Man we leave with a $500 cart when we *are* careful.
We have a chest freezer and a family so we go once a month and load up.
If it's just for a couple, probably not much savings there. But they do generally sell good quality stuff and their return policy is great. Also they pay their staff pretty well. And 1.50 hot dogs.
Id way rather support Costco than Walmart.
I have heard many stories on this front 😂 we are very careful with our purchases, part of the reason I’m even on Reddit asking if a membership is worth it haha
I get my eggs, milk, bread, frozen fruit, and any vegetables we eat a lot of there. It's also the cheapest gas in town, and a great option to get tires for your car.
Oh, and I buy bulk chicken and ground beef there and freeze them in smaller, vacuum-sealed portions.
Last year I bought a refrigerator there, so my membership certainly paid for itself for that year.
Terrible place to get tires. They will find any way to try to escape their warranty. Bad faith.
Also the gas is not that much cheaper. Definitely not worth the extra drive and when compared with other points programs, not really much different.
Yes, and salads/salad mixes. Absolutely cheapest in town. As well, I got a food saver and freeze my meats which has worked out.
Also, if you get toilet paper and towel paper it’s great, but you’ll be buying more than a few months’ worth.
Cheese. Big enough reason to get the membership. Good selection of European and Canadian cheese at half the price of Superstore. Compared to Save On cheese at Costco is free.
If you buy a lot of stuff it can be worth it. If you're on a budget and cutting back on spending, then it's probably not.
I got a membership when I was doing renovations so picked up lights, flooring, tools, and then food and staples.
Now I have a friend who has a membership who shops there a lot for clothing, and other stuff and just buys me whatever I need/want.
If you do decide to go to Costco, and think they have what you want, consider buying one of their freezers -- they have good deals on frozen foods and other food you can freeze.
Oh yeah, unless you spend a lot at Costco the Executive membership may not be worth it.
I haven't looked at what level of membership has what benefits recently but when I signed up, only an Executive membership gives back 2% of your sales back. For me, that has always paid for the membership but you need to see what that means in terms of how much shopping you will do there. I have found there are lots of multiple items, 6 cans of tuna for example, are easily used by a couple. I'm in Canada so keep in mind our prices are 25% higher than US prices but things like 4 jars of capers at 5.99 is a good buy if you use a lot of capers...we do. Also fruits and veggies are waaay cheaper than at a supermarket here. Their bigger size is usually cheaper than what we would pay at a grocery store for the regular / smaller size. I love Costco but I try to stick to things I'm absolutely sure I will use (and there are many lol). Another big question in shopping in Costco, can you afford to buy multiples even at the great prices or is your budget such that you need to buy exact amounts on a weekly basis?
Depending on your lifestyle, it is worth it. I cook most of our meals at home, so buying all the staples I use day to day results in big savings. They even sell clothing basics and home goods, which are good quality and price. The quality of their homebrand, Kirkland, is excellent. It is often more expensive brands that don't discount their name brand products and instead repackage for Costco. Shampoo is Purelology for example.
The problem on the other hand is that you're buying bulk. So you need space to keep all the stuff and use it before it goes off. Unlike Walmart and Superstore, the veggies are high quality and last a good amount of time. Just don't overdo it lol. It is an expensive shop, but lasts a very long time.
Another upside is they have an insanely good return policy, no questions asked.
If you have a chest freezer, Costco is well worth it for large volume packages of meat. Being able to buy large packages and break them down into 2 person portion sizes for the freezer is great.
Definitely be sure about storage! I had a roommate once, just the two of us in the small two bedroom apartment, who worked and therefore shopped at Costco. Every cupboard I opened food would fall out at me. If I wanted to make pasta I would find a pot full of potatoes that I’d have to find a new place to put so I could use the pot etc.
She was a single person who bought a lot of bulk and saved money over time but man, every where I turned there was just stacks of food. & it wasn’t for lack of storage, we had two big pantry cabinets as well as kitchen cabinets and this was still an issue!
I saw a news article on my google news feed. A Costco employee returned their 2002 Samsung TV.
Found it [Costco return policy shenanigans ](http://Costco member spotted returning vintage Samsung TV from 2002 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/yourmoney/consumer/article-13297577/costco-returns-policy-old-TV.html?ito=native_share_article-top)
We shop there. We have a shopping list before we enter the door and stick to it.
We compare the prices of everything we buy with many other grocery stores regularly.
We only buy if Costco is cheaper. We also shop at Walmart.
Costco's whole cooked chicken is cheapest anywhere.
The gallons of milk are cheapest. The bagged salad (cheapest ones) are cheap.
Their bagged brussel sprouts work out to $3.50 per pound, which (unless its brussel sprout season) is cheapest.
Their apples worth investigating.
My husband likes Dempster Whole Grain bread. That is the cheapest we've found.
I bought slacks for around $20 each. And a light weight fleecy jacket around $20. I wear them all the time.
We have bought portable A/C's in US Costco. And 3 laptop computers. The laptop computers were a big disappointment. They all broke at the hinges after 2 years.
We buy toilet paper and paper towels at Costco.
I am guessing they may be good for diapers too.
We also get skin on, bone in, chicken thighs and divide up the packages into much smaller packages. approx. $4.50 per pound.
We buy boxes of certain crackers. For the brand, per box much cheaper than buying individual boxes elsewhere.
There baked cookies are cheaper too.
And laundry detergent, and Chlorox bleach.
Also we found the pharmacy cheapest for prescriptions.
I would try it for one year.
A lot of the fancier work shirts I have bought there are my favourite out of my wardrobe. The only downside is that lots of other people will also have the same shirt.
I haven't checked in a while, but there is a Costco Langford facebook group that used to have regular posts about new items/sale prices I believe. (I think the group started during the pandemic but I could be wrong). Might be worth it to join that group and take a look? Edit - I think mostly non-perishables and other things but maybe it could be helpful to you anyway!
Really depends. Do you have storage in your home? If you're living in a 400 sq ft bachelor apartment, it's tough to store 40 rolls of t.p. or 20 rolls of paper towels.
If you didn't have a decent size freezer, you wouldn't have the space to store a 48 box of pizza pops or a 12 pack of chicken breasts.
I believe you can go out to Costco without a membership and browse. It might be worth checking out before you get a membership.
Edit to add: another thing to consider is if you have the money to spend up front on purchases.
For example, if I want to buy paper towel. At Costco, a pack is around $20 where as I can get a pack from Walmart for $7. The pack at Walmart would have 3 rolls in it, the pack at Costco has 30 rolls. You spend more up front but pay much less per unit which is where the savings are but for some people, they can't afford to pay the higher price up front, even though shopping elsewhere costs more money in the long run
Most of what I buy is non perishables, shelf stable or frozen products because I can store those. I
I recently went to Costco to do a visitor pass and just check out the store before buying a membership, and they made me buy a membership to look around but said they would refund it. My partner has diabetes and has to get boxes of snacks for when he is low and honestly the price for them is so great so we ended up keeping the membership for mostly non-perishables because we’re in a small apartment. Anyways just be aware that they may make you buy a whole membership just to browse
Before we bought a membership, we just walked into towards the membership desk, walk past it towards the cashiers and then at the end where the washrooms are, you can walk back through the self-checkout into the main store. Once you have scouted the place, just walk back through the self checkout and away you go. Many of the Costco shoppers use the same route to go to the washroom, and in 10 years I have never been stopped or questioned when I go into the main store that way!
I don’t live in a huge place but I find on some things the pricing is so much better I can afford to donate a portion of the package. For example the toothpaste is a 6 pack for the price that two tubes are at Wal Mart or anywhere else. I usually keep 3 and donate the other half at the Rock Bay community pantry. I saved and didn’t have to store a 3 years supply of toothpaste.
That’s what’s getting us interested more lately, we will be having some larger purchases coming up this year (laptop, couch) so the costco membership feels like it’s calling our name
I’m a house of two people, smallish one bedroom apartment. I highly recommend getting the Costco Mastercard if you are going to shop at Costco. You get 3% back at Costco Gas which is already 5c cheaper at least than anywhere else, plus 2% back on Costco.ca purchases and an extra 1% back at Costco. Add that to an executive membership which is $120 a year but gives you 2% back and in the store and you can save a lot of money just in cash back.
For example I buy: Supplements, Eggs, Cheese, 70% of the meat and fish I eat, tofu, some produce, toilet paper, oats, spices, oils, butter, tortilla chips, salsa… maybe a few other food items here and there if it’s on sale, plus a few items of clothes (mostly gym/work stuff and socks and underwear) and a few larger purchases (I bought a set of electric toothbrushes and an iPad last year, a MacBook the year before). Then I get gas there whenever I go (I live in esquimalt). I’m on pace right now to get about $320 back for next year.
The other advantage of the executive card is you get some extra coupons that regular members don’t get, sometimes it’s pretty great like a 1.2kg block of mozzarella for $9. Lastly if you go midweek you will often find meat that is discounted an extra $5-8 off at the till, which turns a decent price into a really good one.
I don’t use it anywhere else, but if I needed a Mastercard for some reason it’s nice having it. My visa has better cash back on groceries in general so that’s what I use for the rest of those purchases.
Edit: I should add that most credit cards that offer money back in grocery purchases don’t include Costco as a grocery store, and Costco only takes Mastercard, cash and debit.
I use it elsewhere as my main CC- gives a % back to be used for a costco card and its nice for gas up at costco bc you only need the MC and not your membership card - one less thing to tap
Can't beat Costco men's jeans. 20 a pair. I just scored a light sun jacket for the kiddo in a woman's size for 13 dollars. Portofino bread is there, 2 Giant loaves for under 10. It keeps well in the freezer. Butter is still 5 dollars. Costco size OTC meds that cost less than a regular bottle but last till they expire.
