What to buy/Not buy at Sams/Costco

indexmonkey · Post by **indexmonkey** » Mon May 07, 2012 11:17 am

I am probably not the only one who goes into Sams or costco with a $50 purchase in mind and come out with $200+. As I narrow my list of things that will save me money buying in bulk, I want to get boglehead opinions of what is/is not a good bulk purchase. Here is what I have so far:

Good purchase:

Paper towels/toilet paper
Meats (vacuum seal them)
Chicken pre packaged
Fish pre packaged
TV/Electronics (Costco doubling the warranty saved me a lot of trouble once)

Bad purchases:

some fruits (I seem to have a lot go bad from costco)
Motor oil (Walmart seems cheaper)
Home furnishings?

sscritic · Post by **sscritic** » Mon May 07, 2012 11:30 am

Previous threads (answers):
http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... 11&t=88637

http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... =2&t=87826

http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... 11&t=92892

Random Musings · Post by **Random Musings** » Mon May 07, 2012 3:36 pm

What not to buy?

Things you won't most realistically consume. Or stuff you can buy cheaper somewhere else.

RM

NorCalDad · Post by **NorCalDad** » Mon May 07, 2012 4:47 pm

indexmonkey wrote:I am probably not the only one who goes into Sams or costco with a $50 purchase in mind and come out with $200+.

If this happens every time you shop at one of these stores, don't buy a membership.

Easy Rhino · Post by **Easy Rhino** » Mon May 07, 2012 5:27 pm

Paper products can be cheaper, unless you're tight on storage space, in which case their value/volume ratio is pretty bad.

In general, it's great for canned things and frozen things. And vitamins.

Pretty bad on fresh food.

Great on overly-large sizes of anything else

Exige · Post by **Exige** » Tue May 08, 2012 1:52 pm

we do paper products , frozen fruit, chicken and a few other little things we can either freeze or do not go bad fast salsa etc.

dm200 · Post by **dm200** » Tue May 08, 2012 2:16 pm

COSTCO -

If I can use the size package (recently 4 pounds), I think the fresh strawberries are both relatively good quality and lower in price than the grocery stores I use.

I buy 3# bags of plain, unsalted almonds and walnuts.

The 10 pound (2 5 pound bags inside) Quaker regulat oats (I eat oatmeal every day)

3 pound bage frozen mixed blueberries, rasberries and blackberries - as well as the 3 pound bag frozen "wild" blueberries.

California veggieburgers

"Boca" soyburgers

Wild Pacific salmon burgers (1/4 pound each burger)

Flounder fillets (frozen)

Natural peanut butter (just peanuts and small amount added salt)

Raisins

Dried cherries

Cherios (recently changed to two separate boxex taped together as one pruchase)

yobria · Post by **yobria** » Tue May 08, 2012 3:09 pm

Any perishable food item transported from the other side of the world.

rdmayo21 · Post by **rdmayo21** » Tue May 08, 2012 4:55 pm

The only 3 things I buy at Costco:

1. Kerrygold butter ~ 1lb tubs
2. Kirkland Frozen Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon - 3lb bags
3. Frozen wild organic blueberries - 3 lb bags

interplanetjanet · Post by **interplanetjanet** » Tue May 08, 2012 5:59 pm

yobria wrote:Any perishable food item transported from the other side of the world.

From the point of view of environmental impact and energy consumption, fully agreed.

From the point of view of someone who is going to buy such things at times regardless, Costco sometimes has some very good deals - the mozzarella di bufala that the one near my house carries once in a while is a good value and excellent quality. I used to buy local (Californian) bufala which was in my opinion superior to the stuff flown over here from Italy, but have been unable to get it for two years now.

-janet

BHCadet · Post by **BHCadet** » Tue May 08, 2012 6:19 pm

We bought a Vitamix machine earlier this year from Costco.
Now, we make smoothies using the fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables bought from Costco every day.
I think it is one of the best buy we had from Costco.

Teetlebaum · Post by **Teetlebaum** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:26 am

I'm not a Costco member, but a friend got me a 24 Hour Fitness membership that was pretty cheap.

On the other hand, when I followed her suggestion to check them out for auto insurance, the Ameriprise auto insurance quote was so low
that I was ready to get my own Costco membership ...until I went directly to Ameriprise and found identical coverage for just $2 more.

