Making The Most of Costco and ALDI

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  Banana on 04/08/2016 - 21:44

  +2

  We always get the giant tub of mayo! Good if you have a big family! Also their food in the food court is super cheap!

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  holdenmg on 04/08/2016 - 21:45

  +1

  "We're gonna need a bigger freezer." lol

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  Savas on 04/08/2016 - 22:10

  +4

  I am personally sick of Costco and their products which aren't even that cheap. They do sell some pretty good chocolate apricot things. They are pretty good for large products eg. fridge, television etc. for their unlimited warranty as you have probably heard.

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  anonandon on 04/08/2016 - 22:17

  Tinned tomatoes. Ground coffee. Lamb bulk pack. Orange juice. Eggs. Bakers flour.

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  njpd875prv on 04/08/2016 - 23:44

  +7

  Always find prices are not much cheaper and you end up spending more than you would normally.

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  akd on 05/08/2016 - 08:09

  Personally I prefer to buy milk, eggs, fruit and fish from Costco while Bread, biscuits and chicken from Aldi.I found Aldi's fruit pretty ordinary. After initial impulse buying from both stores, we settled down and buy things which we need and are cheaper (per 100gm/ml excluding wastage) at either place. Try both places for few weeks and then decide. It is similar with IKEA also.

  • 

    King Steuart on 05/09/2016 - 01:43

    After trying a few different biscuits from Costco's bakery section I am largely underwhelmed. Will have to try Aldi. I'd put woolies and coles better than costco (ringwood) for bakery.

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  Allan on 05/08/2016 - 08:26

  Here are some prices and things to consider.

  "Health foods" like coconut oils are a lot cheaper (~$11 for 900g instead of the same price at 300-400g at Coles/Woolies/health food stores).
  Even nuts just recently were really cheap (walnuts ~$11/kg).
  Frozen berries ~$6-8/kg.
  If you buy the other chips etc it's cheaper to get from Coles/Woolies when they are on sale.
  Meats are generally more expensive but a bit higher quality in my experience.
  30 eggs (min 1.7kg) $6.49.
  Laundry stuff hovers around $4-5/L.
  Roasted chicken are $6.99 each but seems bigger than Coles and Woolies variety.

  If there's a petrol station the prices are usually very good. Expect to see between 5-20c difference. Tyres are also excellent prices with free rotation and puncture repair. Prices are usually $10-20 cheaper than other places but includes those extras.

  On a good day you get food samples too (my experience they do this on a Saturday) but expect mayhem instore. Try out a lot of their products without buying.

  Hotdog and drink (unlimited refills) $2, pizza slice $3 (bigger than the size of your hand), churros $1.50

  Generally speaking you get better value but Costco isn't "cheaper".

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  SirFlibbled on 05/08/2016 - 11:26

  Costco isn't 'cheap' it's just better value on the most part. That is you'll generally get a better quality item for the price you pay. But it isn't the cheapest price for that particular product if you're not including quality. Toilet paper is pretty much the exception.

  I probably only go 4 times a year to Costco and load up on non-perishables like soya sauce, BBQ sauce, Vegemite etc.

  Also Revolution for my Cat is significantly cheaper there than elsewhere (and is about the same price as online prices).

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  r0nmac on 05/08/2016 - 15:15

  Filling up your tank at Costco most of the times, will eventually pay up for Costco annual membership price.

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  King Steuart on 05/09/2016 - 01:47

  I am in the same boat as you OP. I do a monthly Costco shop when the credit card rolls over to maximise interest on my savings, and go to Aldi on most Wednesdays.

  I don't rely on Costco for fresh foods, but usually I'll buy a few things like strawberries and apples. Look out for their select few items that go on sale each week. That's where the absolute bargains are.

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  Dr Prepper on 07/09/2016 - 12:43

  Aldi is cheap no name house branded stuff with a couple of aisles of no name land fill in the middle.

  Costco involves buying bulk groceries and has the illusion that you are buying branded stuff. I have a feeling that some of the clothes are exclusive deals to brand no name stuff with actual brands. I'm a little suspicious of some of the branded jeans & polos I have bought from there.

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  PurchaseAnxiety on 23/09/2016 - 17:39

  Thought I'd post a bit of an update for anyone else that might be in the same mindset that I was. I ended up signing up with with Costco with low expectations, and for our first shop, did the usual of pick up a few things we needed, a few things we didn't, and a stupidly sized piece of pizza on the way out. However, leading up to our next shop, I took note of some of the prices (per unit) at Aldi, particularly things we buy often. On our next trip to Costco, I actually compared the Aldi prices to Costcos prices (note: I was always comparing with Kirkland product prices, not name brands). Of the 4 or so comparisons I did, Aldi came out on top every time. In fact, I even went to pick up a multi pack of Rexona, and thought I'd Google Coles price just out of interest. Wouldn't you know it, Coles came out cheaper (everyday price, no special).

  So a few notes. This was obviously far from a comprehensive comparison. In fact, I have come across some genuinely good prices at Costco. And even though Aldi was cheaper in my particular test cases, it was always a matter of cents being the difference (though I'm not paying $60 a year to shop at Aldi, and I can buy in more reasonable quantities). I also can't help but admire the marketing of Costco: make everything visible from the outside cheap, and make most things inside a pretty normal price.

  My takeaways:
  - if you're happy to shop home brands, stick to Aldi.
  - Don't assume everything in Costco is a great price. It's simply not the case a lot of the time. In fact, if you really want to save cash on brands, shop specials at Coles and Woolies. I have no doubt you'll save a hell of a lot more, plus you get the convenience of online shopping and comparison (something both Aldi and Costco severely lack).
  - As others have mentioned, the big savings are in the fuel (the main reason I'll be holding onto my membership at least for a year).
  - Treat a Costco membership like a sunk cost; don't buy crap with the idea that you'll "make your money back".