Quote:
Originally Posted by The Other Andy
Hello all,
There's a Costco very near me, and I've been toying with the idea of getting their basic ($55/year) membership. It's just my girlfriend & I though, so I'm not sure if we'd use it enough to make it worth it.
We'd definitely be going there for gas, and she loves to travel so their travel deals have her interested. I'd prefer to stock up on non-perishables in bulk, and there are a couple of bigger purchases I'd like to make this year (tires, laptop, desk, other office stuff [I'm setting myself up to take on more freelance stuff]).
Would a membership be worth it? The price seems pretty reasonable. How are their vacation packages?
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Whether it is worth it or not really depends on your buying habits.
For me (I have a wife and two kids), it definitely makes sense. I have the executive membership and buy enough there that the rebate pays more than the cost of the membership. But that didn't work out before I had kids...
A lot of the non-food items at Costco tend to be high end items. So, if you are looking for nice, Michelin tires, you can get a good price on them. If you are looking for the cheapest no-name tires that will fit your wheels, go to Discount tire instead. If you are looking for a fancy Alienware laptop, yeah you can get a good price, but if you want a budget minded laptop, go to Newegg.
Gas prices tend to be very good. I paid $1.599/gal a few months ago when most other stations were about $1.899. As someone else mentioned, I've gotten great deals on LED bulbs there too.
YMMV. But for me, it makes sense. For reference, Costco is headquarters near Seattle and I live just south of there.