be in the same household.
I’m guessing Collin didn’t know how good bj’s coupon policy is, Sam’s club and costco are both much more restrictive.
I disagree about the Hidden Valley ranch! My husband eats it like it’s going out of style, so I’ve priced it out at multiple stores. The one in the picture is for 2 40 oz bottles…the normal size at the grocery store is 16 oz. Plus, there are hardly ever coupons or deep discounts on this brand. The price per ounce at my Sam’s Club is better than I can ever seem to get at the grocery store!
I agree, Lisa! It may be two bottles, but they are BIG bottles in comparison to the 16 ounce-rs.
I agree. When the coupon comes out for it we can get both bottles for 4.99. Which I consider a steal for Hidden Valley. It is the only brand of Ranch we really like.
Loved the video !
The BEST thing to buy at Costco doesn’t even require a membership – your prescriptions ! Yup – you can’t beat their pharmacy prices and you don’t need a membership to use the pharmacy !
I also like their price on contacts, glasses and tires (and I don’t think you need a membership for tires either !!!).
true!
You can combine BJ’s coupons with manufactures!
The only thing I sort of disagree with is diapers. Occasionally, there are decent deals on diapers at the drug stores or at Target. But, not on a regular enough basis. And even if there are, they usually involve store and mfg coupon and RR or getting a target gift card back and it’s just too much of a hassle. Right now at Sams, they’re having buy 2 and get a $10 gift card back. So that is nice. It seems like they’re trying to keep some couponer business.
I could hardly ever snag the good deals at drug stores on diapers so I would go to costco when they had the store coupon for huggies. I think it came out to .15 per diaper that way for size 4s which to me anyway is a good price point when you can’t get those drug store deals.
Have you tried Amazon for diapers? Usually if you are an Amazon mom and select subscribe and save the per diaper cost is less.
Diapers from Amazon have inched up so much that Costco is the better deal as log as you wait for a coupon for Huggies or Kirkland (if one month doesnt have it, it’ll come the next). Too bad it’s been nearly a year since the awesome Wags diaper deals!
Get bottled water and milk at Costco too. And ANYTHING that you need a great return policy for because their return policy is unbelievable.
Miriam I agree with you. When they have their diaper coupons they are a decent deal. Amazon has gotten ridiculous with their prices lately. WIth Huggies and coupon we pay about .16/diaper and I think .14/diaper with the Kirkland brand.
Oh and their wipes with the coupon is the best deal anywhere. I haven’t been able to beat the price per pack anywhere.
I have yet to find a better deal on diapers at Bjs than the deals I can get them at Rite Aid for. I used to get them for $0.06 a diaper! That’s paying cash too, not subtracting the rewards from them…I don’t do that….those go towards next deal not the one you got it off of (pet peeve of mine)
Costco sends out monthly coupons, which can suddenly make those “not to buys” into buys. They also have great deals in the cafe – can’t beat $1.50 for a Polish sausage and a soda! We also get a lot of $ back with our executive membership and the Costco AMEX card.
Milk! $2.79 at Costco compared to my local grocery store at $3.99. Also I want to mention that about every 2-3 months Costco puts out a coupon for that box of diapers that makes them 23.99. Might still not be as good as the drug store but worth it if you don’t regularly shop at one.
Yes milk is a must at Costco! We buy 3 gallons at a time and when you are saving over a $1 a gallon by the end of the year it pays for the membership.
We save toooooons at Costco at things like produce (other than in the summer when ours comes from our CSA), milk and dairy products, and GAS!!!!!!!! That one’s huge. 🙂 Plus my Costco Amex, I get mega savings there. And I agree with another poster – the coupons can make some of the items that are not a great price into a much better buy, like those cereal boxes that are much bigger bags than the regular stores. 🙂
we normally buy everything at costco, including the “not” to buys on your list. why? because we do a one-stop shop and we’re good for a month or more. i don’t really like shopping multiple stores just to get the best deal. it wastes my time and my gas. with gas prices nowadays, it’s not worth it for us, so one-stop shopping is great. even greater… having things shipped to our door with the deals you post! 😀
I completely agree with you!!! Time and gas are worth a lot too!! 🙂
I agree too. I don’t have much time to coupon nowadays, or even go shopping, with 2 young kids. So I get most of my stuff from Sam’s and Amazon. Less hassle an I don’t have to think about it again for a month or so. Win for me!
