re: Is a Costco Membership Worth It?

quote:

---

Worth it for gas alone

---

I find I can find top tier close in price or just as cheap at other gas stations in town and without waiting in a line 3 cars deep. In fact I've never filled up at Costco because there's always a god damn line to pump gas

I'm single and got a membership but don't go that often. To be honest I don't think it benefits you that much financially, but for $55, it's not going to hurt to try it out and see if it is for you. I think the most value comes from families buying in bulk there.

They sell a lot of food that you can't get elsewhere which is nice. But I just don't think it's worth it to drive to the other side of town to save a few bucks on meat when I can get food at the grocery store right by the house. That being said they have some good deals on things, like I can buy a four pack of lift tickets to Mammoth Mountain for $360 when it would cost 100+ more to buy at the mountain.

Children's Claritin at Costco is around $20 for two 6 oz. bottles. One 4 oz. bottle at Wal-Mart is $10. So you basically get a free 4 oz. bottle by getting it at costco.

The Kirkland Brand Olive Oil is legit too. I love Costco.

We have 8 Costcos in Portland, which, although they are still crowded, there is less traffic than there was at the one Costco in Jacksonville, FL.

I go all the time, as there is one a mile from my house and I pass by it all the time. My wife will ask me to drop in and pick up a rotisserie chicken on the way home from work.

There are some medicines where you save 90% - Kirkland Ibuprofen is a huge savings, for example.

One thing nobody has mentioned is that as a single guy, you can probably eat lunch or dinner there when shopping for other things, just by nibbling on the samples they are always giving away there. If that's not enough, just grab a hot dog or slice of pizza on the way out. Either way, I find the store enjoyable to walk around in, because the inventory is constantly changing. You never know what you're going to find.

The Kirkland branded products are generally excellent, and usually as good as the brand name stuff. Costco emphasizes quality over price, although their prices are damn good.

If you ever want to pick up a big ticket item, like furniture, tires, etc, then you can probably save your membership fee right there.

Usually the first time you sign up you get a bunch of coupons for free or very heavily discounted items. Like a free rotisserie chicken, or case of water or things like that. Useful things. The value is about half of the initial membership cost if I remember correctly. So it actually costs you less the first year to give it a shot.

single man, I say don't bother. everything they sell in bulk is WAAAY too much for one dude to consume. my family of 4 throws out at least 1/4 of every fresh item purchased due to spoilage. here in N O, no card required to score dogs and pizza .if I was single , id keep the money in my pocket.

A gallon of milk is $2.50 at Costco compared to $4.00 at least at other groceries. If you buy 37 gallons of milk a year, that alone pays for your membership. Eggs are silly cheap too.

Just buy your produce at regular grocers and get your meats, milk, eggs, paper products at the significant savings at Costco (or similar bulk store). And Don't forget the gas savings.

Single guy? Probably not. That is unless you prepare a lot of meals yourself anyway. Only you can really answer this.

To me, it really comes down to convenience. I lived a mile away in New Orleans, and also passed it every day on my way home, and still found myself never going. There was always a line for gas. The store itself was a madhouse.

There are savings to be had for sure, but you need to make sure to get over there habitually, or it won't be worth it. Then again, what is it like $50? Not like it's a ton of money to give it a try for a year.

What's the price of gas versus a normal gas station?

quote:

---

What's the price of gas versus a normal gas station?

---

Usually about $0.15-$0.25 better than other stations for regular and about $0.45 or so for premium.