I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

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duckcalldan
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I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by duckcalldan »

Costco membership and the Bogleheads community have quite a lot of Venn diagram overlap. I’ve been a Costco stockholder for almost 20 years and I’m a big fan of their business model, their customer-focused return policy, and the way they treat their employees. Having said that, I’m not going to renew my membership when it expires at the end of February.

My wife and I are minimalists. We just don’t buy that much stuff. When something breaks, or is outdated, we will replace it. But I don’t browse the aisles at Costco to see what treasures need to be discovered. It’s just not our style and I don’t like the feeling of large-scale consumption when I’m at a warehouse. I’d be willing to bet that the creators of Wall-E were inspired by Costco when they came up with the idea of Buy-N-Large.

We live 35 minutes from the closest warehouse and, as a result, go there at most every other month. At $60/year, that’s a $10 fee just to walk in the door. While there are staples that we do buy there (dog food, maple syrup, pesto, the occasional rotisserie chicken), we can find replacements elsewhere. Yes, their optical shop represents good value...but so does Zenni Optical. Even with Costco, we do 90% of our shopping at Trader Joe’s and aren’t a family that does much grocery shopping at Costco. Our time is valuable and I don’t need a 2 hour shopping expedition unless needed.

The reason for this post isn’t to be negative on Costco. It’s to show why, for our family, the costs/benefits of a $60 membership just doesn’t make sense and to suggest there might be other Bogleheads that should do the math to decide if a warehouse club membership continues to make sense.
annielouise
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by annielouise »

Although we don't have a Costco membership, we still order a few items online. The extra charge (5%?) doesn't change the value much, especially since sale prices still count and everything I buy ships free. You may want to see if that works for you.
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Watty
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by Watty »

For many people finding a friend with a membership to take them to Costco once or twice a year works well and I did that for a long time.
neilpilot
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by neilpilot »

We're no longer members, but the cost of membership wasn't our issue. We just didn't like shopping there. If you are really bothered by that $60/year, one way to get around that is to ask a friend or family member with a Costco membership to buy you a $10-$25 prepaid cash card. You can use the cash card to get into Costco and pay for part of your purchase. You can then pay the remaining balance with cash, debit card, or American Express credit card.
Last edited by neilpilot on Mon Feb 12, 2018 8:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
jaj2276
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by jaj2276 »

It's tough for us to compare using a simple cash flow comparison because I believe there is value in their Kirkland brand. We buy their Kirkland brand dog food. Could I get cheaper dog food elsewhere? Sure but I don't think it's an apples to apples comparison. Same with baby formula.

I think we come out ahead shopping at Costco slightly using a cash flow comparison but that increases when looking at the value we're receiving. We too however aren't a family that goes there w/o a list just to see what kind of "bargains" we can find.
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yukonjack
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by yukonjack »

You make some valid points regarding shopping for more common items, but we save a quite a bit on larger, more infrequent purchases such as Costco Travel, rental cars, insurance, mattresses and tires. And in my area Costco gas is much cheaper than the rest. But I live less than 3 miles from Costco so quite a bit different than your situation. Of course these types of discussions vary greatly from person to person.
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bottlecap
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by bottlecap »

I’m happy that you were able to make a decision.

JT
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goingup
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by goingup »

I rarely shop there but find membership valuable for:
*rental cars--Costco has best rates, free additional driver, no pre-pay, easy cancellation
*electronic purchases--good prices, extended warranty

Sounds like it's not worthwhile for your purposes. Good for you--culling things that add no value!
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Toons
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by Toons »

Thinking about the Same here with Sams Club.
Just two of us.
We seem to be better served going to Walmart for smaller quanities or
having it shipped from Amazon or Walmart. :happy
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sport
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by sport »

On the other hand, we are a family of two. We have an Executive Membership at Costco. The 2% rebate is always large enough to pay for the additional membership cost. When used with the Costco Visa card, we get a total of 4% price reduction on everything we buy there. Occasionally we also find some "members only" items on Costco.com.
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praxis
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by praxis »

