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Dawg52
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
I wish we had a Costco in my little town. We do have a Sam's and it's ok, but I like Costco better. I guess I should be happy we have a Sam's, we just got that 2 years ago.![:-\](https://www.early-retirement.org/sk/forums/images/smilies/undecided.gif "Undecided :-\")
I wish we had a Costco in my little town. We do have a Sam's and it's ok, but I like Costco better. I guess I should be happy we have a Sam's, we just got that 2 years ago.
Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
Costco just opened down the street from me. Anyone know if they have coupons for a free day of membership (like sam's club has occasionally)? I might like to check em out at some point.
Costco just opened down the street from me. Anyone know if they have coupons for a free day of membership (like sam's club has occasionally)? I might like to check em out at some point.
OAG
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
Last time I went into a COSTCO (I do not have a membership) I just wanted to see what they had. Asked at the door if I could just look round and they said "sure" and let me in.
Last time I went into a COSTCO (I do not have a membership) I just wanted to see what they had. Asked at the door if I could just look round and they said "sure" and let me in.
Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
I have heard both sides of the warehouse debate. I am not sure which to believe since I have never had a membership other than a Sam's and I didn't care for it. It was really tailored to the businesses and everything was brand name. I tend to buy generic products for the most part.
It seems to save $$ for those who may have more expensive taste. But for a single poor smooze like myself, I am not sure if it would benefit me. I like to eat good, healthy food but I am not playing in C-T's league yet (read - I occasionally enjoy a salmon out of the case vs. lobster tail/beef filets) and I don't know if I would buy enough food to make it worth it.
Anyone else with similar shopping habits really pay attention to the savings? I will soon have the option of joining a Costco so I am still potentially interested.
I have heard both sides of the warehouse debate. I am not sure which to believe since I have never had a membership other than a Sam's and I didn't care for it. It was really tailored to the businesses and everything was brand name. I tend to buy generic products for the most part.
It seems to save $$ for those who may have more expensive taste. But for a single poor smooze like myself, I am not sure if it would benefit me. I like to eat good, healthy food but I am not playing in C-T's league yet (read - I occasionally enjoy a salmon out of the case vs. lobster tail/beef filets) and I don't know if I would buy enough food to make it worth it.
Anyone else with similar shopping habits really pay attention to the savings? I will soon have the option of joining a Costco so I am still potentially interested.
Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
I know I could do that, but I may want to actually buy something, and I don't feel like spending 30 minutes browsing for nothing!
Does anyone else have an aversion to spending $50 for a membership just for the privilege of spending money in a store? I had a Sam's club membership at one point and hardly shopped there at all. Now I spend zero there since I have no membership (except on pizza, which you can buy without a membership I found out).
Old Army Guy said:
I know I could do that, but I may want to actually buy something, and I don't feel like spending 30 minutes browsing for nothing!
Does anyone else have an aversion to spending $50 for a membership just for the privilege of spending money in a store? I had a Sam's club membership at one point and hardly shopped there at all. Now I spend zero there since I have no membership (except on pizza, which you can buy without a membership I found out).
MasterBlaster
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Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
Well we shop often at a similar store to Costco.
The prices are indeed better than the normal grocery stores.
However, since everything is such a large size we sometimes have to throw stuff out that we couln't finsih before it went bad.
Overall I think that we are ahead, but big sizes aren't for everything. Therefore, I think that you need to combine your trip to a Costco-like store with a normal grocery store to optimize your money.
So now you are doing more (twice as much) shopping, you have traded some dollar savings for doing more shopping (work).
That's the tradeoff as I see it.
Well we shop often at a similar store to Costco.
The prices are indeed better than the normal grocery stores.
However, since everything is such a large size we sometimes have to throw stuff out that we couln't finsih before it went bad.
Overall I think that we are ahead, but big sizes aren't for everything. Therefore, I think that you need to combine your trip to a Costco-like store with a normal grocery store to optimize your money.
So now you are doing more (twice as much) shopping, you have traded some dollar savings for doing more shopping (work).
That's the tradeoff as I see it.
BOBOT
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Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
We used to have a Sam's membership (I called it the "PGC" -Palace of Gross Consumption), but they seemed to go out of their way to piss me off - rude & unhelpful "associates", & once when my cc (Sam's credit) payment was ONE DAY late they charged me $25 plus a %, despite the fact that we had dealt with them regularly & paid on time for a couple of years. On another occasion they called me at 7:00am on a Sunday because of what they said was an "unusual" volume of business that month, and did I intend to pay on time! That guy got an earful, and we canceled soon thereafter.