What about costco brand diapers and toilet paper? i saw a tv show recently that their quality is supposed to be really good, but ive never checked the prices.
I’ve used the Costco Kirkland brand diapers for both my kids with no problems. I actually like them better than huggies (less leaks). I wait for when they put out a coupon and stock up!
Quite a few of my friends also use the Kirkland diapers and wipes for their kids and prefer them to Huggies & Pampers.
We use them and they’re great. Much cheaper and works just as well.
I love Costco. I just returned my 2 year old vacuum that wasn’t working very well and I got an upgraded one that happened to be cheaper than the first one. I love their return policy. New vacuum + $20 = Happy Vacuumer!
great tips.. thanks for sharing.
Yes, we have a Costco membership and you can’t beat their gas prices. I also buy Newman’s K-cups for my Keurig (.43/cup), blueberries (depending on season, $5.99 to 7.99 for 32oz container), romaine lettuce (usually $2.97 for six heads), 6 large red, yellow and orange peppers for $5.49, Brita filters, roasted peanuts in the shell. Their rotisserie chickens are awesome – plump and juicy – get one once a week and takes care of several meals. They also have delicious rosemary, olive oil bread! At Christmas, they have great, inexpensive gift books. In the Spring, I bought planters for my patio that I couldn’t have made more cheaply if had bought all the flowers separately. Sometimes we eat our way through the store, sampling and skip lunch!
Definitely worth the price of membership.
None of the Costco’s have gas here in NJ! (at least near me!).
That may have something to do with your county/township. In VA, Fairfax County (near DC) has a zoning reg that prohibits gas stations being attached to businesses that serve food. It can be a mart with packaged sodas and chips, but if it’s a place like Sheetz, Wawa, 7-11, it’s not allowed. So none of the grocery stores have stations either. Funny though, because if you go to the incorporated city (Fairfax City) which is fully surrounded by Ffx Co, there is a Safeway with a gas station. I was missing out on the gas prices until I moved south of there.
I have also cut back on buying from Costco since I learned how to coupon, but I kept my membership because of (would you believe), their excellent customer service? This is where I got my first vacuum, electric fan, and toaster. Their pricing, backed up with warranty & no-hassle exchanges/returns is really awesome. I realize I don’t need Costco if I can step up my couponing habit, but I will continue supporting this store because of the friendly service.
They also treat their employees really really well. Give them benefits, good vacations and good pay compared to other stores. I do love this store and I use it a lot for home items too. Things like ladders, couches, sinks etc. They really do have better quality than home depot.
I love love love their meat. When they have those automatic $ off per package I stock up because I like the quality.
Tall kitchen trash bags are also a great price at Costco!!
I agree! You can get the 200 count bag of drawstring kitchen trash bags and it’s like 12 bucks, it lasts us about 2 years!
Wow! I was surprised she said yes to produce! I love having fresh fruit and veggies at the house, but I end up wasting about 75% of it unelss I buy it to use that same day or the next. So in the end, what I saved ended up the garbage. 🙁 I still haven’t gotten a hold of my produce budget and I probably never will. Going everyday I need/want to the store is a hassle and freezing just doesn’t keep as well. Oh well, sometimes you have to take your losses to have what you want.
If you soak your produce for 5 or 10 minutes in a four part water to one part vinegar mix and then let dry before you put it in a bowl, it will keep longer in your fridge. This has saved me a ton of momey on produce.
Awesome tip! 🙂
Eww, JFK, rinse with vinegar? What a horrible taste added to the sweetness of the fruit!
Rinsing fruit with 1 part vinegar and 1 part water does NOT leave a horrible taste at all. It also removes all the nasty wax and other germs on the produce. I do it all the time!
The fruit doesn’t get pickled. Good grief. lol All the vinegar does is strip the nasty chemicals off of the fruit. I never new strawberries could taste so good. 🙂
yeah – knew… lol
Thanks… thats an awesome tip. I will definitely try. Will probably help with pesticides and other stuff on fruit that is not organic.