We don't shop at Costco much. The quantities products come in don't justify the lower price per unit for us as a modest-consuming couple. But this month I receive our $300. check from using our Costco Visa cash back card for gas and groceries at other stores. That's a good cash back deal compared to many other cards. I just checked their rent car prices for a trip in June and they're lower than any other price I've found so far by about $50/week with the other advantages like second driver free. I can't speak from experience about specific products that get a lot of fans, like tires, optics, TVs. I do think their meat section is superior.
goodlifer
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by goodlifer »

neilpilot wrote: Mon Feb 12, 2018 8:54 am We're no longer members, but the cost of membership wasn't our issue. We just didn't like shopping there. If you are really bothered by that $60/year, one way to get around that is to ask a friend or family member with a Costco membership to buy you a $10-$25 prepaid cash card. You can use the cash card to get into Costco and pay for part of your purchase. You can then pay the remaining balance with cash, debit card, or American Express credit card.
They have't accepted Amex for over a year now. It is Visa.

We are a family of 3, but we still make our membership work for us. We have the executive membership and our last rebate check from Citi was over $200, plus the Costco rebate that we usually get next month. We buy all the paper products and things like Ziploc and aluminum foil. Things that don't expire. We also book a lot of our travel through them. As already mentioned, try to find someone you know with a membership to save some money. Their maple syrup is the best!
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oldcomputerguy
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by oldcomputerguy »

neilpilot wrote: Mon Feb 12, 2018 8:54 am We're no longer members, but the cost of membership wasn't our issue. We just didn't like shopping there. If you are really bothered by that $60/year, one way to get around that is to ask a friend or family member with a Costco membership to buy you a $10-$25 prepaid cash card. You can use the cash card to get into Costco and pay for part of your purchase. You can then pay the remaining balance with cash, debit card, or American Express credit card.
Not any more. Costco dropped acceptance of American Express in 2016, they now only accept Visa at store locations, Visa and Mastercard online.
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Nate79
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by Nate79 »

Everyone has to make their own decision. The amount of money that we save even on a few items like baby formula, dog food, gas, more than makes up for the annual fee.
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by btenny »

We are founding members of "Price Club" that has evolved into Costco for those that did not know. We love the store and have one about a mile from our home in AZ. The prices are low and they carry good stuff. We get food there (love the $1.50 hot dog and drink deal for a fast lunch) and groceries and most of our gas. By using their rebate credit card we get refunds of $300 a year on the credit card. Plus the gas in usually cheaper by 2-10 cents a gallon. Then recently we have been using Costco for travel services. Their cruise packages are low cost and have free extras added on that save you money. We got the free drink package and the free specialty dining when we went to the Caribbean 2 years ago. A $300+ value. This year we are getting a $500 store card for buying our Panama canal cruise through them.

So the membership is a good deal for us.
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VictoriaF
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by VictoriaF »

I too visit Costco every other month, but I don't calculate the cost of membership as $60 divided by 6. At each visit, I buy large quantities of items that last me a long time. I don't walk aisles looking for what to buy; when I arrive I have a list of what I want, including some items on sale that I have identified from Costco mailings.

A significant advantage for me is that Costco screens for the quality of their merchandise and has a limited selection. When I buy olive oil, walnuts, organic chicken, avocados, berries, etc., I don't have to think about brands and unit costs. Occasionally, I make larger purchases, such as Moto 5 smartphone, that provide additional savings. Costco's generous return policy makes it a safer purchase than, for example, getting the same phone at the same price from Amazon.

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michaeljc70
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by michaeljc70 »

Nate79 wrote: Mon Feb 12, 2018 10:10 am Everyone has to make their own decision. The amount of money that we save even on a few items like baby formula, dog food, gas, more than makes up for the annual fee.
That's how I view it. I live a mile from a Costco and save more than the $60 membership fee on gas a year. I also enjoy walking the aisles and view it partially as entertainment :shock: . I can see how it isn't worth it for some people.

