Help me not hate Costco

Maebb · March 2014

I visited Costco as a guest one time a while back, and I thought they were pretty cool because I could get things like wipes, laundry detergent, and snacks for DS.

I've been looking for freeze-dried fruits and veggies for DS, and I heard they had them, so I decided to go today. It took me 15 minutes to find a parking spot - should have turned around and gone home then. The membership was $55, I found out the freeze-dried stuff had been recalled after talking to 4 different people who told me to look in different aisles, and the place was a freakin' madhouse. I will never again go on a Saturday.

So I bought some salmon, toilet paper, laundry detergent, dish soap, and snacks for DS. But honestly - Kroger has pretty good prices, and I don't know if I'll get $55 worth of savings out of it per year. I'm feeling like I made a mistake by joining.

So - please tell me why you love Costco, how I can save a lot of money there (for a family of 3), and what are your favorite things to buy from there. I'm thinking about just stocking up on everything this year and then not joining next year.

MamatoA2010 · March 2014

Costco is fucking awesome. But DO NOT I repeat DO NOT go on a weekend. It's a zoo. The Costco near me is always jam packed on Saturdays and Sundays and I can never find a parking spot.

Things to buy: they always have cute cheap pj's/clothes for LO's, toilet paper, paper towels, large containers of various fruit, waffles, milk, snack type foods, etc. They have a lot but everything is in bulk.

FrickandFrack · March 2014

I go through periods where I hate dealing with Costco and then I go again and find my love. They are awesome and have all the things to buy at great prices. It totally makes up for the $55 membership. Plus, I get gas there. NEVER go on a weekend.

Maebb · March 2014

Thank you both, and @HilarityEnsued, I will check at Fresh Market for the freeze dried fruit.

MamatoA2010 · March 2014

You're welcome @maebb! Happy shopping!!!

Maebb · March 2014

@unconnhuskie007, I did buy Pirate's Booty there because you said it's good. I got giant containers of goldfish, veggie straws, Pirate's Booty, and Larabars, so I think we're all set on snacks for a while.

MamatoA2010 · March 2014

Their ginormous bags of Pirate Booty rock. Once I start eating it I can't stop. I can plow through 1/2 of one of those huge bags in one sitting.

winecastle14 · March 2014

I love the Costco crab dip! We aren't members, but they have a lot of great non-grocery items that could easily save you the $55.

MamatoA2010 · March 2014

@SunnyDays26- you MUST try Pirates Booty! But be warned: once you start you cannot stop.

Mrs.Rose · March 2014

Fruit is a great deal and so is the meat. It is a large quantity, but things like chicken breasts and ground beef are easy to repackage into small quantities and freeze. My husband likes their dress shirts for work (machine washable, non-wrinkle button downs). We have found levi jeans there for the boys. We also buy stuff like fruit snacks, frozen breakfast sandwiches and chicken nuggets. Staples of course include TP, paper towels, dishwasher liquid and laundry detergent. My friend whose kid loves greek yogurt gets chobani there - it comes out to under a dollar a container.

You need to go on a non weekend and look around. They have great stuff! It is kind of target-ish, where you always find something to buy you were not planning on!

taggiecb · March 2014

In order for me to enjoy the actual trip, it has to be about 10 am on a Tuesday (or what ever weekday) and I have to be alone, or with another adult who isn't in a hurry to get out of there. As far as what I buy, I am not really consistent. I never go in with a list. Just an idea of what I want (ie, lunch food, fruit, meat...)

EMOmamma · March 2014

We let our membership lapse, but I think the meat (beef especially) is way better tasting than the other grocery stores around here.
I'll get the big pack of burger and either freeze 1/2-1lb portions or cook it and prep 10-15 freezer meals. (Or half and half).

shadypines · March 2014

Been with Costco since 2003. Never a complaint. GL

74dragonfly · March 2014

I find going right after work around five is best. In addition to PP they have great books, toys at Christmas, tires, kids clothing.

nanabanana06 · March 2014

I mostly go to Costco for snacks, bread, k-cups, TP, paper towels, kids clothing, and the big thing for us is vitamins. I can get a giant bottle of one of my supplements for as much as they sell the small bottle at the grocery store. It saves me so much money. Oh, and their muffins are the bomb.

