Hello there, wise family and friends... I'm facing a potentially life-changing decision here, and I need advice.
Yea or Nay?
Yea or Nay?Here are some factors that impact my decision:
- There are two Costcos relatively nearby, one is in St. Louis Park (5 mi/10 min away) and the other is in Maple Grove (11 mi/20 min away).
- We're pretty strict about our grocery budget, which is generous enough to let us eat deli turkey and red peppers (mmm), but not so generous that I shop at Whole Foods very often. So if I spend it all by the 18th, we're playing creative pantry until the next month (curses, January...)
- I'd be ok with the XL shopping carts, because somehow the boys have gotten into the pattern of running toward those FUN shopping carts with the car attached to the front at the grocery store. It's like driving a 2WD semi truck. That magnetically attracts random bottom-shelf grocery items throughout the store.
- I'm kind of choosy about food, and I'm wandering if Costco will have enough variety. Like, I like unsweetened applesauce, not-squishy whole-grain bread (but it has to be $2.50 or less), plain yogurt without junk (cornstarch, gelatin) in it, whole-wheat tortillas without preservatives (funny aftertaste, yuck), natural peanut butter... etc. I guess I could go browse the aisles with a checklist and see for myself on this one.
- We don't eat much meat, and that's one thing that most people love about Costco. We do eat 'meat analogs' regularly--does Costco sell tofu, veggie burgers & hot dogs, tempeh, seitan, etc? (Trader Joes has the market on cheap tofu. They offered to start delivering it directly to my house to save the step of shelving it and me unshelving it. I wish that weren't a lie.)
- We do eat a lot of produce, so the 4-lb bag of spinach is AOK with me. I have a hard time buying produce that's above the "benchmark" per pound prices I have in my brain, so I've been feeling kinda deprived this winter... (Why is winter squash $1/lb everywhere! If that's not in season, I don't know what is. Someone show me .29/lb; I'll even take .49. I could eat a butternut squash every day of my life for the rest of eternity. That's probably not normal, oh well.)
- I went through Costco once last fall, to scope out prices, and found them to be comparable to sale prices at other grocery stores. So, it would be more convenient to be able to get these prices all of the time, in one place. Then again, I don't mind waiting for sales and then stocking up when an opportunity arises. I'm totally that crazy lady buying 36 jars of Classico pasta sauce (3/$5 baby. We'll eventually use it). I love when the cashier or other customers point out that I really must like pasta sauce. (Probably not any more than they do, but I do hoard it in my basement, lined up pretty on shelves, which is only normal if you're Mormon.) Of course, shelf-stable items are one thing; the same tactic doesn't work for produce and other perishables.
- Have you noticed that Target is starting to sell Utah family-sized packages of home stuff? I haven't compared prices, but it's worth considering that Costco and Sam's Club don't have the monopoly on jumbo-jumbo sized packaged goods. (I do a lot of grocery shopping at Target, since their prices are competitive, Rainbow kind of bugs me [I can really only buy 1 gallon of milk at the sale price?? Gimicky], Cub foods is a little far away, and every time I go to Byerly's I come out with sushi too (mmmmmm), in addition to overpriced groceries--or sometimes just sushi. Boy is that wrecking my grocery budget. Curses, January... But that has nothing to do with anything.)
And, at the heart of the matter--can I really be a Mormon Mom, in every sense of the word, and not have a Costco membership? (JK here, I'm a maverick. Look at the car we drive. Wait, that's cause we're cheap.)
What has your experience been? And what other things should I consider?
11 comments:
TOTALLY get and respect where you're coming from on the budget issue. Costco's definitely worth checking out, just as you mention - take a checklist and walk their aisles to see if their stuff meets your criteria.
One thing I've been thinking and reading about a lot are the hidden costs of "cheap" food. Sure, they're cheap on the consumer end, but cheap production methods create a lot of waste and pollution that include hidden costs such as destroying property values and introducing biochemical illnesses -- costs that will eventually be passed on to taxpayers. You're a wonderful, choosy mom with high standards for your family's health -- I wonder if that Whole Foods produce could be worth notching up the food budget a little?