I don't know if technically their rules allow it, but I've never had a problem putting down my brother, father, etc. for the 2nd card so they don't have to buy a membership.
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by Sandtrap »

duckcalldan wrote: Mon Feb 12, 2018 8:43 am Costco membership and the Bogleheads community have quite a lot of Venn diagram overlap. I’ve been a Costco stockholder for almost 20 years and I’m a big fan of their business model, their customer-focused return policy, and the way they treat their employees. Having said that, I’m not going to renew my membership when it expires at the end of February.

My wife and I are minimalists. We just don’t buy that much stuff. When something breaks, or is outdated, we will replace it. But I don’t browse the aisles at Costco to see what treasures need to be discovered. It’s just not our style and I don’t like the feeling of large-scale consumption when I’m at a warehouse. I’d be willing to bet that the creators of Wall-E were inspired by Costco when they came up with the idea of Buy-N-Large.

We live 35 minutes from the closest warehouse and, as a result, go there at most every other month. At $60/year, that’s a $10 fee just to walk in the door. While there are staples that we do buy there (dog food, maple syrup, pesto, the occasional rotisserie chicken), we can find replacements elsewhere. Yes, their optical shop represents good value...but so does Zenni Optical. Even with Costco, we do 90% of our shopping at Trader Joe’s and aren’t a family that does much grocery shopping at Costco. Our time is valuable and I don’t need a 2 hour shopping expedition unless needed.

The reason for this post isn’t to be negative on Costco. It’s to show why, for our family, the costs/benefits of a $60 membership just doesn’t make sense and to suggest there might be other Bogleheads that should do the math to decide if a warehouse club membership continues to make sense.
I've been thinking the same thing.
My wife and I have memberships and we might go to Cosco maybe once every 2-3 years. And, we don't buy anything in bulk. Since we're retired and "empty nesters", small portions of things are enough. I'm not sure if the occasional use of optical or some speciality item is worth the membership either.
I didn't do the math but it seems that leaving Costco would be a good idea.
But.
Do I have to be a member to buy tires, but how often do I do that?' Every zillion years.
And, it's just my luck that a short time after cancelling, I need something there. :shock:

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itstoomuch
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by itstoomuch »

Go there for the hot dogs and drug peesciptions. No card needed for either. :mrgreen:
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weltschmerz
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by weltschmerz »

I would also consider myself a minimalist, but I believe the Costco membership is a fantastic value, even for me. The quality of their products is very high, and I usually suffer from 'analysis-paralysis' in the regular grocery store, so I like the fact that there is usually only one type of each item.

For example, I make a big batch of Quinoa salad a few times a month, and 3 of my main ingredients are purchased there: quinoa, pine nuts, and olive oil. The cost of these items is WAY lower than the grocery stores near me.

Also, buying just one set of tires is a big savings there, especially when they have the $70-off coupons.

The clothing is great as well. On most days, I am dressed head-to-toe in clothing that I bought there. I hate clothes shopping, so I love the fact that I can get easily my socks, underwear, shorts, jeans, shirts, sweaters, coats.....

Heck, if I just look at my yearly purchases of Kirkland toilet paper, I probably save $60 compared to what I would pay at the regular store. That covers my membership cost right there.

So for me, Costco is a great value, and I always enjoy shopping there. True, I do shudder when I see someone leaving the store with a huge cart filled with junk, but I figure those folks are helping to subsidize the low prices of the stuff that I want to buy.
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by GraduateStudent »

Two thoughts:

1. I make my own bread. The 50 lbs sack of flour for $12.50 literally pays for the entire annual membership in its savings versus supermarket. I buy a few 50 lbs sacks per year, so for me membership a no-brainer.

2. I also don't like consumerism. Try walking through the store "backwards". They put all the consumery gadety jewelry watches crap right where you walk in. The good stuff (my sacks o flour) are usually by the registers.
Last edited by GraduateStudent on Mon Feb 12, 2018 11:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by iamlucky13 »

I agree that a lot Costco members just seem to assume value automatically. I do think it is a good model, and we are members, but I sat down and did some math when they told us we should upgrade to an executive membership. That higher fee didn't actually make sense for us. The basic membership does seem to, although I haven't done a precise cost comparison. However, we do buy quite a bit of our regular purchases there, since one is only 15 minutes from our house.

