Do those big warehouse/buyer's clubs like Costco, etc. really save you money?

[Sue G in PA]

I realized something recently. I'm having my 7th baby any day. 7 children. We have a LARGE family. Okay, don't eveyone say, "duh" at once. :) I realized that my shopping (grocery) habits don't "match" my family size. My dh is worse than me. Neither one of us came from large families and never really had the "training" on HOW to raise/feed/clothe/organize, etc. a large family, much lass add hsing to the mix! We are the pioneers of our family, so to speak. So, I realized that instead of those weekly/bi-weekly grocery store trips...I wonder if getting a membership to Costco or BJ's or wherever and making that 45 min. trip once per month would benefit us.

 

So, do those clubs really have cheaper prices? Do they save you money? I'm wondering if it is worth it. Produce doesn't "keep" for a long time so we'd still have to make frequent trips for stuff like that, but the other stuff...juice, cereals, packaged items (which we don't buy a large amount of), diapers, cleaning supplies, wipes, milk, etc. Do they even carry organic items? TIA for any advice.

[Sandy in Indy]

Yes...I think with careful shopping you can save money. Costco has a nice selection of organic items... You do have to watch and do some comparisons, but there are lots of ways to save money at the warehouse clubs. And, for us, some of it is the convenience....I picked up TP last week when Costco had a coupon. I won't have to worry about putting TP in the house for a long while now!

 

If you have anyone who wears glasses, you may find that Costco glasses are less expensive than what you'd pay with insurance. (I keep our Costco membership just so that we can get glasses!)

[JFSinIL]

what we saved on a few bulk items we spent (and then some) on stuff we didn't know we "needed" until we saw it - at such a low price we had to have it/them.

 

So we did not renew. No will power.:D

[StacyWithFourRugrats]

I find they are not a great benefit really for food. Most of their "deals" are for bulk prepackaged items we do not buy. Their cheese is decent priced but I can find cheese cheaper at Trader Joes. I do not buy my meat from there so I can't say much on that subject (we don't eat a huge amount of meat).

 

That being said, we still have a membership to BJ's. We have used it and probably saved enough to cover the membership on some years and saved more in others. If you buy books, good deal. Diapers I am unsure about tho BJ's does carry a few car seats. Their vitamins are a good deal. We can also get yeast, All Purpose flour, Stacy's chips and organic ketchup at great prices (especially the yeast and ketchup). I sometimes buy our paper products there but it is when they have coupons that it is more common.

 

One of the better benefits at times, especially now, is the gas. Often their gas is cheaper than anywhere around but it can be dependent on your area. If I go to a BJ's in another part of town, it is more expensive than the Sheetz in town. However, the BJ's closer to us is cheaper.

 

I would suggest getting a day pass (almost all will give out one) and check it out. Write down all the prices and then compare to prices in your store. Make sure you are comparing per unit (ie per ounce, per pound, etc). Sometimes things are NOT cheaper at BJ's and the warehouse stores but appear to be.

 

We will probably still renew our membership next year. We get a little discount on it if we do it through dh's work.

 

Oh yeah.. BJ's does carry a few organic items. I haven't found it to be useful tho. Their organic butter is a good price, but it is salted. Their milk is only in half gallons. Nope, not enough (tho we have switched to soy anyways)

[WTMindy]

It depends on what you are buying and what you are comparing it to. For example, milk is definitely cheaper than the grocery store. But, you can find generic brands or sale items at the grocery store for cheaper than Costco if you watch the sales or have coupons or something. I think Costco has good fruit, but it is more expensive than buying the fruit that is on sale at the grocery store. It also depends on what price you put on convenience. For a large family, it might be worth it to buy already grated cheese or many bulk items.

 

All that to say, it can help you save money, but it can also be a money sink-hole if you don't compare prices.

[Sue G in PA]

walking into the store with list in hand only to see 10 more things I never knew we "needed" until I saw it! Hmmm...we used to belong to a BJ's back when we had 2 kids. Back then, it wasn't worth it. NOW...I'm wondering. Thanks for the responses...keep them coming!

[5knights3maidens]

I do buy 'somethings' there; we go every two weeks. (Family of 10 when everyone is home)

[CookieMonster]

Honestly, the only reason I would keep my Costco card is for the items they have that I don't see at my regular stores. And since I've never had occasion to buy these items, I don't intend to keep it.

