Which warehouse club?

[Tacori E-ring]

It is time to renew our membership and I am curious which warehouse club is the most beneficial. My choices are between Costco (most expensive membership fee), Sam''s Club and BJ''s club (takes coupons but seems to have a smaller selection). Where do you shop?

 

[Haven]

We have memberships to both Costco and Sam''s Club through DH''s family''s business.
If we were to buy just one, it would be Costco. I think it''s a nicer place, and they send out a great coupon catalog periodically.

Costco is also closer to our house, so that helps.

However, Sam''s Club does sell this, which is the best coffee I''ve ever brewed at home. But, we could always order that online.

I''d choose Costco, but I don''t know BJ''s Club at all. We don''t have those here.

 

[soocool]

We jpined Sam''s club last year (hated it) and this year went back to BJ''s. BJs is the only club that accepts manufacturers coupons.

 

[pinkstars]

Costco, BF and I love us some Costco! Sam''s makes delicious cake, and that is a serious reason for me to consider their membership. But, you can find coupons online that allow you to get in for one day.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

It's ridiculous that one has to pay to shop at a warehouse store. I find the prices aren't much cheaper and there is no reason to buy a box of 30 granola bars at once. It's just the same to go to Target and buy less for and pay, per unit, the same amount.

 

[jewelz617]

I have both Costco and BJ''s memberships and like each equally. I tend to go to whichever one is closer and Walmart for all the odds and ends stuff that I don''t need in bulk.

 

[jewelz617]

Date: 2/7/2010 2:19:53 PM
Author: MC
It''s ridiculous that one has to pay to shop at a warehouse store. I find the prices aren''t much cheaper and there is no reason to buy a box of 30 granola bars at once. It''s just the same to go to Target and buy less for and pay, per unit, the same amount.

I''m not crazy about the membership fees, but with a baby it''s soooo easy to go there and stock up on things like diapers and wipes. I notice I have saved some money doing that, so it''s worth it for me.

I pretty much love discount stores in general. If only target was closer to where I live

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 2/7/2010 2:24:07 PM
Author: PinkAsscher678

Date: 2/7/2010 2:19:53 PM
Author: MC
It''s ridiculous that one has to pay to shop at a warehouse store. I find the prices aren''t much cheaper and there is no reason to buy a box of 30 granola bars at once. It''s just the same to go to Target and buy less for and pay, per unit, the same amount.

I''m not crazy about the membership fees, but with a baby it''s soooo easy to go there and stock up on things like diapers and wipes. I notice I have saved some money doing that, so it''s worth it for me.

I pretty much love discount stores in general. If only target was closer to where I live

When my kids were little, I did have a membership because of diapers and wipes, etc. Maybe the value of spending the $50 or $100 is there at certain times in one''s life. We did buy a huge play yard and an LCD TV one year and our membership costs were worth it at that time.

 

[iluvcarats]

When we lived in CA I loved Costo! We don''t have one here

I have Wal-Mart issues, so I joined BJ''s.

 

[Rachel9]

We love Costco...two miles away with cheaper gas, variety of easy staples for those nights I don't feel like cooking, books, paper and laundry goods are cheaper, meat and fish are def better than the market, it works as long as you are a disciplined shopper.

 

[mimzy]

We don't do walmart/sam's club, but DH and I have a membership to costco and we love it, even though we don't shop there exclusively. it is significantly cheaper to buy nonperishables there in bulk than even when they are on sale at the grocery store. I thought that the $50 fee is pretty minimal,considering the savings you get especially on higher priced items and electronics. My parents (who shop their significantly more than I do and buy a lot of alcohol and meat there) have the executive membership and ALWAYS make up the extra $50 plus some from the 2% rebate). I LOVE that you can buy gift cards there for cheaper than their face value. Also... I won't lie, I do go there just for their pizza sometimes. Their cakes are also to die for! (my personal favorite in the world ) I really can't say enough good things about it. The only things that we don't buy there are meat, bread and veggies because we don't go through them fast enough with just the two of us.

 

[JulieN]

Costco, of course. Would the higher membership fee be worth it if you knew Costco offers the better employee benefits and wages?

Sam's IS Wal-Mart, and Wal-Mart is ... kind of evil.

