Costco

urby87

I searched for Costco and found a thread asking for opinions on which place the OP should join, but that's not really what I'm looking for.  I want to know, from those of you who have Costco memberships, what are your favorite things to buy there, and how much do you feel you save with your membership?  Have you priced things out against the other grocery options in your area?  Have you been able to combine trips that ordinarily would have been to multiple stores into one stop at Costco?

kdoak2015

We honestly go to Costco for only specific items- chicken, bread, toilet paper, paper towel, egg whites, newly
Added to our list diapers and wipes.
Well grab the odd precooked chicken for dinner or some of the pre made salads/dinners. I would say if you have a large family Costco is great. For just the 3 of us it's not really worth it but we enjoy going. Oh their yoga pants are amazing also!

MargaretC5

I have a BJ'S membership not cosco, but have shopped at cosco in the past. I got the membership originally for cat litter, just what I saved on cat litter paid for the membership. You do have to be careful a lot of things are more expensive at warehouse clubs. Other things I like to buy are:
Baby wipes- generic brand
Yeast
Bagles and English muffins
Anything in single serving packages
Cheese
Wine
Beans (same as sales prices at supermarket)
Paper towels and TP (about the same price as walmart, but cheaper when they have a coupon)
Diapers, if I need some between monthly amazom deliveries (subscribe and save)
Glad bags
Trash bags
Dishwasher and laundry soap
Spices
I know there are a few other things, but most other items are more expensive or we don't use enough to buy in bulk. BJ'S is an extra trip for us, so we add one on instead of combining stops, but we usually only go once a month.
Also savings can depending on your grocery store. When I shopped at stop and shop, I purchased a lot more at BJ'S. Since I moved and have a cheaper grocery store, I cut down on what we buy at bj's.

chein1

Wipes, diapers, Coffee (k cups), TP/paper towels, various snacks for DD1 that we like to keep on hand (fruit snacks, peanut butter crackers, goldfish, etc)

trampledbykiddos

Coffee, meat, cheese, bread, milk, eggs, various produce (they have some salad in a bag type things I am obsessed with), laundry/dishwasher detergent, toilet paper/paper towels, DH gets protein powder, snacky stuff for DD, chicken broth, canned stuff we use a lot (beans, corn, diced tomatoes). I freaking love Costco. 

Ceridwen77

Not sure if you can have two people on a membership at Costco, but you can at BJs so my mom & I share the cost of the membership. I also buy everything there using coupons (BJs has tons of coupons!!). We don't eat processed foods but there's still plenty to buy there that makes it worth it for us. Also I get gas there whenever possible and it's always super cheap!

wimamaof2

Love Costco! We get everything, meats, dairy, vitamins, toilet paper, etc. We even got our snowblower there too. Gas is always cheaper too.
Highly recommend it.

MoRay05

We love Costco as well! We buy bread, Canadian bacon, hummus, cheese, chips, yogurt, eggs, meat, bisquick, toilet paper, paper towels, fruit, fruit snacks, frozen foods, vitamins, soda, beer, laundry and dish soap, gas, etc.

I have compared everything we buy at Costco to grocery store prices and it is definitely cheaper. We shop there so much we have the executive membership so we get a rebate back each year. The rebate usually covers the cost of the membership plus an extra $50 or so.

I wish it could be a one stop shopping but we still have to go to the grocery store.

ETA: you can have at least two people on one membership. They are also great about returns. You don't need your receipt. My only complaint is they only take debit or Amex. Apparently that is changing this year.

I also buy my contacts and photo pictures from there.

smnewby

Costco also offers great services w discounts like life insurance,heating and cooling, siding and roofing. We have not price checked all of them but the life insurance was the best we could fine w regards to price and coverage options.
Also, their electronics are not always cheaper but sometimes they are and costco includes an extended warranty at no extra cost. We purchased a big screen tv last year and they gave us a 2 yr warranty on top of the manufacturers.

kesmeredith

We love Costco too! I don't know exact price differences from regular grocery stores vs. Costco but it seems to me that the quantity AND quality make it worth it to buy at Costco. Their meat and produce is really great quality. We buy toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags and some cleaning supplies (Clorox wipes, detergent etc). We also buy bread (freeze some), use the photo center (great quality prints) and get all of our gasoline there (usually at least a few cents cheaper), just to name a few. Highly recommend!

