| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jun 23 2007 : 10:09:19 AM
Are any of you Costco shoppers? If so, how often do you go and what do you typically buy there? DH and I are wondering if we go overboard with it. |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Hideaway Farmgirl |
Posted - Jun 26 2007 : 10:35:37 AM
I have three Costco stores located within 30 miles of either my workplace or home (which are 30 miles apart from each other) but I only go there every 3-4 months, and I really stock up each time. DH and I are the only ones, but I spend $300 or more each time I go. I usually stock the staples, some produce (their romaine lettuce comes in a 5-pack but it is always so fresh and lasts about 3 weeks in the fridge, just long enough for us to go through it. The AVO guacomole is an awesome buy, getting a four-pack for a little over what two packs cost at the grocery store. I've also been pleased with the Kirland/Borghese makeup they started carrying last year. A lifelong Mary Kay user, I made the switch and found the prices and the product terrific.
I just bought my contact lenses there for the first time; they beat the prices at 1-800-contacts.com and my optician's office price.
We also just went through the refinance process with COSTCO/Lending Tree (where you get a $200-$300 cash card to use at COSTCO after closing).Although we ended up staying with our current lender after getting a comparable term, I highly recommend that program. They have better disccounts/rebates when you are buying/selling a house, too.
My m.o. is to hit the store on a weekend as the doors open, fill my cart to bursting, haul it all home and then spend the rest of the day unpacking/rewrapping items into smaller "meals for 2-3" packages. DH takes dinner's leftovers for lunch the next day so I generally cook for three.
Great to hear what you are all doing at COSTCO!
Jo
"There are no strangers here, only friends you've yet to meet." |
| Alee |
Posted - Jun 26 2007 : 10:32:27 AM
I love buying Costco TP! I haven't had to buy a new pack for a year! LOL With just the two of us here, it can last a long time!
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora! |
| MagnoliaWhisper |
Posted - Jun 26 2007 : 10:17:00 AM
hmm, I buy it so little, because it's such huge quanities, I did forget, I do get my salt, splenda, spices, and tp there too! And yes a lot of vinegar! lol And baking soda. (my main forms of cleaning!). |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jun 26 2007 : 10:09:09 AM
Laura - we visit Costco in Olympia - about 30 minutes away. My DH kinda goes crazy there too. Although I went without him last week and spent almost as much. Got the things I'd been holding off on I guess. One thing that bugs me though, is that some things are there one week and gone the next. I needed a new canopy for my business and looked at Costco, went to their business center in Fife, and went online to their online catalog. Nothing. I knew they had them in the past, but nothing when I needed one. So, I needed it for an upcoming show so I ordered it from the EZUp company out of California. Paid almost $50 in freight. Wouldn't you know, the very next time I went to Costco, they had them. |
| La Patite Ferme |
Posted - Jun 26 2007 : 09:32:06 AM
I shop at Costco 4 to 6 times a year for staple items ( TP, toothpaste, laundry detergent, dishwasher liquid, canned goods, frozen goods, etc). With just the two of us (DD and myself), the fresh item packaging is too big - goes bad before we can use it all. However, on certain items it's cheaper than any other store. This past spring I bought berries (to freeze) that were cheaper than the farmers market or the store.
I've never found their meat counter to be a particularly good buy. I get better deals on the sale meat section of the grocery store - especially for pork, which we make into sausage for Italian sauce.
Since I started my new job I find myself shopping in town much more. And, with the right sale and the right coupon I can get a better price than Costco on some of the staple items, especially laundry items.
My biggest savings is on gas. I just filled up on Sunday and it was $3.03/gallon. That's cheap for So Cal. Town prices were $3.29 & up.
I get a rebate check from my Costco gas card at the end of the year. DD loves that because we buy things that are not normally on our list. Last year we had filet mignon for a holiday dinner. But, usually my more logical side kicks in and I stock up on non-perishables and staples.