Still not a member.

texasdiver · Post by **texasdiver** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:38 am

Generally speaking I've found the following to be true:

Costco house brand products (Kirkland Signature) are a better deal than you can find anywhere else. Household products (paper towels, detergents, toilet paper, foil, plastic wrap, garbage bags), dog food, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sheets, shirts, batteries, etc. Also lettuce and tomatoes but not necessarily other fruit.

Also the Kirkland Signature ground sirloin patties. These are the best hamburger patties I have found anywhere. They make a great meaty burger but I also use the patties as my generic supply of ground beef for other recipes (spaghetti, taco fillings, etc.) It is MUCH lower fat than other ordinary ground beef so easier to cook with and there isn't fat to drain off. In the frozen section also the frozen chicken breasts and frozen corn and the Costco ham.

Name brand products at Costco (ketchup, cereal, etc) are generally cheaper than the equivalent name brand product at the local grocery store. But not necessarily cheaper than the generic our house brand products at the local grocery. I can get Heinz ketchup cheaper at Costco but I can get house brand ketchup even cheaper at my local grocery as Costco doesn't have its own brand. Same for breakfast cereal. Cheerios is cheaper at Costco but the Malt-o-Meal bagged copy of Cheerios is still cheaper at the local grocery than the name brand product at Costco. So I never buy ketchup or Cereal at Costco

Some items at Costco just come in too large of quantities for me to use. Garlic, for example comes in giant packages. I can't get through 1/4 of it before it goes stale. So I buy garlic at the local grocery.

I also don't buy tools or bikes at Costco. I'm fussy about tools and would rather order exactly what I want from a place like Amazon than get something I don't exactly want at Costco. And I like my local bike shop and and fussy about bikes so I wouldn't buy them from Costco.

Finally I don't buy computers at Costco. They are often 6 months out of date compared to what you can get buy ordering direct from say Dell or Apple. And often packaged with inferior monitors and hard drives. But I do buy TVs there for the warranty.

bungalow10 · Post by **bungalow10** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:59 am

indexmonkey wrote: Home furnishings?

We've had great luck with home furnishings from Costco. I don't buy their towels or bedding, but I've bought actual furniture and had great luck so far. You can't go wrong with their return policy.

My brought got a great deal on a mattress set. Considering that furniture stores markup mattresses 100% and Costco's markup is less than 20%, it would be hard not to get a good deal. Bought my kids a bedroom furniture set that is solid wood and holding up great. Purchased a slate table and chairs for our desk last year, still like it a lot. Bought a sectional last weekend for my husband's Man Room and so far we like it (too soon to tell for sure though).

I don't buy clothing, it seems very cheaply made, despite often having a name brand.

texasdiver · Post by **texasdiver** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 11:23 am

You also have to know Costco's seasons.

The main parts of the store on the sides where the shelves are don't change much during the year. But the rear part of the open floor section continually rotates.

From Sept - December they have all the Christmas stuff and toys on the floor.
In Jan-Feb they replace all the Christmas stuff with furniture
March - June/July they pull all the furniture and replace it with outdoor living stuff (grills, sporting goods, camping goods, outdoor furniture etc.)
July-Aug they pull most of the outdoor living stuff bit by bit and put the furniture back on the floor until the Christmas season rolls around again.

So if you want to buy furniture you really only have the windows in August and January. If you want to buy a lawn mower or lawn furniture you really only have the spring. And so on.

mikep · Post by **mikep** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 12:06 pm

Avoid the bagels from Costco. After 3 days they get mold.. not fresh

bungalow10 · Post by **bungalow10** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 12:19 pm

mikep wrote:Avoid the bagels from Costco. After 3 days they get mold.. not fresh

Most bread that doesn't contain massive amounts of preservatives gets moldy after three days. Are you sure it's a freshness issue and not an expectations issue? Bagels should be eaten while fresh.

Wonderbread never gets moldy....

Jay69 · Post by **Jay69** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 12:21 pm

mikep wrote:Avoid the bagels from Costco. After 3 days they get mold.. not fresh

Us on the other hand have not had this issue, we get the 2 packs and they keep a good week without trouble. We offten will need to freeze the one package if not going thru them fast enough, they thaw out and are ok.