We're now pleased to give our business to Costco; the people are very friendly & helpful (they box your purchases for you, Sam's did not, and if you ask them where something is they take you to it instead of grunting & pointing.) I have asked a couple of the workers how they like working there, and it seems they really do. Oh, and they take Amex, our preferred cc, so we get cash back on every purchase.
Fly in the ointment: it's an hour & 15 mins each way.
We used to have a Sam's membership (I called it the "PGC" -Palace of Gross Consumption), but they seemed to go out of their way to piss me off - rude & unhelpful "associates", & once when my cc (Sam's credit) payment was ONE DAY late they charged me $25 plus a %, despite the fact that we had dealt with them regularly & paid on time for a couple of years. On another occasion they called me at 7:00am on a Sunday because of what they said was an "unusual" volume of business that month, and did I intend to pay on time! That guy got an earful, and we canceled soon thereafter.
We're now pleased to give our business to Costco; the people are very friendly & helpful (they box your purchases for you, Sam's did not, and if you ask them where something is they take you to it instead of grunting & pointing.) I have asked a couple of the workers how they like working there, and it seems they really do. Oh, and they take Amex, our preferred cc, so we get cash back on every purchase.
Fly in the ointment: it's an hour & 15 mins each way.
MasterBlaster
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Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
I feel that way. Unless you are a heavy hitter at the club stores the membership is no bargain.
The way to think about it is... If I save, say 10 percent on my purchases at the club store, then I'll need to buy at least $500 (or more) worth of stuff at the club store each year just to break even. You can re-arrange the aritmetic in my calculation to fit your situation. However the concept is the same.
If you aren't a big club-store buyer then a membership is not such a great deal.
So you are spending two and a half hours in the car just to go to Costco ? Besides the cost of gas and depreciation on your car, I hope that it's worth it for you.
justin said:
I feel that way. Unless you are a heavy hitter at the club stores the membership is no bargain.
The way to think about it is... If I save, say 10 percent on my purchases at the club store, then I'll need to buy at least $500 (or more) worth of stuff at the club store each year just to break even. You can re-arrange the aritmetic in my calculation to fit your situation. However the concept is the same.
If you aren't a big club-store buyer then a membership is not such a great deal.
So you are spending two and a half hours in the car just to go to Costco ? Besides the cost of gas and depreciation on your car, I hope that it's worth it for you.
Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
I'm probably similar to you in terms of what I buy (mostly generics if available). I have a family, but most of the perishable stuff at Sam's club still comes in quantities too large for our consumption patterns (5 lb bags of apples, 10 lb valupaks of ground beef, 3 lb bag of tortilla chips, 2 lb bags of shredded cheese, 2 1.5 lb loafs of french bread, etc). And I like to shop for everything in one place, instead of going store to store to save a few bucks.
We don't really buy that many "fancy" items either (like lobster tail or filet mignon). Superwalmart gets all our business ($500-600 per month for a family of 4). We compared most of what we buy to sam's club prices, and found walmart to be the same or a little more on most things (or less when generics are available). Overall, Superwalmart is cheaper, since we eat just about everything we buy, whereas if we were forced to buy huge quantities of perishables (like the 5 lbs of apples), we would end up throwing away 2/3 of them when they rot. Who cares if you're saving 30% on apples if you throw out 66% of them? We also dine out a good bit (3-4 times per week, plus at least 1-2 times a week at parties or family gatherings).
For a single guy with simple tastes, I think it would be hard for Sam's to beat Superwalmart prices and selection (quantity and variety). Haven't been to costco yet, so I can't compare them.
wildcat said:
I'm probably similar to you in terms of what I buy (mostly generics if available). I have a family, but most of the perishable stuff at Sam's club still comes in quantities too large for our consumption patterns (5 lb bags of apples, 10 lb valupaks of ground beef, 3 lb bag of tortilla chips, 2 lb bags of shredded cheese, 2 1.5 lb loafs of french bread, etc). And I like to shop for everything in one place, instead of going store to store to save a few bucks.
