Costco savings and a question
It’s been a while since I did a Frugal Friday post, so forgive me if this a bit of a stretch but I just wanted to share quickly one way that we make the most of our grocery money.
With prices of both gas and groceries on the rise, it’s important to us to buy as much as we can in each trip. We find that our Costco membership easily pays for itself just in the savings on dairy products: milk, cheese and butter. Eggs are also a good buy, as are spices, peanut butter, and a few other heavily used staples. Our big family appreciates the gallon-sized cans of veggies and fruits not just for the savings but for the sheer economy of time, handling and storage space: I would much rather buy one large can than 6 or 7 small ones.
To stretch the time between trips, we buy plenty and store extra milk, butter and grated cheese in the freezer.
Blocks of cheese get crumbly if you freeze them, but grated or shredded can be used directly from the freezer so there is never any waste from overbuying.
Eggs have a surprisingly long life, especially if you want to boil them. Older eggs are more easily peeled than fresh ones, so use up old stock this way if you find you bought too much.
Milk is easily defrosted by placing in a large pot or sink of cold water overnight, though you can also just set it out to thaw (this takes a little longer and leaves a puddle of condensation). The cream will float to the top once it’s been frozen and thawed, but we don’t think this affects the flavor - just give the jug a quick shake before pouring. You can pretend it’s natural, unhomogenized milk. :) A quick tip from personal experience: make sure the lid is secure before you shake. Really. Trust me on this one.
Since we will soon have 2 in diapers, I bought a case of baby wipes on my last trip. The price/wipe is comparable to the cheap ones we get at WalMart, but all of the diaper-changers in our house raved about the quality and it will be convenient to have several month’s supply laid away.
Question: Has anyone done a comparison of Sam’s Club vs. Costco? Does anyone have memberships to both clubs? I ran through Sam’s quickly to compare prices but didn’t like the “feel” of the place. Should I give Sam’s a better look, consider memberships to both clubs, or stick with the Costco that I know and like?
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We don’t have Sam’s Club where I live. So for my 8,other than ordering items from Azure Standard, I shop almost exclusively at Costco. We regularly 9usually once per week) buy sandwich meat, peanut butter, cheese, laundry detergent, TP,bread, tortillas, avocados, bananas, salad mix and sometimes hummus. Other things occassionally. I buy all of my gas there. We loooveee Costco!
From everything I’ve heard, I’d stick with Costco. Sam’s is much closer to us (and was the only option for a long time) so we have a membership there. Costco seems to have a little higher quality of items, but the key point would be you already *know* where everything is and the prices. Saving time is very important!
Did you know there’s a CBD free shipping code for over $50? 282205, I found via http://www.retailmenot.com/view/christianbook.com sounds like good all through June.
We don’t have Costco where I live now, just Sam’s. But there was a Costco where I lived on the West Coast. Sam’s is better than nothing, but I like Costco better. I think they have better quality for the price. More organic and healthy items. I have not done much price compare since I have never had both at the same time. But I would prefer Costco if I had a choice.
stick with costco. sam’s is just a bulk walmart and I don’t think their food is as quality as costco’s. besides sams doesn’t sell the awesome kirkland wipes that costco does. I never use any other kind of wipes. don’t know what I would do if they stopped selling them.
We currently have both, since dh does a little “concessions stand” (at cost) for the folks at his workplace.
They’re pretty comparable, Sam’s (S) has store brand Pull-ups, Costco (C) doesn’t. Here in New England, we can find a few of dh’s Southern cooking favorites that we can’t get elsewhere - corned beef hash, bulk sausage. S also sells eggs in higher quanitities - 15 dozen - than C. Milk products are usually slightly cheaper at C, but S carries the baby spinach we like…. Oh yeah, S also discounts its ground beef just before exp. date, and last fall I bought several smoked spiral hams for .99lb
Clear as mud? Both stores are in the same town we go to for major shopping, so not a big deal to hit both once you’re there. We also like to price compare any major purchase (’puter, folding chairs, etc.) one often has a better deal/quality than the other.
It’s a convenience thing though. If dh’s informal business didn’t cover the cost of the membership, it probably wouldn’t be worth it.