I can’t agree more with the vinegar rinse. I recently tried this for the first time and had strawberries last twice as long by doing this!
If we ate the way we’re supposed to, produce wouldn’t go to waste. I’m working to get the scales tipped in the right direction.
– Consider making a compost pile (3 posts & some chicken wire to contain it) to toss your produce waste into, then use it as wonderful soil for ny plants you grow.
Yes. I know. We are eating less out and that helps. It use to not make sense to buy groceries and then go eat out anyhow. My main problem now is that I have a 5 year old and 2 year old and a hubby who eats healthy so I try to have things at hand that I can offer them. (Him with meals and them to balance out the cookies and juice :D) I do have a garden… well it’s a work in progree again, but I have ben thinking about an hern and tomato garden. Will definitely poner on the composte.
I hear you so when I’m at costco I limit myself and my fiance as to what we pick out. He wants this box of fruit and I want that one. We only buy one fruit and few vegetables. If I lived closer to costco it would be great but I like their quality when I am able to go there.
we do a lot of juicing – good way to use the extra before it goes bad!
Funny you should say that. My mother just came to visit and she made smoothies at least once a week with my ripe fruit.
I’m not sure if you have an Aldi near you but I’m saving tons buying produce there. I was always leary of shopping there and now I can’t believe the exact same produce brands are way cheaper than my local grocery stores (Walmart, Kroger, Target, Meijer). Plus, I think their bananas (Dole brand) taste better! My husband thinks I’m nuts but they do!
I like Wholesales stores for different reasons. I have Bj’s and Sams. I use them to purchase gas. Bj’s I like to buy deli meat, Tide, and Bread. Sams I like to purchase tires for the cars.
Thanks, I just joined Costco about a month ago. I thought there were some items that weren’t quite as good a deal as elsewhere with a coupon. You confirmed it. However, since I don’t have health insurance – huge savings on prescription medicine. Also, I think there will be great buys for x-mas. Just loved your tips.
I’d like to see a video like this about ALDI. We don’t have a warehouse membership as we don’t have a warehouse around here, but I LOVE Aldi. It’s our primary grocery store & saves us SO MUCH money without needing coupons. They have great deals on special purchases like clothing, kitchen gadgets, lawn & garden supplies, toys, etc. I always watch for dollars-off meat & stock up – freezing the excess. I got spiral hams for around $5 last winter!
Also, Aldi now carries lactose-free milk for $2.xx/ half-gal. It costs at least $4.xx/half-gal. everywhere else and good coupons/sales are rare.
I agree about Aldiss.my friend opened my eyes about their everyday reg price can be cheaper than sale/coupon combined (mind you it’s generic but most of the time you can’t tell). It’s all about your prefence.
I am a huge fan of Aldi!!!
I was just thinking of posting that I would love to see an Aldi video too! Please Collin!!!!
Do you like all their meats there? My friend said they tried the hamburger meat and it was gross….I’ve bought about everything else there and love 98-99% of everything else!
I love Aldi’s too, but not for normal grocery shopping. While their deals are great, their selection is limited and usually not the same when you go back the next time. I usually do my normal shop and then hit Aldi’s for what I call my “mystery shop” lol it’s whatever you find!
Unfortunately Sams does not have organic produce so we are thinking of switching to Costco! I think they have quite a bit there which THRILLS me!
I save on gas, eggs, books, cameras, and other gift items. Love their return policy and the coupon booklets!
i think that the produce depends hugely on seasonality… for instance, when strawberries are at the peak of their season you can get them for like $1 a pound, and at that time costco had them for 1.75 a pound.. so its not always a savings. you gotta know when things are in season!
My kids and I have very dry skin and Aveeno All-Day lotion works best for us. A medium-sized bottle at Target is 9.99. With coupon, I get 2 large bottles at Costco for 13.99. Great savings.
Since I am not a full time couponer I like to go to Sams for their off brand diapers. With how often I have to buy diapers for my three kids it can be too overwhelming to try to keep up with the sales and the coupons for huggies and pampers.