We don't really buy that many "fancy" items either (like lobster tail or filet mignon). Superwalmart gets all our business ($500-600 per month for a family of 4). We compared most of what we buy to sam's club prices, and found walmart to be the same or a little more on most things (or less when generics are available). Overall, Superwalmart is cheaper, since we eat just about everything we buy, whereas if we were forced to buy huge quantities of perishables (like the 5 lbs of apples), we would end up throwing away 2/3 of them when they rot. Who cares if you're saving 30% on apples if you throw out 66% of them? We also dine out a good bit (3-4 times per week, plus at least 1-2 times a week at parties or family gatherings).
For a single guy with simple tastes, I think it would be hard for Sam's to beat Superwalmart prices and selection (quantity and variety). Haven't been to costco yet, so I can't compare them.
OP
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Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
Actually there are two years worth of memberships in my calculation. About $90. - What got me started was TH REc on their Computer policy - which is the best I've ever seen. Buy a computer from Costco - In store or on-line - Return it within 6 months and you get all your money back - No questions asked - I did this!
Also after I learned about Costco's employee friendly work environment and their CEO is totally different than the CEO clone in the U.S.A. - They have got my loyalty.
MasterBlaster said:
Actually there are two years worth of memberships in my calculation. About $90. - What got me started was TH REc on their Computer policy - which is the best I've ever seen. Buy a computer from Costco - In store or on-line - Return it within 6 months and you get all your money back - No questions asked - I did this!
Also after I learned about Costco's employee friendly work environment and their CEO is totally different than the CEO clone in the U.S.A. - They have got my loyalty.
Spanky
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Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
My membership is up for renewal in January. I am wondering if $50 membership fee is worth it. I think it is. Assuming the average discount of 10%, the break even point is $500. Since we spend over $3,000 annually at Costco, the membership fee is justifiable.
My membership is up for renewal in January. I am wondering if $50 membership fee is worth it. I think it is. Assuming the average discount of 10%, the break even point is $500. Since we spend over $3,000 annually at Costco, the membership fee is justifiable.
Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
1 extra shopping trip per week = 1 hr
x 52 weeks per year
= 52 hours per year (or 104 hrs if DW and I go)
For a potential savings of ?? Even if I saved $500/yr, that would be an effective rate of $10/hr (or $5/hr if DW goes too) ignoring the cost of membership and car expenses. I could see the added benefit of access to better "stuff" as a bonus though (if one were to take advantage of it).
I think I'll stick to my superwalmart - where else can you buy tires, a wedding cake, fresh fish, fresh baked bread, 50 lb bag of grass seed, a lawnmower, a toilet seat, a couple of new shirts, a new tv, a shotgun, my hair and nails done, a big mac, and a mortgage loan all in the same place?
disclaimer: walmart pays me a lot of money for professional services
MasterBlaster said:
1 extra shopping trip per week = 1 hr
x 52 weeks per year
= 52 hours per year (or 104 hrs if DW and I go)
For a potential savings of ?? Even if I saved $500/yr, that would be an effective rate of $10/hr (or $5/hr if DW goes too) ignoring the cost of membership and car expenses. I could see the added benefit of access to better "stuff" as a bonus though (if one were to take advantage of it).
I think I'll stick to my superwalmart - where else can you buy tires, a wedding cake, fresh fish, fresh baked bread, 50 lb bag of grass seed, a lawnmower, a toilet seat, a couple of new shirts, a new tv, a shotgun, my hair and nails done, a big mac, and a mortgage loan all in the same place?
disclaimer: walmart pays me a lot of money for professional services
Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
Makes me feel good about having 2 superwalmarts, 2 supertargets, a sam's club and a dozen+ grocery stores less than 2-3 miles from my house.
Bobot said:Fly in the ointment: it's an hour & 15 mins each way.
Makes me feel good about having 2 superwalmarts, 2 supertargets, a sam's club and a dozen+ grocery stores less than 2-3 miles from my house.
Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
Was a long time Costco member. Doesn't work for me anymore. Was always buying stuff I didn't need or the quantities were too large. Now I'm happy going to Trader Joes and Target. To each his own and whatever works for you. I was always amazed at the people with fancy cars trying to save a few bucks on groceries, etc.
There's book on this urge to splurge and then scrimp phenomena - Treasure Hunt http://tinyurl.com/yzgkoy
Was a long time Costco member. Doesn't work for me anymore. Was always buying stuff I didn't need or the quantities were too large. Now I'm happy going to Trader Joes and Target. To each his own and whatever works for you. I was always amazed at the people with fancy cars trying to save a few bucks on groceries, etc.