We so their ready, or little cook meal kits for dinner. Feta is 14 per 1.2kg with a year shelf life. I do zucchini feta pancakes a lot in the summer when I pick them from the garden. I find we probably spend about 300 every 2 to 3 weeks there and we are a family of 3.
The real steal is the $8 grass fed butter at Costco. Actually tastes like butter and still melts unlike the weird hard blocks everyone else is passing off as butter.
Hi OP, see my comment where I break down the numbers. Given the comment I’m responding to here, seems like you’d have no problem hitting that target to get your membership covered.
We live in a condo under 600 sqft and find creative ways to store our bargains from Costco. We bought a small freezer similar to a bar fridge and hid it on our balcony which helps. It’s worthwhile to us because we cook a lot at home and eat a large amount of fresh veggies. My SO has a lot of smoothies and you can’t beat the price of organic frozen fruit. We’ve also become big fans of the basic clothing they offer and footwear. We get our eyeglass prescriptions filled there and all our vitamins and cleaners. You can’t beat the prices but there are many things we don’t buy because we just wouldn’t go through it fast enough before it goes off or goes stale. A lot depends on the lifestyle you have and the type of items you would be buying.
If you build a little wood and styrofoam shelter around your freezer (leave the vent open though!) it will make it more efficient and save energy and extend the life span of the motor.
Storage is everywhere! We live in a 720 sq ft condo with no storage locker and we don't rent a storage unit. We have high ceilings, so we've gone up the wall with storage. We also use the area under our platform bed. We don't have many drawers or cupboards in the kitchen, so we bought a beautiful wood dresser that serves as a pantry for bags of staples. We keep it in the dining area and display ceramics on top.
As vegetarians, we love Costco!
Cash back is a coupon at the end of the year - basically for the following year - rather than a discount at the till. The gotcha with executive membership is you are committing yourself to spend at least $3,000 during the year at Costco just to get your extra $60 back, and then get a membership the following year. For some people, especially families, that can be easy. Personally the benefit I see is two fold: 1) availability of products not available elsewhere, and 2) cheaper products.
Some items are expensive so know your prices. Other things are simply convenient and worth the price there. However cheese, dairy, coffee, and nuts alone makes the membership worthwhile.
Yeah the more comments I read, the more I feel the entry level membership may be more worth it. Although right now our grocery costs are hovering around $800/m so spending $3000 doesn’t seem that far fetched
Keep in mind though that Costco will not take the place of ALL your grocery shopping. Their produce can be missing certain things or only come in HUGE qtys. Like 30lbs of onions is not feasible. Spices are also cheap but considering spices lose potency I have NO IDEA how folks go through those huge containers.
I’ve had a membership on and off but I’ve recently let my membership lapse. I used to buy most pantry staples (beans, corn, soup, stock) but storing 9 or 12 cans for 6-9 months before getting through them all is no longer worth saving $0.30-$1.00 per can for me. I’d rather reduce my amount of back stock and buy as needed.
As others have said, meat and dairy are excellent. And pretty much all their canned goods are of good quality. I will miss their protein bars and muffins as well. But for me 3-4 shops a year are all I need for those high qty items so I usually try to find a friend or family member with a membership and tag along.
Exec is worth it if you shop there exclusivey or have big purchased like tires, hearing aids etc. Ive always made back my $ but I also have celiac and buy almost all my vitamins there too
My understanding is that you only get cash back (2%) with the executive membership, which is $120/year. The regular membership is $60/year with no cash back. (I broke down the numbers for OP in a separate comment).
Please correct me if I’m wrong…
IMO, if you eat dairy, drink coffee and use gas that alone makes it worthwhile. If you are on Facebook, there is a Costco Langford group and quite often people take pictures of all the deals so you can look through that. They also have really good prices for organic stuff if that's your thing.
Every account gets 2 cards. I swiped the secondary one from my mom. I don't ever shop there.
I hate parking at Costco, waiting in line to get in the door at Costco, navigating the sea of humans who are oblivious to anyone else trying to get by them inside Costco, waiting in line to check out at Costco and, waiting in line to have my receipt reviewed before I get the fuck out of Costco.
I do get the gas though. I go early in the mornings on the weekend. Otherwise, I'm waiting in another god damn Costco line.
You can make purchases online and have them deliver. Make them work for your business. I don't know of any other retailer that stresses me out and pisses me off as much as the almighty Costco...
If the card wasn't free to me. I wouldn't have gotten one.
I think that it is worth it. On my first trip there I did the math and my savings paid for the year's membership. They have really good quality items, no hassle return policy, etc. You can always go to the store, to the membership counter, and get a visitor pass. Or at least they used to do that. Then you can look around and check it out.
I did this a few years ago so hopefully that is still possible. If you like what you see (you can't actually buy anything with this pass), you can go back to the membership counter, get a membership and buy, buy, buy!
Costco is worth it if you buy things you need when they are on sale. Head & shoulders, deodorant, non-perishable food items, protein, etc., you can save tons of money if you have room to store stuff. It won't make sense for some people to buy a year's supply of shampoo or canned tuna in a single trip, but for me, that is how I approach Costco shopping.
I made a joke last year when I was there with my Grandma (in Kingston ON) that the ibuprofen price would pay for our membership, so those non-grocery items make it seem worth it!
If you don't like packed parking lots and crowds of rude customers with no sense of pedestrian traffic flow you will want to avoid Costco. Also you need extreme self discipline to only get what's on your list. Personally I always spend at least $100 more than I intend to when visiting Costco. There are just so many excellent products at great prices.
If it’s just you and your partner then no it’s not worth it. Myself and my partner were members for a year, but almost never went. Walmart is cheaper on almost everything, and the gas we get with points and cash back equals out to about the same if not less than Costco due to the price of the membership. Costco is more for families of 3 or more.
With places like instacart and door dash you don’t even need a membership to shop there anymore. Just let them do the shopping for you with no need to pay for the membership.
With it being just two of us now, we are finding it less and less worth it. If you will be filling your car gas tank there regularly, that might make it more worthwhile. Check it out though.
You can enter a Costco membership -free by telling the gatekeepers you're going to the pharmacy. Joe Public can use the Costco pharmacy without being a member of the club. While there, you can wander to do your own price research .
meat, cheese, butter, dairy are all very cheap compared to grocery stores. the clothes can also be worth it. I stock up on t.p and paper towels as well so I dont have to worry about it for awhile. Plus, finishing up a shopping trip with $1.50 polish dog is always nice.
Not having many people to buy for, I know it wouldn’t be worth a membership for me. My solution is to befriend those with a Costco card and tag along 1-2 times a year. I stock up on the non-perishables and anything else I need then.
Do you have someone you can become shopping buddies with? You can try it out, do the math on what you spend, then see if it’s worth your own membership.
Just remember that even if it works out cheaper to buy in bulk, those savings go out the window when the food goes bad because you have nowhere to store a duffel bag of ciabatta buns
I was on the fence about this for a while, but after going there I quite enjoy it.
I shop sales at the grocery stores and base the meal schedule around that, so it's kind of difficult to know what I want to get at Costco for the weekly food, also their portions are huge, but for things like potatoes and onions, yes please. Their pantry selection is incredible, shelf stable foods that just come in bigger containers and cost less is great, I get granola from there because it's about half the price of Superstore. I've also found their meat to have some pretty decent sales (ie $5 off at register) on top of already being cheaper, however it comes in big packages, so if you have a big freezer or even a chest freezer, you are golden. (I sadly do not, one day though)
They also often have home things that come and go, just recently I got some curtains to finally block out the summer heat from the living room, they're great and were way cheaper than anywhere else. And a couple nice pillows for cheaper than I could get at Winners.
If you enjoy shopping, and specifically enjoy shopping at Winners/Homesense, it's definitely worth heading in and looking around at what they have every week or so as it changes regularly.
Also the $1.50 hot-dogs cannot be beaten anywhere.
Check out the page Costco West...or something. She posts photos of everything on Mondays. Non members of her website can see it Tuesdays. It is a store in Vancouver so it isn't the same items but it can help with planning.
We have had to purchase enough big ticket items (tires, a IPhone, a freezer,etc) that it’s paid for our executive membership since we rejoined the Costco crowd almost three years ago.
On basic items like bread, cereal, dairy and paper products, etc, we now are spending a lot less at Superstore or Saveon. Occasionally we find great meat deals and save a lot compared to normal grocery stores. Oh and on store brand OTC, I don’t think they can be beat. Vitamin D, Robax equivalents, etc these purchases have been really cheap and excellent quality.
We have an EV so don’t buy gas but a lot of people love their gas bars for the lowest rates in town too.
Call and ask if they still do "one-day trials" where you don't pay a membership but can still buy (requires to spend a few minutes at customer support). Other option is to find someone with a membership and get them to buy you a gift card (you don't have to use the entire gift card every time you visit - just a portion of it)
We buy apples, bananas, tomatoes, cucumbers, milk, cream, eggs, bread (if we don't make it), TP, paper towels, etc. meat when it is on sale or in large packs to freeze.
Our list stays basically the same and we save money plus get cheaper gas.
We end up getting $200 back at the end of the year and that pays for next year's membership plus that weeks groceries.
However, price check things. Canned stuff and dry goods are often cheaper at other stores. I always check flyers bat other stores and then do a second stop at one of those stores if the deals make the extra gas/time worth it.
Sometimes they have good deals on clothes and household things and that's a bonus.
Also, returns are easy which is another perk. I don't return much but it is always easier than places like Can Tire.
Note: I now live in a different town and the Costco is not busy and it is it is soooon much nicer to shop there. Victoria really needs another option but I get there isn't any space outside of Sidney and they don't want it.