I’ve never been to Costco (don’t have them here in the sticks), but from what I’ve heard they are better than Sam’s. We’re only a family of 5 but we do shop at Sam’s quite a bit. My hubby and boys especially like the already cooked bacon (just stick it in the microwave for 30 seconds). We have done price comparisons and found we definitely save money by buying some things in bulk. Eggs and milk are cheaper at Sam’s here than at the grocery store.
Do you have a bread outlet type store near you? I buy nearly all my bread products at a Master bread store. A loaf of bread is about half what it costs in the supermarket. Things like hamburger buns are much cheaper as well. Our store also has spices and things like fruit snacks really cheap.
If there was a Costco around here, I’d definitely check them out.
Hope you are feeling well, Kim, and the foot swelling is at a minimum!
Stick with Costco.
I’ve had memberships to both (tho not at the same time), and I prefer Costco. It just seemed like a cleaner, nicer store, with better products. My local Sams is dark and dingy and the layout is HORRIBLE. Plus I like Costco’s seasonal items much better than Sams.
I have done my homework and price comparison on the Sams and Costcos here.
We have both a Costco and a Sams membership. We prefer Costco for most things, but sometimes it is just not feasible to get to the top of the 1604 Circle to get to Costco. That’s when Sams becomes our preferred store : ) Our Costco membership is for Rick and I. I split our Sams membership with another friend - she has the primary card and I have the secondary - so Rick can’t run into Sams for me, where he can run into Costco for me. I waiting for a Costco to go in on the West side of town so I can always get to one when I need to. Both Costco and Sams are conveniently located for you.
Costco’s store is laid out in a easy to get to everything manner. It’s also organized and clean. And their food court is our cheap food standby when we’re caught in town and need food for the family. Sams is rather discumbooberated so I always miss a little section here or there which is annoying. Sams is not as clean as Costco.
We don’t like Sams food court as well. Their pizza is not near as good as Costco’s. And, they don’t have Chicken Bakes at the food court. Costco’s food court wins hands down just on the Chicken Bakes : )
Costco has better quality and more organics, like Organic Sugar for .79/lb - much cheaper than anywhere else I can find. Costco’s produce is MUCH nicer. Sams produce is akin to WalMart’s produce - not so nice. Costco’s gas prices are THE best so we always fill up when near the UTSA Costco as the 281 Costco doesn’t have gas.
Sams does have restaurant quality kitchen supplies - pans, spatulas, knives, etc., that Costco doesn’t carry. They also carry gallon jars of kosher pickle spears which my children inhale, that Costco doesn’t carry. And large cans of pickled jalapenos. Sams large container spice section has a much larger selection of different spices than Costco. Sams also has clearance items that Costco doesn’t. I was told that anything priced ending in a “1″ at Sams is a clearance item, in addition to the clearance section at the back of the store.
If you shop at the Sams on DeZavala right down the street from the Costco on UTSA, their prices are almost identical. If you shop at a Sams that is not near a Costco, like on the 410, then Sams is more expensive hands-down. I did the price comparison last year and it was usually $1/item more at the Sams not near a Costco.
With my $100/year membership, I get 2% back on all my purchases, which covers the next year’s membership fees plus gives me a little more towards my next purchase. At Sams, last I checked, the only way to get the 2% back was to use an American Express Card to pay for your goods and then AE gives you the 2% back every year. Since we don’t use Credit Cards, I like the Costco 2% program MUCH better! Their 2% back program is on all purchases except for gas. Too bad they don’t include gas in this one!
So, I like Costco best - by far, but there are times that Sams has what I need - pickles, spices, restaurant quality supplies. I know exactly what I want at Costco and where to find it. When I go to Sams I know it will take some time to shop as I am not so familiar with the store and selection. But, every once in a while I have that time and it’s fun to mosey through Sams.
I would recommend finding a friend to split a Sams membership with for a year and try Sams and Costco together for a year and see what you think at the end of the year. It’s only $20 and you might find some things at Sams that Costco doesn’t carry that would still be cheaper than HEB.
That’s how I learn. Kinesthetically. I must actually shop and purchase and try the items to know which I like and don’t like! Can you tell I’m a homeschooler?