The only thing I really hate is not being able to try a sample before I have to buy a gallon or a pallet of something new. |
| summerbreeze |
Posted - Jun 26 2007 : 09:10:39 AM
Sheri not sure how far Elma is from Seattle. My husband loves Costco. We have several diffent kinds of Costco in our area. Costco home in Kirkland, it is the size of a regular Costoc but only sells furniture, decorator items,carpeting, cabinets, lighting fixtures, beds and electronice. The Costco business center in Lynnwood it sells office supplies and restaurant supplies. Then there are two stores in my area that are test centers. If the teh item sells quickly they buy it for the other stores (you sometimes find some strange stuff). I understand this Fall there is a new test center opening that will compete with Home Depot. When we bought our house my husband was concerned it was too far away from Costco. I find they don't always have te best prices. I have to put my husband on a Costco budget. The only thing I think they don't do well at is film development. The quality is so much better other places.
You only live once,if you do it right once is enough. |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jun 26 2007 : 08:54:10 AM
Pamela - I love the books at Costco too. They have some of the big current sellers at such a reduced price! |
| emsmommy5 |
Posted - Jun 26 2007 : 08:12:33 AM
We shop at costco. With 7 audult sized people (we have 5 kids ages 14 and up) living in our home, we buy in bulk and have for some time. I try to be careful because Costco shopping can get out of hand in a hurry. Our shopping list varies depending on what we need. The best thing about shopping at Costco for me, right now, is that I don't have to go because my oldest son stops by on his way home from work and picks up things I need. This is my key to NOT overspending because I am not there to impulse buy.
Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth! |
| Photobugs |
Posted - Jun 26 2007 : 01:21:58 AM
Love Costco. I buy do MOST of my shopping there now. Used to be Walmart when they were new in town. But Costco had the Silver Hills bread and I get two loaves for almost what I pay for one at Walmart. I usually buy a couple of the two packs and put them in the freezer. We freeze our milk too. So I can stock up on lots of goodies and freeze it all, except for veggies, eggs and some of the dairy.
I love to look at the books! They get some great ones in from time to time.
Pamela
http://homesteadmercantile.blogspot.com/ |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jun 25 2007 : 10:42:03 PM
It'll be a good thing for us when we move to the cabin. Gotta have a lot of food on hand for times when we can't get out the road. |
| janetinva123 |
Posted - Jun 25 2007 : 7:06:50 PM
I live just a couple of min from costco, bj's and sams but i live alone in a very small apartment so i don't have a membership to any of them. I do go to costco to get my precriptions filled. you don't have to have a membership for that. i'm afraid if i did get a membership i would spend too much so i stick with the meds only.
Jc
http://beloved-creations.blogspot.com
http://beloved-creations.com |
| mom2knk |
Posted - Jun 25 2007 : 6:02:15 PM
We have Costco and Sam's and we call them our $200 store because no matter what I spend atleast that much every single time we go in to them!!
We only go once or twice a month and I buy....
milk
yeast
spices
fruit (right now we get grapefruit, watermelon, blueberries, canteloupe, honey dew, strawberries and pineapple)
frozen bs chicken breast
lean ground beef
dog food
dh's liquid vitamins
I think that is it. |
| Alee |
Posted - Jun 25 2007 : 2:21:47 PM
It is about a 45 minute drive, from Moscow to Clarkston. It's not to far, just long enough for my fiance and I to have some good chats and not too long for us to be worried about refrigeration issues. I just don't buy bulk ice cream- which is probably a good thing if I want to fit into my wedding dress this fall!!
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora! |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jun 25 2007 : 1:36:16 PM
Alee - how far do you have to go to a Costco? |
| Alee |
Posted - Jun 25 2007 : 08:10:27 AM
I am just contemplating my cupboards and wondering when my next Costco run will be. Probably soon! LOL. I love having a backstock of food. If financial times get lean, it is nice to know you have food available.
And now that my garden is starting to produce, I feel a little more secure. It is such a limited garden this year though. Next year I am hoping to be able to plant more variety!
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for tying, one hand to hold Nora! |
| threebusybees |
Posted - Jun 25 2007 : 07:29:12 AM
We go to Costco every two weeks. With 3 kids it is hard not to.
Baking Soda
Vinegar
Laundry Soap( they have EOS there)
Organic Peanut Butter
Cascadian Farms Cereal
Juice
Coffee
Half and Half
Dog Food
Coleman Hotdogs
Meats and cheeses
#10 tomatoes
I had never bought produce there until the other day when I saw that they were carring USA organics yea! There are no organic growers around here and the only decent farmers market is a 2 hr drive.so if I could I would buy local etc. We spend, but I don't have to go to the store the rest of the month except for little things.
