5 ms·

We have a costco membership, but use it mainly for the significantly cheaper gas. The cash back on the rewards credit card ends up mostly paying for the members

We have a costco membership, but use it mainly for the significantly cheaper gas. The cash back on the rewards credit card ends up mostly paying for the membership, which makes it a net win if you live or commute close to a Costco. People rave about the low prices, but I can only assume that is some kind of collective delusion. Where I live, the grocery stores across the street always have better prices on meat and dairy, usually fruit and veg too. For the non-food things they sell, you can usually get the same exact thing on Amazon at the same price, without having to drive anywhere or wait in line for the receipt-checking security theatre. I'm an avid comparison shopper and this this has been my experience anyway. YMMV.

mikestew 2y ago
We have a costco membership, but use it mainly for the significantly cheaper gas. We have a Costco membership, and I never use it to buy gas even when I'm already at Costco. There's always a line, and at a $0.05/gallon savings on a 12 gallon tank (assuming that I sputtered my way to the pump as the tank runs dry), the most I'll save is $0.60. My time is worth more than that, I'll just swing by Chevron on the way home where the only time consideration is how fast the pump can shove gasoline into the tank. (Okay, maybe you save $0.10/gallon where you live: it's still only $1.20 savings in our car.)
- bonton89 2y ago
  Gas obsession is fascinating to me since it isn't even the main expense of owning a vehicle in estimation. One of the execs at my company that has since retired once spent 2 hours waiting to fill up his BMW when the local gas station had a free $20 of gas promo. Always boggled my mind how that guy thought it was worth his time to do that, but I guess it deprived some poor person he edged out of $20 so it was worth it in the end, lol.
  - mrguyorama 2y ago
    American Gas price nonsense is a cultural trauma from the energy problems caused by OPEC sanctions in the 70s. Basically the BS of American exceptionalism ran up against the reality of us importing 80% of our energy needs from Autocratic middle eastern countries. We got cut off from that and it gave us a national crisis. We had two options going forward: Either we focus on independent energy solutions, like nuclear and renewables. It would take more effort but would clearly be a smart and forward thinking investment, making us into an energy independent nation that could afford to make hard choices in geopolitics because of that independence, and could be a center for energy tech moving forward. It would probably be difficult for a decade but we basically would have avoided the worst of climate change, and likely be on a stable climate path already. Or we could just turn ourselves into vassals of the oil states, throwing away any morals to the quick and cheap solution that would give us a rich 80s and immediately put us on a path to more future problems and burning cash in the desert trying to keep them pumping that black gold. We would sacrifice our future for slightly more success right here and now, and damn the consequences 50 years down the road, we will all be dead by then anyway. Guess which option we picked? What's funny is that we eventually got the energy independence anyway, thanks to fracking and conservation, but we already wasted trillions in the sandbox, but we STILL need to dedicate enormous national effort keeping the sandbox just stable enough to pump oil because even though we export a significant quantity of our oil, if the price goes up a few cents that apparently ruins the economics of owning a Bro-Dozer so much that people who haven't gotten a raise in 50 years get really upset that """the economy""" is doing poorly. Nevermind that the price of gas seems to suspiciously go up in November, regardless of the actual production figures, but only when there is a democrat in the white house.
- 1123581321 2y ago
  We usually save $5-8 per fill-up over the most convenient gas stations and are usually nearby when there isn't a line. Plus, it's well maintained and doesn't play ads on the islands and the people watching is entertaining.
- akira2501 2y ago
  Right now, in CA, Costco is $0.60 cheaper than surrounding stations. I have a 25 gallon tank. This is worth $12.50 for me to fill up at Costco. I've timed the line, the longest wait I've had is 5 minutes. It's an obvious win.
  - mikestew 2y ago
    Right now, in CA, Costco is $0.60 cheaper than surrounding stations. Per gallon? Wow, I grant that I haven't comparison shopped in years, but you're getting more of a break than we did in WA when I was looking. I'm serious when I say that there was about a nickel's difference. Perhaps I should take another look at the price signs next time I'm there. Because, yeah, I'd sit in line for $6 (on a ten gallon fillup).
- HumblyTossed 2y ago
  The gas lines move steadily. It's really not a bad wait even when busy.
BlackjackCF 2y ago
I think it’s an intersection of quality and price for Costco. In my experience, you can certainly get things for much cheaper elsewhere in terms of price, but not at the same quality. Costco definitely pays off if you have a family of 4+. I think the benefits you get from buying in bulk are really limited if you’re a single person/a couple.
- akira2501 2y ago
  > but not at the same quality. It seems to me that Costco sells a lot of "B Stock" products. Things from manufacturers that didn't pass their Q/A or brand standards and get resorted and labeled as Kirkland products. Which I always assumed is why they have such a generous returns policy.
jerlam 2y ago
The savings on grocery can also be a delusion if you don't eat it before it goes bad. I would rather go to a local grocery store and buy fresh fruit every time I need it, than buy a box of it at Costco and feel obliged to continually eat the same foods lest I throw it away. Sometimes the complete lack of selection at Costco is nice - no more rummaging through faceless brand names on Amazon selling you the same generic junk, just shut your brain off and buy the one option at Costco. I only go to Costco an hour before their closing time on the weekdays just to avoid the crowds, it's worked out so far but obviously that's not practical for everyone.
1123581321 2y ago
YMMV is just a reiteration of "collective delusion" rather than goodwill, I assume. :) We're fortunate to have a debit-card-only store that usually beats Costco, Aldi's and Walmart and has the most variety. Not common for people to have that. Costco is best for some packaged foods and paper products and sells some distinctive items.
secabeen 2y ago
> People rave about the low prices, but I can only assume that is some kind of collective delusion. Where I live, the grocery stores across the street always have better prices on meat and dairy, usually fruit and veg too. You can get better prices at the grocery, but the quality is generally lower and the price isn't always lower. For example, chicken breasts are $3/lb at costco, individually packaged for freezing and high quality. Sure, I can often get breasts at the market in the bulk pack for $2/lb or less, but they're more water-logged, not ready-packed for the freezer, and don't taste as good. I happily pay somewhat more for the convenience and quality at a still low price. To get that level of quality at the grocery, I'm up at $6/lb for organic, name brand chicken. That's Costco's approach, especially with their in-house Kirkland Signature products: very high quality, and reasonable, sustainable prices. > For the non-food things they sell, you can usually get the same exact thing on Amazon at the same price, without having to drive anywhere or wait in line for the receipt-checking security theatre. Sometimes this is true, and sometimes you get the Amazon item and it's actually hidden lower-quality; the stitching on clothing is worse, the colors don't pop as much, etc. For fungible products that have a single SKU (books, electronics, kitchenware, most dry goods), Amazon is great, but when there's an opportunity for hidden quality drops and cost-downs, Costco has a buyer on-staff ensuring that the manufacturer doesn't cut corners. Amazon is rife with corner-cutting.
yummypaint 2y ago
I have yet to find sensitive toothpaste sold at comparable prices anywhere else. Buying one of those packages saves enough to pay for the membership by itself.
jvilk 2y ago
Yeah, I had the same experience in my area. It's so strange to see so many people (online, and locally) strongly assert that Costco has the cheapest price on many goods. It's a strangely pervasive notion. We thought that we must be missing something! Sure, some specific items are always cheap -- like the rotisserie chicken. But outside of those few things, you really have to look for actual savings, and that's true even of baby products which so many in our area seem to get at Costco. In many cases, we would be buying something in bulk for more money than at Winco or Kroger. Shopping there is also rather disorienting... many times an item we bought one week would be gone the next. Or items would unpredictably shift locations. As some commenters have identified, there may be specific items you want that are in fact cheaper at Costco. And I only have personal experience from my area, which is not a big city and has cheaper local grocery prices than a more urban area. My main point is: if you've been shopping at Costco assuming you are getting a good deal, you might want to double check against other stores!