Laralee
http://www.PlymouthRockRanch.com
Recording the Faithfulness and Provision of God for Future Generations
Lisa,
We don’t have any bread outlets nearby. All of our savings would be eaten up in gas.
Costco has real, precooked bacon bits that are far cheaper than buying bacon and cooking it yourself. It’s a bit of a splurge, but we love these too.
fyi, you can also freeze eggs. We have hens here. The summer they lay tons of eggs (more than the winter) so i break a dozen into a ziploc bag and throw in the freezer and i can pull them out the eve before, set in sink and in the AM i can scramble for breakfast!
I did a walk thru of Sam’s about 2 year’s ago with a clipboard full of Costco’s current prices. The results were as follows:
Costco-pros: lots of realitively cheap organics, my fav treats at the consession stand, good paper products, good book section, better office supplies, services all professional and prompt,coupon books
cons-packed all hours of the day, often the only choice in a category is the more expensive brand name or organic, overall too much luxury stuff and not enough basic stuff
Sam’s-pros: basics everywhere, marked down meats,
unless it’s saturday afternoon it’s uncrowded
cons- staff not up to par, produce is often spoiled
Surprisingly, on non-organic basics the prices were usually within a few cents of each other.Gas is not cheaper at either store than our local AM/PM. The final factor that made us go with Costco is that it’s ten miles closer to our house. But I shop with a list and try to resist any extras. Remember one impulse buy here starts at $15!
Personally, I would stick with Costco simply because Sam’s Club, owned by Wal*Mart, has some really shady business practices. We like to try to support businesses that contribute well to the community and treat their workers well versus those that are detrimental to the local economy and pay their workers poorly enough that most are on government assistance of some sort.
Sounds like you are getting a lot of good advice. I just wanted to say that we have both memberships. We use Costco’s a ton more than Sam’s. We just got our first digital camera and was thrilled that from Costco we got our first 50 prints developed free! We love thier wipes and most of the staples, the produce always looks better. the organics are a much better deal. Construction paper, computer paper and ink, batteries, even DVD’s and clothes. We LOVE COSTCO!
We love Costco. The wipes are awesome, you can stick a pack anywhere, unlike the bulky plastic containters I always used to buy. We’ve started getting at least 1/2 of our food there, and we only have 3 kids so far. We also eat there a couple times a week and don’t consider it “eating out” since it’s so cheap. Our whole family eats there for about $9. LOVE it!
Dittoing most everyone else….stick with the Costco. We love us some Costco! I practically get giddy when I do the shopping there every other week. I have a Sam’s membership and cannot even remember using it this year. It will not be renewed.
I’d like to second someone else’s mention on the 2% back plan. It is most definitely worth it. We are a family of 7 (8 in December!) and I paid for my membership plus had an overage last year.
I could devote and entire blog post to my love of Costco - I heart it very much!
We don’t have a Costco close but I still do a membership because I can find so many more organics there and when we are close to one I stock up. My kids love their organic fruit snacks, I agree to that the qaulity seems better
We have both - Sams is a freeby because my mom got an extra card. Before we boycoted WalMart almost two years ago we did do Sams but I never felt like we were getting fabulous deals. Maybe our family was smaller, maybe I wasn’t great at it, but the environment didn’t suit me very well.
I love Costocos food court and find that a $10.00 pizza feeds a family with leftovers if you are in a pinch.
The store is laid out well, and they carry a larger selection of organic products at nearly the same costs as their non-organic. To date my favorite organic purchase is their mixed veggies something we use often!
I love that they mail coupons frequently for things you need/want i.e. diapers, sunscreen, etc. and we now have an executive membership which has more than paid for itself.
Hubby also likes their gas prices
Costco is cheaper then Sam’s and everything is MUCH better quality. Stick with Costco. Don’t waste your time with Sam’s.