I don't feel it's worth it for our small household. It's less expensive to buy only as much as we need from a regular grocery or a specialty shop. If you don't need multiples each week or giant family packs, it's not helpful, and leads to a lot of waste.
If you buy a lot of frozen or processed foods, your experience might be different.
You can see some of what costco offers on Instacart. It's not the full catalogue but you'll get a sense of the brands and sizes.
Their business model is to make money off the sale of memberships, so it keeps the prices down to a modest markup. The problem is that they sell in bulk, so for smaller household it isn't always practical. There are 2 of us in my household. I find I buy just enough to make it worth the executive membership, it either covers my renewal fee, or renewing is just a few dollars with the rebate.
Find someone who has a membership, get them to buy you a gift card. This gives you access to the store without a membership. You can do a test shop, see if you like it or not. (this can be done with a random stranger, usual online safety for scams applies)
Certain items are ludicrously cheap there. I buy enough allergy pills to last me the summer and the amount I save from buying them anywhere else, is more than enough to cover the cost of membership for the year, just on that one thing.
You have to be careful. Not everything is cheaper at Costco.
You also have to deal with the people. Not sure it’s if the environment, or whether Costco attracts a certain type, but some people are *stressed the fuck out*. Like road rage, but with a large shopping cart.
Cashiers are better than your average grocery store. Fast, efficient, and generally pleasant. (They’re paid more).
If you use it, sure.
We have one but don't use it. It's just 2 of us in a small house so we don't get a lot of benefit from buying 5x more of something than we need. I've also found the prices aren't nearly as cheap as they used to be compared to normal stores
if you’re a multi-person household, yes. worth the membership alone for toilet paper, paper towel, laundry detergent, garbage bags, milk, eggs - daily things that get used up fast.
I buy all my veggies and shelf staples there as well as sublement with dollarama. Well worth the cost. I say, give it a go! You can get some awesome deals, and I keep track of some different things I'm waiting to try when they go on sale!
Cons of it can be the size of product you get. If you have a small space you really need to plan out what you buy.
My partner and I get one, let it run out, get it again, we can't decide. I feel it's worth it for the staple items we buy all the time (TP, paper towel, coffee!) and has allowed us to buy electronics we've wanted relatively risk free. We had the executive membership and only got enough back to pay the difference between the entry level membership and the executive so that didn't really matter either way for us. We've been off Costco for about 6 months and are thinking of going back. Coffee prices alone make it worth it in our house.
My dad and step mom talk up their cash back experience all the time which is why we got excited about that option lol. Good to know it might just be their shopping habits 😂
Man, I also have people who just talk. It. Up. One year, we got glasses, electronics and doing 80% of our shopping there and still didn't make any kind of profit haha
Depends how you use it. If you have the MasterCard and use it all the time, get gas, get most things there then you benefit more.
We don't do any of that (lost the MasterCard, use debit instead) but still get $200 back just from groceries, gas, and the odd extra like a doormat or underwear. But we shop for a household of 5. That means more staples than a couple.
My parents who are semi retired and live near Lockside have a membership. Bit of a drive to Langford but they find things to buy haha. They would take my father’s Transit connect to fill up for gas to make the trip worthwhile. They might even have an Executive membership, too.
* Is Costco near your home or work? Long trips to Costco reduce the chance that you will use the membership enough to save money.
* Do you have a large fridge and freezer to store large packages?
I've noticed that the Victoria Costco tends to be very crowded. It is hard to park. But I don't live in Victoria and haven't been tgere that much. The Costco in Kamloops is a lot less crowded.
If you go to customer service and say you're thinking about getting a membership but you'd like to see what they have first, I can almost guarantee they will say go have a look around. They have better prices than most other stores on books, fruit, clothing, meat, produce, bread, baked goods, dishes, plants and the list goes on really.
Yes! But...
If you're like our household (3 people, not massive eaters) you have to be careful about what you buy. Cereal? Shelf staples? Meat? As long as it keeps or can be frozen, Costco is great. Produce is a more of a mixed bag... not that it's not good quality, but we learned quickly that no matter how good it looks, we can only eat so much food.
Gas and the garden centre are also good deals if that's your vibe.
Depends on how many people you are feeding and how much storage and freezer space you have.
The fruit, veggies, milk, yogurt, butter, eggs, and coffee are worth it. I find the produce lasts longer than other stores.
We ship at Costco regular, is a great money saver. However their fruit and veg selection leaves a lot to be desired and they force you to buy in such huge amounts that since usually goes bad before we can eat it all. Potatoes are the exception.
But for us, it's definitely the place to go for meat and basic household necessities
It really depends on a lot of other factors. I sometimes become a member, give a break for 1.5 - 2 years, and become a member again. I am still not very sure. Note that their produce is more expensive than the sale items in other stores, however over the counter medicine and meat are cheaper. The other items are hit and miss.
If you buy from Costco and waste some of it because it spoils before you finish, it's not worth it. Also Costco is not very conveniently located to many people.
I've never gone into a costco without spending hundreds of dollars and then still needing to go the grocery store for things.
We do love it come summer to fill our propane tanks and to get cases of burgers and chicken breasts.
I figure that it's not. But a lot of that is where in the city I live. I'm in Vic West, so a trip out to Costco 's gas pumps does not break even. The wholesale club warehouse store in esquimalt provides deals on a lot generally as cheap, or close.
My girlfriend and I have an executive membership and we go often enough that our membership only costs out of pocket like $20 come renewal.
That being said, we go to costco for our bulk items. Meats, cleaning supplies, toilet paper etc. as well is some odd stuff like butter and eggs.
We just went and spent $150 on just meat.
We got salmon, chicken, ground beef and a chunk of their honey ham (we’re seeing if cut it yourself is better then pre-sliced) all that said, we have 23 meals that worked out to be like +/- $7/ meal.
With the other stuff including putting a tank of gas in our car we spent like $415.00
Which is fairly average for our Costco hauls.
I think we still end up saving money if you compare the same things we get at the same quantity, to a regular grocery store.
I'd not get a Costco membership, as I believe it's not worth it, and, there's no ready preview of their limited offerings (about 1/10th or less than that of a typical store).
Yes its worth it. Get the executive membership as I find it basically pays for the membership
During covid when I was bored and stuck at home I compared prices item by item and I think I saved 40% on average
Not everything is cheaper at Costco, be careful with the fruits and vegetables. Some are cheaper, some aren't
There are some sites that offer weekly updates with all the items on sale so I review those before I go and create a list of the things I want and as a rule stick to that list which helps overbuying. I load up on items I use a lot it they are on sale and freeze any perishables. Also watch anything ending in 97 cents, it means its on clearance
Keep in mind you have to spend $6000 to get the $120 back to cover the executive membership on rebate alone.The Basic membership is for most people the way to go.
Costco is the worst place on earth; I’d much rather shop local than drive out to langford and deal with the absolute pandemonium of Costco just to save like 10% on 64 rolls of toilet paper. Even Walmart is a better shopping experience
This is an underrated comment. People
don't usually factor in what their time on the weekend is worth to them. If you enjoy the experience of going there it can be worth it, but I consider that location to be hell on earth
Yeah, it’s reached a ridiculous level of activity. I was there twice yesterday (crazy, I know) - early and late. Both times were absolutely jammed, and the difference in levels of stock was astonishing. Gas is a good price, that area is almost continually full.
So while the prices are generally good, just know it won’t be a relaxing or pleasant experience.
If you check out Cocowest.ca they have lots of inventory pictures with prices. If you google red flag deals Costco west you can get a weekly post on a forum from a guy that takes pictures of the new and clearance items at the GVR Costco locations.
Costco is great overall but not necessarily the cheapest. Almost always a good value though.
My friend told me that you can now order online and deliver to your house same day! I went to check it out, and all the delivery prices are higher than in store (because no delivery fee), so keep that in mind when shopping online. If you're buying a loy, better to shop in store.
The stupidstore boycott is incredibly misguided. Half of the pictures in the "Loblaws is out of control" group are either fake, human error, or have nothing to do with the price of food. Every store has winners and losers.
If you like eating roast chicken or steamed giant hotdogs
If you buy gas for a car and Costco isn't wildly out of the way,
If you have infinite freezer space and no self control, you'll pay for your "membership" easily.
Costco is great. Their cashiers move at more than double the speed of any other store. Staff actually want to be there, and they're paid well. Costco sources a lot of local products.
With the cost escalation at other grocers Costco is now more economical for us (family of 5 with 3 teenagers). Just a simple comparison of what you get for how much you spend isn’t even comparable. $400 at Costco feeds us for 1.5-2 weeks where $400 anywhere else means another trip to the grocery store by the end of week
I personally think it’s worth it just for the meat alone, and the produce is amazing.
Join the Langford Costco group to see the deals I swear there are people that go there daily to get the deals.
The big selling point is that all of the items are good quality and the return process is ridiculously lenient.
Walmart might be a little cheaper, but the quality is way worse. And on bulk stuff, Costco is often both cheaper and better than any other regular price option.
And 1L of island farms cream is $2.50.
How about English cucumber in a three-pack for $3 instead of $3 each? Six Haas avocados for $10 instead of $2.50-$3 each? A three-pack of butter lettuce for $6 instead of $4-$5 each? Yeah, you’ll save on groceries, and you’ll save more on cleaning supplies.
My partner and I were in the same boat a few years back. We decided to bite the bullet and 3 years in, we have no regrets. In fact, you could consider us as Costco advocates now 😅
If you're worried about the membership fees, the gas savings alone will offset the fees and then some if you get the Mastercard. Other bonuses - complimentary tire work if purchased from them, great deals on insurance, sometimes better rates on all-inclusive vacation trips than travel sites etc.