mikestew 2y ago

We have a costco membership, but use it mainly for the significantly cheaper gas. We have a Costco membership, and I never use it to buy gas even when I'm already at Costco. There's always a line, and at a $0.05/gallon savings on a 12 gallon tank (assuming that I sputtered my way to the pump as the tank runs dry), the most I'll save is $0.60. My time is worth more than that, I'll just swing by Chevron on the way home where the only time consideration is how fast the pump can shove gasoline into the tank. (Okay, maybe you save $0.10/gallon where you live: it's still only $1.20 savings in our car.)

bonton89 2y ago
Gas obsession is fascinating to me since it isn't even the main expense of owning a vehicle in estimation. One of the execs at my company that has since retired once spent 2 hours waiting to fill up his BMW when the local gas station had a free $20 of gas promo. Always boggled my mind how that guy thought it was worth his time to do that, but I guess it deprived some poor person he edged out of $20 so it was worth it in the end, lol.
- mrguyorama 2y ago
  American Gas price nonsense is a cultural trauma from the energy problems caused by OPEC sanctions in the 70s. Basically the BS of American exceptionalism ran up against the reality of us importing 80% of our energy needs from Autocratic middle eastern countries. We got cut off from that and it gave us a national crisis. We had two options going forward: Either we focus on independent energy solutions, like nuclear and renewables. It would take more effort but would clearly be a smart and forward thinking investment, making us into an energy independent nation that could afford to make hard choices in geopolitics because of that independence, and could be a center for energy tech moving forward. It would probably be difficult for a decade but we basically would have avoided the worst of climate change, and likely be on a stable climate path already. Or we could just turn ourselves into vassals of the oil states, throwing away any morals to the quick and cheap solution that would give us a rich 80s and immediately put us on a path to more future problems and burning cash in the desert trying to keep them pumping that black gold. We would sacrifice our future for slightly more success right here and now, and damn the consequences 50 years down the road, we will all be dead by then anyway. Guess which option we picked? What's funny is that we eventually got the energy independence anyway, thanks to fracking and conservation, but we already wasted trillions in the sandbox, but we STILL need to dedicate enormous national effort keeping the sandbox just stable enough to pump oil because even though we export a significant quantity of our oil, if the price goes up a few cents that apparently ruins the economics of owning a Bro-Dozer so much that people who haven't gotten a raise in 50 years get really upset that """the economy""" is doing poorly. Nevermind that the price of gas seems to suspiciously go up in November, regardless of the actual production figures, but only when there is a democrat in the white house.
1123581321 2y ago
We usually save $5-8 per fill-up over the most convenient gas stations and are usually nearby when there isn't a line. Plus, it's well maintained and doesn't play ads on the islands and the people watching is entertaining.
akira2501 2y ago
Right now, in CA, Costco is $0.60 cheaper than surrounding stations. I have a 25 gallon tank. This is worth $12.50 for me to fill up at Costco. I've timed the line, the longest wait I've had is 5 minutes. It's an obvious win.
- mikestew 2y ago
  Right now, in CA, Costco is $0.60 cheaper than surrounding stations. Per gallon? Wow, I grant that I haven't comparison shopped in years, but you're getting more of a break than we did in WA when I was looking. I'm serious when I say that there was about a nickel's difference. Perhaps I should take another look at the price signs next time I'm there. Because, yeah, I'd sit in line for $6 (on a ten gallon fillup).
HumblyTossed 2y ago
The gas lines move steadily. It's really not a bad wait even when busy.