 

But prices? I don't see them being any better than Wal-Mart, which I shop at weekly. So, if I had a large family to buy for, I'd just buy more from Wal-Mart.

 

Of course, I don't try to do organic or anything fancy. If I did, Costco might have more appeal.

 

It's really a matter of personal buying habits that determines whether Costco, et. al are worth the yearly membership fee.

[Alice]

I think it is worth it. We're not big Costco people although have become more so in the past year. My work provides a membership so we're lucky to just have it and use it as we want. Some things are definitely worth it...diapers at our Costco are 1/2 price regular diapers. That alone is worth a once a month trip for us. Diaper wipes are also cheap.

 

I do think you have to know prices...I've found some things really aren't that much cheaper and it's easy to get stuck with way more of something than you really need (although with 7 kids that might be less of an issue for you than for us :)).

 

Overall though, I think you can find good deals. They do carry organics. The organic milk at our Costco is much much cheaper than the store. The eggs are actually more expensive than the local family farm we get eggs from...so you just have to know prices. Our Costco has a fairly good selection of organic fruits and veggies although it's "industrial organic" as opposed to local stuff.

 

There is a handful of stuff we always have on our list to get at our local Costco that is cheaper than the regular grocery store: Dried fruit (mango is really cheap and good, blueberries are good), Cashews, Carrot Juice (my dh's addition to the list).

[KS_]

We belong to Sam's, and shop there every month or two . . .some things are cheaper and some things aren't. I can get 90/10 hamburger for under $2, and we buy breakfast sausage there (they carry some with no MSG, which I haven't seen at my grocery store), along with some fruit (you do have to know your prices). I'll also buy almonds and pecans, bulk flour, vinegar, and some types of pasta.

 

If you watch the prices, you can sometimes get really good deals when they mark stuff down - a number of months ago, they had 2 packs of Classico pasta sauce marked down to $1.91. And I've gotten a lot of children's clothes really cheaply when it's been marked down (2 piece sets of jeans/shirts or capris/shirts for $3 to $5, raincoats for $2.91). And when my kids were small, I'd buy their winter pj's there (Sam's carries Carter's fuzzy footed pj's for less than I could get them anywhere else).

[Jenny in Florida]

. . . at various times over the last few years. We found that, for us, it wasn't a great deal.

 

As has been discussed here and on the couponing thread, we found that most of the really low prices and great sales tend to be on things we don't eat or use. And, the one thing I really loved at BJ's that was a great price--cases of a certain brand of vanilla soy milk--they quit carrying just a few months into our membership.

 

We did at one point figure out that, if we consistently filled the tanks of both cars at the gas station there, that savings just about covered the membership fee. But it was kind of a hassle to have to plan our schedules and driving routes far enough in advance to always fill up there.

 

Now, I don't have a large family, but I think it really boils down to us just not being big-time consumers. I read about folks who save thousands of dollars on groceries or clothing or whatever per year, but we don't even spend that much on any of those things to begin with.

 

So, for, us, the answer is no. I actually have a free two-month membership card for BJ's sitting on my counter at the moment, and I haven't bothered to go activate it.

[Karenciavo]

What I save on page protectors, ink and binders alone makes Costco worth it to me, but there are many other items I love from that store.

[Whisperlily]

I really think it depends on where you live!!

 

When we lived in Central Washington, it was definitely a major money saver, not to mention a time-saver. I found that with my 4 children buying in "bulk" really was similar to those with one or two children buying a "regular" sized box at the grocery store. Some things weren't worth buying in quantities that large, but others definitely were.

 

Since the prices remain similar chain-wide, it may be more expensive in other areas of the country where grocery prices are much lower. Where we are now, the grocery stores are a much better value. (Though certain things I really miss being able to buy at Costco.) The closest store is an hour or more away and we haven't ventured there yet even though our membership is still valid.

 

I had certain "staples" I bought at Costco, and those alone made it worthwhile. (Toilet Paper, Milk, frozen Chicken Breasts, Chicken broth, Laundry detergent, Dishwasher detergent and quite a few more..)

 

I also liked the convenience of having enough of some things on hand that I didn't need to worry about them for a *long* time afterward (Feminine products, bar soap, shampoo etc.), saving me "quick trips" to the store that really add up fast if something else is put in the cart when you're there.