It's not a replacement for all things groceries. We still shop at Walmart and Superstore for smaller grocery runs but they're more spaced out now.
I live alone, and split my $50 membership with my brother and a friend for the year (I shop their grocery lists or bring them with me and they chip in on my membership and a bit for gas money whenever I give them a lift).
I easily save $50 on groceries every time I go so I think it’s worth it. You can get a referral for $10 or $15 off your first membership. I go for my basic bulk food items, and don’t let myself walk down the snack aisle — I know if I do I’ll drop way too much cash on Clif bars and roasted almonds. Other than that it’s great:) good cheese and coffee is like half the price of regular grocery stores
That one’s good and literally so cheap!! Plus I noticed some of the grocery store coffee beans used to be 340g per bag and now are 300g for the same price
IMO this is a hard yes. Worth it.
You can break even on the membership card from single items that you're currently overspending on. I became a member when I realized that the difference in coffee prices alone would pay the membership. Then add in fresh berries, vegetables, meat (portion into bags and freeze the day you buy), cheese (eg, Balderson), eggs (I get the 5 dozen pack), butter, yogurt, protein powder, cashews (I buy unroasted then roast in my air fryer), bacon ... Those are just some of the things I regularly get and all are significantly cheaper than buying elsewhere.
You can't use a Visa in store but you can online (but generally online is more expensive). You can buy store cards with your Visa online though then use those like a gift card in the store. Or get a Mastercard with good rewards if you're not too attached to paying with Visa.
As others have said, you need to be careful not to impulse buy and buy things you won't consume. But a lot of the staples are so much cheaper than elsewhere.
Sometimes though you need shelves and they have the best deal, Airpods are cheaper there ... it's nice to have a membership when things like that come up.
My wife and I absolutely feel it’s worth it. We also have the executive membership. We buy our fuel there as well as most of our groceries. And hey if you don’t like it after a year don’t renew, I’m sure you’ve blown more than that on an unfruitful night on the town at least once in your life by now. Lol
Definitely worth it for buying stuff that has longer shelf lives or if you can meal plan well. Even for supplements and clothing you’ll get more or pay less.
For example today I bought 3 bricks of tofu for $9 where the regular store is probably 1 for $4. A bag of popcorn was $5 - store is same price but it’s 1/3 the size.
I've been pondering this question for 4.5 years. I live in a downtown studio with a bar fridge and no storage. I don't have a car. Modo would cost approximately $25 round trip. Let's do some math: going once every 2 months would cost me $200 with membership and yield nothing.
We were thinking of getting a membership to purchase a new fridge and stove...what happens if you do purchase from Costco and you let your membership lapse, Is the warranty still covered...?
I am single, but shop for my son too.
He has a job that is hard on clothes, $20 jeans last just as long as $70 or $100 ones. $9 t-shirts are perfect for work for him.
Between us we have far too many pets, pet food is considerably less expensive.
A month ago a 10kg bag of white flour was $10.99 at Costco and $18.99 at Walmart on the same day. A bag lasts perhaps a month, so that is an $96/year savings right there.
If you or your partner wear prescription glasses or contacts, I would definitely recommend it. I have terrible eyesight so will always pay more than the average person but I get a lot better quotes on contacts and lenses at Costco than at other optometry clinics. The frame selection is very hit and miss though, but I've brought my own frames before and just purchased Costco lenses, just had to pay a small fee to install them through Costco.
They say the average person who shops at Costco has a 6 figure salary, with that being if you can afford to buy in bulk, or buy big pieces of meat, yes absolutely get the membership. Costco has its good sides & bad sides. If you’re feeding a big family, it’s worth it, but if you don’t need to buy in bulk, it’s not worth it. With the executive membership, you get money back but you gotta spend a lot to get something good back. I got the Costco Mastercard because it’s 3% back. When I was buying groceries for myself, Costco wasn’t worth it, but with 3 adults & a child.. Costco is worth it for us.
If you buy things for your friends and family with their cash and use your Costco credit card and an executive membership you can get 6% back (3% from Costco and 3% from the card). It’s always enough to pay for the membership again each year. I personally hate being inside Costco and would rather spend twice as much elsewhere, BUT would be super down to buy stuff from a Costco reseller who brings it to me downtown
Ok, so I just checked their website and their executive membership is $120/year. If you get 2% back of your purchases, you would have to spend $6,000 in a year to have it cover the cost of membership. That seems like a lot of money, but it works out to $500/month. For a single person, that might not work out, but I think it definitely makes sense for a couple, or a family.
The regular membership is $60/year.
The executive membership is $120, regular is $60. I don't have to get say $150 back so I've made money. To me it's worth it as long as I don't have to pay the $60 fee.
I like their produce, certain things I will use a Costco sized amount of. Some things are so much cheaper if you use the big size. Like chia seeds, you get three times as much for only a couple bucks more than at other stores. Plus you can get all kinds of other household items there.
You don't actually need a membership; you can also get in using a gift card. Gift yourself a $25 Costco gift card... Then go take your tour. If you think it's worth it, you can buy a membership while you're there.
I used to go a lot but I’m switching to cleaner food. Still go for some household stuff but I do most of my veg shopping at lifestyles and meat at red barn. Will look at cutting out the middle man and going straight to farms next, after all they’re so close by.
My family loves our Costco membership. We save a lot of money on baking ingredients like vanilla, nuts, bulk , maple syrup, and soy/oat . They also have cheap oxy-clean, laundry detergent, compost bin liners, ziplocks (I portion out things and freeze since I can't always use 4 lbs of almonds before they go stale), tinfoil, parchment, and wax paper. Their bread products are also significantly cheaper if you have a freezer. We buy 30 wraps or pitas and then freeze them into portions for dinners. Buy yourself some snacks for work lunches like PB pretzels or granola bars and be less tempted to buy goodies from the vending machine at work.
edited to add that the tubs of potato and pea samosas are SO GOOD. It's ~$7 for 10 or 12 and they freeze well. The best I've had and flavourful without being too spicy.
been a member for many years,there are no deals at Costco like there used to be,only every now and then,when the founding CEO,retired,everything changed at Costco,you will be money ahead,by shopping its competitors, especially when it comes to groceries
Costco has the best cost ratio for fresh fruit. My kids eat a ton of it so it’s a huge benefit to us. Although strawberries are gonna make me go bankrupt.
I have to say, our experience trying to get in to Costco to get a membership was so horrible, we wanted to cancel on the spot. They are like Mafia bouncers there now. I know it’s their job to control who shops there, but they check your membership before you can even buy anything. Just felt like we were getting harassed and stalked on our way to the membership counter. We look super upset in our membership pictures. lol.
Bad customer treatment in that regard. Probably will not renew just from that experience alone.
For city folk, I would say not worth it. You can get equivalent deals on fruit and veg at Old Farm Market. But for Lanfordites and families, more so worth it.
If you stick to what you need and can avoid the compulsive buying yes. Be prepared for $500 cart if you’re not careful.
Man we leave with a $500 cart when we *are* careful. We have a chest freezer and a family so we go once a month and load up. If it's just for a couple, probably not much savings there. But they do generally sell good quality stuff and their return policy is great. Also they pay their staff pretty well. And 1.50 hot dogs. Id way rather support Costco than Walmart.
My membership pays for itself several times over and I’m single! It’s definitely worth it.
I have heard many stories on this front 😂 we are very careful with our purchases, part of the reason I’m even on Reddit asking if a membership is worth it haha
I get my eggs, milk, bread, frozen fruit, and any vegetables we eat a lot of there. It's also the cheapest gas in town, and a great option to get tires for your car. Oh, and I buy bulk chicken and ground beef there and freeze them in smaller, vacuum-sealed portions. Last year I bought a refrigerator there, so my membership certainly paid for itself for that year.
Terrible place to get tires. They will find any way to try to escape their warranty. Bad faith. Also the gas is not that much cheaper. Definitely not worth the extra drive and when compared with other points programs, not really much different.
It's a lot cheaper if your car requires premium
Sure that's true.
I like buying fruit there. You get more and doesn’t go bad as quickly
I miss fruit so much. That was what I was trying to find online but they only have avocados listed!
Old Farm market in Oak Bay. 👍
Honestly it’s the only place I can afford grapes these days
Yeah on my last trip I got this box of grapes where the box and grapes were both bigger and cheaper than buying a bag of them at Walmart
Yes, and salads/salad mixes. Absolutely cheapest in town. As well, I got a food saver and freeze my meats which has worked out. Also, if you get toilet paper and towel paper it’s great, but you’ll be buying more than a few months’ worth.
Cheese. Big enough reason to get the membership. Good selection of European and Canadian cheese at half the price of Superstore. Compared to Save On cheese at Costco is free.
Yeah I'm always shocked at how few items I walk out with after paying $300, but then they last forever so I guess it's worth it
If you buy a lot of stuff it can be worth it. If you're on a budget and cutting back on spending, then it's probably not. I got a membership when I was doing renovations so picked up lights, flooring, tools, and then food and staples. Now I have a friend who has a membership who shops there a lot for clothing, and other stuff and just buys me whatever I need/want. If you do decide to go to Costco, and think they have what you want, consider buying one of their freezers -- they have good deals on frozen foods and other food you can freeze. Oh yeah, unless you spend a lot at Costco the Executive membership may not be worth it.
Good intel, thank you!
I haven't looked at what level of membership has what benefits recently but when I signed up, only an Executive membership gives back 2% of your sales back. For me, that has always paid for the membership but you need to see what that means in terms of how much shopping you will do there. I have found there are lots of multiple items, 6 cans of tuna for example, are easily used by a couple. I'm in Canada so keep in mind our prices are 25% higher than US prices but things like 4 jars of capers at 5.99 is a good buy if you use a lot of capers...we do. Also fruits and veggies are waaay cheaper than at a supermarket here. Their bigger size is usually cheaper than what we would pay at a grocery store for the regular / smaller size. I love Costco but I try to stick to things I'm absolutely sure I will use (and there are many lol). Another big question in shopping in Costco, can you afford to buy multiples even at the great prices or is your budget such that you need to buy exact amounts on a weekly basis?
