What's good at Costco?

In My Humble Opinion
21

I have found that we save on milk and butter. I buy 5 lbs of butter and freeze 4, for example. I really prefer their potatoes (and prices for same) over what the market carries). Their prices are also good for things like plastic bags (trash, ziplock, etc), if you have room to store large quantities of these items. Ditto TP and paper towels. Beer, if they have something you like.

Their meat is very good, as noted above. We prefer not to buy meat anywhere else.

Tires are competitively priced.

I also buy clothes for the kids there. Pricing seems to be good on that as well.

When we buy electronics, we always look at what they have. We’ve gotten some very good deals.

I got some glasses there this year and I would certainly recommend that optometry department. Far better pricing and customer service than my local shop (they completely remade my pair at no charge).

The trick is to know what you’re actually going to use and stick to the plan. No one really needs a 20 gallon tin of popcorn, but it will get into your cart if you lack willpower.

We have the executive membership and have gotten our money out of it every year.

22

Not travel or insurance, but we did order some window blinds through Costco and are very happy with them (and we saved quite a bit compared to other estimates we got).

And we are having our basement floor re-done in LVF (Luxury Vinyl Flooring) in 2 weeks, also through Costco. also reasonably priced.
mmm

23

Be very careful here. The electronics market, especially televisions, has fragmented into fine splinters and there is much illusion. Most makers use a prominent model number (let’s call it the ZX40) and advertise it heavily, as do a surprising number of store chains across the spectrum. That’s because there are actually several models labeled “ZX40,” from the one that AV magazine raved about down to one sold at loss-leader pricing by Sam’s Club or Target. You have to look at the whole model number and make sure you’re getting the wowzer award-winning E model and not the V model that’s $1k cheaper.

Club and box stores tend to sell only the lower end models, with lower quality screens (sometimes appallingly so), fewer inputs, and generally fewer features. If that’s what you want, go right ahead and buy, but you are NOT getting the magazine-cover model for what seems to be half the price.

The other thing to watch for is nearly obsolete stuff - this is where computer makers unload last year’s stuff by bulking it up with bigger hard drives and more memory, and then cutting the price. It can be a great way to get a great laptop that’s just not the absolute newest and bestest, at a great price… but again, make absolutely sure you’re comparing, uh, apples to apples. HP in particular has had a couple of lines in which the base product number went on forever and covered two or three generations of CPU and a vast range of other qualities, so if you think you’ve found a megamachine for $800 at Costco… again check the WHOLE model number against the complete manufacturer list, lest you find out it’s an underpowered, stripper or obsolete variation of what you thought.

24

Even if you’re an adult, many portable electronic items run on AAs. I’d be all over free batteries.

25

Oh please don’t say that.:frowning:

I just ordered a new TV from Costco. I hope it isn’t sub par.

26

Oh, uh, at first you meant, you know, small electronics. Mine plugs into the wall. Highly recommended.

But you meant, like, your label maker. :slight_smile:

27

Go check the model numbers on the maker site.

28

Never a problem with Costco’s guarantee. Return it in 90 days for a full refund.

29

We like our Costco, although like many, dodging the frenzied/oblivious crowd of shopping sheep is my idea of hell. I find our local stores less crowded on weekday afternoons, like 3pm.

We basically only buy meat from there now, including things like frozen smoked salmon, and have bought a vacuum sealer to cut and portion larger pieces. The two massive pork shoulders packaged together are a very good deal, and there’s usually a lamb roast in my freezer. We don’t have kids and don’t eat a lot of processed food, so there’s aisles we never go down.

The dog food is well-regarded and cheap. I was surprised not to find dog poo bags there, but an order from Amazon Basics stocked us up, and I am happy with the quality and features. (Yes, dog poo bags have features. Shut up.)

I don’t often buy produce there, as it’s just too much for two people. If we’re entertaining I might get salad greens or asparagus or something. Onions keep well, and garlic, so we do sometimes pick them up, if I haven’t got home-grown available.

We got Costco tires on our Civic, and when my husband noticed one going soft, I dropped it off to be checked. It was faulty, and replaced for free under warranty, and I didn’t have to dig out receipts and paperwork, as it’s all tied to the membership card. Great service from the tire dept too.

We rented a car on the Costco site in May, for a great price. When I went to do so again in August, I found much better prices on Priceline. So don’t rely on that one.