Costco is the best. Better quality, healthier choices. Plus, with the executive membership, you get 2% back at the end of the year. If my family only buys milk at Costco. Our executive membership is paid for by the cash back!!! Where else can you take 7 kids, get them all ice cream from the snack bar, and still get $ back from a $10? Plus they are all full - that doesn’t happen at the Dairy Queen, Sonic, or even Mc D’s. If you look up the management and ownership of the Costco, I think you will be happily surprised. Employee turnover is very low, and they are always striving to be eco-friendly while keeping the highest quality and great prices. I bought a huge play gym for the kids for less than the manufacturer would sell it to me. Does that make any sense. Costco saved me a few hundred on just that one purchase!
Love them!
Nada in KC
Last year I was given a FREE Sam’s card. I used it once. Costco is just so much better.
I adore Costco’s Kirkland line of products. Great butter, great baby wipes, greatness all around. You’re so right — you get the membership fee back just in dairy products.
I used to freeze cheese regularly when I found a good deal on it. The way to keep it from crumbling is to make sure it is wrapped well. When you get it out leave it on the counter to thaw for a day. It will be quite soft, but put it in the fridge to get cold(I’d suggest a day). It should be good to slice then. This has worked very well for me. It might still crumble a bit, but you should be able to get nice slices from it. I’d suggest that you try a small chunck and see how it works for you.
I have had both memberships over the years and have found costco to be much better. The atmosphere at Costco is so nice and open. They very in things they sell slightly but I haven’t seen a significant difference in price.
I have boycotted Wal-Mart/Sam’s enitrely. Besides their subpar products and services they are anti-American and Anti-Christian as far as I’m concerned. I grew up in a small town and watched Wal-mart run the local grocery and general merchandise stores out of business without blinking an eye. Now they are catering to Muslims. Stick with Cosco.
“As America changes, so does the store where America shops. In Dearborn this week, the world’s largest retailer opens a store like no other among its 3,500 U.S. outlets. Walk through the front door of the 200,000-square-foot supercenter and instead of rows of checkout counters, you find a scene akin to a farmers market in Beirut. Twenty-two tables are stacked high with fresh produce like kusa and batenjan, squash and eggplant used in Middle Eastern dishes. Rimming the produce department are shelves filled with Arab favorites like mango juice from Egypt and vine leaves from Turkey used to make mehshi, or stuffed grape leaves. A walled-off section of the butcher case is devoted to Halal meats, slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law (when a Wal-Mart manager noticed the pork section was too prominent he ordered it moved, since Muslims don’t eat pork). In the freezer case, you’ll find frozen falafel. You can also pick up a CD from Lebanese pop singer Ragheb Alama or buy Muslim greeting cards.”
“Despite the sensitive sell, local shopkeepers still worry about Wal-Mart. “There is a fear factor in the business community,” says Osama Siblani, publisher of Dearborn’s Arab American News. To allay those fears, Wal-Mart is making an extraordinary promise: it will not undercut the prices of the small local merchants (though it will still go after Kroger). The insular company even agreed to be scrutinized by a “community advisory board” made up of local Arab-American leaders to ensure it isn’t harming the mom-and-pop shops. One example: Wal-Mart agreed to charge one dime more than local grocers for a six-pack of pita bread.”
Read the full article here http://www.newsweek.com/id/117835
I’m a lurker who has enjoyed your blog, and your family, for about the past year. You are truly blessed and it’s a joy to be able to share your blessing just a tiny bit.
One thing I learned recently from our homeschool group is that Costco does not upcharge on their prescriptions. You do not need a membership to use it either. My friend said you just tell them you’re going to the pharmacy. I haven’t called them yet to see how much our meds are, but I plan to. Every other store or pharmacy makes their money on the Rx, but Costco charges what they pay for it.
Sadly though, they are a 70 miles r/t for us. And that membership cost stings!
Jeri (who’s soaking up the big family tips!) and…
mom to 4 (2 newly adopted from Taiwan) and eyes set to adoption in Haiti in the future!
I prefer Costco. I love the Costco Kirkland brand wipes!
We sort of go back and forth between Costco and Sam’s from one year to the next. Currently, we have a Costco membership. My only beef with Costco is that there are darned few of them around here, and probably twice as many Sam’s Club locations. The Costco that’s “near” us is always, always, ALWAYS busy. I always worry about the kids getting run over in the parking lot!