There's book on this urge to splurge and then scrimp phenomena - Treasure Hunt http://tinyurl.com/yzgkoy
Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
Our nearest Costco is down by Cutthroat, about 160 miles away. So much for that.
We do have a small Sam's Club nearby. Never seemed worth the dollars to join. Not enough selection.
Our nearest Costco is down by Cutthroat, about 160 miles away. So much for that.
We do have a small Sam's Club nearby. Never seemed worth the dollars to join. Not enough selection.
BOBOT
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Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
Of course not; should have said we combine it with other things to do while we're there or on the way. We go for quality as much as for price, and the availability of things we don't see in the regular stores around here. Don't know if it's even a wash financially, and don't really care, since we see it as discretionary spending. It's also nice to get in one place things that would otherwise require schlepping to multiple outlets. Great meats, prepared foods, bakery stuff, household needs, hardware, clothing, auto stuff ...... The convenience counts for us.
MasterBlaster said:
Of course not; should have said we combine it with other things to do while we're there or on the way. We go for quality as much as for price, and the availability of things we don't see in the regular stores around here. Don't know if it's even a wash financially, and don't really care, since we see it as discretionary spending. It's also nice to get in one place things that would otherwise require schlepping to multiple outlets. Great meats, prepared foods, bakery stuff, household needs, hardware, clothing, auto stuff ...... The convenience counts for us.
Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
I hear ya Justin. Only problem was when I did shop there I usually had to return most the junk items the next day when they fell apart after one use
C-T
I will give that one about their CEO. Top notch guy who never gets enough pub er maybe he likes it that way. I applauded his efforts to extend health insurance to his employees even though it was hurting the bottom line.
I hear ya Justin. Only problem was when I did shop there I usually had to return most the junk items the next day when they fell apart after one use
C-T
I will give that one about their CEO. Top notch guy who never gets enough pub er maybe he likes it that way. I applauded his efforts to extend health insurance to his employees even though it was hurting the bottom line.
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Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
I started using an on-line service 3 to 4 months ago that I saw a story on on the TODAY show (www.grocerygame.com). I wasn't sure that it was saving us that much initially, but over the last 2 or 3 shopping trips I have saved on average around 40%!
So far, it seems like it's working well for us. What it does is tell you when to buy. They keep a database of when items go on sale plus all the available coupons from the Sunday papers over the last 3 to 4 months. They tell you the best time to buy with the coupon, ie. when it is at a rock bottom sale price plus you have a coupon. That's when you stock up. It costs $1.50 per week, plus you have to get the Sunday paper for the coupons. There have been a few quirks - times when they say there is a sale on something, and it isn't on sale at my particular store. But all in all, I really like it.
I started using an on-line service 3 to 4 months ago that I saw a story on on the TODAY show (www.grocerygame.com). I wasn't sure that it was saving us that much initially, but over the last 2 or 3 shopping trips I have saved on average around 40%!
So far, it seems like it's working well for us. What it does is tell you when to buy. They keep a database of when items go on sale plus all the available coupons from the Sunday papers over the last 3 to 4 months. They tell you the best time to buy with the coupon, ie. when it is at a rock bottom sale price plus you have a coupon. That's when you stock up. It costs $1.50 per week, plus you have to get the Sunday paper for the coupons. There have been a few quirks - times when they say there is a sale on something, and it isn't on sale at my particular store. But all in all, I really like it.
Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
People say that about walmart, but the truth is they sell garbage everywhere these days. I just prefer to get it on the cheap, so that when it does break (and it will regardless of where you buy it), it goes in the trash and I get a new one.
wildcat said:I hear ya Justin. Only problem was when I did shop there I usually had to return most the junk items the next day when they fell apart after one use
People say that about walmart, but the truth is they sell garbage everywhere these days. I just prefer to get it on the cheap, so that when it does break (and it will regardless of where you buy it), it goes in the trash and I get a new one.
Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
I think that our local CostCo sells more gas than any other chain on the islands. There are almost always six cars lined up at each of a dozen pumps and the company recently ripped out parking places to install more pumps. They sell at a nickel/gallon under the lowest local chain (probably a loss leader) but every one of those buyers has to purchase a CostCo membership.
We keep a running list of things that we need to buy or wouldn't mind upgrading. If CostCo is selling a nicer sofa or computer desk or some other furniture or recreation item, we'll buy it before it sells out. We'll sell our old one on Craigslist so the upgrade cost is usually worth the work and sometimes it's free. I've read that CostCo has a flat markup of 14% on whatever they bring in, and they may not repeat their deals unless they can achieve a profit-- or at least generate traffic while avoiding a loss.
