Is being a Costco member worth it?

farfus

farfus

CAGiversary!
Hey guys, was considering a Costco membership if it was worth it. I was a free member 7 years ago for a year, but didnt buy a whole lot at the time. I can rejoin for $40 now. How much and what do you spend in a year probably? I dont have a family to feed, and gas prices are down anyways. I see threads off and on about sales on games, kinda curious on that end in particular what peeps have saved and bought? Thanks!
 
Their game deals traditionally suck, don't join for that reason. The only gaming upside is that they have things in stock before most other places. For example, I got a DS there right after launch, months before the Best Buys and Gamestops weren't sold out.

Join Costco if you want to buy huge quantities of food at really low prices. Otherwise, it's not worth it.
 
so I don't usually buy much in the way of games there, as the deals are often better elsewhere (or on newer games you save a couple bucks per game). That said, you CAN get two people on a single membership, so it becomes more worth it if you share a membership with someone else, and especially worth it if you like buying some of your food in bulk (takes getting used to to be able to buy in bulk though =P and freezer space typically).
 
I'd say if you go often, like the gas, and have a gas station there as well as buy a lot of supplies sign up otherwise it's not worth it.
 
Their pizzas are amazingly cheap. Get a humongous slice for like $2! (choose from cheese, pepperoni, or combo!)

I like their muffins too. (looks like they are on steroids though)
 
[quote name='Hybrid5006']Their pizzas are amazingly cheap. Get a humongous slice for like $2! (choose from cheese, pepperoni, or combo!)

I like their muffins too. (looks like they are on steroids though)[/quote]

I've never a problem just walking in and getting pizza/yogurt/hot dogs when not a member ;)
 
Costco is one of my favorite stores but as others said the game deals aren't that good. Other than when they had those Tony Hawk games for $9.97 in May 2007 and the $10.99 budget Wii games, everything is usually overpriced.
 
I dont think as a single person it would be worth it, we spend around 7-8k a year there mostly on meat and bulk items like mac&cheese and frozen goods. Honestly the money we save on mac&cheese every year pays the membership fees for us, the rest is bonus.

They do have very very good meat btw, and the bakery has great muffins/cakes and other treats. The electronics are sadly not great in the deal area.
 
they don't have a whole lot of games so if that's the primary reason you're joining I'd save the $40. I wouldn't pay for the membership if I was a single person, unless you have roommates.
 
[quote name='kube00']Costco gas is cheap[/QUOTE]

This. And it's good for stocking up on TP, paper towels, soda, some of the essentials but if you're single, not really wise for food. You can sometimes find some good gaming and DVD deals as well.
 
Good for staples/ essentials, even for a single person. Have to have a little room to store bulk, though. Games deals aren't good enough to warrant membership.
 
If you are looking for good deals on electronics, you will be disappointed. I was trying to find a cheap copy of Wall-E on Blu-ray, but Costco didn't appear to have them in stock.

However for everything else, Costco can't be beat. They have cheap cases of beer and an adequate selection of liquor. If you are a "foodie" they have a lot of different snacks and foods you can't find anywhere else - or at least in those large quantities. The best part is that can usually just walk in and get enough free samples to fill yourself up.

I spend about $2-300 a month just on myself, but then again I try to eat at least 6 times a day. Costco is probably one of my favorite stores (yeah I just realized how lame that is). I would suggest checking out each and every aisle like you have OCD before you decide whether to get a membership to see if it would be worth it to you.
 
For non-game items, yes, without question. You easily make back the cost of the membership in savings very quickly.

For game items, they're OK for the system bundles they have. Games themselves, it's a mixed bag.
 
I love Costco as a company but I can't bring myself to join them because I just don't consume goods that quickly. If I ever had kids or if I lived in a large house like a lot of people here do at college though, it's a no-brainer.
 
they used to have great return policy but it is still the best around. Also if you can get several people to chip in it is even better
 
Costco is great, cancelled Sam's membership after 3 years to switch ... over a year now, and no regrets ....