Good luck and let us know what happens!
We have had the same debate for quite some time. When I was out of town with friends, I ended up buying 2 $40 dresses at Costco on their card. Months later I decided to return one of the dresses and decided that since that money was spent and gone, I would return the dress and just pay $10 more for the membership and give it a whirl for a year.
I'm not sure that we will continue to buy a membership. I am also VERY strict with my grocery budget. I find that many of the things sold at Costco can be purchased on sale with coupons for less than the Costco price. Produce that is in season can also usually be purchased cheaper on sale.
I think it comes down going there and deciding what you would buy on a regular basis, and what kinds of things you like. Personally, the only thing we buy there regularly are the mickey mouse chicken nuggets and the uncooked tortillas (not whole wheat, but delicious). I probably need to explore more. Some people swear by Costco's fruit, cake, etc.
Cheap pizza and hotdogs are a plus for us. The food bar at costco is delish and super duper cheap. Our whole family can be filled up for like 8 dollars when we're having a lazy day and want to eat out.
I'm not sure if we will re-join, but I think I need to do more investigating. I hear that their furniture is great and other non food items. They also have a SUPER flexible return policy. I have a friend that just returned a couch they had for a year. You can even return your membership at anytime during the year for a full refund.
Sorry that was super long. I am curious to see what other people have to say.
I've liked my costco membership. It can be quite tempting to go off the beaten path, however.
I find their food to be great. I much prefer their bread and bagels than anywhere (the bagels are Einstein's bagels btw) Their produce is dang good. I could find a pineapple for half the price of Cub or Rainbow. Plus, they have an awesome return policy on EVERYTHING. I saw a woman return a bag of rolls after Thanksgiving because "they didn't need it". Costco is also increasing their organics stuff and cutting out stuff that in general is on the evil list now.
I would recommend going around it before you got a membership to see if it was something you definitely want. There are still things you probably would rather get from a regular grocery.
Other than the food, I often get Sammi and Clara's pajamas there, I get Stephen his Docker pants for work ($10-20). I get my diapers there too. And you can't beat the photo printing. I've always had great results.
However, I think you'd be a totally acceptable mormon mother without a Costco membership. However, if you do get one... you might have to get a car with a bigger trunk...
somedays i say yes to costco and somedays they get the no vote. It all depends on what you want to buy and if you coupon. My sisters MIL actually started couponing and went through costco and wrote the prices of stuff she buys in her binder so when she is at the grocery store with a coupon she can compare. It is very easy though to get off track at costco because they don't always carry the same things. we buy a lot of stuff and end up packaging it smaller and freezing it. Another factor is that you have to be able to fit everything in your car. (we weren't able to one time and it's a good thing we were with our friends). Gas is always cheaper so if you are there its always nice to fill up but it's too far out of the way for us to drive up for a tank. I could go on & on. Hope this helps a little.
You should DEFINITELY get a Costco membership!!! When we got to Saginaw and realized that they don't have one Paul wrote to Costco telling them to come here because it turns out Sams Club stinks. Seriously, he did!
We found that milk, cheese, bread, and definitely produce is much cheaper. We also got the giant bags of frozen chicken breasts and giant things of ground beef, and it would last us forever. Everything at Costco is really great quality. Their diaper wipes are the best too! They also sell clothes (especially Carters children clothes) for really cheap.
Their return policy is the BEST too. They take anything back, no questions asked. It's nice because if we are debating about whether or not to get something we know that we can buy it and return it later if we find it cheaper somewhere else, or decide we don't need it.
If you are curious about what they carry you can probably just go to the membership desk and ask for a temporary pass to see if you'd like to join. They offered that to us when we were considering a Sams Club membership.
Anyway...we LOVE Costco and really really wish we had one nearby. I'm jealous that you have 2!
