Thursday Thirteen – Shopping Warehouse Style

Caroline Murphy
Sometime soon after my college graduation, I received a free one-year membership from Costco. I guess it was their way of congratulating local graduates. I took them up on their offer.

I would go on occasion and without a doubt buy much too much for a 22 year old living in a tiny apartment. Times have changed. I now shop for my family – husband and daughter. We try to stay on a pretty tight budget. Our trips to Costco occur about every 6 – 8 weeks. This week I have organized my 13 top reason why I maintain my now near $50 membership.

  1. Diapers!!!! You can purchase Huggies size 5 for 17 cents a piece! This is even a teeny bit cheaper than the Kirkland ones. This alone is a reason to have a membership!
  2. Milk – I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that the cost of milk continues to rise. The milk jugs always seem to be at least 75 cents less than the local supermarket.
  3. Lower prices on better quality meats – When we make our Costco trips my husband will spend at least 30 minutes going through and selecting that week’s best deals. As you must, we buy enormous quantities. When we get home we begin by dividing up the meat into dinner portions for the 3 of us. We then vacuum seal the portion and drop them in our freezer. Each morning I pull out a baggie to make for dinner.
  4. Giftware– I just love so much of the beautiful gifts they sell. The prices are usually the same, if not lower, than what you would pay at a traditional retail store.
  5. Books – Their selection of children’s books is great!
  6. Rotisserie Chicken – Three reasons why I love this more than the one I can buy at the supermarket – #1 It’s cheaper, #2 It bigger, #3 It tastes better!
  7. Less trips out – Since I stock up about a month worth of meat and other items, I lessen my need to go to the supermarket. This saves on gas and the random spending you make each time you go.
  8. Clothing – They sell some great clothing. The prices compare to Marshalls, with the exception that they haven’t spent their time being kicked around the floor.
  9. Kirkland – The Costco brand actually tastes really good and is reliable.
  10. Gas – Although we don’t currently have this option at our Costco my parents have it at the BJs they belong to. It’s not a huge savings – typically just a few cents – but if you’re already there you might as well fill up!
  11. Frozen Foods – I cannot attest to all – but I do know that the Skinny Cows ice cream sandwiches that I love are much, much cheaper than at the supermarket.
  12. Jug of pretzels – You pay the same price for nearly triple the size!
  13. Samples – Ok, maybe I shouldn’t be admitting this but I love to have the little “snacks” they offer you! It really does give you a chance to try different food items, and fills your little tummy.

I believe that using at warehouse club, such as Costco, is a Smart Mom decision – even if you only use it for diapers! I frequently receive offers for 1 week trial memberships. Keep your eye out! Maybe you can give it a try!

If you are a current warehouse shopper, please share your top reason to shop warehouse style!

See you tomorrow! For Free for me Friday I’ll be sharing a favorite chicken dish the entire family loves!

Smiles!

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11 thoughts on “Thursday Thirteen – Shopping Warehouse Style”

  1. I’m a warehouse shopper; we have Sam’s. I like it because I find items that are not available elsewhere. What I don’t like is that they get you hooked on something wonderful, like great Stilton cheese, then they don’t have it anymore.

  2. We don’t have Costco, but do have Sam’s Club and I love the deals we can get on some things. We always have to be careful to have a plan, and some extra money for those surprise items you always find too. We try to go up there once a month if we can.
    I had fun visiting your TT.
    Mine is at The Cafe.
    Hope you’ll drop by.

  3. Same here as the 2 above… no Costco, just Sam’s Club. I have a membership there, but the closest one is about 2 hours away, so I don’t get to go much. I like it for the prices and huge variety of alot of stuff all in one place.
    Happy TT!

  5. #3 alone is what kept me a Costco member. Sadly, we don’t have that in Dubai and I spend so much more on food!

  6. We don’t have a Costco near us but we have a Sam’s warehouse (similar to Wal-Mart but buy in bulk). I haven’t renewed my membership but plan on it for this summer!

  7. We mainly have it for diapers and formula too. Oh I remember my mom would always get those raelly good frozen pretzels….soooo yummy!

  8. This is a great list, thank you for sharing! Our closest warehouse is over an hour away, so it would probably defeat the purpose, but I do enjoy stopping by when we’re in town.

    Happy TT!

  9. We have both Sam’s and Costco here, but I’m a member of Sam’s. If I need something that I know Costco has, I just have one of my friends pick it up for me. Great list.

    Happy TT!

  10. Thanks for that list, I have been thinking about looking into a membership. Thediaper deal alone is worth it!

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