Makro and Costco - good for student shopping?

MercilessKiller

Hi there.

My parents used to take me to Makro and Costco when i was like 8 and buy boxes with like hundreds of packets of crisps inside.. dirt cheap.. from random foreign company's. Still as nice but cheap as hell!!!!

Anyway what are these places like? I can't remember as it was a long time ago and are they good to buy things for students? I.e those boxes of crisps to last ages, and choccy, also other things like frozen foods (though need a deep freezer first...) and how about alcyhol etc..

Thanks for any advice!

Savvy_Sue

IF you can get a card for either, then it MIGHT save you money, BUT you would need to be both disciplined and well informed. Because not all their stuff is cheaper, you tend to pick up things that weren't on your list, and you need to make sure that you'll get through any perishable stuff before it goes off.

And again, for any larger purchases, they MAY have a bargain, but their choice eg of TVs, computer stuff, tends to be limited. So if you've got your heart set on a particular make or model, it's pot luck whether you can get it there or not. On the other hand, if you find out what they've got and at what price, you can see if you can find it cheaper elsewhere.

Also remember that Makro (AFAIK) shows all its prices NET of VAT which is added at the till. CostCo shows both prices on the shelves.

yankee_rower

I would think Costco would be great if you had housemates or friends who wanted to go and split things with you, otherwise it is all a bit too much for one. If there were four of you though and you had meal planned for a couple weeks at a time, you could save quite a bit once you did your research and found out what was cheaper there and what is cheaper from the supermarket.

DrFluffy

We used to shop at Makro during my first degree - the flat I lived in (7 of us), and the 7 guys from across the corridor...

MercilessKiller

well we're going to have things like crisps, drinks, washing up liquid, washing machine tablets, frozen foods...

These things afaik can be bought in bulk cheapy at Makro... which I am assuming would be better? Also afaik the reason its cheaper is that its random brands that aren't really common (but the product still works perfectly)

Thanks for the help

jayarr_2

well..for a start, theres a money saver, go for powder or liquid, far cheaper than washing tablets!

MyUserNamesTaken

You can't get a Makro card unless you are self employed or own your own business.

si1503

forget that, i'm a student and shop at tesco, i don't know how the branded stuff at makro is going to compare to tescos deals and/or their value stuff, just because you can save a bit of cash on bulk purchases dosen't mean its a good deal for a student, do you really need THAT many packets of crisps, washing up tablets and drinks? i don't eat crisps, empty cals - waste of £££, 1 box of washing up tablets is sufficient or if you are really smart wash them at home! drinks? water is free! don't waste money on unnecessary items

kondormid

I have to side with the tesco mentality. Mainly because when you say "Im off to Tesco does anyone need anything picking up?" you are bound to get a few orders and viola! free clubcard points

simonmaddox

As Savvy_Sue says, you need to be disciplined. VERY disciplined.

I went to Makro with the intention of only spending about £20 or so. Not a chance. Every time I've been, I come back with over £50 worth of sweets, chocolate and crisps!

Make a list of what you went there to get, and stick to it!

MercilessKiller

si1503 wrote:

or if you are really smart wash them at home!

Not too sure why you decided to throw in an insult into a perfectly nice post.. .but when you live 3 hours + away from home and don't usually go home.. then it becomes quite hard!!!!! Not the same for everyone.

Simon thanks for that.. if i go i'll take a list :P but need a card first