 

[April20]

We have a membership to Sam''s, but honestly, it''s because there''s only one Costco here and it''s on the absolute other side of trafficy town from us. There are two Sam''s Clubs that are easily accessible. Costco has some items that Sam''s just does not and I wish I could easily get.

 

[basil]

We have Costco. Even though it''s just the two of us, we end up buying almost all of our produce there. It''s less expensive, and it''s a lot better quality than our grocery store for our staples - apples, bananas, asparagus, romaine, spinach, green beans, etc., and even though it''s big quantities, we eat enough and it''s fresh enough when we buy it so it never goes bad.

Their meat department looks nice, but we rarely buy anything there cause we just don''t have the need for it.

We buy their frozen ahi tuna steaks and frozen wild salmon. Again, not sure if the price is any better than Trader Joe''s, but we think the quality is better. And of course, paper goods.

The Costco that I have in my city is nicer than the Sam''s that my mom has in her city, but I''m not sure if it''s just that they''re in different locations.

Usually if you explain that you are just looking to join, they will let you look around wihtout buying anything, so your best bet is probably to go to the different stores and check them out and see which you like best.

 

[vc10um]

We have access to Costco and BJs, but my mom''s company pays for her Costco membership and she can add me for free, so we shop at Costco. Because of this, I''ve never been to BJ''s, but I''ve heard good things.

I don''t go to Sam''s Club because it''s the same company as Wal-Mart.

 

[jewelz617]

Date: 2/7/2010 2:40:29 PM
Author: MC

Date: 2/7/2010 2:24:07 PM

Author: PinkAsscher678

Date: 2/7/2010 2:19:53 PM

Author: MC

It''s ridiculous that one has to pay to shop at a warehouse store. I find the prices aren''t much cheaper and there is no reason to buy a box of 30 granola bars at once. It''s just the same to go to Target and buy less for and pay, per unit, the same amount.

I''m not crazy about the membership fees, but with a baby it''s soooo easy to go there and stock up on things like diapers and wipes. I notice I have saved some money doing that, so it''s worth it for me.


I pretty much love discount stores in general. If only target was closer to where I live

When my kids were little, I did have a membership because of diapers and wipes, etc. Maybe the value of spending the $50 or $100 is there at certain times in one''s life. We did buy a huge play yard and an LCD TV one year and our membership costs were worth it at that time.

Yes, exactly. I never did wholesale shopping before, but with a baby it''s really convenient. Plus my husband runs a restaurant and can get tons of things he needs (like napkins, plastic utensils etc.) MUCH cheaper there than going through a vendor. So it really depends on the circumstances.

 

[rainwood]

Costco is fabulous! I get bulk paper goods and other food items on a regular basis, plus some of their meat and produce. But they also have a lot of other great stuff. Their sheets - Egyptian cotton - are fabulous. We''re also using towels from there that are thick and fluffy and soft at ridiculously low prices. And then there''s all the other stuff. My home office chair, luggage, pots and pans, jeans, jackets, cashmere sweaters, mattress, foam toppers, pillows, faux fur throws, laundry room faucet, camera, TV, home office printer. Some are Costco''s Kirkland brand, some are name brands, but all are really great quality at really great prices. Last time I went, I found this fabulous Cole Haan woven bag that was drool-worthy.

I never know what I''m going to find, and that''s part of the appeal. The only thing I don''t like is getting used to buying certain things in bulk there and then they stop carrying them. Bummer.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I think we do get our membership fee back in savings b/c we buy a lot in bulk. Also gas is always MUCH cheaper. Costco is the farthest and the highest fee. I gotta say BJ''s is tempting b/c they send out coupons and they take coupons which can add up the savings. I am a coupon clipper. Sam''s has a good selection and prices but yeah, there is the whole wal-mart issue.

 

[icekid]

I think Costco is the nicest. We don''t have one nearby anymore, so we don''t belong. However, it probably did not really save us money. If you buy on sale from the grocery store, the prices are generally better. Of course, it probably depends on what you are buying, as well.

 

[yssie]

Costco, hands down! For non-perishable goods prices are so much cheaper per unit than the safeways and wholefoods'' around here

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Just wanted to update this thread. The scale was tipped in BJ''s favor when I realized that not only do they send out coupons but you can stack them with the brand''s coupons. That equals HUGE savings. Plus I like that they aren''t as busy as Sam''s or Costco and it is cool they have the self check-out lines if you are only buying a few things.