Curlyq · Post by **Curlyq** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 1:35 pm

.....

sdrone · Post by **sdrone** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 1:58 pm

Generic Zyrtec (30 count) at Target: $12.50

Generic Claritin (365 count) at Costco: $32

Yearly cost at Target: $150
Yearly cost at Costco: $32

Costco has generic Zyrtec, but I was so excited I forgot to check the price.

kerrbro · Post by **kerrbro** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 2:16 pm

Milk is much cheaper at costco by me than anywhere else. Also their milk lasts longer too. My family goes through a lot of milk so when we are there we pick it up.

thomasbayarea · Post by **thomasbayarea** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 3:28 pm

sdrone wrote:Generic Zyrtec (30 count) at Target: $12.50

Generic Claritin (365 count) at Costco: $32

Yearly cost at Target: $150
Yearly cost at Costco: $32

Costco has generic Zyrtec, but I was so excited I forgot to check the price.

I buy the Up & Up version of Claritin at Target: 40 tabs for $3.99 ... that's $36.50 / 365 compared to $32 at Costco. Not a huge difference.

Spirit Rider · Post by **Spirit Rider** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 4:07 pm

I am not renewing my membership due August 1st. This is due to a variety of reasons, but one in particular. Several side by side comparisons of brand name food products demonstrated that the Costco specific packaging contains significantly inferior products to general grocery store brand packaging.

This is not an isolated case, but at least a dozen side by side comparisons. In fact in several cases, Kirland brand generics were better quality than the Costco Brand name products, but always the contents grocery store brand packaging was the best. This is not just my view, but the consistant view of some other people in side by side tests. The general consensus was that the Costco packages contained "absolute crap".

So the bottom line is that you are not getting less expensive quality products, but less expensive cheap products. I contacted Costco about this issue as was told in no uncertain terms that I was wrong. That the products Costco carries in Costco specific sized packaging are exactly the same as supermarket packaging. They can say all they want, but this is a repeatable fact.

windaar · Post by **windaar** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 4:16 pm

My wife & I have just let our Costco membership expire. To go there - parking a mile away in the huge lot, pushing a really heavy cart around, the LONG SLOW checkout lines, lifting the really heavy items in & out of the car - was exhausting. Also, when we did the math it didn't look as if we were saving much money, if any. We've switched to using the "red card" (5% discount) at Target where the shopping trips are much more quick and enjoyable.

tyrion · Post by **tyrion** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 4:19 pm

Spirit Rider wrote:I am not renewing my membership due August 1st. This is due to a variety of reasons, but one in particular. Several side by side comparisons of brand name food products demonstrated that the Costco specific packaging contains significantly inferior products to general grocery store brand packaging.

This is not an isolated case, but at least a dozen side by side comparisons. In fact in several cases, Kirland brand generics were better quality than the Costco Brand name products, but always the contents grocery store brand packaging was the best. This is not just my view, but the consistant view of some other people in side by side tests. The general consensus was that the Costco packages contained "absolute crap".

So the bottom line is that you are not getting less expensive quality products, but less expensive cheap products. I contacted Costco about this issue as was told in no uncertain terms that I was wrong. That the products Costco carries in Costco specific sized packaging are exactly the same as supermarket packaging. They can say all they want, but this is a repeatable fact.

I find this hard to believe, despite you citing unnamed 'other people'. The general take on Kirkland products is that they're made by the major companies and sold without the brand. Kirkland diapers = Huggies, for example. Or maybe it's Pampers. I found them to be the same quality as either, at a great price. But I doubt Costco goes through the hassle of degrading the name brand products. Seems like a lot of work when the whole Costco business model is a fixed markup combined with an annual fee.

I shop a lot at Costco. We eat a lot of fruits and veggies (family of 4). We love a certain brand of bread that only Costco carries- (Nature's Harvest?). They have great beer and wine selection. Great cheeses. The pizza is a bargain. My kids love the samples.

sport · Post by **sport** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 4:43 pm

Spirit Rider wrote:I am not renewing my membership due August 1st. This is due to a variety of reasons, but one in particular. Several side by side comparisons of brand name food products demonstrated that the Costco specific packaging contains significantly inferior products to general grocery store brand packaging.

This is not an isolated case, but at least a dozen side by side comparisons. In fact in several cases, Kirland brand generics were better quality than the Costco Brand name products, but always the contents grocery store brand packaging was the best. This is not just my view, but the consistant view of some other people in side by side tests. The general consensus was that the Costco packages contained "absolute crap".

So the bottom line is that you are not getting less expensive quality products, but less expensive cheap products. I contacted Costco about this issue as was told in no uncertain terms that I was wrong. That the products Costco carries in Costco specific sized packaging are exactly the same as supermarket packaging. They can say all they want, but this is a repeatable fact.