Also- I know you can call their customer service to get specific prices on a product or two if you are searching. I have done that before for diapers etc.

bellie1223

I bake often and sell cakes so I initially got the membership for ingredients like flour, sugar, etc, the savings of just those items covered the cost of membership. I found since I started shopping there that I have to be careful because a lot of things seem like a good deal but go bad before I can use them (there's just two of us) so in the end it's a waste of money. Therefore, I buy a lot of dry bulk goods (beans, rice, canned food) that won't go bad, and save produce and meat buys for when I'm having a party or can freeze it. I also share the membership with my brother, so that helps spread out the cost.

Disneygeek77

I know this is a bit old, but the thing is with Costco, you never know what you will buy since it is more than a grocery store.  We buy lots of milk, meat,dog food, prescriptions, wipes and diapers but we also bought Christmas toys and decorations, hardy garden mums,storage bins, shelving units, Christmas dresses and Easter dresses and Halloween costumes.  We are also thinking of getting DH a new desk at Costco as they have one that is cheaper and nicer than anything we have seen at Target or Ikea.

eamarat

We don't have a Costco so I have a Sam's Club membership that I split with my parents. We really only go when we need things in bulk (parties and such) as we don't have the space to keep a lot of bulk items. We did buy our box spring there and saved a good bit, though. I love Sam's, and I used to go crazy over the samples as a kid haha!

Cook3133

Another big Costco fan here!!
I also have the executive membership.

With my 3rd we had to do formula and I got the Kirkland brand and it was much cheaper than others we also get; milk, beer, dishwasher pods, laundry detergent, fabric softener, trash bags (best place to get them!!), toilet paper, paper towels, tin foil, diapers, wipes, dog food, cereal, bread, eggs, cheese sticks, lettuce, apples, potatoes, cheese, coffee, c4, books, movies, apple sauce, canned fruit, fruit snacks and I got some great toys for cheaper at Christmas time. We are a family of 6 and it really works out for us. I guess I get a lot more there than I thought!!

I also heard if you take in your phone cord they can take the pictures off your phone and put them on a disc. I haven't used it yet but need to. My iPhone and surface and laptop don't play nice together

Unica1302+

Before the baby it was just DH and I. His parents share their Costco membership and my parents shared the BJ membership. We don't go as often to either one but when we do we stock up on drinks, paper products, alcohol, tooth brush heads, razor replacements, etc. I lived on Perrier water during my pregnancy. Costco has great tire service and after pricing them against other stores it has become the only place we go for tires. I've heard great things about their vacation and misc services but havent tried them. We exclusively buy gas with either membership. In the past Costco has had great deals on cell phones and outdoor furniture which we've saved a ton on. Then the random things you run across like a great pack of socks, basic tshirts, as seen on tv stuff. It can be great around the holidays for decorations and gifts that would be too expensive elsewhere.

If it wasnt for our parents we'd share the membership with another household but we wouldn't buy it alone, at least not til we have a larger family. They run offers from a free 2 month trial and I've also seem membership being offered on Groupon or living social.

fitmama89

Costco is seriously AH-MAAY-ZING!! We have he executive membership & usually get a pretty decent check in the mail each year.
Here is a list of what we buy:

Fruit, vegetables, frozen chicken breast, steaks, ground beef, water bottles, Kirkland toilet paper, Kirkland paper towels, beer, frozen quick meals to have on hand for dinners, frozen food my husband can grab and bring to work on nights we don't have leftovers, cereal, yogurt, snack foods, bacon, juice, lotion, pasta sauce, canned goods, spices, pellets for the traeger, deodorant, tooth paste, tooth brushes, pull ups, wipes, laundry detergent, fabric softener, clothes, socks, seasonal clothes and shoes, towels, sheets, life vests, sunblock, miscellaneous cookware and drink ware & appliances...
Our electeonics are always from there as well such as tvs & cameras.
& we always get gas at Costco!

We bought a food saver (from Costco, of course) and always buy meat in bulk and then just seal it and freeze it!

I love that Costco has the greatest return policy too!

* edited to add that I always use their online photo center for prints! Easy pick up in store

Cook3133

I just got a nice pair of Adidas running shoes for $30!! their returns are awesome!! I easily took back some big stuffed dinosaurs I bought a year ago that ripped at the seems and they took them back no questions and got back what I paid for them.

smnewby

If you do photo holiday cards etc they are also very cheap but great quality. We had dd birth announcements done at their photo center.