Not every visit to Costco is a day at the park and there are definitely some circumstances
where shelling out $60 for a Costco membership is a total waste of money.
Here's when buying a Costco membership is totally not worth it.
The main reason people shop at Costco is because you can save money by buying items in bulk.
That habit doesn't make a lot of sense if you are in a one-person household.
Sure, it may be tempting to stock up on ground beef or a giant block of Parmesan cheese,
but how much can you eat before these items go bad or collect ice particles in your freezer?
There's only so much one person can eat, and because Costco sells their items in bulk,
chances are you'll get sick of the monotony of eating the same thing over and over.
Salmon steaks may sound amazing tonight, but how will you feel four days from now?
Are you really going to be happy eating the same breakfast cereal every morning for a
month?
Even though your bulk rice purchase won't go bad for a very long time, that still leads
to the issue of where you're going to store it.
Especially considering one person doesn't usually live in an enormous house with tons
of storage space.
Unless you have an abundance of storage space in your home, buying items in bulk may mean
you end up with a huge bag of dog food in your bedroom or a 25-pound bag of jasmine
rice in the trunk of your car.
Costco rarely sells small sizes of anything, so unless you've got a temperature-controlled
storage shelter in your backyard, you can expect to fill your bathtub with rolls of
paper towels.
This may seem like an unimportant reason to some, but in this day and age of tidying up
and only living with items that truly spark joy, you really have to consider how all these
bulk bargains are going to take up your living space.
If trying to find places for all these giant containers is just going to stress you out,
a Costco membership won't be right for you.
"We haven't much...space."
Costco gas prices are pretty legendary, but if your nearest Costco is a long distance
away it may not be worth the round trip cost plus the wear and tear on your car.
It's not a bargain if you end up spending all your shopping savings on filling up your
tank, plus the cost of your time to travel to another town just for a shopping trip.
If there are other destinations in the vicinity, or if you really love driving, you could make
a day of it.
Still, unless your store savings make it truly worth it, you'd probably be better off shopping
somewhere closer.
Besides, do you really want to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon driving four hours round
trip just so you can buy giant bulk groceries?
This where we all have to be honest with ourselves about how often we really prepare meals at
home.
If your favorite local restaurant has your meal prepared within five minutes of you being
seated, a Costco membership probably isn't for you.
Everyone gets lazy at times and sometimes you'd just rather order pizza than prepare
anything that you have expiring in your refrigerator's meat compartment.
If you're the type of person who loves planning out their meals in advance and doing a lot
of meal prep for the week, then a Costco membership may be perfect for you.
But if you're like the rest of us who enjoy cooking at home on occasion but have been
known to place a last minute takeaway delivery because a new bingeable series has dropped
on Netflix, you may not benefit from that Costco membership.
Just keep your pizza delivery place on speed dial and save that membership money for driver
tips.
Sure, you could Uber to your nearest Costco, but your driver isn't going to be thrilled
when you try to shove a giant television in their back seat.
There goes your 5-star rating right there.
You could also ask a friend for a ride, but then they'd probably make you share your groceries.
You might be better off using a grocery delivery service like Instacart that will do your shopping
for you.
But not having a car also means you won't be able to see every item in stock and you
might miss out on Costco's ever-changing inventory and in-store sales.
Also, you won't get to take advantage of all the free samples, so is there even a point?
Plus, do you really trust a stranger to pick out your preferred ripeness of bananas for
you?
Having to walk up and down stairs every single day is bad enough, but imagine doing it while
carrying a heavy case of bottled water.
It might make you fit, but it also might get pretty tiring.
There are many perks to living in an apartment or condo building, but ease of access with
Costco merchandise isn't one of them.
Before you go shelling out money for a Costco membership, you need to consider how far away
your parking space is from your home, and whether or not your building has an elevator.
More frequent trips to the regular grocery store, where you can purchase items in smaller,
lighter quantities, may be better for your living situation and your back.
"My back!"
With long lines, harsh fluorescent lighting, large crowds, and busy parking lots, Costco
can seem very overwhelming at times.
To make things worse, these minor annoyances could contribute to major health issues, since
research has shown that stress and boredom can negatively impact your health.
That's a pretty compelling reason to stick to your friendly neighborhood market.
