Is it worth having a Costco card?

[GoldenSnitch]

I had one years ago - pre kids - but ended up letting it lapse as I found that the only things we bulk bought at the time (Washing powder mostly) were just as cheap in the Tesco's next door. But recently, I've been wondering if I should sign up again to buy things like nappies and dishwasher tablets etc that we could save money on. Oh and the odd birthday cake - they're yummy

I have friends with cards who I have asked to take me in the past but I feel a bit cheeky asking unless there is something I specifically want to buy, like the cake - it'd be awful to drag someone out and then spend ages browsing a buy nothing!

So is it worth trying to get a card again?

What do you buy with yours?

I buy giant jars of nutella and giant tubs of chocolate raisins.

I'm definitely not going to renew my membership. As a bonus of saving money I might lose some weight!

I like costco for the american shopping experience. There are things in there that you won't be able to find else where too. The clothes are ok and some books are expensive.

If you've got a large family then it does make sense. Also, they do really nice pizzas! They sometimes have good offers with the vouchers that they send out too.I think it's worth it to be a member, but you do have to watch what you buy in there.

Hi, I've had a Costco card for years, we go regularly, even if it's just to buy a crate of apple juice for the kiddies packed lunches (12 for £3!). We regularly buy washing tablets, dog food, fresh chicken fillets and bacon which are all hugely discounted. We always buy electrical goods from Costco because they have an excellent, no quibble returns policy and the prices are fantastic! The birthday cakes are pretty tasty too!

If you want brand name nappies then it is worth it. If not then Aldi, Tesco etc. nappies are cheaper.

We have it for Dh's business anyway, but personal stuff prboably wouldn't be worth it financially, but I would still want it. I love Costco

There are only 4 of us in our immediate family. We both have large extended families but tend to do things like Christmases at their huge houses rather than our tiny one.

Do you mean American shopping experience as in buying everything in huge packets or buying American things?

LOL at Butterball and the "No Costco Diet"

Ask your friends to tell you when they're going next, and go along to see if you think it is worth re-joining.

As far as what they've got that is worth buying:
I think Costco has good produce.
I tend to buy dvds and general sorts of books (cookbooks, got dd a bird reference book with pics and recordings of birdcalls, etc).
I just got dd 2 very reasonably priced swim costumes for less than half of what it would cost in John Lewis.
They have good prices for vitamins (Big bottles!)
I recently bought a box of paper for my printer at home.
Bought dd's Christmas pressie Wii - for a very good price
It is a great resource for food if you have plans to entertain.

Go have a look!

Yes, I mean the american experience as in buying lots of american stuff and perhaps the giant pizzas which will make me the size of a giant american.

Oooooh definitely.

Our Costco list is HUGE and the savings approximately 1/3 we reckon.

One of the best things is car tyres.

I would say if you have the storage space, go for it.

We haven't enough space in car for hauling it all back or keeping it all so i don't bother anymore.

I also buy big packs of loo roll, kitchen towels and rubbish bags - but i have a garage with room for storage.

We have a really good American store near us happywheezer. I buy Mountian Dew and Big Red chewing gum for DH mostly. It's about £15 for a crate of MD though !

DH's new company car is going to be a Passat Estate so we'll definitely have hauling room - it's just finding space for it when we get home!!

It's definitely worth it for us. We tend to ignore the food and stock up on all the household stuff: dishawasher tablets, washing liquid (sooo much cheaper than Sainsbury's), loo roll, kitchen paper, etc. Oh, and drinks (not wine though, that always seems quite pricey to me?) Even if it ends up working out at the same price as going to the local supermarket, it saves me having to think about buying that sort of stuff in the weekly shop and lugging it home. This way DH does all the heavy lifting (am currently 8 mths pregnant, so can be excused!).

We go every week Brace yourself as this is looooooong

This info may be a few months out of date for when I last did a comparison but we buy milk and 6 pints is about £1.60 compared with sainsburys £2.20! We go through 18 pints in a week (there are 4 of us)
We also buy
toilet roll
kitchen roll
tissues
toothpaste
bin bags
coffee - Kenco in huge tin and Carte Noir
Twinings tea bags
Part baked seeded rolls
Bread - 2 pack for £1.90
Tinned tomatoes -better quality & cheaper than supermarket
Tinned tuna (10 pack)
Whole wheel of brie
Cheese (think massive block)
Large bag apples/oranges/grapes
Bag of potatoes - cook, make mash and freeze
Large box of crisps
Large bag of red onions (chop, cook & freeze)
Washing powder.
Chicken "chunks" think nuggets but bigger and actual chicken breast
Potato wedges
Pre-cooked bacon, (put on bread into microwave and nuke -instant bacon butty on Saturday morning)
Sliced chicken breast for sandwiches
same for beef & Ham
American pancake mix (add water and cook)
We also buy and divide and freeze -
whole half of salmon
Chicken breasts (13 in pack)
Minced steak
Casserole steak

We also shop at Makro - think more catering, so we get frozen..
onion (if it needs chopping I stick it in a mini chopper)
Roasted red and yellow peppers
French beans
Garlic
Mozzarella
Sweetcorn
Peas

The only things I buy from the supermarket are yoghurts, philadelphia sanitary stuff, cleaning stuff like flash.

We have a large utility to stash lots, use the loft for toilet rolls/kitchen roll and I have a tall larder freezer. I love my freezer, it meant when we were snowed in I had loads of food in Dh goes to Costco on the way home from work.

there was meant to be a comma between phildelphia and sanitary stuff, Kraft have not yet branched out