[Bess]

Do you have a Super Target near you? We have found Super Target to be a better deal for us. There is no membership fee firstly. Secondly, if you have a Target card, after you spend $1000 (which we do at least every other month), you get a 10% off card good for a whole day of shopping. So, what we do is shop as we normally would for groceries, then when we get the 10% off card, we stock up then on everything.

 

I really do think we are getting the best deal doing it this way. We get a lot of our clothes/shoes/household needs at Target, so we wait for the 10% off card to purchase these items as well. I know when we used to shop at Costco, we always ended up buying lots of extra stuff we weren't neccessarily looking for nor needed.

 

Now at Target, if we see something we don't neccessarily need but want, we can just say we'll wait for the 10% off day, and we'll be getting a better deal. That also stops impulse purchases because it forces you to think about it more while waiting for your 10% off! :)

[Karenciavo]

Also wanted to add, I get the premiere membership (or what ever it's called) which gives 2% back at the end of the year. It costs $99, but last year I got back $114 and this year I got back $97.

[MomofSeven]

We belong to Sams for our family of eight. I prefer Cosco, but Sams is closer so that's what it is.

 

Anyhooo..like everyone here said, you have to know your prices and you have to have willpower. But, it can't be a great deal on things like paper products, cheese, oil, flour, baking goods. Just stay away from the prepared foods. We do buy our meat there because it's so good. We also buy certain produce there because it's also better than the grocery stores. And if anything goes bad when you get it home, they give you double the money back, so that's a nice guarantee.

 

We spend about $250 a month at Sams. If we run out of things in the meantime, we just do without, since you can't set foot in there without spending at least $100. But I do like the fact that when I buy TP or soap, I don't have to worry about buying it again for a long time.

 

Hth. - Amy

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

I am pretty frugal and have will-power (can't say the same for dh), so we try just to buy what we need...

 

Milk, frozen salmon, chicken breast and fresh ground beef prices are hard to beat that the quality is excellent. Fresh fruit and veggies, paper products, and gas are always on our list. I only buy dish detergent and cleaning products when they have a buy one, get one free coupon. I'm stocked up for a good year. My dh will pick up a rotiserre chicken and they are always very meaty (can't say the same for my local grocery stores).

 

Bought 3 pairs of glasses there in the last 4 or 5 years and saved a substantial amount. We just bought laminate flooring (350 sq ft) for less than $700!

 

Love Costco.

[ThelmaLou]

I agree with other posters. There are definitely some items that are cheaper, but you have to do your research and pick and choose. I'm a grocery game-type shopper (getting ready to drop my subscription and do it all on my own.) When there aren't fantastic sales on certain items and I run out of stock, I'll buy the following at Costco:

butter

cheese

maple syrup

honey

Newman's grape juice

Rice Dream

mixed nuts

turkey bacon

produce

yeast (huge savings over grocery store packets!)

seasonings (They carry a gigantic container of McCormick taco seasoning for under $4)

20+lb. bags of rice and beans

 

That's all I can think of for now, but it definitely saves me money to shop there. I just have to be careful not to get drawn in by all the other dazzling products they carry that I really don't need.

[Wendi]

and have willpower! I find my Costco's prices on meat to be excellent, and the quality is good. Other things are also a good deal (bottled water, paper products, office supplies...).

 

We have also bought some things like vacuum cleaners there (saving usually 25%, plus bonuses like a year's supply of bags). I love their return policy, too! It's great to know that if I decide a few months later that it's a lemon, I can return it. Gas is cheaper than anywhere else, and thankfully our Costco is 5 min. from my house, so I can fill up there frequently.

 

I've also been very pleased with many of our clothing purchases there. They tend to have high-quality name brands for very good prices.

 

It's definitely been worth it for us. I just have to be careful not to fall for impulse buys.

 

Wendi

[rafiki]

.

[Plain_Jane]

Everyone has pretty much said it all, but I wanted to add that for me, I like the convenience. All my kids are little and running from one store to another is very frustrating. I like that Costco has excellent prices on books and misc. toys and items like that. Often times these make AWESOME gifts and they are things that are different than what you would find elsewhere. Very handy for birthday presents and the like.- on a good day, I can get a very nice gift for $10 compared to blah from another store.