We just got back from a big family reunion, 40+ people staying in a big lake house. One Costco trip kept us in booze, snacks and the bare bones of our meals (supplemented by regular grocery store trips) for the whole weekend, for around $400. One disappointment: I’d read online of folks who were able to talk the Costco bakery staff into selling them a box of their frozen croissants, the ones they prove and bake in-house. It’s a lot, a gross! but I thought 40 of us over 4 days could make a decent dent in that. I was going to be such a hero! Well, the local store in Baxter MN wouldn’t sell it to me. I had to get bagels instead, and the NY Jewish cousins sneered rather. I don’t like the baked croissants, I always feel like they’ve been packaged up while warm, and they seem soft and doughy.

I seem to have many thoughts about Costco. I hope they’re useful to someone.

30

Selection at Costco does vary by location because I assume at least some of it is sourced locally/regionally. The prices on just about everything are better or the same as at Trader Joe’s, which of course has a far smaller selection.

I agree with meats. I like to buy organic chicken breasts and thighs, also ground turkey, and freeze it. Cheeses are very good, like big wedges of imported parm for grating. Liquor is often an incredible bargain–they sell brand-name liquor under the Kirkland brand for like half price. They used to have 1.75l “French vodka made from grain” right next to the Grey Goose, something like $17 vs $35. And even if you go for the brand name the price is good.

You can also buy rechargable battery sets at Costco, for children’s toys and for adult.

The problem with Costco for our small family is that the quantities are so large. Unless it’s freezable (like meat) or long-lasting (like cheese) stuff goes bad. We can’t use a 3-lb tub of lettuce or 10 lbs of potatoes fast enough.

Also check out the pharmacy! This may be different in other states (I’m in CA), but you can get some medications much cheaper out of pocket. Example: my insurance copay for a 30-day supply of Atorvastatin (Lipitor) is $45. A 90-day supply is about $35 out of pocket.

Also good deals on decent cold cuts, but again we only buy stuff that will keep. The salami is good, the prosciutto is excellent. They have stuff like smoked turkey that’s good but we don’t eat enough of it.

And another edit to add: The car insurance was very good, but I just used the number to drive down the price I get from Allstate.

31

Their Kirkland-branded items are uniformly good quality, from the maple syrup to the olive oil to their boxer briefs to their paper towels. I’ve yet to find a crappy Kirkland product, but then I don’t buy a huge number of products for our consumption there. Also, their wine selection is excellent.

We do a self-funded weekend lunch program for some kids at a neighborhood elementary school, and buy a lot of bulk items there like canned pasta, soup, packaged mac and cheese, juices, etc. They usually beat the supermarket prices, though not always.

32

Hot dog and a drink for $1.50. Best deal ever.

33

Is it real Grade B maple syrup?

34

Discman, portable TV, Bluetooth speakers. :slight_smile:

35

And it is a mighty fine hot dog!

36

Coastal Rugged Mature Cheddar. Very good stuff, I prefer it even over Cabot Vermont aged cheddar which they also carry. Sometimes they have Beecher’s Handmade which is also very good.

Stonefire mini naan. They come refrigerated and you pop them in the toaster and they fluff up nicely. They’re great for open faced breakfast sandwiches or personal pizzas or smeared with fig jam and goat cheese or even just plain.

They sell fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts, tenders, and thighs in portioned vacuum multipacks. Tear off a pack or two for dinner, throw a couple more in the fridge, freeze the rest. It always turns out well although I wish the tenders were better clipped.

And they’ve always done right by me on tires. More than once I’ve discovered a nail in a rapidly deflating tire and driven straight to costco for a free repair with no waiting. When I need to buy a set they’ve always got either Bridgestones or Michelins $70 off. When I had a jeep and destroyed a lot of tires they never voided road hazard coverage even when I ripped a sidewall while rock crawling up a running creek and brought the tire in still full of sand and water.

37

Kerry Gold Butter. Irish butter from cows that only fed on grass. Wonderful stuff.

38

It’s 100% Grade A, Dark, produced in Canada. It has a nice flavor like the grade B.

39

When in season their HUGE things of fresh cherries and persimmons are good.

40

:dubious: Well…

Once I tried Grade B, I never went back. But I may try it.