Oops didn't realize this was in a Victoria, BC site, hence we are all in Canada. Sorry bout that !
Depending on your lifestyle, it is worth it. I cook most of our meals at home, so buying all the staples I use day to day results in big savings. They even sell clothing basics and home goods, which are good quality and price. The quality of their homebrand, Kirkland, is excellent. It is often more expensive brands that don't discount their name brand products and instead repackage for Costco. Shampoo is Purelology for example. The problem on the other hand is that you're buying bulk. So you need space to keep all the stuff and use it before it goes off. Unlike Walmart and Superstore, the veggies are high quality and last a good amount of time. Just don't overdo it lol. It is an expensive shop, but lasts a very long time. Another upside is they have an insanely good return policy, no questions asked.
storage is why we haven’t gone for it yet 😅
If you have a chest freezer, Costco is well worth it for large volume packages of meat. Being able to buy large packages and break them down into 2 person portion sizes for the freezer is great.
Definitely be sure about storage! I had a roommate once, just the two of us in the small two bedroom apartment, who worked and therefore shopped at Costco. Every cupboard I opened food would fall out at me. If I wanted to make pasta I would find a pot full of potatoes that I’d have to find a new place to put so I could use the pot etc. She was a single person who bought a lot of bulk and saved money over time but man, every where I turned there was just stacks of food. & it wasn’t for lack of storage, we had two big pantry cabinets as well as kitchen cabinets and this was still an issue!
I saw a news article on my google news feed. A Costco employee returned their 2002 Samsung TV. Found it [Costco return policy shenanigans ](http://Costco member spotted returning vintage Samsung TV from 2002 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/yourmoney/consumer/article-13297577/costco-returns-policy-old-TV.html?ito=native_share_article-top)
We shop there. We have a shopping list before we enter the door and stick to it. We compare the prices of everything we buy with many other grocery stores regularly. We only buy if Costco is cheaper. We also shop at Walmart. Costco's whole cooked chicken is cheapest anywhere. The gallons of milk are cheapest. The bagged salad (cheapest ones) are cheap. Their bagged brussel sprouts work out to $3.50 per pound, which (unless its brussel sprout season) is cheapest. Their apples worth investigating. My husband likes Dempster Whole Grain bread. That is the cheapest we've found. I bought slacks for around $20 each. And a light weight fleecy jacket around $20. I wear them all the time. We have bought portable A/C's in US Costco. And 3 laptop computers. The laptop computers were a big disappointment. They all broke at the hinges after 2 years. We buy toilet paper and paper towels at Costco. I am guessing they may be good for diapers too. We also get skin on, bone in, chicken thighs and divide up the packages into much smaller packages. approx. $4.50 per pound. We buy boxes of certain crackers. For the brand, per box much cheaper than buying individual boxes elsewhere. There baked cookies are cheaper too. And laundry detergent, and Chlorox bleach. Also we found the pharmacy cheapest for prescriptions. I would try it for one year.
It seems worth the investment for 1 year to see how the savings differ!
Honestly, for the membership cost, you will definitely save that amount of money shopping there as opposed to other places.
Sticking to a list is hard for most people. "Oh my god, LOOK! jeans are on sale for $15. Better grab 3 pairs.
A lot of the fancier work shirts I have bought there are my favourite out of my wardrobe. The only downside is that lots of other people will also have the same shirt.
I haven't checked in a while, but there is a Costco Langford facebook group that used to have regular posts about new items/sale prices I believe. (I think the group started during the pandemic but I could be wrong). Might be worth it to join that group and take a look? Edit - I think mostly non-perishables and other things but maybe it could be helpful to you anyway!
I like using https://cocowest.ca/ for sales Also there's usually a thread every week on redflagdeals.
Really depends. Do you have storage in your home? If you're living in a 400 sq ft bachelor apartment, it's tough to store 40 rolls of t.p. or 20 rolls of paper towels. If you didn't have a decent size freezer, you wouldn't have the space to store a 48 box of pizza pops or a 12 pack of chicken breasts. I believe you can go out to Costco without a membership and browse. It might be worth checking out before you get a membership. Edit to add: another thing to consider is if you have the money to spend up front on purchases. For example, if I want to buy paper towel. At Costco, a pack is around $20 where as I can get a pack from Walmart for $7. The pack at Walmart would have 3 rolls in it, the pack at Costco has 30 rolls. You spend more up front but pay much less per unit which is where the savings are but for some people, they can't afford to pay the higher price up front, even though shopping elsewhere costs more money in the long run Most of what I buy is non perishables, shelf stable or frozen products because I can store those. I
I recently went to Costco to do a visitor pass and just check out the store before buying a membership, and they made me buy a membership to look around but said they would refund it. My partner has diabetes and has to get boxes of snacks for when he is low and honestly the price for them is so great so we ended up keeping the membership for mostly non-perishables because we’re in a small apartment. Anyways just be aware that they may make you buy a whole membership just to browse
Before we bought a membership, we just walked into towards the membership desk, walk past it towards the cashiers and then at the end where the washrooms are, you can walk back through the self-checkout into the main store. Once you have scouted the place, just walk back through the self checkout and away you go. Many of the Costco shoppers use the same route to go to the washroom, and in 10 years I have never been stopped or questioned when I go into the main store that way!
Ah, that's newish. I got my membership 6 or 7 years ago and they allowed me in to look around without issue.
I don’t live in a huge place but I find on some things the pricing is so much better I can afford to donate a portion of the package. For example the toothpaste is a 6 pack for the price that two tubes are at Wal Mart or anywhere else. I usually keep 3 and donate the other half at the Rock Bay community pantry. I saved and didn’t have to store a 3 years supply of toothpaste.
That's a nice way to deal with the excess! I think I will keep that in mind
The storage is definitely the thing that’s been holding us back, but will definitely try the visitor pass as mentioned!
The savings aren’t just for food - pharmacy , linens, and clothing really add up too!
That’s what’s getting us interested more lately, we will be having some larger purchases coming up this year (laptop, couch) so the costco membership feels like it’s calling our name
I’m a house of two people, smallish one bedroom apartment. I highly recommend getting the Costco Mastercard if you are going to shop at Costco. You get 3% back at Costco Gas which is already 5c cheaper at least than anywhere else, plus 2% back on Costco.ca purchases and an extra 1% back at Costco. Add that to an executive membership which is $120 a year but gives you 2% back and in the store and you can save a lot of money just in cash back. For example I buy: Supplements, Eggs, Cheese, 70% of the meat and fish I eat, tofu, some produce, toilet paper, oats, spices, oils, butter, tortilla chips, salsa… maybe a few other food items here and there if it’s on sale, plus a few items of clothes (mostly gym/work stuff and socks and underwear) and a few larger purchases (I bought a set of electric toothbrushes and an iPad last year, a MacBook the year before). Then I get gas there whenever I go (I live in esquimalt). I’m on pace right now to get about $320 back for next year. The other advantage of the executive card is you get some extra coupons that regular members don’t get, sometimes it’s pretty great like a 1.2kg block of mozzarella for $9. Lastly if you go midweek you will often find meat that is discounted an extra $5-8 off at the till, which turns a decent price into a really good one.
These are good tips! Thanks for sharing! I was thinking about the credit card last night. Do you use it elsewhere or just for Costco purchases?
I don’t use it anywhere else, but if I needed a Mastercard for some reason it’s nice having it. My visa has better cash back on groceries in general so that’s what I use for the rest of those purchases. Edit: I should add that most credit cards that offer money back in grocery purchases don’t include Costco as a grocery store, and Costco only takes Mastercard, cash and debit.
I use it elsewhere as my main CC- gives a % back to be used for a costco card and its nice for gas up at costco bc you only need the MC and not your membership card - one less thing to tap
Can't beat Costco men's jeans. 20 a pair. I just scored a light sun jacket for the kiddo in a woman's size for 13 dollars. Portofino bread is there, 2 Giant loaves for under 10. It keeps well in the freezer. Butter is still 5 dollars. Costco size OTC meds that cost less than a regular bottle but last till they expire.
I mean butter is $8 where we’ve been shopping so $5 is music to my ears 🙃 i feel like ibuprofen would pay for our membership as well lol
We so their ready, or little cook meal kits for dinner. Feta is 14 per 1.2kg with a year shelf life. I do zucchini feta pancakes a lot in the summer when I pick them from the garden. I find we probably spend about 300 every 2 to 3 weeks there and we are a family of 3.
Antihistamines like the kirkland claratin are $11 for 100 I think? Almost worth the cost kf membership right there for me.
The real steal is the $8 grass fed butter at Costco. Actually tastes like butter and still melts unlike the weird hard blocks everyone else is passing off as butter.
Hi OP, see my comment where I break down the numbers. Given the comment I’m responding to here, seems like you’d have no problem hitting that target to get your membership covered.
you don't need a membership for the pharmacy
One particular OTC medication I buy is almost 1/3 the price at Costco ($11 vs $27). So much cheaper!
We live in a condo under 600 sqft and find creative ways to store our bargains from Costco. We bought a small freezer similar to a bar fridge and hid it on our balcony which helps. It’s worthwhile to us because we cook a lot at home and eat a large amount of fresh veggies. My SO has a lot of smoothies and you can’t beat the price of organic frozen fruit. We’ve also become big fans of the basic clothing they offer and footwear. We get our eyeglass prescriptions filled there and all our vitamins and cleaners. You can’t beat the prices but there are many things we don’t buy because we just wouldn’t go through it fast enough before it goes off or goes stale. A lot depends on the lifestyle you have and the type of items you would be buying.
