Thinking of getting a Cosco membership $60 just wonder who has a membership on OzBargain and what do you buy and what is the best bargain.
Are The Savings Worth Having a Costco Membership? What Do You Buy?
hsk on 10/08/2015 - 12:18
Related Stores
Comments
I think might be the crux of it. If you are shopping for brands or other luxury items (Swarovski, for example) maybe it is useful.
But if you buy the savings brand flour and store brand milk it just looks like $50 wasted.
For me I cannot see the savings whatsoever.
The only thing I use mine for is to get cheap hot food.
All of the products that they sell are basically the same price as Coles, roast chickens are slightly cheaper but they taste like crap.
I can see the savings in things like clothes but besides that its all very average.
Unless you plan on spending thousands and thousands of dollars a year there its not worth it.
I second this. Their 'normal' prices are generally the same with 'sale' prices in Coles or Woolies and you don't have to buy in bulk.
I had the membership for a year, found out that it was a lot harder to control my budget so didn't renew. Costco is very very good at encouraging you to spend money in their store, sometimes on things that as soon as you leave the store, you wonder why you bought them.
If you are unsure, just spend $60 and see if it fits you. Everyone has a different experience.
OP. You can refund the card if you don't like the range of stuff they carry. So go ahead and give it a shot. Costco is about selective buying, some stuff more expensive than coles or ww. Some stuff, like the seafood i find value for money.
I found it was really good about 3-4 years ago. But now the majors have come down in price a lot, often matching Costco.
The things i do want from there are stuff like Lurpak ($5/500g vs $4.50/250g) and the occasional bigger bulk pack. Other than that Woolies/Coles/Aldi do the majority of the lifting now.
Lurpak is a huge saving. Lupak replenishment dictates our trips to Costco - (note someone below classes it as a luxury….people must be doing it tough)
strange calling it luxury, it's only butter (and I think Western star tastes much better)
ok and with the brand clothing can you buy just the one or do you have to buy in bulk? And do they do clearance or sales?
You can buy individual clothing items. I got a Calvin Klein suit for about $200 recently, was great value.
Each to their own I guess.
For me, I only got a membership to buy a new TV, because their price (including the joining fee) was the cheapest I found.
That, and the fact that the warranty for any product is maintained past manufacturer's for the life of the membership.
Ive had 3 (granted smaller) electronic items fail outside warranty period, and taken it back for full refund no questions asked - thats a darn site better than some of the other retailer/brand battles that regularly come up.ok thanks elvino just wonder if you can check the prices of items before you become a member? otherwise how did you know the TV was going to be cheaper??
Went in with a friend who had a membership to check them out (and subsequently attempt price matching at normal shops).
You can buy a membership, and then have it credited after purchase - I know people that have done that specifically for a few big ticket items.
I went to Costco once and they were happy to let me in to look around without a membership, but they said I couldn't buy anything.
The examples of significant savings are all for luxury goods.
Swarovski, Lurpack, brand name clothing, new TVS (I assume large).
Does Costco offer good prices on basics?food, no. saw on TV a year back that the prices were around woolies/coles for most things.
Depends on what you consider basics. Used to buy their trays of tinned tomatoes and Big Red which was cheaper than Woolies/Coles, but over the course of the year didnt make it worthwhile.
Its the handful of big $ savings that make the membership worthwhile if you buy them.
One thing I found annoying was their range is constantly changing. They had a great deal on cans of condensed milk and I bought a crapload (for a bakery) and when I went back for more the next month I was told they were sold out.
does anyone know if you are given a gift card and are not a member can you shop to spend it or do you need to join up first?
Have to sign up
I find I save a lot of money at Costco. Car tires saved me over $200 compared to local garages (buying 2 tires). Other items such as speciality cheese and frozen food is cheaper than the supermarkets. I often find speciality foods in general a lot cheaper there, e.g. coconut oil was $13 for a 1L jar, this is over $20 at other shops, avocado oil was $14/L, it's $8-9 for 250ml at Coles etc.
Basics like flour, sugar, milk etc aren't any cheaper than home brand stuff at the supermarkets.
And it depends how far you live from the Costco too. No point spend extra on fuel and wear and tear to chase a few savings. And some things are definitely dearer. My wife picked up 6 pack of rexona deodorant until I pointed out that it would be $6 cheaper to buy them at Coles.
I don't think it is worth it for the average person.
I have costco membership and go with family for hotfood only as we live nearby Costco.
It seems expensive for us to by basic things.
If I have party I would like to buy huge sponge cake one day.I dont know whether it is cheap?Aldi is most cheaper for basic items.
I just wonder why everybody goes to wollies and coles even it is expensive than AldiI can walk to Aldi from my house, but only go very rarely. I drive further to Coles/Woolies or other local supermarkets, even though they are more expensive, because I find the quality of products at Aldi is a very mixed bag. At least I can go round another supermarket and avoid the products I know are poor quality (e.g. avoid home brand and pick up something else, or vice versa). At Aldi you are often limited to one choice.
I bought my membership for the fuel only as the stuff they sell U can get at most retail places or online for the same price or much less. All U need to do is spend your time at night shopping around online etc Much' much better bargains elsewhere. BUT! to pay for something cheaper as in fuel, I think the other outlets have caught on - so in the end save your $50-$60 and just shop around = Bargains R everywhere with no membership cost. Will not be renewing my membership with Cosco anymore and also I know of 78 other friends R not renewing the membership = So Cosco PLEASE go back to where U came from or drop the membership cost U just may lose many members in the long run, as we are Australians not Americans lol
I am guilty of leaching off my sister who has a Costco membership, the whole family uses her membership (usually we pass on a shopping list) they often have things that are cheaper than the non-sale prices of Coles/Woolies and when you are willing to buy in bulk it it not hard to make the $60 back in savings.
I would not be able to save if I was to get my own membership, but with the current setup we all save (we are buying for 3 households on the one memebership).
The so called "luxuries" or nice butter, cheese are good as are the bulk cans and cleaning products. Constant purchases are the 2KG tubs of Jalna yoghurt, the cous cous salad, the crossiants and the hot food. I actually prefer the Costco roast chickens over the coles/woolies, they tend to be larger and I have yet to have one that has been dried out by sitting under the lights for too long. The pizzas, hotdogs and buffalo wings are also favourites.
I just renewed my costco membership and got a free slab of water bottles for doing so. I have been a member since they opened and before that I was a member in North America. I love it and hate Aldi. I usually get the same things each time I go with a few extras. I went today and got my usual 1.5 kg of frozen blueberries for $9.69, 18 free range eggs for $5.89, 2 litre fresh (not long life) lactose free milk $3.48, pack of 20 Carman's protein bars $15.99, 2kg of Jalna fat free yoghurt $8.69, 3 pkg Philadelphia light cream cheese $9.99 and those Bounce protein balls that normally sell as singles for about $4 each, a box of 15 costs $29.99 and some other stuff. If you have an abn, it only costs $55 so get online and get an abn before you join.
Oh and since it is winter, I am wearing my long sleeve wool t shirt that costs around $20 in Costco and I have one in every color that I wear just about everyday as I am always cold. I was tempted to buy the awesome 5 person tent they had on display for $149
You hate Aldi!?!? Careful crossing the road buddy.
Worth for me. Cheaper fuel will save you more than membership costs if you do >10k km per annum.
Also: various clothes (good brands often less than 50% of the rrp), Swarowski is 30-40% less than in other stores, quality furniture, some groceries are cheaper than usual but you have to buy in large quantities.