However, that is my only complaint! The selection at Costco is far superior to what’s available at Sam’s Club. The produce is nicer, the meats are MUCH better quality, and the brands they carry in general are better than what’s at Sam’s. And the snack bar items are way better too! Stick with Costco. You aren’t missing anything!
We buy the sliced american cheese from costco and freeze it (we separate it into three chunks I think each wrapped separately) and it works great - no problem w/ moisture etc, nice thick slices, better for you than the processed kraft stuff, ready to eat, really works for us! And the huge bags of flour (we store it in several large tupperware) and rice are awesome.
I wish I had a club nearby…
I love the Kirkland brand wipes! I noticed that the top half tends to be a little dry though, so I started flipping the pack over between diaper changes and presto! moist wipes!!
Our costco tends to be very busy as well, but I’ve found that if I can get there right when the doors open for executive card holders, I can be in and out in 30 minutes! That’s with two babies and a full cart! But not on Monday mornings I’ve found. That’s when everyone else does their shopping!
GREAT conversation starter, Kim!!
We had always used Costco until a friend of ours just raved up and down about Sam’s, so hubby decided to switch us over. I have never gotten used to it. It’s just a different atmosphere. Maybe I’m a snob, but the workers (with a few exceptions) are flighty and unreliable, and the food is just not as great. When we first joined, I asked them to tell me why I should shop there rather than Costco. They asserted that their prices are 5% less than Costco. I’m not sure anymore if that’s true, but that’s what they told me about 6 years ago.
The single thing I like about Sam’s is that they sell Daisy sour cream in the huge container; there is no sour cream as wonderful as Daisy. My Costco-shopping friends call me and ask me to pick them up their monthly sour cream container! It’s so good.
The good news for me is that our town is putting in a Costco, which will be open by November. We’re talking 5 minutes away via a BACK road, with only one stop light between us! I feel so blessed! We’re also getting a Home Depot, which opens…TODAY…so I will be able to remain as local as I possibly can! Hooray for less gas spent!
Thanks for the fascinating thread, Kim.
I have never been in a Sam’s Club. My mom has a dear friend that has two children employed by Costco. She remarked one day that her son had called and needed us to go do our Costco. shopping soon to keep the store in the black:) That same friend sent us a lovely Costco. $ card for a baby present with the birth of #7. What a great treat.
We have always been treated well at Costco. I split the membership with my sil and that works out well. I usually shop there once a month. Some of our staples include flour, baking soda, tp, and the six pound bag of pretzels.
I usually sum up our love of Costco. this way: Costco. allows us to eat REAL butter. I have never found a better deal including coupon deals on real butter anywhere.
We live in the boondocks. Our church family has always picked stuff up for each other. We are all trying to economize more on the gas and shop together to share the gas and savings at Costco.
Well my only two choices are Sam’s or BJ’s , we use Sam’s as it is near some of the other stores we shop at ( we are 30-40 min) from the nearest shopping areas. Since my shopping days are a all day affiar of food ( we hit Lowes, Alidi’s, local food store, target, thrift store, dollar tree, AC moore ) and anything else needed I like the click and pull at Sam’s. I do all the shopping on line and the next day I stop and pick it up at the service desk, in and out of Sam’s in 15 min for no extra charge. This is great when I have all the kids with me. I really don’t buy produce at Sam’s I buy that locally, except for the celery, broccii, and baby carrots.
I have a Costco membership, and just love it. My husband has a Sam’s card (from his dads business), and we go there sometime, for items Costco does not sell, or if we just want to look.
But in generall I will have to agree with above mentionings. Costco has by far the better products. I also loved the wipes when I had my little one.
One thing that I do notice in a major difference is the Service. Yes, Costco does get crowded, but it takes twice as long (at least) to go thrue the check out at Sam’s. First they do not have as many cashiers out on a busy day (maybe 3 or 4), vs. Costco at least 8 at the same time of the day. Also, Costco has 2 at the check out, one will pack your stuff up, as one will ring it up. Also, on busy days they pre-scan your basket if it is very full. Sam’s only has one on the register, as well as only one person at the door going out. Costco will have 2 at the exit. Evenso I do not work outside the home, I like to think my time is worth something.
So Costco, you are No.1