Edumakate me bout Costco

scottmandue · 03-10-2010, 06:46 AM

Costco... what is it good for?

Long story short... is it worth it for a middle age couple? I always think of it as a place to buy those comically super sized products. I also know they have good deals on electronics but I am the type that runs my electronics into the ground thus I only replace them about every five to ten years.

And, what is the fee to join?

Thanks all,

vash · vash's Garage

i get a business membership for $17 per year.

i buy gas there (flame away)
and toilet paper, and paper towel...plus cat litter. and that is about it.

my wife loves the place, and buys these huge tubs of yogurt for ME to eat. the wine department is getting good. i read an article that they hired a pro sommelier (spelling?) and now they are the largest purchaser of wine. it is fun, and the $17 is nothing, really.

i am married, no kids...so i dont need the supersized items. oh, i got my last set of tires there too.

cbush · 03-10-2010, 07:00 AM

If i recall, it was $35-40 for a one year membership. Kids are gone and the wife and I just don't need the large sizes they sell. It is worth buying a membership and checking it out for a year just to see what they have. But for us, it was a waste, and we did not renew. They do have some good specialty foods, and if you host a lot of parties, their pary trays and sizes are excellent.

Tishabet · 03-10-2010, 07:02 AM

Worth it if you have a decent sized pantry... you have to kind of strategize for Costco buying e.g. I have purchased a vacuum sealer so I can individually seal and freeze 2 person portions of pork chops after buying a package with a dozen portions. Best prices around for most alcohol, great meat and seafood prices, definitely pays for itself many times over in my case.
Also has the best prices I can find on cases of Mobil 1!

Superman · 03-10-2010, 07:03 AM

My business membership is much more than $17 annually. Yes, it is worth it. At least, to me. That's where I get stuff like Mobil-1, automotive batteries, etc. Their meat is VERY high quality. So is their bakery. I get bags of shredded parmesan cheese there. Socks and underwear. If you are in the market for a high-quality mattress, this is the place to get that. Linens and pillows. The thing about Costco is that the quality of their wares is pretty high, overall. I bought my automotive tool box there about three years ago. Paid about $700-800. Stainless. Nearly as tall as I am. Many deep drawers. Darned thing weighs something like 400 lbs, empty.

Polarized sunglasses that clip onto my regular glasses are only like $12 there. $60 in an eyeglass shop. The fit neatly under the strap of my visor, so I always have emergency glare protection. I have blue eyes and live in a place where there are wet roads and sunshine. At my latitude, the Sun is almost always near the horizon. I digress.

Costco customers are among the rudest on the planet, IMHO.

Superman · 03-10-2010, 07:06 AM

Oh, and I get paper towels and toilet paper there. Thousand rolls per sheet, dozens of rolls per package. Lasts me at least a year.......ten years if females would stay out of my bathroom. The paper towels are high quality. Nothing worse that cheap paper towels.

Hugh R · 03-10-2010, 07:07 AM

Coffee is a good deal, you buy it in larger packs, but well worth it, especially if you want something other than Folgers or Yuban.

Superman, you can buy clip-ons at Walmart for $10 for same quality, look in the sunglasses area, not the eye glass shop.

A vacuum sealer is worth getting for COSTCO.

scottmandue · 03-10-2010, 07:10 AM

Didn't know they sell Mobil 1... that is a plus... guess I should go to the store and check it out.

Their website shows a membership is $50

Tishabet · 03-10-2010, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superman

The thing about Costco is that the quality of their wares is pretty high, overall.

This has also been my experience... they don't sell junk and seem to do a good job of vetting the products they carry. Also, in the very few cases in which I have had an issue with something I've purchased my local Costco has been extremely helpful and accommodating with returns/refunds/customer service etc.

One of my few complaints is that my local Costco (perhaps all Costcos?) doesn't have a place to try on clothing despite carrying a fairly large selection. Even with the easy return process, I'm not going to buy a pair of jeans without trying them on first.

tchanson · 03-10-2010, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superman

Yes, it is worth it. At least, to me. Their meat is VERY high quality. So is their bakery.