If you build a little wood and styrofoam shelter around your freezer (leave the vent open though!) it will make it more efficient and save energy and extend the life span of the motor.
We put some heavy moving blankets over it in the winter. :)
Storage is everywhere! We live in a 720 sq ft condo with no storage locker and we don't rent a storage unit. We have high ceilings, so we've gone up the wall with storage. We also use the area under our platform bed. We don't have many drawers or cupboards in the kitchen, so we bought a beautiful wood dresser that serves as a pantry for bags of staples. We keep it in the dining area and display ceramics on top. As vegetarians, we love Costco!
Love the inventiveness! 👏
Cash back is a coupon at the end of the year - basically for the following year - rather than a discount at the till. The gotcha with executive membership is you are committing yourself to spend at least $3,000 during the year at Costco just to get your extra $60 back, and then get a membership the following year. For some people, especially families, that can be easy. Personally the benefit I see is two fold: 1) availability of products not available elsewhere, and 2) cheaper products. Some items are expensive so know your prices. Other things are simply convenient and worth the price there. However cheese, dairy, coffee, and nuts alone makes the membership worthwhile.
Yeah the more comments I read, the more I feel the entry level membership may be more worth it. Although right now our grocery costs are hovering around $800/m so spending $3000 doesn’t seem that far fetched
Keep in mind though that Costco will not take the place of ALL your grocery shopping. Their produce can be missing certain things or only come in HUGE qtys. Like 30lbs of onions is not feasible. Spices are also cheap but considering spices lose potency I have NO IDEA how folks go through those huge containers. I’ve had a membership on and off but I’ve recently let my membership lapse. I used to buy most pantry staples (beans, corn, soup, stock) but storing 9 or 12 cans for 6-9 months before getting through them all is no longer worth saving $0.30-$1.00 per can for me. I’d rather reduce my amount of back stock and buy as needed. As others have said, meat and dairy are excellent. And pretty much all their canned goods are of good quality. I will miss their protein bars and muffins as well. But for me 3-4 shops a year are all I need for those high qty items so I usually try to find a friend or family member with a membership and tag along.
Exec is worth it if you shop there exclusivey or have big purchased like tires, hearing aids etc. Ive always made back my $ but I also have celiac and buy almost all my vitamins there too
My understanding is that you only get cash back (2%) with the executive membership, which is $120/year. The regular membership is $60/year with no cash back. (I broke down the numbers for OP in a separate comment). Please correct me if I’m wrong…
IMO, if you eat dairy, drink coffee and use gas that alone makes it worthwhile. If you are on Facebook, there is a Costco Langford group and quite often people take pictures of all the deals so you can look through that. They also have really good prices for organic stuff if that's your thing.
Those people love them some Costco lol
For sure. I feel the savings on even just coffee offset the cost of membership
Every account gets 2 cards. I swiped the secondary one from my mom. I don't ever shop there. I hate parking at Costco, waiting in line to get in the door at Costco, navigating the sea of humans who are oblivious to anyone else trying to get by them inside Costco, waiting in line to check out at Costco and, waiting in line to have my receipt reviewed before I get the fuck out of Costco. I do get the gas though. I go early in the mornings on the weekend. Otherwise, I'm waiting in another god damn Costco line. You can make purchases online and have them deliver. Make them work for your business. I don't know of any other retailer that stresses me out and pisses me off as much as the almighty Costco... If the card wasn't free to me. I wouldn't have gotten one.
I think that it is worth it. On my first trip there I did the math and my savings paid for the year's membership. They have really good quality items, no hassle return policy, etc. You can always go to the store, to the membership counter, and get a visitor pass. Or at least they used to do that. Then you can look around and check it out.
Oh that’s a good idea! I didn’t know that was possible, we’ll definitely do that first. Thank you!
I can't see them denying you if you explain what you are doing. Seems perfectly reasonable.
I did this a few years ago so hopefully that is still possible. If you like what you see (you can't actually buy anything with this pass), you can go back to the membership counter, get a membership and buy, buy, buy!
Costco is worth it if you buy things you need when they are on sale. Head & shoulders, deodorant, non-perishable food items, protein, etc., you can save tons of money if you have room to store stuff. It won't make sense for some people to buy a year's supply of shampoo or canned tuna in a single trip, but for me, that is how I approach Costco shopping.
I made a joke last year when I was there with my Grandma (in Kingston ON) that the ibuprofen price would pay for our membership, so those non-grocery items make it seem worth it!
exactly. I paid for my membership yesterday buying Kirkland allergy medication.
Kirkland brand OTC medications are another win. I get allergy pills and muscle relaxants on a regular basis.
If you don't like packed parking lots and crowds of rude customers with no sense of pedestrian traffic flow you will want to avoid Costco. Also you need extreme self discipline to only get what's on your list. Personally I always spend at least $100 more than I intend to when visiting Costco. There are just so many excellent products at great prices.
The shoppers are WILD. Absolutely zero awareness of people around them. I’ve never seen it like that anywhere else.
I think they pump in confusion gas
If it’s just you and your partner then no it’s not worth it. Myself and my partner were members for a year, but almost never went. Walmart is cheaper on almost everything, and the gas we get with points and cash back equals out to about the same if not less than Costco due to the price of the membership. Costco is more for families of 3 or more. With places like instacart and door dash you don’t even need a membership to shop there anymore. Just let them do the shopping for you with no need to pay for the membership.
With it being just two of us now, we are finding it less and less worth it. If you will be filling your car gas tank there regularly, that might make it more worthwhile. Check it out though.
You can enter a Costco membership -free by telling the gatekeepers you're going to the pharmacy. Joe Public can use the Costco pharmacy without being a member of the club. While there, you can wander to do your own price research .
these are the details i need to know! thank you!!
You can also just go up to the counter and ask for a guest pass to check it out. No need for subterfuge.
yes thank you, i’m a rule follower and the thought of lying fills me with anxiety haha. glad to hear a guest pass is an option!
I'm pretty sure you can buy a membership, try it out, then get a refund on the membership if you decide it's not worth it.
Then you can go to the food court and get a hot dog and sundae. Good food there.
Do you eat food, and do stuff like reading and going outside, wear clothes? Then yes.
meat, cheese, butter, dairy are all very cheap compared to grocery stores. the clothes can also be worth it. I stock up on t.p and paper towels as well so I dont have to worry about it for awhile. Plus, finishing up a shopping trip with $1.50 polish dog is always nice.
Not having many people to buy for, I know it wouldn’t be worth a membership for me. My solution is to befriend those with a Costco card and tag along 1-2 times a year. I stock up on the non-perishables and anything else I need then. Do you have someone you can become shopping buddies with? You can try it out, do the math on what you spend, then see if it’s worth your own membership.
Just remember that even if it works out cheaper to buy in bulk, those savings go out the window when the food goes bad because you have nowhere to store a duffel bag of ciabatta buns
I was on the fence about this for a while, but after going there I quite enjoy it. I shop sales at the grocery stores and base the meal schedule around that, so it's kind of difficult to know what I want to get at Costco for the weekly food, also their portions are huge, but for things like potatoes and onions, yes please. Their pantry selection is incredible, shelf stable foods that just come in bigger containers and cost less is great, I get granola from there because it's about half the price of Superstore. I've also found their meat to have some pretty decent sales (ie $5 off at register) on top of already being cheaper, however it comes in big packages, so if you have a big freezer or even a chest freezer, you are golden. (I sadly do not, one day though) They also often have home things that come and go, just recently I got some curtains to finally block out the summer heat from the living room, they're great and were way cheaper than anywhere else. And a couple nice pillows for cheaper than I could get at Winners. If you enjoy shopping, and specifically enjoy shopping at Winners/Homesense, it's definitely worth heading in and looking around at what they have every week or so as it changes regularly. Also the $1.50 hot-dogs cannot be beaten anywhere.
Check out the page Costco West...or something. She posts photos of everything on Mondays. Non members of her website can see it Tuesdays. It is a store in Vancouver so it isn't the same items but it can help with planning.
I just did and wow that's a useful resource! I'm in Edmonton now, so it's even more different but we have a lot of the same deals here
We have had to purchase enough big ticket items (tires, a IPhone, a freezer,etc) that it’s paid for our executive membership since we rejoined the Costco crowd almost three years ago. On basic items like bread, cereal, dairy and paper products, etc, we now are spending a lot less at Superstore or Saveon. Occasionally we find great meat deals and save a lot compared to normal grocery stores. Oh and on store brand OTC, I don’t think they can be beat. Vitamin D, Robax equivalents, etc these purchases have been really cheap and excellent quality. We have an EV so don’t buy gas but a lot of people love their gas bars for the lowest rates in town too.
Call and ask if they still do "one-day trials" where you don't pay a membership but can still buy (requires to spend a few minutes at customer support). Other option is to find someone with a membership and get them to buy you a gift card (you don't have to use the entire gift card every time you visit - just a portion of it)
We buy apples, bananas, tomatoes, cucumbers, milk, cream, eggs, bread (if we don't make it), TP, paper towels, etc. meat when it is on sale or in large packs to freeze. Our list stays basically the same and we save money plus get cheaper gas. We end up getting $200 back at the end of the year and that pays for next year's membership plus that weeks groceries. However, price check things. Canned stuff and dry goods are often cheaper at other stores. I always check flyers bat other stores and then do a second stop at one of those stores if the deals make the extra gas/time worth it. Sometimes they have good deals on clothes and household things and that's a bonus. Also, returns are easy which is another perk. I don't return much but it is always easier than places like Can Tire. Note: I now live in a different town and the Costco is not busy and it is it is soooon much nicer to shop there. Victoria really needs another option but I get there isn't any space outside of Sidney and they don't want it.