You could save $100’s-$1,000’s if you switched to cloth. Besides the huge savings alone, there are always promos for even more savings. It’s SUPER easy these days – even with multiple kiddos. I personally recommend Thirsties Duo Wrap covers (4) & GMD Cloth-eeze prefolds (2-3 dozen; tri-fold & lay in cover). Just use cheap baby wash cloths with water for wipes (which is recommended anyway). We’ve had ZERO leaks with this system & even laundry is a breeze since there’s no stuffing/un-stuffing, either. We’ve cloth diapered both of our kids; #1 started in disposables, used several brands, & we’ll never use disposables again. Oh, yeah, no more running out of diapers & needing to buy more with cloth! Here’s one site I love: https://www.momsmilkboutique.com/
Yeah, having lived in a communist country when diapers were just not available my mom always said that the single most “must have” item she would not give up, is disposable diapers. It saves time (for a busy mom) and the baby stays drier. I know some people choose cloth diapers because they are more environment friendly but they are most certainly not easier/better than disposable diapers.
Navia, I’m curious if you’ve personally used cloth diapers in modern times? My mother also cloth diapered us, and she’s amazed at how wonderful the quality is & time-saving they are now compared to back then – she has spent time baby-sitting for us so she speaks from experience. I’m a very busy mom (really, what mom isn’t anyway?) & it doesn’t waste my precious time at all. My kiddos stay very dry in cloth when done right, too. Too each his own but everyone deserves a chance to objectively try it for themselves, & I’ve found most people still think of the old cloth products. 🙂
Sometimes cloth is better. For little babies that have blowouts frequently, cloth is nicer to have because it’s a bit larger and is MUCH better at containing them! Cloth diapering isn’t for everyone- I wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t a SAHM, but they’re not as hard as everyone makes them out to be.
Rebecca. My three are now adults…I cloth diapered all 3. Not a big deal. I cloth diapered because I couldn’t stand to “throw that money away.” Yes, a frugal couponer all my life. Truly, they are not a lot of work, and stink less than disposables. Another advantage was that my kiddos had less diaper rash issues, and less leakage.
Thanks for sharing, I used to get deodorant there but after getting into coupon deals I have realized I can do better. Didn’t think about the dressing until now, hadn’t thought about it.
We go to BJs weekly along with Publix. At BJ’s, I always buy deli meat & cheese and then whatever they have BJs coupons + manufacturer coupons. I sometimes buy produce there too, but even though the prices are much cheaper, the quality isn’t always there.
Even the things on the not to buy list can sometimes be a great deal (cereal & personal care) when the coupons are stacked! For instance, last week, BJ’s had a $2 off coupon for the double box of cheerios. Stacked with 2 manufacturers coupons for $.50 off (2 boxes packaged together = 2 manufacturers coupons) and I paid less than $2.50 for the 1 pound 4 oz box. Not too shabby.
Comments on toilet paper and a paper towels anyone?
We only buy Kirkland brand TP. My husband is very particular and likes that it’s soft and sturdy. We just bought some this weekend and it was $14 for 30 huge rolls.
I use both and they are great quality. The toilet paper is soft and NOT scratchy and the paper towels are thick and durable. I go to Costco.
I am very happy with Costco brand paper towels. Very absorbant. My bro-in-law complains they have a “smell” to them. I have never noticed, and I even have a sensitive nose. I plan on trying the toilet paper on my next trip.
I commented on this in my post below, but most people may not be inclined to read my book-like post 😉
I buy my toilet paper and paper towels from Costco at least 90% of the time. We are on a well so need septic-safe toilet paper, and I like the Kirkland brand. It’s two-ply but not super plush if that’s important to you. Definitely thicker than the Scott brand. My husband used to be a die-hard Charmin Ultra devotee, but he has adjusted 😉 I personally don’t like super-plush, so Kirkland is good for me. At my Costco I pay $14.99 for 1593.7 square feet. I always use that calculation ($0.0094/square foot) when comparing to other sale prices to see which is cheaper. It’s very hard to compare by the roll, in my opinion, because some rolls are so much smaller than others.