BlackjackCF 2y ago

I think it’s an intersection of quality and price for Costco. In my experience, you can certainly get things for much cheaper elsewhere in terms of price, but not at the same quality. Costco definitely pays off if you have a family of 4+. I think the benefits you get from buying in bulk are really limited if you’re a single person/a couple.

akira2501 2y ago
> but not at the same quality. It seems to me that Costco sells a lot of "B Stock" products. Things from manufacturers that didn't pass their Q/A or brand standards and get resorted and labeled as Kirkland products. Which I always assumed is why they have such a generous returns policy.

jerlam 2y ago

The savings on grocery can also be a delusion if you don't eat it before it goes bad. I would rather go to a local grocery store and buy fresh fruit every time I need it, than buy a box of it at Costco and feel obliged to continually eat the same foods lest I throw it away. Sometimes the complete lack of selection at Costco is nice - no more rummaging through faceless brand names on Amazon selling you the same generic junk, just shut your brain off and buy the one option at Costco. I only go to Costco an hour before their closing time on the weekdays just to avoid the crowds, it's worked out so far but obviously that's not practical for everyone.

1123581321 2y ago

YMMV is just a reiteration of "collective delusion" rather than goodwill, I assume. :) We're fortunate to have a debit-card-only store that usually beats Costco, Aldi's and Walmart and has the most variety. Not common for people to have that. Costco is best for some packaged foods and paper products and sells some distinctive items.

secabeen 2y ago

> People rave about the low prices, but I can only assume that is some kind of collective delusion. Where I live, the grocery stores across the street always have better prices on meat and dairy, usually fruit and veg too. You can get better prices at the grocery, but the quality is generally lower and the price isn't always lower. For example, chicken breasts are $3/lb at costco, individually packaged for freezing and high quality. Sure, I can often get breasts at the market in the bulk pack for $2/lb or less, but they're more water-logged, not ready-packed for the freezer, and don't taste as good. I happily pay somewhat more for the convenience and quality at a still low price. To get that level of quality at the grocery, I'm up at $6/lb for organic, name brand chicken. That's Costco's approach, especially with their in-house Kirkland Signature products: very high quality, and reasonable, sustainable prices. > For the non-food things they sell, you can usually get the same exact thing on Amazon at the same price, without having to drive anywhere or wait in line for the receipt-checking security theatre. Sometimes this is true, and sometimes you get the Amazon item and it's actually hidden lower-quality; the stitching on clothing is worse, the colors don't pop as much, etc. For fungible products that have a single SKU (books, electronics, kitchenware, most dry goods), Amazon is great, but when there's an opportunity for hidden quality drops and cost-downs, Costco has a buyer on-staff ensuring that the manufacturer doesn't cut corners. Amazon is rife with corner-cutting.

yummypaint 2y ago

I have yet to find sensitive toothpaste sold at comparable prices anywhere else. Buying one of those packages saves enough to pay for the membership by itself.

jvilk 2y ago

Yeah, I had the same experience in my area. It's so strange to see so many people (online, and locally) strongly assert that Costco has the cheapest price on many goods. It's a strangely pervasive notion. We thought that we must be missing something! Sure, some specific items are always cheap -- like the rotisserie chicken. But outside of those few things, you really have to look for actual savings, and that's true even of baby products which so many in our area seem to get at Costco. In many cases, we would be buying something in bulk for more money than at Winco or Kroger. Shopping there is also rather disorienting... many times an item we bought one week would be gone the next. Or items would unpredictably shift locations. As some commenters have identified, there may be specific items you want that are in fact cheaper at Costco. And I only have personal experience from my area, which is not a big city and has cheaper local grocery prices than a more urban area. My main point is: if you've been shopping at Costco assuming you are getting a good deal, you might want to double check against other stores!