Hm. This is a tough question. We have a Costco membership and enjoy it, but I know that you are much better about sticking to your budget than we are. Costco can definitely use up a big dent in your budget, so it's important to be careful. I go for several specific things: tortilla chips, milk, eggs, this certain kind of fresh salsa we like, fresh tortillas you cook yourself,chicken, toothbrushes/toothpaste, etc. I rarely buy produce there, besides Yukon Gold potatoes. I think Costco produce is high quality but definitely not he cheapest around, at least in my area. I also buy big bags of flour/sugar/brown sugar there. Obviously, almost anything can be cheaper than Costco if you are a coupon stacker or something, but I think the prices are good enough and I don't have to wait for sales or coupons. I think people get in trouble when they impulse buy there, because everything costs more in bulk. The samples are nice for keeping Dane entertained. Another thing to consider is that we got the Costco American Express card recently, which gives you 3% cash back on gas, 2% on travel/dining, and 1% on everything else (Costco only accepts American Express credit cards). I'm not saying you should take out a new credit card or anything, but we replaced our old AmEx with the Costco one just recently because the rewards are way better, and I know I'll spend a certain amount on gas and groceries there every month.
So those are my thoughts. Good luck with your decision!
I say TO COSTCO. :) But, I LOVE Costco (see my post here: http://hankstown.blogspot.com/2007/12/why-i-love-costco.html - I just ran out of those Q-tips last month and I haven't posted my follow-up post yet.) It's probably partly nostalgic because I've been going there since I was a kid...
When we were in Charlotte, I didn't use it as much because we didn't want to stock up on things. However, we still consistently bought kids' vitamins, whole wheat bread, chocolate chips, Greek yogurt, their organic PB (the best we've ever been able to find), almond butter, bananas (cheaper and bigger), cereal, tilapia, salmon, and toilet paper. I also bought their wipes when the kids were in diapers. I'm not a big meat person either (as you know), but we have bought meat there, too.
You might find this other vegetarian blog post worth reading: http://beanland.wordpress.com/2010/01/16/healthy-grocery-shopping-budget/
Things are definitely cheaper there (I did comparisons when we first got to Charlotte) but I don't coupon. I find that coupons are usually things I don't need/want anyway. However, Costco does have coupons too. You can get $2 off Mini Wheats, for example. You don't know what's going to be on and when, but the kids' vitamins are on coupon often, so I stock up on those (lots cheaper that way).
And yes, gas is way cheaper if you're lucky enough to have a gas option and it's close by. I started filling up any time I was at Costco because it wasn't super convenient to go just for gas.
We also get their hot dogs or pizza in the food court on occasion. Brian LOVES the hot dogs. The try-outs are fun, but I usually go before they have them out since I go right when they open. I just grab a book for the kids to look at while I shop (and then put it back, of course).
It's definitely hard to spend less than $100 when you go, but you have to look at the long-term perspective if you're going to be shopping at Costco. And like anytime you go grocery shopping: stick to the list! :)
Good luck!
Hey, weren't you supposed to call me last week? I could give you my list of Costco pros and cons over the phone, but it's too late to type them all here. So CALL ME.
That's all.
We tried Sams for a while (with a free membership) and I liked it while I had it, but I don't think I saved enough to make it worth it for our family.
FYI - Target's bulk goods are only a temporary thing - "the great save" is their post-Christmas seasonal. Once they move in the stuff for spring, it will be gone. So don't base your choice on that.
Oh how I miss COSTCO! If I had one that close it would not even be a question! You do have to compare prices because everything is not cheaper. But they do have coupons every month so that is how I stock up on paper products, baby wipes (their brand is my favorite kind ever... we have gone through a lot of wipes and they have worked great on my kid's rash prone bums). They also have great meat and produce (check the prices). My kids love cereal so we stock up on cherios when there on a coupon too. Plus I shopped the clothes when they were on clearance... kids sets for under $3, swimsuits under $5, and some great deals for adults also. The only down side about the place is I want to buy more then what is on my list! Good luck with your decision.
You probably already have enough input but I had to add. We get a membership for the gas prices. I think it's worth it to save a little there. Then if I don't get anything else, I buy cheese (It is so much cheaper), milk, eggs, and bread. We also like getting meat there. I love their produce! They also have great feature items, like Jack and Lily shoes for half the price. And when all is said and done, they have an amazing return policy.
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