Talk to me about Costco?

[Mykittensmittens]

I can get a membership based on DHs work.

I'm weighing up if it’s worth it - the nearest store is 30 miles away but I do pass by it with work once a month or so, so not necessarily making a journey specifically.

we have a decent sized garage and lots of empty plastic storage tubs. I was specifically thinking of stocking up on items I repeat buy in Lidl/aldi and wondering if it’s genuinely better economy to do this via Costco?

ie pasta, tinned tomatoes, tinned fish, long life juices, squash, I think mostly ‘pantry’ type foods.

the store in question is Derby if that makes a difference (it doesn’t look huge)

thanks

Things are not necessarily cheaper at Costco. Often it's about convenience rather than just low price. Toilet Roll is cheaper at Tesco than Costco for example.
The meat is good quality and the bakery is good too.

It's good value rather than rock bottom prices. So, you can buy cheaper loo roll, but you can't buy top quality loo roll cheaper.

Some things really are well priced - we get tubs of hot chocolate powder, catering packs or tea bags, 12 packs of tinned tuna, all definitely worth it.

We definitely find it worth the membership.

Toilet roll is definitely cheaper than Tesco it's one of their loss leaders

We bulk buy soft drinks as they are much cheaper in bulk plus the petrol savings pays the membership alone. We go to the Derby one too and its pretty big. It's also good if you want a big ticket item like a TV.

I go to the Derby store but the only things that are actually cheaper is food/drink items. I purchased different soft drinks, large tubs of honey, crisps etc.

I didn't find it that great

Thanks - this is helpful!

We go around every 4-5 weeks. It's worth it for loo roll, kitchen paper, tinned tomatoes, pasta, noodles, cheese, baking goods, tin foil, ziploc bags... we no longer buy chicken pieces as it tends to be a bit gristly. Try it. See what you like and can afford. There are some bargains to be had and you could always split the cost with a friend. I got dh a pair of Levi's for £35. He is very tall and muscular so his Size was always sold for £££ on Amazon etc. He always wanted a pair but couldn't justify the price. He was so pleased so for that alone I love Costco. ❤️

Costco is definantly worth it, if you don’t mind bulk buying. Branded goods do work out cheaper. It may not be as cheap as Aldi or Tesco value but the quality is usually good, even Costco’s own brand (Kirkland).

If it does petrol (I know Leicester does), that's well worth it if you are passing.
I buy loo rolls, soft drinks, cleaning stuff, cookies, their fresh curries & a few other things. We also use the optician there.

Once a month is more than enough. We go about once every two months and I have certain things that I get there. Not things people eat more of the more you have though.

Things are significantly cheaper but they don't sell cheap things. They well branded good quality stuff.

For example a three pack of method spays costs about the same as one bottle. And unlike crunchy nut cornflakes your husband isn't going to use seven times as much as normal. But on the other hand you could probably buy four bottles of cleaning spray in Aldi for the same price.

Mixed nuts or big packs of cashew etc. Crisp packs,
Soft drink cans,
liquid detergent, softeners,
sushi, bakery items , citrus/soft fruit, salad like baby cucumbers.
Kitchen paper rolls are really nice but I feel are too large.
Tea bags, coffee, hot chocolate.

I don't like the chocolate much. They are very pretty packs so buy for gifting sometimes.

Children's books.

I never feel it's cheap but the quality is very good. I still need to go to Tesco or Aldi so it's my luxury shop rather than the regular basics.

It’s worth it just for the mince pies at Christmas , they are absolutely the best you can get . As others have said it’s not necessarily cheaper but it is good value for the quality but then I don’t usually shop in Lidls/ Aldi / Asda so don’t know if it would look really expensive if that’s what you are used to .

Derby does have petrol and an optician. You can go to the information desk and ask to have a look around.

Whatever you do, never ever go when Derby are playing at home!

im not sure things (soft drinks, washing tablets especially) are always cheaper than supermarkets (especially if supermarkets have bogof offers etc)…but prices are much more predictable!

other things are! Might be worth asking if you can go round and have a look without joining - see what you would use and compare prices!

I find Kirkland items to be superb. The only thing with Costco is you may love an item but never see it again. They used to do the most delicious powdered mashed potatoes. It actually tasted like real mash and nothing like our Smash. It was a lifesaver and made dinner prep so easy for me (I can't stand for very long due to sciatica and arthritis in my knees). However it disappeared and hasn't been on the shelves in a few years same as the ramen noodles. They also do crack in a jar (otherwise known as pistachio spread) but that also disappears from time to time so I try to ration it.

Yes the mince pies are elite. They have a sponge topping and are delicious warmed up in the oven with some cream or custard on top.

Also Costco tends to have whatever the toy of the moment is if you struggle to find them in high.street stores.

If they still charge you to open the account, you need to factor that in too.

I never found it cheap particularly. It never had the stuff I needed in bulk when I needed it either!

Nice birthday cakes though.

The 30 cans of Coke Zero for around £7 is great value.

We love it. As PP have said it's convenience not cheapness.

We will go for a few bits and still spend 3 figures. It adds up deceptively quick.

Kirkland range is good.
Kitchen roll is excellent - it's sold in packs of about 12 and the sheets are massive!
Garlic infused olive oil - think it's a Filippo Berio one (definitely branded) much bigger and cheaper (value wise) bottle than supermarket. Not always there though so we ration it!
Babybel works out cheaper especially the rate my toddler consumes
We buy a few of the fresh meals and portion up / freeze. Defrost and cooks really well.
Items like screen wash / books / non food stuff can be great finds

Yes we would have to pay for membership (DH is ex-forces) but my DM has said if we bulk bought some things she would pay for half.

things like loo roll and kitchen roll, tins, cans etc we have room to store in the garage.

i’m quite tempted….

I love Costco but everytime I visit I end up spending at least over £125.

I often buy kitchen roll, toilet rolls, butter, frozen stuff, meat. Their Levi jeans seem cheaper.

I am not sure if things are necessarily cheaper as such but buying things in bulk is. But you need space to store it all.

Also Costco is great if you are entertaining a number of people. I often buy their platters of sandwiches, salads, sushi, desserts, hams etc. It is all nicely presented and all you need to do is take off the cover and serve. I think they are a great time saver.

Dishwasher tablets and soft drinks are definitely cheaper at Costco.

I agree about the stuff disappearing though! I can't buy pesto at regular supermarkets now, I'm too bitter.

Is that mashed potato Idaho I wonder? If so you can get it in the supermarket often on special offer.

The larger Costcos that do tyres are also good and we have found them better than Kwik Fit

The giant birthday cakes are revoltingly sweet but we did use them when the kids were little & had big parties.
We are still mourning the loss of the fresh Napolitana sauce, it was delicious & so useful. They still do the spicy one & one with muscarpone cheese but not the regular one. Stamps foot!
Tyres, yes.

Not in mine! Cheapest currently is around £10 for 30
which is same as supermarkets when on offer!

Never get our for less than £130. The quality of their stuff is high, eg meat. Never had bad stuff yet in over 20 years. Once returned 2 x huge punnets of tasteless strawberries.