I have to guess there are a lot of members who buy significantly less than we do who have never really taken a critical look at whether they get $60 value out of it. I think the same for Amazon Prime.

That said, if it were solely up to me, we wouldn't be Costco members. It's just more hassle getting in, around, and out of the store than I personally want to deal with. The inattentive shoppers are a big part of it, but the way some people switch into combat mode to escape the parking lot really bothers me - I had a guy give me double middle fingers in the last trip for not yielding to his attempt to run a stop. That kind of crap is not uncommon. Strangely, we get it less at the next closest Costco, in a low income industrial-adjacent area, then in our own upper-middle class area. Self-entitlement, I suppose.

My wife is more willing to put up with it, especially since she can visit on the off-peak hours, so she does the overwhelming majority of the trips.
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by oldcomputerguy »

weltschmerz wrote: Mon Feb 12, 2018 10:55 am I would also consider myself a minimalist, but I believe the Costco membership is a fantastic value, even for me. The quality of their products is very high, and I usually suffer from 'analysis-paralysis' in the regular grocery store, so I like the fact that there is usually only one type of each item.
I too shop at Costco, and consider it worth the cost. It's reasonably located for me, and has a lot of the things I need in bulk (particularly coffee, paper products, and some over-the-counter meds).

It's also nicer to be able to walk in and get some things I otherwise might order online. Case in point, I recently ran out of glucosamine supplement. The local Walgreens no longer carried the brand I liked, so I looked on Amazon, ordered a bottle. When it arrived, it turned out the order had been filled by -- ta da -- Costco. Next time I was in Costco, I looked, sure enough, it was on the shelf. Could have picked it up there and saved shipping. :oops:
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arsenalfan
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by arsenalfan »

Sounds like a good decision for you. If a store was located far away and I did not buy a lot from there/realize savings and did not want to go in general, I also would not go. David Hume distilled.

We're quite the opposite: we have 2 Costcos each 15 minutes away and go weekly. Produce and meats are decent, and the staples cannot be beat for a growing family with 2 dogs. We go when they open and are in and out in about 20 minutes. The few times we browse, we've found some gems - stroppwoffels, bulk fire extinguishers and trash cans for our rental properties, and LED bulbs that were basically free after the rebate.

A third Costco with booze is 25 minutes away - we go there 3x per year when we host large parties.

When we become empty nesters, I doubt we will maintain the membership. As with all expenses, reevaluate periodically!
Last edited by arsenalfan on Mon Feb 12, 2018 11:07 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by 123 »

duckcalldan wrote: Mon Feb 12, 2018 8:43 am ... I’m not going to renew my membership when it expires at the end of February...
Sorry it no longer works for you. Sorry to see you go but it does means the lines may be a little shorter for those of us that remain...
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N10sive
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by N10sive »

You can always share a membership with someone and split the costs.

My sister and I live in different cities but share the same costco membership. If your a couple, both of you dont need to be on the membership. Share it with a relative or friend especially if its 35 minutes away. It would be different if it was 5 mins away and both of you went to gas up at costco, but this doesn't seem to be the case.

For big Items I think costco provides great value. I recently purchased car tires, save 70 dollars plus only 1 cent for installation. Most others charge 75-150 for installation. That paid for the membership right there. It might not be every year but for that value and other large purchases, costco is a good deal. YMMV though. I dont subscribe to the executive because I don't spend that much to get the cash back of the membership. But I do spend enough to make up for the regular membership. I haven't calculated if that is still cheaper than traditional supermarkets but I imagine it is. Meat that I buy there for large BBQ's is priced usually half of what I can get in the grocery store because its in bulk.
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by letsgobobby »

We make up our membership fee with savings on car rentals alone.
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Alexa9
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by Alexa9 »

Costco and Amazon Prime have a membership fee that encourages some people to buy stuff that they may not need (impulse purchases) to justify the fee.
I think the fee is worth it for convenience with Amazon (save a half hour trip just for an HDMI cable) and bulk/quality items at Costco especially if you have teenagers to feed or cook a lot.
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by letsgobobby »

