Costco ethical dilemma

Page 4 of 6<123456>
Poll
7 votes (46.66%)
4 votes (26.66%)
No votes (0%)
No votes (0%)
1 vote (6.66%)
3 votes (20%)

15 members have voted

February 10th, 2017 at 8:23:46 AM permalink
ams288
Member since: Apr 21, 2016
Threads: 29
Posts: 12421
Quote: terapined
A Costco just opened up down the street from me
Last nite was the grand opening
Pretty crowded
I am on the fence regarding a membership
its 55.00 for a base rate and 110.00 for upgraded membership
They are pushing the 110.00 rate hard. You get a Visa card with 40 bucks loaded and various coupons for freebies and discounts worth 35.00
Tempting but after 1 year, another 110.00 charge with no free 40.00 or 35.00 in coupons
I am single, spend about 60 bucks a week at grocery store and eat out a lot for dinner.
I like the food sample freebies
I have heard good things about their fast food. Cheap and tasty. Line was long last nite so did not have a chance to check it out


I love Costco. If nothing else, it's worth it for the cheap gas. I do the $55 membership - I wouldn't bother with the more expensive one.

It's dangerous though - you will always end up buying way more stuff than you planned to. Happens every time.
“A straight man will not go for kids.” - AZDuffman
February 10th, 2017 at 8:39:37 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
The amounts are too big for my needs, so I long ago stopped having a membership. What's really good down here is their tire center. They sell car tires and install them for a fair deal less than regular tire shops. And they usually are done within an hour. Plus you get unlimited free refills with nitrogen for the life of the tires.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
February 10th, 2017 at 9:20:38 AM permalink
Ayecarumba
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 89
Posts: 1744
They have a "cashback" Visa that saves you an additional percentage on every purchase, plus other stuff you buy outside of Costco that can help soften the blow (especially on gas). However, if you buy four pounds of strawberries, because they are the same price as one pound at your usual grocery store, but let three pounds rot in your refrigerator, I don't think it's a good deal.

Are there other "small users" in your building or neighborhood that can split a membership (and bulk purchases) with you? This "Co-op" has the potential to save everyone some money, and you can make some new friends. However, it could put the small grocer, independent tire store owner, gas station, butcher and bakery out of business.
February 10th, 2017 at 11:51:20 AM permalink
Wizard
Administrator
Member since: Oct 23, 2012
Threads: 239
Posts: 6095
I have the basic membership too. We shop there a lot and spend about $250 each time. The lines as the Summerlin store used to be about 15 minutes long but are now down to about 5, I think because they hired more cashiers. I have a friend here who loves their fast food. I am not so enthusiastic about it. It certainly isn't worth waiting in an extra line for.
Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber
February 10th, 2017 at 11:58:58 AM permalink
terapined
Member since: Aug 6, 2014
Threads: 73
Posts: 11786
I checked out the Costco fast food for lunch today
My house to Costco, 5min in line, ordered, got food, back to my house. All in 20 min. Yea its that close.
Bought the chicken thing (pretty big), 2 slices of pepperoni pizza(slices are large) and a pork/coleslaw sandwich.
12 bucks and change, a lot of food, pretty cheap but then a lot of cheap starch
Sometimes we live no particular way but our own - Grateful Dead "Eyes of the World"
February 10th, 2017 at 1:12:08 PM permalink
Ayecarumba
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 89
Posts: 1744
Quote: terapined
I checked out the Costco fast food for lunch today
My house to Costco, 5min in line, ordered, got food, back to my house. All in 20 min. Yea its that close.
Bought the chicken thing (pretty big), 2 slices of pepperoni pizza(slices are large) and a pork/coleslaw sandwich.
12 bucks and change, a lot of food, pretty cheap but then a lot of cheap starch


Try the hot dog or polish sausage AND a refillable soda for $1.50. You can load up on onions if you need a veggie. I don't think you need an Costco membership (at least I have never seen them ask for the card) if the food court is outside.
February 10th, 2017 at 1:53:23 PM permalink
stinkingliberal
Member since: Nov 9, 2016
Threads: 17
Posts: 731
Quote: Wizard
I have the basic membership too. We shop there a lot and spend about $250 each time. The lines as the Summerlin store used to be about 15 minutes long but are now down to about 5, I think because they hired more cashiers. I have a friend here who loves their fast food. I am not so enthusiastic about it. It certainly isn't worth waiting in an extra line for.


Somebody did a study and determined that based on the price of membership and the savings derived from shopping at Costco as opposed to other places that offered comparable goods, you have to spend about $2500 a year to justify the cost. That implies a roughly 2% savings vs. other places, which is impressive when you consider that 2% is the margin of most grocery stores. However, if you spend just that $2500 a year, paying for the basic membership, you're breaking even as opposed to going to Smith's or WalMart for your supplies. The question then becomes which experience you like more. I eventually gave up on Costco because I got tired of standing in lines for loooong minutes behind grim-faced housewives who were apparently restocking the family fallout shelter for a six-month stay. I did like their array of frozen foods, especially in "SERVES 120" packages, because I had a herd to feed at the time. There's also an amusement factor in that where else can you buy a fifty-pound plastic jar of pretzels? And to back up what another poster said, the hot dogs are the stuff of legend, and for $1.50 (or $130 if you buy a hundred).

The study I referred to was conducted in the south Bay Area, so your mileage may vary. Having lived in both places, I found that my best shopping strategy was to get the newspaper ads and clip coupons, and be prepared to shop at any or all of the various Vegas food and stuff options. With coupons and specials, I never paid more than roughly half of the regular price for anything. That's a weakness of Costco IMHO--they aren't really big on sales or specials, except when maybe some train derails near Barstow and they have to unload 800 tons of frozen chicken wings pronto.
February 10th, 2017 at 2:28:57 PM permalink
buzzardknot
Member since: Mar 16, 2015
Threads: 7
Posts: 497
Quote: Evenbob
I always vote bigot when it's offered,
no exceptions.


I did not know you could vote for yourself.
February 10th, 2017 at 3:31:09 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
I gave up on Sam's and Costco 10 years
ago. You always spend more than you
need to, and buy things you don't need.

It's all Walmart for me now. I do a lot of
shopping online for groceries, $35 and
shipping is free. They have things you
never see in the stores. It's great having
to walk from the back deck into the
kitchen to unpack groceries. I still go
to the store for perishables, but that's
only twice a month.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
February 10th, 2017 at 3:34:00 PM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18136
Quote: Evenbob
I gave up on Sam's and Costco 10 years
ago. You always spend more than you
need to, and buy things you don't need.


I just cannot see paying to shop. Costco has some neat stuff, but the sizes are too large for a single guy and the lines are way too long. Lately I am trying to spread more shopping to GFS and Aldi, they have some good deals.
The President is a fink.
Page 4 of 6<123456>