Other National Chain Store ~ Question: Costco ~ factor?

[bagette]

Hi All! I am so inspired by you! And, from the looks of it, I can do seriously better than the $650 a month I'm pushing....Sigh. I've half-heartedly tried "couponing" before, but it was really just throwing a few coupons in a file drawer

I typically purchase several food items at Costco - do you all find that you basically don't need to go there any more except for perhaps when their coupons are worth the trip? Any thoughts are appreciated! Sorry if this is a repeat, I couldn't find a satisfactory answer in my searches.

[suesaving]

It's a good question! I love Costco and I'm there every week.

But the key is A) to ONLY buy things that are a good deal and B) only by things you know you can consume before they go bad/stale. You really have to do your homework and comparison shop. You have to know whether the costco price is better than another price you can get.

Most weeks I only buy 4-6 items and gas. But I still totally feel it's worth the money to belong.

A few examples:
*I always buy half and half there. Hands down best price in town unless maybe I catch it on sale during triple coupons.
*I usually buy milk there unless someone has a sale.
*I NEVER buy paper products there. Can always do better with a coupon and a sale somewhere else.
*I buy these sesame crackers there because I'm addicted to them and that's the only place they sell them.

[puakinikini]

I completely agree with suesaving - I go to Costco every 2 weeks and there are some items that I still buy b/c I love them and cannot get them elsewhere. I think they have amazing quality for their steaks - so I occasionally pick up a pack or two. I also like their seafood, but now that I trade for seafood winetags I buy this more at the grocery store. I love la brea bread and some of the other product lines they carry. I think the key is to know the grocery store sale prices with a coupon in your area - then you can decide whether it is a good deal or not.

[bagette]

Thank you! Those were the kinds of answers I was looking for!

[JEP]

My Costco is 25 miles away,and its a once a month stop.

When I started coupons i took a complete inventory of the top 90% of items we use .Then I took a hand size recorder my inventory sheet and hit 3-4 stores.
As i shopped I priced with the recorder and transfered to my computer.
I keep this list updated and have noticed prices dropping on some items at costco

Costco
Pecans & Walnuts
Milk
half&half
Bulk produce
Meats are almost as cheap,but better quality cuts
Drugs are extremly cheap in drug store
Bottled water is always cheaper

[katieprov19]

They have really good prices on dog food. And things like yogurt. I have even priced this out at my grocery store a lot with coupons and unless I want the high calorie stuff costco always wins. They also can't meet my stores prices in fruit. We don't have a lot of farm markets here and costco has a nice selection. They have cheap formula, diapers, wipes, and kids clothes and books. I love my membership there. Especially at Christmas :)

[mzbeers]

I love to get certain items at Costco, would hate to give up my membership. Gone are the days when I would buy HBA products there though, why pay for them when you can get most of those things free, or super super cheap.

[katieprov19]

I'm sorry what is hba? is that health and beauty? Shampoo and whatnot?

[Maxie1101]

Yes, hba is health & beauty items: deoderant, razors, soap, shampoo, etc.

I regularly buy sundried tomatoes, pigs ears (for the doggy), and books at Costco. Then I match up deals with their coupons. I did the same as a previous poster. When I started couponing I took a notepad and pen to Costco and wrote down everything I normally buy there and keep a price list. Then I would refer to that when I was putting together deals at the grocery and drug stores to make sure I wasn't spending more than at Costco. I've gotten pretty good at getting really low prices using coupons and sales, and now I am shocked at the high prices for some things at Costco that I thought were good deals before couponing.

For example:
Bounty paper towels at Costco are $1.62 a roll, I never pay more than .50 a roll with coupons
Northern Bath Tissue is .62 a roll at Costco, I never pay more than .30 a roll with coupons, and I live in an area that does not offer double coupons.

[Liz]

I live in the DC area.

I regularly buy Charmin TP and Bounty paper towels. It is maybe once a year, if I'm lucky, that I can touch Costco's prices on either, especially when Costco has a coupon for them in their coupon book. Bounty runs a little over a $1 per roll without them there (and they're the longer/more sheets per roll), my P&G insert is only for a $1/6-pk at this point. And while I used to get $1/any Charmin, they're now $1/2.

I'm there for organic baking supplies (flour, sugar, eggs, etc), and decent sale prices come at the grocery store about once a year but with the amount of baking I do I can't just really "stock up" once a year.

Dog snacks, in particular dehydrated chicken breasts, with the price of 3 pounds (around $15) running less than that of 2 pounds ($19.99) at Petsmart. And while I wouldn't feed it to my dog, Kirkland's brand dog food is leaps and bounds above that of the likes of Purina and Nestle, and much better quality than what one would find at the grocery store.

Fresh fruit is great. Quality (tastewise, it exceeds expectations) and price speaking, fabulous. Unless it is in season and a loss leader at a grocery store, I'm not finding a better price. Asparagus, $2/lb. And fresher as well. Yukon gold potatoes and Vidalia onions under $1/lb. And I can't get fresher, nicer whole heads of garlic anywhere.

Their meat is top quality, above and beyond that of the super market. I live near the Chesapeake Bay, so I'm not a supermarket seafood kind of girl and travel 20 miles to a place that brings in their own fish fresh daily, but I happily buy Costco frozen Ahi tuna steaks (3 pounds, 6-8 steaks individually cryovacked, under $20).

Christmas time, this year they had $100 Starbucks GC (5 - $20 cards) for $80, which was a great buy (plus if you register the card with STarbucks, added syrups are free, which saves me $0.50+ each latte). A couple other deals in GC too from other stores. Glasses are at a great price too, and they routinely beat out Lenscrafters, independant optometrists, as well as WalMart and Target for accuracy of their lenses.

But the vast majority of my food that I eat does not come with coupons (yes, I'll hear a "but there are fruit/meat/milk WTs, trade for them or find them!"--haven't found NBPN, and trading is not worth my while). My pets food, my shampoo/bodywash, cosmetics, etc come from specialty stores, so if there is a sale I stock up or buy with a discount.

Coupons are good for me to buy lots of things to donate. Fewer are used for my person use. But if I get a great deal at the supermarket, I'll buy there instead of Costco and stock up if it is indicated.

Being brand loyal is great when it comes to Costco as they routinely carry my brands, but not great when it comes to coupons. Though I haven't had to pay for any type of toothpaste, so...