That has not been our experience at all, and we shop at Costco frequently. We find the store brand (Kirkland Signature) products to be of excellent quality, often better than the national brands. We also find brand name products that are better than the regular product found in other stores. These are products made to higher quality standards than the regular product. These are sold in Costco sized packages, so when I tried to find smaller packages at a regular grocery, I found they are not available anywhere else. I have also found enterprising companies selling the Costco packages on the internet, at higher prices than Costco sells them. Of course, these companies do not tell you that they are reselling Costco products. However, the packaging is exactly the same, and some products even have Costco's item number on the package.

When searching for Costco items on the internet, I found a company in Colorado that will shop at Costco for a customer, and deliver the merchandise hours away. There must be significant demand to make this business worthwhile. I also find that every Costco store I have been in to be very busy even at odd hours. On weekends, the stores are jammed with customers. So, while you may think that Costco products are "absolute crap", there are a great many Costco customers who would disagree with you.
Disclaimer: I have no interest in Costco, other than being a satisfied member.

Jeff

GregLee · Post by **GregLee** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 4:51 pm

Cardini's Caesar Salad croutons -- double baked; large bag, but stay edible a long time
spanakopita -- frozen small filled triangles; only occasionally available

bungalow10 · Post by **bungalow10** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 5:02 pm

Spirit Rider wrote:I am not renewing my membership due August 1st. This is due to a variety of reasons, but one in particular. Several side by side comparisons of brand name food products demonstrated that the Costco specific packaging contains significantly inferior products to general grocery store brand packaging.

This is not an isolated case, but at least a dozen side by side comparisons. In fact in several cases, Kirland brand generics were better quality than the Costco Brand name products, but always the contents grocery store brand packaging was the best. This is not just my view, but the consistant view of some other people in side by side tests. The general consensus was that the Costco packages contained "absolute crap".

So the bottom line is that you are not getting less expensive quality products, but less expensive cheap products. I contacted Costco about this issue as was told in no uncertain terms that I was wrong. That the products Costco carries in Costco specific sized packaging are exactly the same as supermarket packaging. They can say all they want, but this is a repeatable fact.

Do you have any specifics? Links to comparisons? Products you compared?

Naikansha · Post by **Naikansha** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 5:06 pm

Frozen tamales to be avoided at all costs.

SunDevil · Post by **SunDevil** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:42 pm

texasdiver wrote: Some items at Costco just come in too large of quantities for me to use. Garlic, for example comes in giant packages. I can't get through 1/4 of it before it goes stale. So I buy garlic at the local grocery.

The large package of fresh garlic is actually one of our favorite Costco buys. It freezes well and we just thaw out a few cloves at a time.

Spirit Rider · Post by **Spirit Rider** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:11 pm

bungalow10 wrote:
Spirit Rider wrote:I am not renewing my membership due August 1st. This is due to a variety of reasons, but one in particular. Several side by side comparisons of brand name food products demonstrated that the Costco specific packaging contains significantly inferior products to general grocery store brand packaging.

This is not an isolated case, but at least a dozen side by side comparisons. In fact in several cases, Kirland brand generics were better quality than the Costco Brand name products, but always the contents grocery store brand packaging was the best. This is not just my view, but the consistant view of some other people in side by side tests. The general consensus was that the Costco packages contained "absolute crap".

So the bottom line is that you are not getting less expensive quality products, but less expensive cheap products. I contacted Costco about this issue as was told in no uncertain terms that I was wrong. That the products Costco carries in Costco specific sized packaging are exactly the same as supermarket packaging. They can say all they want, but this is a repeatable fact.
Do you have any specifics? Links to comparisons? Products you compared?

These are not online comparisons, but rather family and friends. Two of the most egregious offenders are Nabisco wheat thins and Sarah Lee Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches. They both come in higher volume packaging at Costco. The taste, consitency, and quality of the Costco contents are clearly inferior to the contents available elsewhere and this is repeatable so it is not a specific lot problem.

yukonjack · Post by **yukonjack** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:54 pm

Spirit Rider wrote:I am not renewing my membership due August 1st. This is due to a variety of reasons, but one in particular. Several side by side comparisons of brand name food products demonstrated that the Costco specific packaging contains significantly inferior products to general grocery store brand packaging.

This is not an isolated case, but at least a dozen side by side comparisons. In fact in several cases, Kirland brand generics were better quality than the Costco Brand name products, but always the contents grocery store brand packaging was the best. This is not just my view, but the consistant view of some other people in side by side tests. The general consensus was that the Costco packages contained "absolute crap".