[Deleted User] · March 2014

The user and all related content has been deleted.

Pearls+Oysters · March 2014

I have to agree on everything that has been said... We are also a family of 3, with no storage space and no separate freezer and we still make it work. Bulk buying TP, tissues and non perishables, huge cans of ketchup that we split up and share with my mom, 80 KCups for 40$, the ready made sandwiches (6 packs) that we use for lunches, the 1L bottles of shampoo/conditioner, DS' PJs, bread, their humongous muffins AND the birthday cakes. Every. Single. Cake. I love Costco. I hate their parking, their people, their bathrooms, but their merch/prices are my friends.

RayRay007 · March 2014

Don't go on weekends.
Don't go for any one particular thing- you never know what they'll have.
It's not that cheap. Most food items I can buy cheaper on sale at my neighbourhood grocery store. But it's awesome for things like socks and underwear, toiletries and tp.

LovestheLou · March 2014

Not everything is a better deal. You have to know what you can buy things for on sale at the grocery store and compare.

We buy beer (usually - sometimes they don't have anything we like), wine, most of our meat, some baked goods, tp, paper towels, wipes, dishwasher tablets, laundry soap, trash bags, oatmeal, sugar, cheese, butter, yogurt, eggs, milk, canned goods like beans and tomatoes, and coffee. Sometime we get fruit and snacks. I also love their kids clothes.

vababy · March 2014

I like buying presents there around the holidays. They have random seasonal things.

studyinpink · March 2014

I really need to go and check it out soon. I have only ever been to Sam's.

nanabanana06 · March 2014

Also, having a Costco membership means you get discounts other places as well. Like car dealerships and amusement parks.

Disneygeek77 · March 2014

Well first of all, I want to warn you that my husband works there. He has been working there for 17 years and Costco has provided him a good living, so as you can imagine, I am a bit biased.

No, Costco will not always be the cheapest, but they are a good value. For example, their cakes. Are they the cheapest in town ? No, but they are some of the best cakes I have ever had and they do have a tasty filling. That can't be said with other bakeries and I believe it is worth an extra dollar or two for a much better tasting cake. Seriously, I grew up thinking I wasn't a cake person, then I tried a Costco cake and realized I am not a bad cake person. Turns out I've only had bad store bought cakes all my life. Here's another example. A few years ago we were comparing dollhouses at Sam's and Costco. They were pretty much the same dollhouse. At Sam's the dollhouse was $99 but it was very plain. White walls, white floors and no furniture. However, at Costco for $129 you got the same dollhouse but all 6 rooms had wallpaper and flooring. AND and all six rooms were furnished with dollhouse furniture. All six rooms. So for an extra $30 I got six rooms of dollhouse furniture. If you have ever looked at dollhouse furniture at a hobby shop, one room can easily cost $30. We also buy several of the kids Christmas gifts from Costco. For $20, I got DD a Princess Sofia bundle of a play dress, play jewelry and a doll. All of that stuff bought at Target would have easily cost $35. Oh and I cleaned up on Christmas Eve. I got them some great deals on toys such as a 7 pack of My Little Ponies for $7, and huge Disney Princess Art set for $11 and a 4 ft tall Rapunzel doll for $16.

We do buy a lot of stuff from Costco. We got our laptop because they had the best warranty. We also bought our TV and our mattress. We have used Costco travel to get rental cars because they had the best deals. We get our glasses and contacts from Costco as well as our Christmas cards, baby announcements and I even got DH an amazing framed and matted pic of Busch Stadium after we won the world series from Costco.

As far as grocery items are concerned, we buy our meat and dairy products from Costco. We will buy their produce if we feel we will eat it all. We also buy our formula, diapers and wipes from Costco as well as our paper towels and toilet paper. Oh and we have received some great deals on our pharmacy items from Costco.

I agree, it can be crazy on Saturdays. I try to stay out of people's way. However, they also put out some great demos too. Oh and where else can you feed the family for $10. Get a few hot dogs and sodas, some slices of pizza and a churro or two and you are set.

Want a personalized experience?

Help me not hate Costco

Re: Help me not hate Costco

Choose Another Board

Search Boards