+1. My local Costco also occasionally carries USDA Prime beef, which is rarely found here outside of restaurants.

Tasty.

Tim

cgarr · cgarr's Garage

Don't you need a lift truck operator permit to shop there?

Evans, Marv · 03-10-2010, 07:25 AM

Everything Super said is true, and I pretty much buy the same things he mentions there. It's one of the few places where you can buy USDA Choice grade meat (in supermarkets you buy "Premium" grade or some such name, which is just another word for USDA Good from the old days). My wife & I recently bought some large chunks of Prime Rib Eye and Top Sirloin that I sliced up and froze. It'll last for many months. Some of the food comes in larger packages, but we have a pantry, so that's not too much of a problem. We recently bought some furniture and a mattress, which were of very decent quality. I've belonged since the first Price Club store opened, and I used to be happy if I got out for $100. Now I'm happy if it's $300. We have the Executive membership which costs $100 more or less a year, and you get a coupon for 2% rebate back yearly on your purchases. Last year we got $250 back which made it less painful to buy tires for my truck with another additional $70 off coupon.
And yes, the customers are sometimes rude, but aren't they everywhere now days?

Evans, Marv · 03-10-2010, 07:32 AM

P.S.
One problem is that they have decent buys on items that are in the store for awhile and then gone. Because of that, when you see something you might want, you tend to buy it because you suspect it may not be there when you return next. I recently bought some Sago Palms in 5 gal. containers. The plants were about 2 ft. high and cost $35 each, which was about half price compared to other places, so I bought six. Their online stuff is a pretty good experience. They don't charge shipping in most cases. Dangerous place.

daepp · 03-10-2010, 07:34 AM

If you entertain much it's a good place to get supplies.

And not everything there fits the "bulk" description

jhynesrockmtn · 03-10-2010, 07:34 AM

I'm a big fan, mostly of their management and business approach. I do shop there and have been a member since 1985. I was their auditor in those days when they had 12 warehouses and big plans for growth. They treat their employees very well. The core management team, CEO, COO, CFO, etc. have been there since day 1 and gotten rich over the long term on the stock appreciation, not paying themselves $1 million a year. Employees are paid well, get good benefits and they have a big emphasis on retaining people over the long term down to the entry level store employees. They have been sort of the quiet opposite of companies like Enron, AIG, Worldcomm, etc.

It's become so popular that I won't go there on the weekends as I can't stand the crowds.

Superman · 03-10-2010, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Superman, you can buy clip-ons at Walmart for $10 for same quality, look in the sunglasses area, not the eye glass shop.

If Walmart were the only place to buy gasoline, vegetables or beer, I would ride a bicycle, grow a garden and home-brew. The only thing Walmart is doing to contribute productively to society........is to underscore what is wrong with the National Labor Relations Board. I believe and hope they will succeed with that.

craigster59 · craigster59's Garage

I just hit Smart & Final. In and out quick, you can buy in bulk and you're not tempted to pick up that great deal on the saltwater rod/reel combo for only $85.00.

Evans, Marv · 03-10-2010, 07:41 AM

Speaking of employees getting rich. I shopped there when it was Price Club at the original store. I "heard" there were quite a few people who worked there & were paid in stock only, living off of the income from their spouses. Supposedly some of them are pretty well off now.

legion · 03-10-2010, 07:48 AM

There is no Costco in my area, but I remember going to Price Club as a kid in the 80's in SoCal. I suspect it was the original store we went to, though it was too long ago for me to remember the city it was in. I remember that my dad would always buy me a hot dog for lunch, and that they had Gulden't Spicy Brown mustard instead of Frenches in the mustard dispensers. I love Gulden's to this day.

jhynesrockmtn · 03-10-2010, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Speaking of employees getting rich. I shopped there when it was Price Club at the original store. I "heard" there were quite a few people who worked there & were paid in stock only, living off of the income from their spouses. Supposedly some of them are pretty well off now.

If I remember my history correctly, Costco and Price Club were originally two different companies, Price Club was first opening in California in the mid 70's. Costco was started by some folks who had worked there and knew the model would work and started opening warehouses where Price Club was not in the area. They later merged and the name was PriceCostco for a while.