Historically Costco's entire annual profit is represented by its total annual membership fees. Put another way, everything they sell is more or less at cost, net of expenses.
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by JBTX »

We haven't signed up for Costco. Main issue is it is 15-20 miles away in a major urban area. With so many grocery options locally, it isn't worth the haul. I'd like to try one out anyway but I don't feel like going through the hassle of signing up and then going back and getting refund if I don't like it
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by EnjoyIt »

We go to Costco about 10-14 times a year. Our biggest savings comes from cheese. Plus they have a excellent selection of grapes and blueberries in our area. The quality is usually better than the supermarket although the price is about the same. same thing for a few caned goods. I would keep my membership just for the cheese and produce.
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by lazydavid »

btenny wrote: Mon Feb 12, 2018 10:18 am We are founding members of "Price Club" that has evolved into Costco for those that did not know.
This is not exactly correct. Price Club as an organization didn't beget Costco. After being independent rivals for a decade, they merged in 1993--shortly after Sol Price declined a similar offer to merge with Sam's Club. The combined company was called PriceCostco for 4 years, with each formerly-independent chain's stores continuing to operate under their original names. The organization converted fully over to the stronger Costco name in 1997 and renamed all the Price Club stores.

Sol Price left shortly after the merger and founded PriceSmart. So it is probably closer to (but still not perfectly) accurate to say that Costco acquired Price Club.
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The529guy
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by The529guy »

This thread makes me so grateful for our Costco.

Ours is so close that we joke about recovering the annual membership fee with all of our 2-gallon milk purchases for $4.
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by bloom2708 »

If you do not purchase enough to at least cover your $60 or $120 membership, then cancelling is a good idea.

For our $120 we received $134 back from the Costco card and $342 for our Costco Visa rewards. The reward came last week.

We use everything we buy (mostly food, tp, paper products). We don't buy things we don't need or want. When our 3 kids are out of the house and on their own, I can see a time where we just will not need the quantity we currently do. At that time we will reconsider.

Quality, quantity and reasonable prices are factors that keep us going back.
Last edited by bloom2708 on Mon Feb 12, 2018 12:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
runner3081
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by runner3081 »

We have not been Costco members for years as we dropped them to go to Sam's Club.

Now that Sam's Club is gone in our area, we figured Costco might be useful again. Gave my friend (A Costco member) cash and they purchased a very large GC to Costco for us.

After going a few weeks back, we probably won't go again. We can get the same, or better pricing at Winco.

It is nice to have the gift card when we need gas and if there is ever anything at Costco we may want.
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by WhiteMaxima »

I enjoy saving and shopping experience at Costco. The gasoline is almost 30c cheaper plus the 4% Citibank card. I could easily make the $120 member fee saving.
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by Wellfleet »

We took a 2 month break when our membership expired and recently renewed.

We tried Walmart for non perishables. Close to a wash pricewise. Milk cheaper at Walmart, bread cheaper at Costco. Organic eggs cheaper at Costco. Chicken cheaper at local supermarket

Walmart seemed easier to make opportunity purchase not planned. Toy for kids, motor oil, etc. for me.

Biggest issue was that at Walmart, the Charmin bathroom tissue roll was 3/4 inch narrower than at Costco. That convinced me to renew. :happy

Costco about once per month with local options otherwise.
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by HJG0989 »

We have purchased two cars from Costco. I will never go back to haggling on my own.
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by knpstr »

I have never had a Costco or Sam's Club membership.
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navyitaly
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by navyitaly »

So cancel your Costco membership then...what’s the point of posting a post about it? I’m lost....
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by Broken Man 1999 »

Well, with wife's purchase of new cellphone at Costco ($300 gift card) and my cashback Costco credit card ($177) we will soon plan a large stock up run. And, we will also grab a few of Costco's filet mignon steaks. Last weekend we grilled some, and they were fork tender. And, the rotisserie chicken is delicious.

I have started buying Costco's private label spirits, and am very satisfied with the ones I have bought. To convince some folks of the quality I think I'll set up some blind tastings. Many of our daughter's generation believe the price determines the quality. Sometimes it does, sometimes the price pays for a mediocre product boosted by an expensive advertising budget.

