Is Costco worth it?

bananz

Hi there!

Is anyone here a member of Costco and is it worth it?

We're a family of 2 adults, 2 toddlers and one on the way and usually spend £40-50/week at Asda which includes nappies and wipes. Do you think we can realistically reduce this budget without totally compromising on nutrition?

Thanks a million!

PLRFD

I would say its worth it and the quality is unbeatable,you can get a guest pass to check out the store before you decide to join or not.

supki

i don't always think they are the cheapest on everything but i usually buy their beef and pork and always found it to be the best value. the same amount of beef would cost me an arm and a leg in the major supermarkets.......

ca55ie

As Supki says meat is good value although it does come in large portions. You also need to remember that the prices do not include VAT (VAT is shown but its quite small type). I suppose its like shopping anywhere -you need to watch the prices and not get carried away.

bananz

Thanks for posting! Do you think it's worth it for a family on our type of budget?

I hear that it's better value for meat and branded things, but we actually buy very little of those things these days since prices have gone up so much and our income has gone down!

I guess I'm just wondering if it's only worth it for people with a larger budget who buy more luxuries?

Thanks so much!

typical_blonde

Depends what you buy! The bulk toilet rolls are good VFM (but of course you need somewhere to store them). They had a deal on Delmio Bol sauce which worked out at 41p each (Supermarkets had them on special offer at £1). You do need to look carefully at each item and the temptation to get "carried away" is quite strong. Also you do need to remember that you have to store the things that you buy in bulk, so if you live in a Victorian Terrace with not much space maybe it might not be good for you. Of course, if you have friends that would like to share your bulk buys and share the cost with you. That would be good.

To give you an idea (just found flyer) Huggies Baby Wipes 6 x 64 pack £14.97 +VAT. Huggies nappies Size 4 £37.98 for 160 nappies.

As PLRFD said - get a guest pass and take a look to see if it is for you.

I don't use it exclusively, I mix and match with Costco and the local supermarkets. Good luck!
All the best.

SnowBelle_2

We usually go about every two-three months.
I buy toilet rolls...triple velvet 40 rolls for around 10.50
Cheese ...varies in price but usually one on offer
Milk cheaper than anywhere,I freeze it and it's fine
Bread and part baked rolls useful for 'standbys'
Large tub of either flora or can't beleive it's not butter usually one or the other is on offer.
Plenty kitchen rolls,we go through loads of this.
Salmon side ( usually around £10) Tesco also sells these but Costco is thicker I slice up into individual fillets and freeze.
Smoked bacon
Chipolatas
Beef Mince ...bag up & freeze
Black pudding... I know it's no to everyones taste but theirs is the best and I freeze it for treat breakfasts.
Don't Bother::: Crisps,Breakfast cereals,Veg ( unless sharing with someone)
Most toiletries and sweets,These are all comparable with supermarkets so I never bother with them
It is very tempting to get carried away in Costco but I do have plenty of storage and now I am usually very strict with spending.

VfM4meplse

SnowBelle wrote: »

I buy toilet rolls...triple velvet 40 rolls for around 10.50

That's an excellent price (am nearing the end of my Amazon bargain 45 Andrex for £10 from earlier this year and that's set the benchmark for me ) but I don't think it's worth the membership charge just for that.

What it does mean is that I'll ask a friend with a Costco card to stack up for me next time she goes.

bananz

Thanks a lot everyone. Thinking it's maybe not worth it for us then as we live in a 2 bed flat with overflowing storage space as it is lol! I'll maybe have a wee visit at some point just to check anyway though.

Thanks for replying! x

SnowBelle_2

VfM4meplse wrote: »

That's an excellent price (am nearing the end of my Amazon bargain 45 Andrex for £10 from earlier this year and that's set the benchmark for me ) but I don't think it's worth the membership charge just for that.

What it does mean is that I'll ask a friend with a Costco card to stack up for me next time she goes.

Hi,
Just to let you know it's not always on offer,but if your friend has the membership she should get the Monthly discount booklet through the post,so you could maybe have a look at that.
There is also a website called 'Addicted to Costco' which shows a PDF of the offers every month.
HTH
Clare

just_trying

If you're on that tight a budget i wouldn't recommend Costco for you, you can easily spend over £100 though the quality of the meat is excellent.VFM4MEPLSE maybe your friend would take you as you can have a total of 3 adults in with you.