Anyone who's had a Costco membership is probably familiar with the dreaded moment at the checkout when you find out how much you just spent
. Many people have told me that their annual grocery costs actually goes up after joining Costco, and I've heard many arguments in favor of and against this wholesale giant. I'd like to know what others think, but to get things started I'll list a few of the frequently argued points:
Pros
- Buying in bulk is almost always cheaper (on a per-unit basis)
- Lower prices on big-ticket items
- Wide variety of products in one place
- Unique items that cannot be found elsewhere (especially in the frozen foods section)
Cons
- Many people end up buying way more than they need, either resulting in eating too much or food being thrown out
- The crowds and line-ups. They never seem to have enough cashiers!
- Poor customer service. I don't think you can phone them, and you'll never find anyone to help you find something or retrieve more stock. However, they never give you a hassle about returning things, provided you wait in the long line at the service desk.
- Membership cost - though I find that the $50 or $55 per year is relatively insignificant
- Buying bulk means you need a lot of pantry and/or freezer space
- Cannot use your VISA or Mastercard (to get points or cashback), unless you use it to pre-purchase cash cards on costco.ca, but then you won't get extended warranty or purchase protection. Of course there is the option of getting a Costco Amex, if you want to carry around yet another credit card.
Are there any other pros and cons to shopping at Costco?
Which points are most important to you?
Do you feel that a Costco membership is a good way to save money?
By the way, did you know that you don't need a Costco membership to shop at the Costco liquor stores (which have by far the best prices on booze)? Unfortunately very few Costco stores have an attached liquor store, at least in my city. For any other Edmontonians out there; the only one is the Sherwood Park location.
I also read that Costco members can buy the cash cards for their non-member friends to use. There's a 5% fee for the non-member to use it online at costco.ca, but I'm not sure if this fee also applies in the stores.
Pros
- Buying in bulk is almost always cheaper (on a per-unit basis)
- Lower prices on big-ticket items
- Wide variety of products in one place
- Unique items that cannot be found elsewhere (especially in the frozen foods section)
Cons
- Many people end up buying way more than they need, either resulting in eating too much or food being thrown out
- The crowds and line-ups. They never seem to have enough cashiers!
- Poor customer service. I don't think you can phone them, and you'll never find anyone to help you find something or retrieve more stock. However, they never give you a hassle about returning things, provided you wait in the long line at the service desk.
- Membership cost - though I find that the $50 or $55 per year is relatively insignificant
- Buying bulk means you need a lot of pantry and/or freezer space
- Cannot use your VISA or Mastercard (to get points or cashback), unless you use it to pre-purchase cash cards on costco.ca, but then you won't get extended warranty or purchase protection. Of course there is the option of getting a Costco Amex, if you want to carry around yet another credit card.
Are there any other pros and cons to shopping at Costco?
Which points are most important to you?
Do you feel that a Costco membership is a good way to save money?
By the way, did you know that you don't need a Costco membership to shop at the Costco liquor stores (which have by far the best prices on booze)? Unfortunately very few Costco stores have an attached liquor store, at least in my city. For any other Edmontonians out there; the only one is the Sherwood Park location.
I also read that Costco members can buy the cash cards for their non-member friends to use. There's a 5% fee for the non-member to use it online at costco.ca, but I'm not sure if this fee also applies in the stores.