We've also been buying the same order of Friday pizza for almost four years... for the same price.
Sam's Club seems to get smaller & stingier each year. I think Wal-Mart is duplicating the Sam's concept with their Super Wal-Marts and will eventually shut down Sam's.
Charlie Munger, the vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, sits on CostCo's board. Funny business and fuzzy thinking are not tolerated. Not a bad retail stock with these numbers, a 1% dividend, and up 10% off its 2006 low.
CostCo makes a big difference in the land of milk selling at $4-$7/gallon. There's at least a half-dozen CostCos in the islands now and they're looking for more places to build before Target moves in. About the only thing the grocery stores can compete on is bulk rice, especially when CostCo sells milk & fruit as loss leaders. Smart shopping & bulk buying can eliminate the Paradise Tax.wildcat said:
I think that our local CostCo sells more gas than any other chain on the islands. There are almost always six cars lined up at each of a dozen pumps and the company recently ripped out parking places to install more pumps. They sell at a nickel/gallon under the lowest local chain (probably a loss leader) but every one of those buyers has to purchase a CostCo membership.
We keep a running list of things that we need to buy or wouldn't mind upgrading. If CostCo is selling a nicer sofa or computer desk or some other furniture or recreation item, we'll buy it before it sells out. We'll sell our old one on Craigslist so the upgrade cost is usually worth the work and sometimes it's free. I've read that CostCo has a flat markup of 14% on whatever they bring in, and they may not repeat their deals unless they can achieve a profit-- or at least generate traffic while avoiding a loss.
We've also been buying the same order of Friday pizza for almost four years... for the same price.
Sam's Club seems to get smaller & stingier each year. I think Wal-Mart is duplicating the Sam's concept with their Super Wal-Marts and will eventually shut down Sam's.
Yep, and CostCo pays their employees a higher wage than Wal-Mart yet actually has lower employee costs due to lower turnover (and no lawsuits!).Cut-Throat said:
Charlie Munger, the vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, sits on CostCo's board. Funny business and fuzzy thinking are not tolerated. Not a bad retail stock with these numbers, a 1% dividend, and up 10% off its 2006 low.
OP
OP
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Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
Actually, I enjoy the trip to Costco. And it has eliminated most of the trips to the regular Grocery Store. It's not just about saving a few bucks. It's about convience, quality etc.
People talk about having to throw stuff out. I may have thrown a few things out also that I bought too much of - But these are still in my numbers. Run your own numbers, you might be surprised.
DanTien said:
Actually, I enjoy the trip to Costco. And it has eliminated most of the trips to the regular Grocery Store. It's not just about saving a few bucks. It's about convience, quality etc.
People talk about having to throw stuff out. I may have thrown a few things out also that I bought too much of - But these are still in my numbers. Run your own numbers, you might be surprised.
youbet
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
We belong to Sam's, it's only one mile away, and we did an extensive tour of a Costco after we went there for flu shots. Based on 30 mins of walking around, I liked Costco merchandise and prices better than Sam's, but not enough better to justify giving up the one mile drive to Sam's. The Costco is about ten miles and a half hour away.
Neither place appeals to me as a place to shop for fresh food or booze. For food, a lot of things seemed fine but not fine enough to justify buying in quantity. We live in an area where grocery and liquor stores are very numerous and competitive. With even a small amount of attention to what's on sale, I can usually meet or beat Sam's prices without dragging home a large quantity. I like that for fresh foods. There are some commodity-like items that are easy to store and have long shelf lives that we do get at Sam's. For booze, Sam's just doesn't compete with the discount liquor store I go to in either selection or price. Based on about ten minutes of snooping around the Costco liquor department, they didn't cut the mustard either.
We're empty nesters now and our grocery/booze bill is seldom over $100 a week, even if we throw in some nice treats. With these low quantities, it's hard to feel good about walking out of Sam's with a big bag of oranges knowing that's what we'll be eating all week. I'd rather shop at the market where I pick a couple of oranges, a couple of pears, a few bananas, etc., and enjoy a variety at a minimal, if any, cost difference.
What I do enjoy about Sam's (I'm sure Costco would be equal or better) is just wandering around to see unique items in stock. The cabinets above my garage workbench came from Sam's. They were just there on the shelf one day, are very sturdy and functional and didn't cost much. But they only seemed to have the ones on hand at the time and I haven't seen them there since.........