Mandi
"There will no longer be so many pleasant things to look at if responsible people do not do something about the unpleasant ones." Madeleine L"Engle |
| Kathie |
Posted - Jun 24 2007 : 7:33:14 PM
Yes.. we go to Costco too Sherri.. (naturaly..)
I like alot of their things.. But i REALLy love their cakes.. Specifically their Birthday cakes with the Mousse! & they are so inexpensive.. for a sheet.. when their is a B-Day at work!!
We have a BJ's too.. My Sams Club expired.. about 3 years ago i guess.. so must now need it....
In a World Where you Can Be Anything, Be Yourself.. |
| MagnoliaWhisper |
Posted - Jun 24 2007 : 12:27:02 PM
BTW I like BJ's a lot now too. It seems I can get in and out of there faster. (there is express lanes, and also self check out lanes!). And they sell smaller quanities of items which helps in some ways also. |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Jun 23 2007 : 10:03:07 PM
I used to go to Costco with my sis in law (her card) a couple times a year in calif..where we lived it was 15 miles away..but here it is an hour and 1/2 and I don't have a card so I havn't gone since we moved here nearly 5 years ago. I try really hard to shop local. I do go to Macy's for some things. It is alot like Food4Less in calif was..and I like their prices. Katiedid and I do plan a trip to Costco some time in the near future. It would be fun since I havn't gone in so long..and she has a card.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Jun 23 2007 : 9:27:04 PM
I have a Costco card but only go every couple of weeks. I don't shop there because I have to buy in such big quantities. But what I do buy I know I save money on. You just have to know prices at other places when you go in there because sometimes their deals aren't so good. I got my Stitchin Book there for $15.99!
Visit my Etsy shop at http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com |
| Carol Sue |
Posted - Jun 23 2007 : 7:09:51 PM
Yes, we do Costco and do save, we make a trip every couple of months, being on the fixed income that we are, it helps in the long run. We spend 150 and sometimes over. We always go in with a list and that helps as well. Also take our dd when she needs stuff. It makes it worth it for us.
Carol Sue
Life is short, enjoy every moment. |
| MagnoliaWhisper |
Posted - Jun 23 2007 : 6:36:18 PM
PS my bill is rarely over 100! It's usually closer to 20 to 30 dollars. Today it was 30 but that was because we bought 3 containers of cottage cheese, and 3 containers of the yogurt sauce. But, usually it's like bananas and eggs. lol So closer to 20. But, then again I get a lot of turkey too. lol hmmmm yeah usually 20 to 30 there. I'm not a big impluse buyer/shopper though. Usually only what I know I will use. (I eat cottage cheese every morning for breakfast-sometimes for snacks, and for my other meals too, but at least for breakfast daily. lol So 3 containers is about 2 weeks worth! lol). |
| MagnoliaWhisper |
Posted - Jun 23 2007 : 6:33:25 PM
I do shop there. Funny I am always the one with only 1 or 2 items! lol haha I wish they had a express lane. Thankfully people will usually let me go ahead of them seeing I only have 1 or 2 items. But, they are my staples. Today was cottage cheese and tzazki (sp) sauce-yogurt cucumber dill sauce.
Here's the other staples I get there-
Mushrooms
cherries
bananas
eggs
ground turkey
fish
canned chicken
I'm like Alee really don't have the money often to buy elsewhere. Especially here in NYC. And there's really not that many good places to shop here in NYC. (clean, no rats! etc). So when you find a rat free store.....you kind of like to stick with it. lol |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jun 23 2007 : 5:46:58 PM
We bought our leather couch at Costco - it was a really good price $799 where they were over 1200 at other places we looked. |
| Ronna |
Posted - Jun 23 2007 : 5:36:37 PM
I have access to both Sam's and Costco. Pay for Sam's and go as the second person on my son's Costco card. Think I may drop Sam's when it comes up, but a few things I buy all the time are there and not at Costco. Meat is great at Costco, but pricey. Sam's meat is good, unlike Walmarts, which I will not buy. Do I want "other natural ingredients" in my ground beef? NOOOOOOO. No one can tell me what that might be, but blood, gristle, bone...they're natural, but not what I want to pay for.
I always spend more than I expect at either place. Sometimes the price is the same at other stores but you get more or something extra.
Overall, with buying paper goods and some staples there, I do think it's worth the membership price.
Ronna |