I really love the Kirkland paper towels. They do not seem like a “bargain” brand to me. Much better than the store generics. My only complaint is that they are very big, so I frequently rip them in half if I only need a bit, and this gets to be a hassle. I think I saw the “Select-A-Size” once, but I have not found those again. I pay $16.69 for 1155 square feet. This is not as cheap as the super-cheap generic paper towels, but to me it’s worth a little more for higher-quality paper towels.
I actually saw an entire DATELINE episode about “wherhouse shopping” and they spent a whole segment talking about Kirkland’s (Costco’s) commitment to excellence with their Tiolet Paper, they do tons of testing to make sure it PERFECT and have a whole factory for the Toilet Paper production- It apparently a Really big deal to Costco! I go to Sams, but If I was a Costco girl, i would be ALL Over that TP! 🙂
I’m using Sam’s Club. I wouldn’t join the club if I didn’t get a $15 gift card for sign up or renewal (military membership).
I don’t know about Costco. We have only Sam’s Club in my area.
The only thing I disagree with is the ranch. B/c hidden valley is the family fav and even paired up with a sale u can’t get that, that cheap. Other brands yes, not hidden valley. And I also wanna say that the laughing cow cheese wedges are also a great price at Costco.
I agree with you, Totally! Hidden Valley is the best flavor & quality, and it rarely goes on sale, or has a coupon. Other dressing brands like Ken’s or store brands- Cheap, Yes! But when you want the Hidden Valley its well worth buying the 2 big jugs at the wherehouse for a great deal- I bought some recently (we all wish it was cheaper!) but after waiting, checking the grocery stores, and waiting and checking some more- It just never went on sale, ANYWHERE! I am pleased with my 2 40oz bottles for 8.50 – Just try & find a huge 40 oz bottle for 4.25, or even a 20oz bottle for 2.15- Not Gonna happen!!
We buy paper products (toliet paper, paper towels) in bulk. We only buy Charmin and Bounty so if our stock is running low, we go to Costco or Sam’s. I’ve gotten some great deals on Charmin so we have a lot of those but not so much paper towels. Doing the math, bulk is better.
Depending on if you have access to multiple coupons, then bulk is not better. We are a smaller family but certainly know bigger families need bulk 🙂
What I disagree with is the butter item. I can always get them on sale 2/$5 or 2/$4 and use $0.75 coupons off Land of lakes that double in most grocery stores in the north east to $1.5 off. So I can get 1lb of butter for $0.5 to $1. I think that beats Costco prices.
Yep I agree with you! I often see lots of Butter Deals in grocery stores and lots of assorted coupons (Challenge soupons alot! Thats My favorite butter) I think the Butter and Whipped Cream are a rip off, at the Wherhouse stores! TIP Try Challenge Whipped Butter (its in a container) It is absolutely Heavenly, It lasts Forever, Its great for toast cause it melts faster, and if needed- since its whipped you can save a few calories and still get the epic butter taste on everything you want!!
Great video Collin! I couldn’t agree more about the meats, cheeses, and produce products are so much better in price. I recently got married and we did the food ourselves and we bought all of the cheeses, fruits, breads, plates, forks/spoons, and even serving trays at Sam’s for amazing prices, but all the other stuff you can definitely spend way too much on and better off going to the grocery store or drug store!
Wow Collin, that was a super official video! 😀 Good job!
I always mooch off of other people with memberships. 🙂 I buy Craisins, you can get the giant 48 oz bags for about $9, and huge bags of quinoa are soooo much cheaper at Costco than at the grocery. Just a few others to add. 🙂
There is a coupon for the Cranraisins making the 48oz bag $3.79…great deal!
what coupon??? 🙂
Yes, what coupon?
Bj’s is great and I am there several times a week. They send coupon books monthly and you can pair it with a manufacturers coupons. I also get my greeting cards and gift wrap/bags there.