When we are at Costco, we just need to remember buy only what we need, when we see all the displayed items! However, I think Costco is in league with Borgs; thus resistance is futile. Both of us have been assimilated. :D

Still, unless one visits regularly, or purchases large ticket items, Costco might not be worth their membership fees. It is too late for us.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borg_(Star_Trek)

Broken Man 1999
“If I cannot drink Bourbon and smoke cigars in Heaven then I shall not go." - Mark Twain
barnaclebob
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by barnaclebob »

weltschmerz wrote: Mon Feb 12, 2018 10:55 am Also, buying just one set of tires is a big savings there, especially when they have the $70-off coupons.
I'm pretty sure those $70 off coupons are from the manufacturer and available and most retailers. I know I got one from discount tire last time I bought a set of Michelin tires.
Wellfleet
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by Wellfleet »

Broken Man 1999 wrote: Mon Feb 12, 2018 12:40 pm
I have started buying Costco's private label spirits, and am very satisfied with the ones I have bought. Broken Man 1999
I bought a 36-48? pack of Kirkland Light to a guy's weekend and my friends are still talking about it. That might be the only mediocre item at the place :beer
zeep
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by zeep »

The quality of a number of their in-house products has declined noticeably over the last several years (Court Classic tennis shoes, toilet paper, luggage, organic chicken poorly butchered with lots of connective tissue and gristle). Lots of comments on the web that the special Gillette Mach 3 "Signature Edition" razor blades are lower quality than regular Mach 3 blades.

It's disappointing, as I have been a big fan in the past, but we have noticed the quality drop in a number of items.
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Pajamas
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by Pajamas »

Seems smart for your circumstances. I think a lot of the savings that people think they are getting are offset by impulse purchases and not being able to scrape the last few smears out of those 42 gallon drums of mayonnaise.

Going into a Costco always reminds me of this Andy Griffith episode:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaKhDv2KfbE
N10sive
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by N10sive »

barnaclebob wrote: Mon Feb 12, 2018 12:47 pm
weltschmerz wrote: Mon Feb 12, 2018 10:55 am Also, buying just one set of tires is a big savings there, especially when they have the $70-off coupons.
I'm pretty sure those $70 off coupons are from the manufacturer and available and most retailers. I know I got one from discount tire last time I bought a set of Michelin tires.
It most certainly is. However if you wait for the right time, costco often has 1 cent installation. Which is a $60-120 savings right there, maybe more. I dont see many places like discount tire offer free installation, that's where they make their money. My costco has had this for 1 week the past two months.
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quantAndHold
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by quantAndHold »

We live simply, and always shop with a list, but we’ve been members since the Price Club days. We save more on gasoline, toilet paper, and meat than the membership costs. Don’t even get me started on the olive oil or shampoo...

But seriously, we moved houses last year and needed new window coverings and flooring for the basement. The amount we saved on those two items paid for our membership for many years. We got talked into an executive membership about 15 years ago when we were standing in line with a TV. Every year we talk about downgrading the membership, but every year we spend more than enough that the executive membership is still the best deal for us.

So yeah, we keep the membership.
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baconavocado
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by baconavocado »

I just checked and we've been spending about $1500/year at Costco for the past five years, which makes the membership fee about a 4% tax. I'd rather we weren't members but I don't think I could talk my wife into dropping it. I think warehouse stores can encourage consumption (both literally and in the economic sense) and I'd rather support local businesses even if it costs a bit more.
OneWorld111
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by OneWorld111 »

We end up buying more then we at each trip.. not sure buying cost effective results in mass buying n probably unused..

I dread each of our trips as we spend at least $250 per trip..
DrGoogle2017
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Re: I’m not renewing my Costco membership.

Post by DrGoogle2017 »

For years, we never had Costco membership. But now they pay me to shop there, we only buy essential stuff there, mostly berries and pineapples, lamb and cheese, milk and eggs, toilet papers, glasses, prints, gasoline, and tires. But using Costco citi credit card, we get almost $1000 back a year from Citibank, almost $200 from the executive club. What’s not to like.
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