You can join and then cancel after 1 to 351 days ... for a full refund of the membership dues...

you just missed the Holiday deal ... $50 membership and receive a $25 Amex card ($25 net membership)... ran for a week or two the past 2 Decembers...
 
Thanks for all the input, the nearest Costco is a fair ways off and there isnt enough incentive for now, then!
 
I prefer Costco over Sam's Club, but since the Sam's club is right down the street from my house, we go there more often.

Costco seems to have a little cheaper prices on the same items.

If you are shopping for a family, then Yes, its's worth it.
If you're single it still maybe worth it.

What we do with Sam's Club is open an account with them, and since you get 2 cards, we split the cost with another family member aka my cousins, aunties, etc.
 
Yes, yes, yes, YES. Join right now, it will change your life for the better. Everything at Costco is such quality merchandise it's ridiculous. Especially if you like to cook. The store's also ridiculously clean and they have local food stands every weekend. It's an excellent atmosphere, I actually look forward to shopping there. Great people.

And BTW, Costco is also one of the coolest corporations out there, the CEO makes $100,000 a year and the minimum wage is like $15. A very big contributor to the Democratic party, too.
 
[quote name='mitch079']This. And it's good for stocking up on TP, paper towels, soda, some of the essentials but if you're single, not really wise for food. You can sometimes find some good gaming and DVD deals as well.[/QUOTE]

I read just recently that's it's often cheaper-by-unit to buy paper goods like TB from big box retailers instead of Costco, plus you don't have to find storage room.

Since it's just you, it's probably not good unless you buy a ridculous amount of non-perishable foods, or throw a lot of parties. (My boyfriend uses his pretty much to stock up on candy.)
 
[quote name='Unickuta']And BTW, Costco is also one of the coolest corporations out there, the CEO makes $100,000 a year and the minimum wage is like $15. A very big contributor to the Democratic party, too.[/quote]

Starting wage is $11 an hour. Then it's a quarter increase every 800 hours approximately. And yes, Sinnegal comes in every once in a while and seems like an average joe, however all the managers still get up in a tizzy whenever he comes about.
 
i cant say if its worth it for one person. i know for my family of 4 its very worth it.

and as an other cag said, their meat is very good.
their hamburger is excellent. being able to purchase their hamburger alone is worth
the membership fee to me.

go check it out they should give you a shoping pass or something to get check out.
 
If you go through milk, cheese, or butter much in addition to meat and other misc. stuff it is well worth it even for a single person.
 
[quote name='farfus']Hey guys, was considering a Costco membership if it was worth it. I was a free member 7 years ago for a year, but didnt buy a whole lot at the time. I can rejoin for $40 now. How much and what do you spend in a year probably? I dont have a family to feed, and gas prices are down anyways. I see threads off and on about sales on games, kinda curious on that end in particular what peeps have saved and bought? Thanks![/QUOTE]

You may want to join just for the return policy, especially if you are planning a large purchase of some sort. If the item you are buying is covered for a long time (it varies by item so check it out) then its probably worth it to just buy the membership and buy the item, then when the item breaks get a new one for free this way you don't have to deal with extended store warranties and other crap like that. Whatever you save after that would just be icing on the cake. I think they changed the policy on TV's and computers so if your purchase is anything outside of that you may want to consider the membership. If your not planning a big purchase and your single then you might not want to join unless you can split the membership with another person.

Also at Sams I know you can get enough samples to fill up on for a meal so if you go a lot to costco or sams then thats another thing to consider, the savings in meals you can get from the samples may be worth it alone.
 
Actually quite surprised by some of the comments here regarding game prices being higher.

At my local Costco, games for PS3 are always cheaper than anywhere else. CoD5 on day of release was $52.99, compared to $59.99 everywhere else. Granted, you don't get any sales, but standard price for all Ps3 and 360 games is $52.99.

