Should i shop at costco

In quality testing, Consumer Reports gave low marks to Kirkland Signature toilet paper and facial tissue. We put prices on a few Kirkland Signature items found at a Washington, D. Many store-branded products appeal to shoppers because they are cheaper than national brands. In an effort to identify some of the best Kirkland Signature products to buy at Costco, we homed in on items that are not only less expensive than national brands but also on par in terms of taste and quality.

Here are a few of our favorite Kirkland products. Buying household essentials in bulk seems like a no-brainer. Not only can you save money but you can also save time by avoiding frequent trips to the market. But unless you're shopping for a large family or group, paying to join a warehouse club solely to gain access to bulk-packaged products might backfire, says Jeanette Pavini , a savings expert for Coupons.

There are several bulk staples to steer clear of at warehouse clubs. The two main reasons: Either they have a short shelf life or you can typically find better prices on them elsewhere. Examples of risky bulk purchases include liquid bleach its effectiveness diminishes after six months , cereal sale prices at traditional supermarkets are usually less per ounce and skincare products they lose effectiveness over time, plus the risk of contamination rises the longer a container has been open.

Costco may not be top of mind for many shoppers when it comes to buying organic foods, but it should be. The warehouse club offers a variety of organic products including fresh produce, cooking oils and beverages at a lower price when you factor in the unit price. Costco has helped one million members purchase a car over the last five years , according to its website. A Costco membership can help you score lower prices at the pump.

Select Costco locations have on-site gas stations for members that carry store-branded regular unleaded 87 octane and premium unleaded 91 or 93 octane gas. During a visit to a Washington, D. Members can pay using a debit card or Costco credit card. Anyone including non-members can fill up and pay with a Costco Shop Card.

Cash and checks are not accepted. There is some consolation for Costco members: The company issues its own coupons, which can be found in a monthly printed booklet sent in the mail or on Costco. Costco's coupons also can be viewed and redeemed either in-store or online via the warehouse club's smartphone app. Recent Costco coupons offered discounts on products ranging from toothpaste to televisions.

You can order some groceries online at Costco. Faster express delivery in a day or two is available on certain items for an extra charge. But if even a day or two is too long to wait, then consider using an online grocery delivery service that will send a personal shopper to Costco to fill your order and rush it to your front door. Whether you're new to shopping at this megastore or just want to sharpen your skills, never make these mistakes that constantly trip up members.

Selecting which membership level matches your spending goals may seem like it shouldn't involve too much strategy, but you can miss out on certain benefits if you haven't done your homework. While one may assume that a standard Gold Star level membership suits your needs, those who love to buy in bulk or shop for a big family should begin with an Executive membership to really start raking in the savings. There's also a Business membership, which allows for product resales but isn't great for individuals or families.

Identifying how often you plan to shop and who you're buying for will help you determine which route to take. Busy shopping days can make heads spin, and if you get overwhelmed by crowds, fighting other shoppers feels like you're walking into your worst nightmare.

Statistically, Sundays are the busiest shopping days. Instead, opt to shop between 3 to 5 p. Plus, less pressure from fighting crowds means you can relax and take in the whole experience. Knowing what you need lies at the heart of saving money and optimizing your Costco run. If you stock up on items that you don't use very often simply because there's a deal, they may expire on your shelf before you even have a chance to crack them open.

Alternatively, these items can tempt you in all of the wrong ways. Buying a massive tub of jelly beans may seem like a good call at the time, but unnecessary purchases mean you spend more on items that you probably don't need. When it comes to quality, Kirkland brand products often beat out name-brand products.

In fact, Kirkland products sometimes are the brand-name product repackaged to be sold at Costco. While this brand offers a solid bargain, don't assume that it's always marked at the lowest price. Always compare the generic product to its brand name equivalent, and check their prices against one another.

Costco is one of America's favorite places to shop: The chain recently earned second place among national grocery stores in the annual Retailer Preference Index from consumer data firm Dunnhumby. More than 94 million members pay so they can buy in bulk and access the chain's best products. Still, depending on your circumstances, not everything sold there is going to be a great deal for you.

Here are seven mistakes to avoid next time you're shopping at Costco to maximize your savings. You don't have to be a Costco member to take advantage of some of the warehouse club's incredible bargains. Perhaps the biggest is its pharmacy. Because of state and local laws, you can buy prescriptions at many Costco locations without a membership, according to the Krazy Coupon Lady.

Costco was also the cheapest walk-in pharmacy when it came to non-member prices on five common prescription drugs, Consumer Reports found. Those savings also apply to immunizations such as flu shots: Costco is among the cheapest places to get those done if you don't have insurance.