So the bottom line is that you are not getting less expensive quality products, but less expensive cheap products. I contacted Costco about this issue as was told in no uncertain terms that I was wrong. That the products Costco carries in Costco specific sized packaging are exactly the same as supermarket packaging. They can say all they want, but this is a repeatable fact.

Interesting...I've shopped at Costco for about 7 years and have read numerous reviews by various sources and have never come across such claims as you have made. I think if they were selling crap you would see stores closing or at the very least stores with minimal traffic.

texasdiver · Post by **texasdiver** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:17 am

SunDevil wrote:
texasdiver wrote: Some items at Costco just come in too large of quantities for me to use. Garlic, for example comes in giant packages. I can't get through 1/4 of it before it goes stale. So I buy garlic at the local grocery.
The large package of fresh garlic is actually one of our favorite Costco buys. It freezes well and we just thaw out a few cloves at a time.

I tried that once and when I thawed it out the cloves appeared to be gellified. They weren't the same texture at all.

Are you freezing the big jars of peeled garlic cloves or the big bags of whole garlic heads?

sscritic · Post by **sscritic** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:12 am

I can't believe no one has mentioned gas. It's the cheapest around. It's the one thing I can buy at Costco or Sam's Club and not worry about having so much it will either spoil in two weeks or last for two years.

German Expat · Post by **German Expat** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 4:49 am

I buy electronics (flat screen TV's, Blue Ray Players etc.) for their hassle free return policy. Also bought outdoor furniture and a fully automatic Swiss coffee maker (again for the no fuss return). Staples like toilet paper, paper towels etc.
Food we buy some of their meat, bread, frozen berries and once in a while coffee.

SunDevil · Post by **SunDevil** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 7:42 am

texasdiver wrote: Are you freezing the big jars of peeled garlic cloves or the big bags of whole garlic heads?

The bag of peeled cloves freezes better than the jar for some reason. The texture does change slightly, but I find no noticeable change in the flavor. Maybe more discerning tasters would disagree, but we go through garlic fast in our house and like the convenience of always having it available.

mike143 · Post by **mike143** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 9:25 pm

I have a free Sam's and BJ's account through work. I am pretty frugal when it comes to groceries. What I mostly buy is meats and veggies from Sam's, most other items I cam purchase for less at ALDI. I would be hard for me to justify a membership if I had to pay for it.

dad2000 · Post by **dad2000** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 9:40 pm

IMHO, the return and warranty policy at Costco is outstanding. If something breaks before you think it should, you can bring it back for a refund (they have some exceptions with electronics, but still double the warranty in most cases). I think the value of the policy is this is ~3-5% based on my prior usage of it.

The next best thing is the free buffet lunch on the weekends

My experience is that most Kirkland brands are a good deal. Their coffee is much cheaper if you like it. Their laundry detergent is good and cheap.

If you get your cell phone there, you typically get about $50 in free accessories.

The perishable foods usually only make sense if you're feeding a large family. I have 3 hungry kids, so they work out well. Broccoli and lettuce are particularly inexpensive there.

I've never liked Sams. Much lower quality in my opinion.

shawcroft · Post by **shawcroft** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 9:51 pm

Almost everytime I check out at Costco, they want me to "upgrade" my membership from the $50 basic level (might be $55 now) Someone did the math for me and while you might save a little money in the first year by some sort of first year membership rebate, that savings program doesn't continue after the first year...and you now have a $100 membership.....
Shawcroft

S&L1940 · Post by **S&L1940** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 9:52 pm

Like any type of shopping careful comparison and buying what you need as opposed to just throwing stuff in the cart makes for a good experience at Costco & BJ's

on a regular basis I buy: lettuce, compari (sp?) tomatoes, bananas, frozen berries, Cheerios, brand name hummus, tabbouleh, tea, chips, gas and brand name supplements when they have specials
BJ's sometimes has smaller packaging but they also accept manufacturer's coupons.

I have never been near a Sam's so I can not pass on their set up; Costco & BJ's are a good value for the wife and I, Rich

texasdiver · Post by **texasdiver** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:12 am

shawcroft wrote:Almost everytime I check out at Costco, they want me to "upgrade" my membership from the $50 basic level (might be $55 now) Someone did the math for me and while you might save a little money in the first year by some sort of first year membership rebate, that savings program doesn't continue after the first year...and you now have a $100 membership.....
Shawcroft

The executive membership gives you 2% cash back on all Costco purchases. My annual membership rebate is always over $100 and I've had it for years. So not only do I recapture the extra $55 that the executive membership costs, I end up capturing the entire $110 cost of the Costco membership through the 2% rebate. (The standard membership is $55 and the upgrade to "executive" is an additional $55).