Blu-rays are generally cheaper too. Couple of weeks before Christmas, all Fox and Disney BD's were priced between $12.99 and $19.99.

I think the biggest saving our family makes at Costco though is on pop. 32 packs of Coke/Pepsi products are normally around $6.99, compared to around $4 for a 12 pack at Target or your local grocery store.
 
[quote name='justboy']Actually quite surprised by some of the comments here regarding game prices being higher.

At my local Costco, games for PS3 are always cheaper than anywhere else. CoD5 on day of release was $52.99, compared to $59.99 everywhere else. Granted, you don't get any sales, but standard price for all Ps3 and 360 games is $52.99.

Blu-rays are generally cheaper too. Couple of weeks before Christmas, all Fox and Disney BD's were priced between $12.99 and $19.99.[/quote]

That's the crux, on release, games are usually $5 cheaper or so, but while other places are having sales and everything the prices usually stay the same at Costco. And those Blu-Rays were on coupon, which was a special, not the normal everyday prices of those items.

Groceries, toiletries, prescriptions, those are all really hard to find cheaper elsewhere for an everday price; video games aren't priced that well outside a month of release usually.
 
I'll echo the rest of the crowd. Costco is great for bulk food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and other household items. But they aren't the best for gaming generally. I buy a lot of frozen meats and other food that can last a long time in bulk at costco, then the rest of my food at the grocery store.

Costco also has some high quality but reasonably priced bigger ticket items like beds and furniture, and the return policy is the best around. I buy some electronic items there (like my roomba) just for the return policy.
 
Since I have 3 young kids, Costco has been great for diapers, wipes, toiletry products, otc meds and other things. Would not join for the games/electronics.
 
It's worth joining for the discounts on gas alone. It's routinely 5-20 cents a gallon cheaper than at gas stations, so if you buy gas once a week, you'll save 75 cents to a couple bucks more tank. Multiply it by 52 weeks and you've paid for the membership card all with just the gas. Giant boxes of cereal cost a third of what they do at a supermarket, the $5 rotisserie chickens will make 2-3 meals for a single person, and the $1.50 hot dog and soda lunch is awesome.

I upgraded to the Executive membership for $100 which gives you a 2% kickback on everything you buy other than gas which is good if you're planning on buying something big ticket, like an HDTV. I bought a 42" Philips LCD for $1100 there a year ago. People abused the return policy by bringing back years-old TVs for full refunds when new tech came out, so they switched to 90-day return, but extended warranties to two years.

The also have an American Express TrueEarnings card which gives you 3% back on gas purchases and restaurants. Costco rules, even if the CEO gives money to the fascist Democratic party who have ruined the economy and will put us into a depression for 2009. Nobody's perfect.
 
split the discount with a friend and save big time...just make sure you actually eat the food stuff you buy in bulk, a lot of ppl throw that stuff out because it expires.

I've already saved on my purchases in one trip and I'm not even a member...I'm just the friend with the car.
 
[quote name='DirkBelig']...Costco rules, even if the CEO gives money to the fascist Democratic party who have ruined the economy and will put us into a depression for 2009. Nobody's perfect.[/quote]

Costco is the type of business that does better in a bad economy - when times are tight people look for ways to save. Costco should see improved sales in a depressed economy over a boom one.
 
If you need/will need new eyeglasses, that alone will pay for your membership. Last time I bought glasses they cost about $400, (I have a very strong script) just bought some at Costco last month for $210 - including clip-on sunglasses, anti-reflective coating, and anti-scratch coating.
 
[quote name='DirkBelig']Costco rules, even if the CEO gives money to the fascist Democratic party who have ruined the economy and will put us into a depression for 2009. Nobody's perfect.[/quote]

Wasn't a Republician in office for 8 years? And he got in office with the US not bein in debt? or the debt being reduceded by alot?
 
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