If your local Costco has an optical department , you can book a cost-effective eye exam with an on-site optometrist without a membership. And if you're hungry afterwards, you can swing by Costco's in-store food court. Alcohol purchases also don't typically require a membership. That includes Costco's Kirkland Signature vodka, which is a cult favorite and has even beaten Grey Goose in blind taste tests.

When I did not have health insurance Costco gave us a huge discount on my prescription medications. And yes the organic produce does keep well. As with most shopping, YMMV. Regardless of where you shop. Most, normal people buy things they NEED, not just buy cause they can. If you are a costco, or a Sams club membership, you know what you are getting yourself into when you go to shop.

From my experience, I can say that costco does have some pretty good deals, but most deals are really bad and you have to have patience to check the prices because they will have gems along with a shitload of overpriced crap. The lines are ridiculous and the security guard checking each item on the receipt with the ones on your cart is even more absurd.

It is not designed for every day consumers. If you do not know how to preserve large amounts of food that your purchase there. Then stop right now. I purchased Avalon furniture set from Costco.

The mattress was delivered but the furniture has not been delivered. The call enter people are very cold. They are happy to cancel the order rather than help us. They are worst consumer organisation.

None of them are clear where the furniture set is. I am not sure how to complain again such organisation. Funny, but none of the paper towels I buy at Costco ever go bad. Neither does the printer paper, the canned goods,cleaning products, vitamins, sundries, packaged food, booze, or gasoline. It helps that our Costco is less than a mile away.

I envy your location. With 3 teens at home, food spoilage is NOT an issue for us! My wife does most of the shopping and loves Costco. We got the Executive membership and the rebate check we just received paid for our membership. But I will also admit that we are very thankful to now have Aldi. The only downside to Costco is the customers. On food I would not rate Costco favorably. On the other hand for automotive things, general household items, electronics, technology, optical or acoustic things it might be reasonable and even good.

I like Costco for those items — although most of these are not food. It is absolutely awful on food. Go to those taste tests in Costco and taste how flavorless everything is and listen to the people serving the food try to explain how great it is. All the packaged pasta foods and microwave pizza and stuff I am surprised even people without a lot of money would buy. Fruits and vegetables there were always known to be not very good. One thing I have noticed is that Costco shoppers who buy food there always stock the cart up on frozen pizza and pasta products and lots of packages of things like hot dogs, chips, granola bars and cheap popsicles and peanut butter, nutella and you know the sort of stuff.

They try to market lots of junky tortillas and salsa and hummus which is often tasteless though they say its good. Also packets of plastic toys. Some people join it and pay the fee thinking they are saving when they are buying larger quantities of that sort of thing. I am a member although buy whats reasonable in it and thats that. One of my friends is fanatical about Costco, the warehouse chain is almost a religion to her. She likes only one warehouse store…Costco.

She mainly buys at Costco because she can stock up on bulk quantities of dog food, cat food and litter. This all sort of makes sense to me, even though I never buy anything but a slice of pizza when we go to Costco.

I ride along in order to help her load and unload the several hundred dollars worth of stuff she buys. The thing is, my friend rents a car to drive miles round trip to Omaha, the only place in Nebraska with a Costco. She owns a very old car, so the rental is necessary. My friend claims the cost of the car rental is easily made up by the savings on pet supplies compared to what she would pay in a supermarket. The sad part of all this is that we must hurry in order to accommodate the needs of the dogs that are left at home.

So we drive quickly to Omaha, zoom through Costco as fast as possible, pile the merchandise into the rental vehicle. She usually fills two of those jumbo size shopping carts to brimming. Then we hit the road towards home. We do this once each month. Your email address will not be published. Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content Skip to primary sidebar "A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of. Money Saving Tips Trash Audit. You may be buying more than you need When I used to shop at Costco, I would come back with huge containers and boxes instead of the smaller sized products found at regular grocery stores.

You are getting a good price, not a great price The great thing about shopping at Costco is the prices. There is increased impulse buying I have more things lying around my house than I can count on both hands which were purchased from Costco that I had absolutely no idea I needed until I saw them there. Travel costs more than you think This one depends a lot where the nearest Costco is relative to where you live, but mine happened to be a fair distance away.

Shopping at Costco takes a lot of time Being inside a Costco on a weekend is not an activity for the faint of heart. Learn more For more info on Costco check out these articles. What did you think about this article? Comments So True. Great article. In summary, Costco makes lots and lots of sense to our family. My Beautiful Country comes first.

The United States always comes first. I am very blessed. I am a blessing because God blessed me. Buy only what you need. Year I had a Costco Membership card 3 years ago and I do not intend to renew it. Use common sense.