We belong to Sam's, it's only one mile away, and we did an extensive tour of a Costco after we went there for flu shots. Based on 30 mins of walking around, I liked Costco merchandise and prices better than Sam's, but not enough better to justify giving up the one mile drive to Sam's. The Costco is about ten miles and a half hour away.
Neither place appeals to me as a place to shop for fresh food or booze. For food, a lot of things seemed fine but not fine enough to justify buying in quantity. We live in an area where grocery and liquor stores are very numerous and competitive. With even a small amount of attention to what's on sale, I can usually meet or beat Sam's prices without dragging home a large quantity. I like that for fresh foods. There are some commodity-like items that are easy to store and have long shelf lives that we do get at Sam's. For booze, Sam's just doesn't compete with the discount liquor store I go to in either selection or price. Based on about ten minutes of snooping around the Costco liquor department, they didn't cut the mustard either.
We're empty nesters now and our grocery/booze bill is seldom over $100 a week, even if we throw in some nice treats. With these low quantities, it's hard to feel good about walking out of Sam's with a big bag of oranges knowing that's what we'll be eating all week. I'd rather shop at the market where I pick a couple of oranges, a couple of pears, a few bananas, etc., and enjoy a variety at a minimal, if any, cost difference.
What I do enjoy about Sam's (I'm sure Costco would be equal or better) is just wandering around to see unique items in stock. The cabinets above my garage workbench came from Sam's. They were just there on the shelf one day, are very sturdy and functional and didn't cost much. But they only seemed to have the ones on hand at the time and I haven't seen them there since.........
Outtahere
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Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
We have BJ's ( 20 min drive), Sam's (10 min) and Costco (about 30 but the traffic in that area is horrid). DH has a Sam's card and it's 2 minutes away from where his daughter works and he works for a couple months a year. It saves us money on several things we buy in bulk and since we make our own dog food, buying stew beef that's on MGRs specials is a very good deal. There is also no sales tax at Sam's because it's in NH so that makes the trip worth it too. He stops there once every two weeks, I go a couple times a year and stock on things he doesn't think about. I wish there was a Costco nearer, I'm not a fan of the Walmart mentality.
We have BJ's ( 20 min drive), Sam's (10 min) and Costco (about 30 but the traffic in that area is horrid). DH has a Sam's card and it's 2 minutes away from where his daughter works and he works for a couple months a year. It saves us money on several things we buy in bulk and since we make our own dog food, buying stew beef that's on MGRs specials is a very good deal. There is also no sales tax at Sam's because it's in NH so that makes the trip worth it too. He stops there once every two weeks, I go a couple times a year and stock on things he doesn't think about. I wish there was a Costco nearer, I'm not a fan of the Walmart mentality.
MasterBlaster
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Re: Costco Seems to save me at least $500 a year - Last 4 years compared.
This kind of economy always amazes me, for most people that buy 10-15 gallons of gas they will save maybe a dollar or less. Yet they'll wait in line for 6 cars to pump gas to save that amount. What is your free time worth ?
Where I live the cheap gas can usually be had at the ARCO stations. They take cash or debit cards only (with a fee) and don't take credit cards. Their gas is maybe 5 cents less than the other stations. And as Nords described there are long lines and lots of inconvienience.
What I did was to get a rewards credit card that gives me 5 percent cash back on gasoline (and some other) purchases. I fill up across the street at the "expensive" station that's clean and spacious and doesn't have nearly as much traffic. I always get a kick out of it cause my gas is actually costing me less than those suckers waiting in the lines for the "cheap" gas.
Nords said:
This kind of economy always amazes me, for most people that buy 10-15 gallons of gas they will save maybe a dollar or less. Yet they'll wait in line for 6 cars to pump gas to save that amount. What is your free time worth ?
Where I live the cheap gas can usually be had at the ARCO stations. They take cash or debit cards only (with a fee) and don't take credit cards. Their gas is maybe 5 cents less than the other stations. And as Nords described there are long lines and lots of inconvienience.
What I did was to get a rewards credit card that gives me 5 percent cash back on gasoline (and some other) purchases. I fill up across the street at the "expensive" station that's clean and spacious and doesn't have nearly as much traffic. I always get a kick out of it cause my gas is actually costing me less than those suckers waiting in the lines for the "cheap" gas.