 

[TravelingGal]

I missed this Tacori, but I''ll put in my two cents anyway just for grins.

BJs, I don''t know of one nearby, so I''ll only speak for Costco.

We have an executive members which pays 2% back. We easily make back the membership amount. The executive membership is $100 I believe. That means we have to spend $5000 a year on Costco. Fortunately, we split the membership with my cousin (you normally have to be in the same household, but for whatever reason, years ago we were able to do this). So we only have to spend $2500 a year, which may sound like a lot, but each visit usually takes $3-500 bucks out of our wallet...and guess what...it doesn''t take much at Costco! We go once every 6 weeks or so.

Costco''s demographic is middle to upper middle class. They look for products that are higher end. I did a pitch to them and they wanted our most expensive product. And of course, they wanted the most expensive product for cheap. I''ve mentioned this on PS before, but in order to get into Costco, you usually have to prove you are the market leader. They don''t stock a lot of brands (and of course, have their own where applicable), but what they do, they want the best and most recognizable. Tide washing detergent. Charmin toilet paper. You get the idea.

A lot of their items aren''t cheap though...if you see their patio furniture when the season comes, it''s usually pretty expensive. It''s just that you are getting a good deal on that brand. They also have tremendous negotiating power (for us, more than Sam''s and BJs in a way). They are the biggest distributor for wine in the country, I believe. Also, their butcher turns over meat like you would not believe and all the meat we get from Costco always seems a cut above.

Their return policy is still excellent. They are hard nosed (but fair, unlike Walmart) with vendors so they can be good to their customers.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 2/26/2010 2:22:03 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
Just wanted to update this thread. The scale was tipped in BJ''s favor when I realized that not only do they send out coupons but you can stack them with the brand''s coupons. That equals HUGE savings. Plus I like that they aren''t as busy as Sam''s or Costco and it is cool they have the self check-out lines if you are only buying a few things.

Does costco accept regular coupons now? Before they didnt and that always bugged me since I''m a habitual clipper of coupons from the Sunday paper. I read somewhere they were going to or had considered changing around the rules.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 2/26/2010 3:52:12 PM
Author: MC

Date: 2/26/2010 2:22:03 PM

Author: Tacori E-ring

Just wanted to update this thread. The scale was tipped in BJ''s favor when I realized that not only do they send out coupons but you can stack them with the brand''s coupons. That equals HUGE savings. Plus I like that they aren''t as busy as Sam''s or Costco and it is cool they have the self check-out lines if you are only buying a few things.

Does costco accept regular coupons now? Before they didnt and that always bugged me since I''m a habitual clipper of coupons from the Sunday paper. I read somewhere they were going to or had considered changing around the rules.

I''m not sure MC. I just love that BJ''s has their own coupon books too. For example they had a coupon for $4 off a box of pampers. I have a $3 off coupon and they will let me use both to get $7. That''s pretty cool.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Costco, all the way! I love their prices and selection, they are right by our new house, and they make fabulous prints.

 

[jewelerman]

Date: 2/7/2010 12:23:08 PM
Author:Tacori E-ring
It is time to renew our membership and I am curious which warehouse club is the most beneficial. My choices are between Costco (most expensive membership fee), Sam''s Club and BJ''s club (takes coupons but seems to have a smaller selection). Where do you shop?

Costco!As a member of the walmart haters club it only Costco for me!

 

[panda08]

Costco. Just by default, not because I have any idea about the other warehouse clubs. I originally went with my brother, who had a membership and I eventually got my own.

 

[mrssalvo]

we have the executive costco membership so I get the 2% cash back and we have Sam's. they are both within a couple minutes of each other. I love Costco and do most of my bulk item shopping there. cream is only $2 vs. $5 at my local grocery. I buy chicken and hamburger patties, yogurt, applejuice and all our paper products there and save more than if I bought the same items at target. Unlike MC, my kids do go through 30 granola bars and the way they are priced in my area is way less than buying the 10 count boxes for $2 at target. Many items at sam's are cheaper than Costco though. I just like Costco better. I think going to the BJ's that is close to you and takes coupons is a great choice though,

 

[Girlrocks]

Sam''s Club for me but only because they are the closest to me (30 min) as opposed to BJ''s and Costco (60 min).