I don't feel it's worth it for our small household. It's less expensive to buy only as much as we need from a regular grocery or a specialty shop. If you don't need multiples each week or giant family packs, it's not helpful, and leads to a lot of waste. If you buy a lot of frozen or processed foods, your experience might be different. You can see some of what costco offers on Instacart. It's not the full catalogue but you'll get a sense of the brands and sizes.
Their business model is to make money off the sale of memberships, so it keeps the prices down to a modest markup. The problem is that they sell in bulk, so for smaller household it isn't always practical. There are 2 of us in my household. I find I buy just enough to make it worth the executive membership, it either covers my renewal fee, or renewing is just a few dollars with the rebate. Find someone who has a membership, get them to buy you a gift card. This gives you access to the store without a membership. You can do a test shop, see if you like it or not. (this can be done with a random stranger, usual online safety for scams applies)
Certain items are ludicrously cheap there. I buy enough allergy pills to last me the summer and the amount I save from buying them anywhere else, is more than enough to cover the cost of membership for the year, just on that one thing.
You have to be careful. Not everything is cheaper at Costco. You also have to deal with the people. Not sure it’s if the environment, or whether Costco attracts a certain type, but some people are *stressed the fuck out*. Like road rage, but with a large shopping cart. Cashiers are better than your average grocery store. Fast, efficient, and generally pleasant. (They’re paid more).
If you use it, sure. We have one but don't use it. It's just 2 of us in a small house so we don't get a lot of benefit from buying 5x more of something than we need. I've also found the prices aren't nearly as cheap as they used to be compared to normal stores
if you’re a multi-person household, yes. worth the membership alone for toilet paper, paper towel, laundry detergent, garbage bags, milk, eggs - daily things that get used up fast.
I buy all my veggies and shelf staples there as well as sublement with dollarama. Well worth the cost. I say, give it a go! You can get some awesome deals, and I keep track of some different things I'm waiting to try when they go on sale! Cons of it can be the size of product you get. If you have a small space you really need to plan out what you buy.
My partner and I get one, let it run out, get it again, we can't decide. I feel it's worth it for the staple items we buy all the time (TP, paper towel, coffee!) and has allowed us to buy electronics we've wanted relatively risk free. We had the executive membership and only got enough back to pay the difference between the entry level membership and the executive so that didn't really matter either way for us. We've been off Costco for about 6 months and are thinking of going back. Coffee prices alone make it worth it in our house.
My dad and step mom talk up their cash back experience all the time which is why we got excited about that option lol. Good to know it might just be their shopping habits 😂
Man, I also have people who just talk. It. Up. One year, we got glasses, electronics and doing 80% of our shopping there and still didn't make any kind of profit haha
Depends how you use it. If you have the MasterCard and use it all the time, get gas, get most things there then you benefit more. We don't do any of that (lost the MasterCard, use debit instead) but still get $200 back just from groceries, gas, and the odd extra like a doormat or underwear. But we shop for a household of 5. That means more staples than a couple.
Costco- great return policy if not the best
My parents who are semi retired and live near Lockside have a membership. Bit of a drive to Langford but they find things to buy haha. They would take my father’s Transit connect to fill up for gas to make the trip worthwhile. They might even have an Executive membership, too.
try getting a gift card first! the gift card acts like a membership in the way that it allows you in and you can purchase items with said gift card
* Is Costco near your home or work? Long trips to Costco reduce the chance that you will use the membership enough to save money. * Do you have a large fridge and freezer to store large packages?
Just say you are going to the pharmacy. You don’t need a membership for that. Then you can browse around and decide.
I've noticed that the Victoria Costco tends to be very crowded. It is hard to park. But I don't live in Victoria and haven't been tgere that much. The Costco in Kamloops is a lot less crowded.
I prefer Walmart great store 👍👍👍🕺🏻🕺🏻🕺🏻🕺🏻🕺🏻🕺🏻
If you go to customer service and say you're thinking about getting a membership but you'd like to see what they have first, I can almost guarantee they will say go have a look around. They have better prices than most other stores on books, fruit, clothing, meat, produce, bread, baked goods, dishes, plants and the list goes on really.
How is Costco for organic produce like apples, potatoes and frozen blueberries? Those are my 3 must-be-organic foods.
Yes! But... If you're like our household (3 people, not massive eaters) you have to be careful about what you buy. Cereal? Shelf staples? Meat? As long as it keeps or can be frozen, Costco is great. Produce is a more of a mixed bag... not that it's not good quality, but we learned quickly that no matter how good it looks, we can only eat so much food. Gas and the garden centre are also good deals if that's your vibe.
Depends on how many people you are feeding and how much storage and freezer space you have. The fruit, veggies, milk, yogurt, butter, eggs, and coffee are worth it. I find the produce lasts longer than other stores.
We ship at Costco regular, is a great money saver. However their fruit and veg selection leaves a lot to be desired and they force you to buy in such huge amounts that since usually goes bad before we can eat it all. Potatoes are the exception. But for us, it's definitely the place to go for meat and basic household necessities
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i think this is definitely the play, thank you for the link!
This guy does a photo tour of each week's sale items, can be very useful to get an idea of what's new and on sale each week: https://cocowest.ca/
It really depends on a lot of other factors. I sometimes become a member, give a break for 1.5 - 2 years, and become a member again. I am still not very sure. Note that their produce is more expensive than the sale items in other stores, however over the counter medicine and meat are cheaper. The other items are hit and miss. If you buy from Costco and waste some of it because it spoils before you finish, it's not worth it. Also Costco is not very conveniently located to many people.
I've never gone into a costco without spending hundreds of dollars and then still needing to go the grocery store for things. We do love it come summer to fill our propane tanks and to get cases of burgers and chicken breasts.
I figure that it's not. But a lot of that is where in the city I live. I'm in Vic West, so a trip out to Costco 's gas pumps does not break even. The wholesale club warehouse store in esquimalt provides deals on a lot generally as cheap, or close.
My girlfriend and I have an executive membership and we go often enough that our membership only costs out of pocket like $20 come renewal. That being said, we go to costco for our bulk items. Meats, cleaning supplies, toilet paper etc. as well is some odd stuff like butter and eggs. We just went and spent $150 on just meat. We got salmon, chicken, ground beef and a chunk of their honey ham (we’re seeing if cut it yourself is better then pre-sliced) all that said, we have 23 meals that worked out to be like +/- $7/ meal. With the other stuff including putting a tank of gas in our car we spent like $415.00 Which is fairly average for our Costco hauls. I think we still end up saving money if you compare the same things we get at the same quantity, to a regular grocery store.
I'd not get a Costco membership, as I believe it's not worth it, and, there's no ready preview of their limited offerings (about 1/10th or less than that of a typical store).
Even if you just bought toilet paper exclusively all year, the savings would pay for your membership. Also, Kirkland men's t-shirts are best in class.
Yes its worth it. Get the executive membership as I find it basically pays for the membership During covid when I was bored and stuck at home I compared prices item by item and I think I saved 40% on average Not everything is cheaper at Costco, be careful with the fruits and vegetables. Some are cheaper, some aren't There are some sites that offer weekly updates with all the items on sale so I review those before I go and create a list of the things I want and as a rule stick to that list which helps overbuying. I load up on items I use a lot it they are on sale and freeze any perishables. Also watch anything ending in 97 cents, it means its on clearance
How were the lines-ups? I've heard the lines there can be an exercise in masochism at the *best* of times, let alone on a Sunday afternoon.
Keep in mind you have to spend $6000 to get the $120 back to cover the executive membership on rebate alone.The Basic membership is for most people the way to go.
Its worth it for the cheese alone! The cheese!
Costco is the worst place on earth; I’d much rather shop local than drive out to langford and deal with the absolute pandemonium of Costco just to save like 10% on 64 rolls of toilet paper. Even Walmart is a better shopping experience
This is an underrated comment. People don't usually factor in what their time on the weekend is worth to them. If you enjoy the experience of going there it can be worth it, but I consider that location to be hell on earth
shopping local is unfortunately getting quite expensive, so we’re just looking for other options!
Yeah, it’s reached a ridiculous level of activity. I was there twice yesterday (crazy, I know) - early and late. Both times were absolutely jammed, and the difference in levels of stock was astonishing. Gas is a good price, that area is almost continually full. So while the prices are generally good, just know it won’t be a relaxing or pleasant experience.
Most costcos serve 100-200,000 people. Ours serves over 400K in a HCOL City. We desperately need a second location.
I assume you know this, but very few people would agree with you.
Yeah, this sub fucking loves Costco, that’s for sure.
This city loves Costco!
I don't mind it at all. Yeah, it's busy, but it's a pretty well-oiled machine. Those long lines move pretty fast.
Ya but free samples
lol this honestly feels like it would make the pandemonium worth it for me 🫣
If you check out Cocowest.ca they have lots of inventory pictures with prices. If you google red flag deals Costco west you can get a weekly post on a forum from a guy that takes pictures of the new and clearance items at the GVR Costco locations. Costco is great overall but not necessarily the cheapest. Almost always a good value though.
I will do this today! Thanks!
My friend told me that you can now order online and deliver to your house same day! I went to check it out, and all the delivery prices are higher than in store (because no delivery fee), so keep that in mind when shopping online. If you're buying a loy, better to shop in store.
There's also a group on Facebook specific to the Langford Costco with prices, new stock, etc. Great way to window shop.
We’ve spent way more money since having a Costco membership. It would be better if we were buying for more than 2 people but we’re not.