I also use the auto insurance through the Costco program which saves me over $100/year from what I was paying with GEICO. and I use the super cheap check printing available to Costco Executive members which saves me $20 or so/year compared to buying checks through my bank.

If you only sporadically shop at Costco (or are retired like my parents and not spending much on household goods) then it is probably not worth it. But if you are buying for a family and regularly shop at Costco for your staples and household goods then you will at least break even and probably come out ahead.

sport · Post by **sport** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:07 am

texasdiver wrote:
shawcroft wrote:Almost everytime I check out at Costco, they want me to "upgrade" my membership from the $50 basic level (might be $55 now) Someone did the math for me and while you might save a little money in the first year by some sort of first year membership rebate, that savings program doesn't continue after the first year...and you now have a $100 membership.....
Shawcroft
The executive membership gives you 2% cash back on all Costco purchases. My annual membership rebate is always over $100 and I've had it for years. So not only do I recapture the extra $55 that the executive membership costs, I end up capturing the entire $110 cost of the Costco membership through the 2% rebate. (The standard membership is $55 and the upgrade to "executive" is an additional $55).

I also use the auto insurance through the Costco program which saves me over $100/year from what I was paying with GEICO. and I use the super cheap check printing available to Costco Executive members which saves me $20 or so/year compared to buying checks through my bank.

If you only sporadically shop at Costco (or are retired like my parents and not spending much on household goods) then it is probably not worth it. But if you are buying for a family and regularly shop at Costco for your staples and household goods then you will at least break even and probably come out ahead.

We are a retired couple. We also have the executive membership and we come out ahead every year. If you like Costco merchandise and shop there often, it is easy to do. However, as you said, if you are not a regular Costco shopper, the executive membership is not worthwhile. In either case, its your choice.

Jeff

CanuckExpats · Post by **CanuckExpats** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:23 am

Spirit Rider wrote:This is not an isolated case, but at least a dozen side by side comparisons. In fact in several cases, Kirland brand generics were better quality than the Costco Brand name products, but always the contents grocery store brand packaging was the best. This is not just my view, but the consistant view of some other people in side by side tests. The general consensus was that the Costco packages contained "absolute crap".

We did have one instance where I was unpleasantly surprised: We bought a two pack of large Tropicana Orange Juice from Costco, only when we got home did I realize the juice was from concentrate. It was clearly labelled on the package that it was from concentrate, however I didn't think to check because every time I've bought Tropicana Orange Juice from the grocery store, it has been "not from concentrate". I really didn't care for the taste of the Orange Juice from concentrate.

For us, the savings on dog food alone probably pay for the Costco membership. It's not really a fair comparision, as we were buying one of the most expensive brands before (Wellnesss) and now switched to Kirkland brand. Our dog seems to like the former better, but we much prefer the cost of the latter, and dog food in bulk is handy. Tires for our car were also much cheaper from Costco.

dogdoc83 · Post by **dogdoc83** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:10 pm

For us, the savings on dog food alone probably pay for the Costco membership. It's not really a fair comparision, as we were buying one of the most expensive brands before (Wellnesss) and now switched to Kirkland brand. Our dog seems to like the former better, but we much prefer the cost of the latter, and dog food in bulk is handy. Tires for our car were also much cheaper from Costco.

My husband is a veterinary toxicologist who sends me the FDA and CVM (veterinary FDA equivalent) recall announcements when they seem timely, your post made me remember this:

On May 4, 2012, Diamond Pet Foods announced a voluntary recall of Costco’s Kirkland Signature Dog Food. The Kirkland dog food recall mentioned in the news bulletin includes:

Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Lamb, Rice & Vegetable Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
Kirkland Signature Super Premium Mature Dog Chicken, Rice & Egg Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Dog Formulated with Chicken & Vegetables (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
Kirkland Signature Super Premium Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Cat Formula (December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Formula for Dogs (December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)

Respectfully

IS0LD0UT · Post by **IS0LD0UT** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 1:38 pm

We buy lots of gas and I just found about the 15% off parts/repair/service through their auto program even if you didn't buy your car through the program. I went to the dealership closest to me with the printout and had no issue getting the 15% off my 60K service. $45 saved right there.