10 Reasons to Shop at Costco

I will be the first to admit that I haven’t always been an warehouse shopper. About 9 – 10 years ago, I said to David .. “Who in their right mind shops at this place?” 

Fast forward to 2015, and I have 4 kids. Having had a coupon blog for the last six years, I have witnessed changes in the grocery market ~ prices have shifted. Coupon policies have gone out the window (or, so it seems…) and the lack of GOOD printables has me clipping fewer and fewer each week.

Couple that with the fact that I feel more like a chauffeur lately than a blogger really has me in a predicament. When I had my first child, I still found time to coupon. I had my second, and I still had time – not as much, but it was still there.  After child 4…. the change in the market (coupon policies, etc), I find myself using SO very few coupons each week.

As time has evolved, Costco has been a godsend to our family – we don’t buy everything there, but we buy a fair number of things.  Let me tell you WHY we love it and continue to renew this membership of ours every year:

Discount Non-Food Items

We buy tires at Costco, and their Eyeglasses give us phenomenal savings. We ALSO get our pictures developed there too. Costco has some great non-food items, with a really open return policy.  

While we don’t take prescription meds in our house, we have heard that that is an incredible way to save… just like the Floral, and Eyeglass Offers are too.

Competitive Prices

The Costco Yearly membership is just $4.58 per month – you can find $5 in savings for other items.. make a list of those pantry items you NEED, that are a GREAT deal and you can probably earn that back (+ more…)  Trellis Reports HERE that Costco markers up items by just 15% – while the regular grocery store is as much as 25%. 

When you break down their items (not all, but MANY) they are equal or better priced per ounce than that of the grocery store. Not to mention the Kirkland brand is far superior than many other generic brands.

Bulk Purchases  

Of course, the regular grocery store accepts coupons, but do they double? No… not to mention on the *HOT* items that are close to free, you almost need to set up a cot at the store to ensure you get them (otherwise those extreme couponers waste NO time in clearing that shelf).

Buying those pantry staples in a larger quantity saves you from making that dreaded grocery store trip, where you can also end up buying much more than you walked in for.

Bulk Buying can be an amazing thing, IF you know your price point!   Keep your own price book in mind so you know what’s a better deal and remember that you can ALWAYS split into smaller portions and freeze.

See our last list of AMAZING items to buy at Costco.  

Great Organic Selection

Of course I could drive to the grocery store to find Organic items, but in the end, Costco has a very competitive price that is slightly better on many items than the regular grocery store. 

We like to get the Organic Bread, Organic Tortillas for the Griddle, and their Fresh Greens are a nice price. They carry Organic frozen vegetables that are an incredible deal, especially since you don’t have to use a coupon to score the price.

Not to mention they have a NICE selection of Butter and Cheese – not just conventional but also KerryGold.

Fuel Savings

We fuel up not one but 2 Yukons – they are not the most fuel efficient, but they are roomy .. since we have so many to squeeze in there.  Gas alone is a nice savings, so whenever we are near we always try to fill up because they run MUCH less than the regular grocery store.  Since Costco is in almost every corner of the Valley, driving to one to fill up is not out of the way.

Specialty Cakes

You can get a full size sheet cake for $15, frosted AND decorated – while if you went anywhere else, you’d spend an arm & a leg. I haven’t ever found anyone who doesn’t love their cakes. They are simply amazing!

They are ALWAYS FULLY Stocked

For those of us who can’t stand to see empty shelves, head to Costco – you won’t ever see an empty shelf. Even if it’s a hot monthly item on a special price, they KNOW that they need to keep it in stock.  

That’s pretty awesome.  With limited time, and four kids to shuffle around, it’s incredibly important to me that my time is not wasted ~ just this week in fact, I sought out to get the same item (2 days!) at a particular Valley store. Not only were they out of stock (it was not a coupon item and it was NOT on sale.. ), not one person had clue how to help. Nor did they really seem to care that they were out of stock on something that people buy daily.

I left. And then said to myself THIS… is why I will just go to Costco.

I can understand it when it happens occasionally, but when it’s a consistent occurrence at this particular store.. on the first day of a new grocery ad — I’m sorry, but that’s gas, time, and frustration.   

Extra Large Shopping Carts

And the back of the cart is plenty big for food AND MORE Kids. That’s important to some of us … my smallest two don’t fight, it’s an easy win to get them to want to go shopping.

Generous Return Policy

Have you ever bought something at Costco that didn’t work out? Their return policy is amazing. Standing in line to return items at Walmart is such a chore…   but Costco is amazing. 

Not to mention, since they know WHO you are and what you buy, if anything gets recalled after you purchase, they can look it up for you and issue you a refund. No questions asked.

Food Court

I’m sure you have more — right? At this point, you might be saying “The Food Court……….” — yes, the Food Court is so hard to walk by without picking up a hot dog, soda or ice cream. I love it too.  

While it might not be the most healthy choice, an occasional ice cream won’t ruin your diet.. it’s affordable, and just plain good, especially when you are hungry.

If you are wondering if the Costco Membership is WORTH the price, I think that just depends on the person. Some may jump up with both hands & say YES! It IS!” While others will comment that they can get better deals elsewhere.  

The answer to that is ultimately dependent on you – your time, your family size, and several other factors (your willingness to deal with some of the issues above such as low or no stock, clipping coupons, etc).  For our family of , it is, without question, a necessity.