Plus, Costco stores are gigantic, and there's something stressful about having to walk all
the way to the back of a giant warehouse for a package of toilet paper or another simple
necessity.
It's a lot of work, and sometimes a lot of anguish, with very little reward.
Sometimes you just want to get in and get out.
Costco is not that sort of shopping experience.
Hey, no judgement here.
We've all been there.
You go to the store for a gallon of milk and $200 later you leave with the milk plus a
supersized package of Oreo cookies, a ridiculously huge wine glass, and a cart full of other
items you may or may not actually use.
Costco uses sneaky little tricks to encourage impulse buys, which includes everything from
the layout of their stores to moving items around, and even offering limited times items
that will make the average consumer want to buy more.
In other words, you're not leaving Costco with just a bulk supply of tampons and no
rotisserie chicken!
If this sounds like something you could see yourself doing, maybe reconsider that Costco
membership.
If you enjoy deciding what to eat for dinner based on what's in season, then Costco probably
won't work with your lifestyle.
Plenty of people enjoy buying and eating locally, and spending the day at your farmer's market
is a great way to find dinner inspiration.
If that describes you perfectly, a Costco membership is probably not the best fit for
you.
Sure, Costco does have a great produce department, but unless you plan on using it up right away
or freezing a lot of it, you can expect your perishables to go bad before you can use them.
If you're not a fan of food with a long shelf life or processed items, you'd be better off
sticking to your local store.
There, you can buy what's in season, and in quantities you can actually use up before
they start to rot.
With 18-inch-long cinnamon sugar churros, delicious pizza, and the legendary Costco
chicken bake, it's no wonder that one of the major attractions of Costco is the food court.
But taking advantage of those super-low food court prices isn't a reason to shell out for
a membership.
You don't even need to be a Costco member to take advantage of those $1.50 hot dog and
a soda deals.
You can definitely enjoy those treats without a membership.
The easiest way to do it is find a Costco with a food court right outside.
As long as you're paying in cash, there will be no questions asked.
But what if your local Costco has an inside food court?
At most stores, you can still partake without a membership.
Just tell the card checker at the door that you're only there to eat!
If you're nervous about trying to waltz in with no card, just use a gift card to get
in, even if you have no balance on it.
Then mosey on up to the food court and eat all the frozen yogurt you can handle.
No membership, no problem.
"I mean, a dollar fifty for a quarter pound hot dog.
And a drink!
Tres bien, right?"
If you already have another warehouse store membership or an Amazon Prime account, it
may not be worth it for you to add a Costco membership to the list of yearly membership
fees.
Marketwatch breaks down adding a Costco membership in addition to already having Amazon Prime
down like this:
"Ultimately, choosing one over the other will come down to a person's needs and preferences.
If saving money is important, Costco may be a better bet, but with convenient shipping
and the added perks Amazon Prime may fit a consumer's lifestyle better.
You can order stuff from Costco online, but you'll pay for shipping."
Another consumer quoted in the article puts it like this:
"I'd rather pay a little more for paper towels right to my door than have to deal with the
Costco parking lot."
Amen to that.
And if you're already paying for one, do you really need to pay for another?
One of the best ways to save money at Costco is to comparison shop before you even leave
the house.
According to a BMO Capital Markets Study, the prices on Costco's wholesale website are
on average 17 percent cheaper than the prices on Amazon.
The issue is, that doesn't hold true for all items all the time, and those prices aren't
always the same as what you'll find in the store.
Add in factors like what's on sale according to your local grocery store's weekly flyer,
coupon codes and discounts offered via online retailers, and if your local market has a
store savings card that provides extra discounts, and it gets more complicated.
You could be paying a lot more for that bulk item at Costco.
This is where mobile price comparison apps come in handy, and also why it's a good idea
to check out the Costco website before your shopping trip.
Richard Galanti, Costco's chief financial officer, told Consumer Reports:
"Our job is to provide great products and services at great savings to members, but
we also want to wow you.
The website makes that possible with savings on large appliances, exercise equipment, and
luxury items you might not expect.
The website has plenty of offerings you won't find in the store."
A tip like this can help you find the best prices, but if you're the kind of person who
isn't interested in doing research before you hit the stores, it won't help you.
You may be better off sticking to a place where you're most familiar with their pricing
system and what days they offer the best sales and double coupons.
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