 

I buy the clothing when they are down to the last few items and have been able to purchase nice, brand name clothes for just a couple of dollars.- same for the kids. I've purchased good quality, brand name sandals for the kids for $10ea (plus the convenience of not going to multiple shoe stores!!). Their Easter/Christmas dresses are very pretty and inexpensive when compared to anywhere else and I've saved a TON of money on scrapbooking supplies. :D

 

I have a list of things that we use regularly and when they go on coupon or sale at Costco, I stock up like crazy. Usually these are items that are cheaper at Costco than the local grocery store, so when they go on coupon at Costco, they are dirt cheap. The organic yogurt that we buy, when Costco has it, is 1/4 of the price of the cheapest grocery store here.

 

Also, I LOVE to just browse through their stuff- it's my weekly time out of the house with the kids. For our family, time is money too so not having to :auto: everywhere with all the littles in and out of car seats is just bliss. I do not buy things that are more expensive at Costco just for convenience but for whatever reason, shopping there is a whole lot stressful than being in a grocery store with all the kids.

[MoniMoni]

I haven't read all the other posts, but I was spending so much time running all over town (20 mins minimum) to get sale items from 5 different stores not to mention the time with coupons and sales flyers before I left the house that making 2 trips a month to Costco (one finally opened near us in Sept.!) and 1 to super Walmart (for whatever C doesn't have) is soooo worth it. Most of the prices are much better than the regular grocery store price and in line with many of the sale prices. I buy on price per pound for meats, fruits and veggies. The gas savings alone is worth it, but my time is valuable to me. I am also happy with the quality and consistancy.

 

Some examples:

4 lb bag of Craisins $6.70 (Walmart 6oz $2.99)

Gallon size tea bags (I don't care the price; it is worth it to use only 1 not 5 family size)

.....too much to mention!

 

I love it!

[fiddledeedee]

We are only a family of 4, and on a tight budget, but we still feel it's worth it to have a membership at Costco. We get:

butter

cheese

some produce, like the fresh bagged broccoli, romaine hearts, bananas, sweet potato sticks if they have them, mushrooms, carrots, and sometimes other stuff

nuts are almost always cheapest at Costco

seasonings

jeans for DH-$12.99 here

jammies for the kids, swimsuits, baby outfits for gifts

TP-love my Charmin Ultra

bread

gummy vitamins

pain reliever

hummus-roasted jalapeno and garlic

healthy tortilla chip/cracker things to go with the hummus

sometimes books or toys

if you have little girls, they have gorgeous dresses up to size 8 for under $20

kitty litter

 

My suggestion is to mentally tab the items as you go along. It's easy to drop $100 when you don't think you've spent that much. Then you can decide what you need/want.

[Antonia]

For us, no; I do much better at Aldi. We are only four, though.

[LizzyBee]

They do save money for us, but my dh shops with a list and he's pretty good about sticking to the list.

[Jenny in Atl]

Yes, we have saved a good bit at Costco, but we only get a select few things.

Meat, wine, fish, greens, seasonal fruit & veggies (both frozen & fresh), vits, milk, cheese, and coffee.

[Tutor]

When we lived in PA, we belonged to BJs. The membership there was worth it for their discounted gas and milk alone. BJs also had a great generic line.

 

Here, we belong to Sam's. It is worth it here for more common things like TP, paper towels, pull-ups, and such. But, it's over an hour away, so we only go once every 4-6 months. We also go to the health food store on that trip, too.

 

If I were you, I would go walk around the store and just look at the prices and see how the unit prices there compare to those at your local WalMart, grocery store, or farmer's/ Amish market. Don't forget to calculate the cost of gas to get to Sam's if it is far away.

[Diana in OR]

Also wanted to add, I get the premiere membership (or what ever it's called) which gives 2% back at the end of the year. It costs $99, but last year I got back $114 and this year I got back $97.

 

I've always been "suspicious" of the premiere membership. They always try so hard to sell us on it when we go in. Something is triggered in the register (I think based on how much we spend) and they call a "salesperson" over to give us the pitch before we can leave. It's like being telemarketed at the register. I have repeatedly refused it, on the basis that I don't want/need more incentive to shop there. I'm trying to stick to the basics. I think I figured it out once, and that we would just break even by signing up for it. I'm suspicious that they try to sell it so aggresively. I'm sorry. I'm not criticizing you at all. Your post just gave me an appropriate venue for my one soapbox about Costco.:rant:

 

But, I do love Costco.