I think it depends on your market. Milk at my grocery store is ALWAYS on sale for less than Costco. Butter IS cheaper at my Costco but not by 50%. Also I get mild cheddar cheese for 4.99 for a two lb. block when it is almost $9 at the grocery store. Mrs. Butterworth’s Syrup is waaaay cheaper at Costco than even the generic brand than at my local grocer. And yes of course the produce at Costco is the best quality produce I have seen and often cheaper, one example is romaine lettuce is about $3 for 6 heads and if you buy it at the grocery store you pay the same price for just 3 heads AND when I buy it at costco it lasts longer too. I LOVE COSTCO…but not for everything 🙂 Thanks for the post Collin. Oh and did I mention often Chips are way cheaper at Costco. We buy Doritos and tortilla chips there cause you get a huge bag for not much more than the small bag at my grocery store, unless there is a sale of course 😉
ALCOHOL! Kirkland Margaritas are SO cheap! and so good. AND in Michigan, you don’t need a membership to buy alcohol in accordance to state law.
I save $1 a gallon on milk and I buy 4 gallons a week. Save money on produce, cheese. They just lowered their boneless skinless chicken breasts to 1.77lb every day price and that is a great price for that, I also buy bread there. Get 2 loafs for $2.70. Fruit snacks are pretty cheap. All at Sams Club. I don’t buy a lot of things there though like diapers, wipes, personal products, and a whole bunch of other things.
Great tips Collin. The best part of Costco is definitely there food court. Unbelievable prices and their frozen yogurt is TDF. along with there Chiabatta Chicken sammie…yummo!!!
I would recommend that anyone who has knowledge of what they “typically” pay for products to try to get a free pass (or go with a friend) to a warehouse club just to compare prices. Plan to spend a couple hours walking the aisles, and even writing down prices if that would help. I find there are many products I save a bunch on by buying at Costco. There may be occasions when I can get them cheaper through a sale and coupon at another store, but for many things that I buy frequently or things which don’t often have coupons, I find Costco to be a great bargain.
Here are some of those things, in case anyone cares 😉
Milk (I save at least $1-$1.50/gallon off my local grocery store prices … if I buy 1 gallon/week, that pays for my membership right there!)
Frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts (they are $2/lb with no coupons at my Costco. I can get this price at the grocery store, and I will stock up if it goes cheaper, but $2/lb is what I would consider a “decent/typical” sale price in my area, so I find it easier to get 20lbs at once and not have to worry about when the next sale will be)
Lean ground beef (I pay $3.20/lb for 91% lean ground beef. You can definitely get cheaper at the grocery store, but it typically has a much higher fat content; depends on your preference!)
Yogurt (12 Chobani cups for $11.59 – you might be able to get it cheaper with a sale + coupon, but if you eat this a lot you might not be able to get enough coupons! I also get two 32-oz tubs of plain fat-free Greek yogurt for $6.99. One 32-oz tub is regularly $5.69 at my local Target)
Cheese (48 Polly-o string cheeses for $8.79; 5 lbs shredded Cheddar for $11.89 … equivalent to paying $1.18 for a typical 8-oz bag)
Hillshire Farms lunchmeat (three 1-lb packs for $9.99)
Bacon (4lbs for $10.99)
Olive oil (6 qts for $19.99)
Dishwasher detergent ($10.59 for 250 oz … lasts us well over a year)
Trash bags ($13.35 for 200 bags)
Toilet paper & paper towels … I do not know HOW all these people on “Extreme Couponing” are getting these products for free. I must be doing something wrong!! I don’t think these products are necessarily “cheap” at Costco, but when I compare the price per square foot of other sales, Costco almost always comes out the better bargain. I pay $14.99 for 1593.7 square feet of Kirkland brand toilet paper (it is 2-ply but not as plush as, say, Charmin Ultra … but it is septic safe), and $16.69 for 1155 square feet of Kirkland paper towels, which I find to be very high-quality (much better than the “Tuf” brand or Bounty Basic).
Anyway, sorry to go on so long! I just think sometimes warehouse clubs get a bad rap because it’s a shock to see those high prices. But I think if you compare the price per unit you may find some good deals there, especially for things that are perishable or hard to stock up on. I rarely buy produce, although there are good deals, because my small family won’t go through it quickly enough, but we still find plenty of other things to save on 🙂 I do keep a list of prices so that when something goes on sale elsewhere I can compare it to the Costco price and see if it’s really a great deal.