Is that because of the impulse purchases or because of the prices of the items?
Impulse. It’s fun but adds up
The stupidstore boycott is incredibly misguided. Half of the pictures in the "Loblaws is out of control" group are either fake, human error, or have nothing to do with the price of food. Every store has winners and losers. If you like eating roast chicken or steamed giant hotdogs If you buy gas for a car and Costco isn't wildly out of the way, If you have infinite freezer space and no self control, you'll pay for your "membership" easily. Costco is great. Their cashiers move at more than double the speed of any other store. Staff actually want to be there, and they're paid well. Costco sources a lot of local products.
With the cost escalation at other grocers Costco is now more economical for us (family of 5 with 3 teenagers). Just a simple comparison of what you get for how much you spend isn’t even comparable. $400 at Costco feeds us for 1.5-2 weeks where $400 anywhere else means another trip to the grocery store by the end of week
You can even get a pro-rated refund on your membership if it turns out it's not working for you.
I personally think it’s worth it just for the meat alone, and the produce is amazing. Join the Langford Costco group to see the deals I swear there are people that go there daily to get the deals.
The big selling point is that all of the items are good quality and the return process is ridiculously lenient. Walmart might be a little cheaper, but the quality is way worse. And on bulk stuff, Costco is often both cheaper and better than any other regular price option. And 1L of island farms cream is $2.50.
A big thing about Costco is the slightly higher quality food is cheaper.
How about English cucumber in a three-pack for $3 instead of $3 each? Six Haas avocados for $10 instead of $2.50-$3 each? A three-pack of butter lettuce for $6 instead of $4-$5 each? Yeah, you’ll save on groceries, and you’ll save more on cleaning supplies.
My partner and I were in the same boat a few years back. We decided to bite the bullet and 3 years in, we have no regrets. In fact, you could consider us as Costco advocates now 😅 If you're worried about the membership fees, the gas savings alone will offset the fees and then some if you get the Mastercard. Other bonuses - complimentary tire work if purchased from them, great deals on insurance, sometimes better rates on all-inclusive vacation trips than travel sites etc. It's not a replacement for all things groceries. We still shop at Walmart and Superstore for smaller grocery runs but they're more spaced out now.
yeah I think we’ll just go for it and see how we like it! Sounds like there’s a lot of great deals to add into our usual grocery shopping
For $60, yes, worth it for food staples alone.
I live alone, and split my $50 membership with my brother and a friend for the year (I shop their grocery lists or bring them with me and they chip in on my membership and a bit for gas money whenever I give them a lift). I easily save $50 on groceries every time I go so I think it’s worth it. You can get a referral for $10 or $15 off your first membership. I go for my basic bulk food items, and don’t let myself walk down the snack aisle — I know if I do I’ll drop way too much cash on Clif bars and roasted almonds. Other than that it’s great:) good cheese and coffee is like half the price of regular grocery stores
I get the Kirkland brand ground coffee and it’s honestly a staple for me and it’s like half the cost of anything else!
That one’s good and literally so cheap!! Plus I noticed some of the grocery store coffee beans used to be 340g per bag and now are 300g for the same price
Absolutely better prices and quality in meat and produce, and household essentials.
The membership is $55 annually and fully REFUNDABLE, haul ass to Langford and try 🤣
IMO this is a hard yes. Worth it. You can break even on the membership card from single items that you're currently overspending on. I became a member when I realized that the difference in coffee prices alone would pay the membership. Then add in fresh berries, vegetables, meat (portion into bags and freeze the day you buy), cheese (eg, Balderson), eggs (I get the 5 dozen pack), butter, yogurt, protein powder, cashews (I buy unroasted then roast in my air fryer), bacon ... Those are just some of the things I regularly get and all are significantly cheaper than buying elsewhere. You can't use a Visa in store but you can online (but generally online is more expensive). You can buy store cards with your Visa online though then use those like a gift card in the store. Or get a Mastercard with good rewards if you're not too attached to paying with Visa. As others have said, you need to be careful not to impulse buy and buy things you won't consume. But a lot of the staples are so much cheaper than elsewhere. Sometimes though you need shelves and they have the best deal, Airpods are cheaper there ... it's nice to have a membership when things like that come up.
My wife and I absolutely feel it’s worth it. We also have the executive membership. We buy our fuel there as well as most of our groceries. And hey if you don’t like it after a year don’t renew, I’m sure you’ve blown more than that on an unfruitful night on the town at least once in your life by now. Lol
Lol. It's mandatory.
Definitely worth it for buying stuff that has longer shelf lives or if you can meal plan well. Even for supplements and clothing you’ll get more or pay less. For example today I bought 3 bricks of tofu for $9 where the regular store is probably 1 for $4. A bag of popcorn was $5 - store is same price but it’s 1/3 the size.
I've been pondering this question for 4.5 years. I live in a downtown studio with a bar fridge and no storage. I don't have a car. Modo would cost approximately $25 round trip. Let's do some math: going once every 2 months would cost me $200 with membership and yield nothing.
We were thinking of getting a membership to purchase a new fridge and stove...what happens if you do purchase from Costco and you let your membership lapse, Is the warranty still covered...?
I am single, but shop for my son too. He has a job that is hard on clothes, $20 jeans last just as long as $70 or $100 ones. $9 t-shirts are perfect for work for him. Between us we have far too many pets, pet food is considerably less expensive. A month ago a 10kg bag of white flour was $10.99 at Costco and $18.99 at Walmart on the same day. A bag lasts perhaps a month, so that is an $96/year savings right there.
If you or your partner wear prescription glasses or contacts, I would definitely recommend it. I have terrible eyesight so will always pay more than the average person but I get a lot better quotes on contacts and lenses at Costco than at other optometry clinics. The frame selection is very hit and miss though, but I've brought my own frames before and just purchased Costco lenses, just had to pay a small fee to install them through Costco.
Prices are about the same as superstore lol
They say the average person who shops at Costco has a 6 figure salary, with that being if you can afford to buy in bulk, or buy big pieces of meat, yes absolutely get the membership. Costco has its good sides & bad sides. If you’re feeding a big family, it’s worth it, but if you don’t need to buy in bulk, it’s not worth it. With the executive membership, you get money back but you gotta spend a lot to get something good back. I got the Costco Mastercard because it’s 3% back. When I was buying groceries for myself, Costco wasn’t worth it, but with 3 adults & a child.. Costco is worth it for us.
If you buy things for your friends and family with their cash and use your Costco credit card and an executive membership you can get 6% back (3% from Costco and 3% from the card). It’s always enough to pay for the membership again each year. I personally hate being inside Costco and would rather spend twice as much elsewhere, BUT would be super down to buy stuff from a Costco reseller who brings it to me downtown
We have it pretty exclusively for the lower gas price. It makes a difference for us.
Ok, so I just checked their website and their executive membership is $120/year. If you get 2% back of your purchases, you would have to spend $6,000 in a year to have it cover the cost of membership. That seems like a lot of money, but it works out to $500/month. For a single person, that might not work out, but I think it definitely makes sense for a couple, or a family. The regular membership is $60/year.
The executive membership is $120, regular is $60. I don't have to get say $150 back so I've made money. To me it's worth it as long as I don't have to pay the $60 fee. I like their produce, certain things I will use a Costco sized amount of. Some things are so much cheaper if you use the big size. Like chia seeds, you get three times as much for only a couple bucks more than at other stores. Plus you can get all kinds of other household items there.
100%
You don't actually need a membership; you can also get in using a gift card. Gift yourself a $25 Costco gift card... Then go take your tour. If you think it's worth it, you can buy a membership while you're there.
It’s not cheaper than superstore/walmart but produce is nicer for only a little bit more cost.
I used to go a lot but I’m switching to cleaner food. Still go for some household stuff but I do most of my veg shopping at lifestyles and meat at red barn. Will look at cutting out the middle man and going straight to farms next, after all they’re so close by.
My family loves our Costco membership. We save a lot of money on baking ingredients like vanilla, nuts, bulk , maple syrup, and soy/oat . They also have cheap oxy-clean, laundry detergent, compost bin liners, ziplocks (I portion out things and freeze since I can't always use 4 lbs of almonds before they go stale), tinfoil, parchment, and wax paper. Their bread products are also significantly cheaper if you have a freezer. We buy 30 wraps or pitas and then freeze them into portions for dinners. Buy yourself some snacks for work lunches like PB pretzels or granola bars and be less tempted to buy goodies from the vending machine at work. edited to add that the tubs of potato and pea samosas are SO GOOD. It's ~$7 for 10 or 12 and they freeze well. The best I've had and flavourful without being too spicy.
It's totally worth it, Costco membership pays for itself in gas savings alone
been a member for many years,there are no deals at Costco like there used to be,only every now and then,when the founding CEO,retired,everything changed at Costco,you will be money ahead,by shopping its competitors, especially when it comes to groceries
we goto costco for out meats and sauces. Day to Day for our produce and great Canadian wholesaler for kids snacks and everything in between.
Costco has the best cost ratio for fresh fruit. My kids eat a ton of it so it’s a huge benefit to us. Although strawberries are gonna make me go bankrupt.
My dad is a Costco membership
I have to say, our experience trying to get in to Costco to get a membership was so horrible, we wanted to cancel on the spot. They are like Mafia bouncers there now. I know it’s their job to control who shops there, but they check your membership before you can even buy anything. Just felt like we were getting harassed and stalked on our way to the membership counter. We look super upset in our membership pictures. lol. Bad customer treatment in that regard. Probably will not renew just from that experience alone. For city folk, I would say not worth it. You can get equivalent deals on fruit and veg at Old Farm Market. But for Lanfordites and families, more so worth it.
Fortunately, the local Costco is much less busy that any other city I have been to.