What's good at Costco?

[Moonlitherial]

I find that there are gems I get all the time, but the best deals are the ones that I shop around for.

For instance, we recently bought a new huge umbrella for our deck and Costco turned out to be the best deal and on an extremely high quality product.

It’s also the little things - we bought a ton of ribs and wings for a BBQ last weekend and one of the pkg’s of ribs smelled off. There was no hesitation, bring it back and they refund your money. There are some people who take advantage of this, I had the husband of a friend explain to me recently that I was an idiot for not simply returning my 3yr old TV and getting a new one because they allow it. Personally I find that extreme and more than a little distasteful but it is possible due to their generous return policies.

One of the nice parts about buying meat there, if you can get there during the hours they have a butcher onsite is that they’ll do anything you want to meat you want to purchase. My husband loves to make his own beef jerky and we’ve had them thinly slice huge slabs of beef a few times. They don’t advertise this so please be aware that politeness goes a lot further than demands. I’ve seen people turned down for this as well.

I tend to not buy spices other than salt from them because the quantities are too large for me to use before they go stale, same thing for most of the fresh stuff - Evaluate pretty harshly if you’ll be able to use it, nothing is a deal if you throw half out. I get around this a lot by splitting things with my neighbor.

Odd things that I’ve found that are huge deals and not always on the buy at Costco lists:

1. Advil - Kirkland brand I get 300 for the price of 100 at the drugstore
2. Gravol - name brand, bottle of 100 for the price of a 16pk at the drugstore
3. Cedar plank - we grill salmon a lot and they have pkg’s of planks cheaper than I can find anywhere else.
4. Butter, but especially when it’s on sale there
5. Clothes, especially socks and underwear but they have different stuff at different times - almost always worth a look.
6. Nuts. i’m trying to improve the quality of my snacks and huge pkgs of almonds and mixed nuts have certainly helped that. I tend to buy snack size ziploc bags and keep a drawer in the kitchen stocked with stuff I can just grab and go.
7. Biodegradable bags for green box recycling - 100 ct box for the cost of 2bx’s of 10 anywhere else. Actually Trash bags in general, kirkland brand is great and they don’t go bad so completely worth it.

I don’t usually buy paper towels and toilet paper there - it’s sometimes a deal but I can usually get better by just watching the local sales.

[Count_Blucher]

@Amateur_Barbarian

A couple of people have. However, not all box stores have a gas station. Only the BJs here does, and while its price was around 10 cents under local discount pricing, it wasn’t conveniently enough located to keep up the membership.

Thanks, AB.

Cross the Aisle Hand-Shake

[gaffa]

@Omar_Little

As I scrolled through the thread, this caught my eye, and I thought Costco has really ventured out in where they allocate their 4,000 sku’s. Then I realized that “rn” was an “m”. :smack:

Saw a great typographical t-shirt at WorldCon. It said:

leam to kem.

[Zsofia]

Sigh, found out our liquor store in Costco is not a Costco liquor store for some reason that probably relates to blue laws (although evidently the Greenville store does have one?) but they don’t have Kirkland booze.

[Zsofia]

@Happy_Lendervedder

We tell our kids we’re going to the Country Club for hors d’oeuvres. We’re very classy.

You are missing a classic dad joke. Store d’ouevres.

[eenerms]

@Spice_Weasel

Has anyone looked into the discounts for insurance and travel and stuff?

We had car insurance through them years ago. It was on par with others. When we tried for it againrecently it was higher than most. Bought our car and truck through their vehicle buying program. No problem there. No fuss no muss.

[Chefguy]

@Amateur_Barbarian

I’m sure that will give you hours of happy play time.

The cat’s been amused by my efforts.

[Drunky_Smurf]

@Amateur_Barbarian

It can be tough enough to get through without the herds of cows at every feed station.

@Amateur_Barbarian

Trying to get around the cows at each one can add half an hour to a shopping trip.

@Amateur_Barbarian

while its price was around 10 cents under local discount pricing, it wasn’t conveniently enough located to keep up the membership.

Wow, life has really shit on you hasn’t it.

You have my sympathies.

[Johnny_L.A]

@Johnny_L.A

Costco had the best Christmas crackers. The prizes were actually useful. I haven’t seen them in a few years, though. I don’t know if they don’t have them anymore, or if I’ve been arriving too late and they’re sold out.

@kaylasdad99

What are we now, end of August?

Yep, you missed 'em again. Sorry.

I was afraid of that. :mad:

I’ll have to find out when they start putting out their Christmas stuff and go then.

[wonky]

Meats, cheeses, and some produce were good deals, as well as some non-perishables.

We had a memberships for a year, but my intention is never to go back. I hated every experience I had in those stores. But if you’re okay with the atmosphere, there are some bargains.