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What's NOT a good deal at CostCo - Page 2  

post #21 of 37
2/8/08 at 9:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by APBTLuv View Post
That probably depends on your area. Here the meat at Costco is always cheaper than buying in the grocery store and it is fresher and better quality.
Agreed. Same where we live.
post #22 of 37
2/8/08 at 11:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Guinevere View Post
Am I the only one who has trouble taking advantage of Costco's bulk produce? Although I have a largish family, we only own one refrigerator, and I simply can't store more than 1 or 2 bulk produce items from there, so I don't even try.
We shop once at the beginning of each month and only pick one or two of the bulk produce items. The carrots and celery have been good keepers for us and we had a big bag of grapefruit last through Jan. without refrigeration! So...depending upon the item we can store 2-3 items, but not more than that.
post #23 of 37
2/12/08 at 3:59pm
In our area, milk is 50-75 cents per gallon less at costco. Gas is about a nickel per gallon less.
post #24 of 37
2/12/08 at 4:08pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by monkaha View Post
In our area, milk is 50-75 cents per gallon less at costco. Gas is about a nickel per gallon less.
yeah to the gas, I forgot about that.

One time they forgot to charge me for a broom, and I let them : so that was a good deal
post #25 of 37
2/12/08 at 4:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Guinevere View Post
Am I the only one who has trouble taking advantage of Costco's bulk produce?
I love their big bags of broccoli florets. One of my mainstay side-dishes is roasted broccoli.

I just toss the broccoli in olive oil, add salt & pepper and roast on a cookie sheet at 425 for 15-20 minutes. It gets crispy and heavenly. So delicious with pasta dishes, rice dishes, you name it. Seriously, you will never want steamed broccoli again.

I use half the bag for one serving and the other half for another night. We can never get enough of it! I buy a bag every time I go.
post #26 of 37
2/12/08 at 6:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by APBTLuv View Post
That probably depends on your area. Here the meat at Costco is always cheaper than buying in the grocery store and it is fresher and better quality.
Yes for us, the meat is good quality and cheaper than the normal sales at our grocery stores. The only thing that's not cheaper are their rotisserie chickens. I can get them at my grocery store at the end of a day for 30% off and they are less than Costco.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhiannon Feimorgan View Post
I have the same problem. I've started going with a friend or two and splitting up the huge box of peaches or whatever it is.
We do this with the in-laws, it works really well for us. I love their big flats of blueberries and strawberries in season and I'll buy and freeze a bunch when they have these too.

MTA: We just went on sunday, I got the most fantastic pineapple. It was only $3 for the pineapple. At our grocery store it is usually $3/lb for pineapple. It was delicious, we finished it off today. Also Milk is less expensive at Costco if you can go through two gallons before it goes bad.
post #27 of 37
2/12/08 at 6:59pm
I know that people join Costco and Sams Club to buy formula and diapers but I've never found either place to be cheaper for diapers both generic and brand name. We never really needed to buy formula so that's not a draw for me too.

Stuff like Bounty and laundry detergent's not as cheap as CVS with ECBs and couponing.

Organic Milk isn't cheaper at Costco than at Central Market or Whole Foods.
post #28 of 37
2/12/08 at 10:25pm
Food here generally cost about the same at Costco vs Superstore. I don't buy too much food from Costco. I'd say if something would go bad before you can finish it, than it's not a good idea to buy from Costco. Like DH bought a huge jar of jam spread there before. We don't eat jam very much so it went all fuzzy. They do have a few food items that taste better than any other brands so I buy those regularly, cheaper or not.
post #29 of 37
2/16/08 at 3:11pm
I like Costco, but since I've started couponing, I realize that there are many things I can get a LOT cheaper at the grocery store with sales + coupons. However, there are few things that I get at Costco that I think are great products and/or good price:

*Half-n-half (the price cannot be beat!)
*OG frozen green beans
*wild alaskan salmon burgers
*frzn chicken breast (I don't think it is always cheaper, but it is good quality meat. The store brand frzn chicken breast where I live is super fatty and totally not worth the effort to get all the fat off.)
*spices
*OG ground golden flax seed ($10 for 40oz IIRRC) (this is new; hopefully they keep it)
*clif bars
*white vinegar
*baking soda
*real maple syrup
*bread
*milk (if you don't have trader Joe's)
*handmade greeting cards (very cute! You get an assortment of 30 for $15!)
*hummus (conv. or OG)

There may be more, but that is what I can think of from products I typically buy.

I think if you are brand conscious, you could save money on certain brands that they carry (cascadian farm frzn berries come to mind), but it's not necessarily cheaper than a diff brand or generics elsewhere.
post #30 of 37
2/16/08 at 5:29pm
Canned tomatoes. I went with a friend thinking that I would stock up on canned tomatoes and was shocked at how much they cost. The grocery store and a coupon would have been a much better deal.
post #31 of 37
2/17/08 at 12:32am
I used to buy milk there but what is with the HORRIBLE new packaging they use? You seriously can not pour out of that flat top thing -- you can't possibly call it a spout.

I'm sure it's easier to ship, but c'mon people! If you can't pour it, it's not going to sell.
post #32 of 37
2/17/08 at 12:38am
I have a BJs membership (which is pretty much identical to Costco) for when we have parties. So about twice year-- Christmas/New Years and 4th of July I find some baragins. I've tried to find bargains at other times of the year, but dank nada zilch. I don't trust cheap big box/name organics or China organics , so I don't find I need it on a regular basis. But when we have big parties and open houses, I tend to not worry as much about 100% organic and buy some of the bulk foods. But in general, no. I do not find any bargains for the kinds of foods we regularly eat.
post #33 of 37
2/17/08 at 1:43pm
I disagree about the meat, but maybe it's because I don't buy meat in a bag. Their butcher meat is a good deal precisely because the quality is so much higher than anywhere else locally for the price.
post #34 of 37
2/17/08 at 2:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Literate View Post
I used to buy milk there but what is with the HORRIBLE new packaging they use? You seriously can not pour out of that flat top thing -- you can't possibly call it a spout.

I'm sure it's easier to ship, but c'mon people! If you can't pour it, it's not going to sell.
what are u talking about????orgnaic?soy??? the milk we get at costco is the normal plastic gallons that regular grocery stores sell except there 2 gallons in a cardboard box.
post #35 of 37
2/17/08 at 5:36pm
I agree about the milk. It's a gallon jug of cow milk, their store brand. They have a wierd jug, flat on top, milk-jug shaped around. Very drippy. I always thought it was just me! Glad to hear I'm not just a messy pourer.
post #36 of 37
2/17/08 at 6:49pm
They changed the milk containers at some locations, not all. I don't have a problem pouring it and I like that it doesn't have growth hormones but comes in at a great price.

Ice cream gets a thumbs down from me. Double the price I pay at the regular store and only plain vanilla.
post #37 of 37
2/17/08 at 8:00pm
we have the normal old milk jugs at ours.
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