I Totally Agree Kristen!!!! I have never Saved more money, spent LESS Time shopping, and my cabinets are ALWAYS Stocked, than since I began shopping at my local Sams! It used to feel like, “$8 for peanut butter?” and now its like “HECK YEAH I’ll pay $8 for 10 pounds of Peanut Butter!” because it simply Lasts Forever, PB & J sandwitches for a year, and I dont have to wait for a sale or a coupon!! Not to mention the brands carried are usually the higher quality- at a great stable price!
It’s a 45 minute drive for me to a Costco, I tried a membership one year but was only able to go about 4 times. I find it hard to get back the $50 membership fee, any idea on how to save on the membership fees? I’ve thought about sharing with family/friends, but only one address per membership and they have photo ID on the cards. I would think these “clubs” would make more money if anyone could just go in and shop? I read that Sam’s offers one day passes? Can you buy stuff with that also or only look around? Does Costco do that as well?
The Sams Club 1 day passes vary. Sometimes they offer a pay no additionaly fee if you buy anything (usually once a year) but most of the time with the one day pass it states that non-members have to pay an additional 10%.
Costco offers a 2% rebate on everything you buy if you upgrade your membership ($100 fee vs the $50 regular membership) and offers you your $50 back the first year if you fail to earn back that $50 upgrade. Also, if you use Amex at Costco or the Discover Card at Sams they offer rebates (I think 1 or 2%) back on all purchases as well.
Make sure you check out the online deals for the warehouse stores. You can’t get fresh food, but tolietries, furniture, clothing, etc. are up there for all to purchase. Even if you’re not a member the prices are good. My favorite example is the Allertec allergy medicine. $13 for 365 pills hands down crushes the Zyrtec prices everywhere else. Even paying an extra $1.50 as a nonmember is a fabulous deal!
Costco may have some really great deals but it’s SO easy to walk out of there paying over $100. Seems like everything is over $10 and it adds up fast. My friend and I shop together and split the cost on things. If not for her I doubt I would even go there @ all.
We have a Sam’s Club membership, and I’ve also notice there are some things that are cheaper there and some things that are not. I found that the Heavy Cream is half as much as it is on Walmart. Same thing for the Sandwich Thins bread.
I do most of my shopping @ the commissary and @ Costco. I buy pretty much the same things all the time, so I know what costs what in each of the stores. I have the upgraded costco membership so I get back 2% on my costco purchases… so every year, I get about $75 back and that covers 3/4 of the upgraded membership (so the membership winds up costing me 35). I use coupons a lot… including those from costco… that is when I take advantage of the things that might not normally “pay” to get there (meaning you can find it somewhere else on sale & use a coupon). Chicken I can get cheaper at the commissary… but the really thick awesome steaks… I get those @ Costco. I like getting the store brand dishwasher soap & laundry detergs there… when coupons, I get the max I can. You can’t beat the gorgeous produce & selection of cheeses… sometimes you can get good deals on wine… but you have to watch it…snacks such as large bags of chips and bottled water are always a good deal there without coupons. I also wind up finding good deals on books and clothing…good quality brand names. I think if you are careful & comparison shop, you can save a lot of $$. I remember overpaying for face cream @ Costco when we first started shopping there… found it @ WMart the next day for way less. Lesson learned! One of the other great things about Costco is their return policy… you can get your membership refunded at any time (unused portion of the year) so you aren’t stuck…. and if you don’t like the quality of anything (including food), you can bring it back. One day, I was returning something and the lady in front of me found a pair of boots in her closet that she had forgotten to give her daughter as a Christmas present… in 2002…. and they gave her a store credit!
I have an emotional attachment to Costco, I guess you could say. As a whole, you’re gonna save. Also, even if you know you can get something for less at another store, if you need it right now, you know you aren’t going to get ripped off compared to just pulling it off the shelf at WalMart. There are other factors to consider, just like so many said about the Hidden Valley ranch, the same goes for me with the butter and some cheeses. If you use butter at the table, the flavor/quality difference is noticeable compared to mystery generics that may be on sale elsewhere. Some of the cheese at Aldi I think is bland and gummy, the swiss has no flavor, the cheddar is just sortof “orange” cheese. But it all depends on what you’re using it for.