[mom2abcd]

We have six and Sam's has saved us money and time. Aldi is right up there, too, if you have one of those close by.

 

If you need new tires, Sam's has the best prices in our area and the $30 or $35 membership fee will be paid for by the savings on tires alone. Plus if you need a tire repair, they will fix tires you bought there FREE. This was a HUGE savings when we lived on gravel roads that had been hit with a bucket of nails during a tornado.

 

You do have to be self-controlled. And watch prices. But we have been very happy with the savings.

 

Aldi is another fantastic value. I have heard that they own Trader Joe's. We've never lived near TJ so I can't compare.

[Kari C in SC]

I buy most of my groceries at Sam's. Some things may not be cheaper, but I like the convenience of having it on hand. Some things are way, way cheaper though. You really need to try a day pass and know what you were paying for your usual items when you go. Then you can see if it is good for you or not. I have been shopping at Sam's for so long, that I honestly don't know how to shop in small amounts anymore. For example, we just moved to SC... the Sam's here doesn't have Super Pretzyls in their freezer case. My mom pointed out I could just buy the smaller box at the grocery store. I just looked at her like, "What? You can buy a smaller amount?" Crazy, huh? Actually, I went further and bought a case of hot pretzyls from the Sam's snack bar for an even better price.

 

Some of the things I buy are:

Milk

Eggs

Bread - Nature's Own is almost half price

Easy Mac

Fruit by the Foot

Hot dogs

Sausage

Cheese

Chicken Tenders

Ketchup - way cheaper

Toilet Paper

Laudry Soap

Dishwasher Soap

Apples

Strawberries

Snack Cakes

Chips

Soda

Brownie Mix

Rice

Meat

Chicken

 

Ummm... I could keep going, but you get the idea. I love Sam's!

[Quiver0f10]

There are certain things that are definitely worth it to me. Right now I can get a box of 15 dozen eggs for @ $22, butter is $6.80 something for 4#s, 50# sugar is $17 and some change. There are other things too, like spices, fruits/veggies etc. I have a list of certain items we buy regularaly and avoid the rest of the store like the plague LOL.

[Mekanamom]

For us, yes. Between Costco and Trader Joe's we're saving quite a bit over regular grocery store prices. We get enough back at the end of the year to pay for our membership, plus a little extra left over.

 

Where they get me is when I find something that I've been looking for... like, say sweatpants. The Costco sweatpants are brand name (I'm going to use Adidas as an example.) So while I may be getting a great deal on Adidas sweats, I am spending more than if I picked up some cheapie sweats at Target or something.

 

One can hope that the name brand sweats will at least last longer? LOL. It comes down to: Is it worth it to me to drive all the way over to Target for cheaper sweats, or just get these right here, right now? I'm lazy. I like the one stop shopping thing.

 

Food wise, yes. We save $$. Kirkland brand, yes. We save money on jeans for DH, cleaning products, wine, etc. Gas, yes. But I will give in to my lazy nature and get the name brand sweats (or shoes, or whatever)... so I think I lose a bit of money there.

 

Costco has made it possible for me to take the kids out for "lunch and ice cream" on special days... not always the healthiest food, but very inexpensive. And you can't beat their frozen yogurt prices!

 

Another nice thing is they are very good about returns. (I have not really needed to return anything, but I hear they are really great about it.) If we are buying a big item (like a TV), I know that Costco has very good quality items, for a good price, and a good return policy.

[Ravin]

It depends on what you buy there.

 

So far, we've gotten DD's prescription filled for $18 less than Wal-Mart quoted WITH my associate's discount factored in. Also, Costco is literally the cheapest place I've found to get maple syrup. And I looked at the prices on generic zyrtec and claritin, which DH and I take respectively, and 300 doses is about $5 more than 45 doses at Wal-Mart.

 

They have fab deals on glasses, and I found some great clothes for DD, we save money by buying laundry detergent and other non-food consumables there, too. I have to tread more carefully with food prices, but do find good deals, especially on organic stuff.

 

Not to mention gas is a good $.08/gal cheaper there than at QT and other "cheap gas" places around here.

 

The premiere membership proved a good deal for us the year DH bought 2 flatscreen TV's for his business. If you plan big purchases like that, it can be worthwhile because of the cash back. It's not currently worth our while, though.