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Thread: In the Grocery Store

  1. #31
    I was basically interested in grocery's. After looking at the prices for bulk items like fish and stuff I find its cheaper at Fry's.
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  2. #32
    Join Date
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    Costco and Sam's Club can be significantly cheaper on a lot of brand name grocery items if you like the brand name and can eat it before it spoils. Aldi is going to be cheaper on many grocery items if you don't care about brand names and just want to the cheapest possible groceries. Costco generally sells only good quality items. Sure, you can get paper towels cheaper elsewhere if you don't care that they are so thin that you can read through them. Costco sells good quality store brand paper towels and they sell Bounty. If you like Bounty you'll find Costco sells Bounty cheaper than just about anywhere.

    A co-worker of mine says his kids eat so much fruit that he saves way more than the membership fee just on fruit. I never buy fruit at Costco/Sam's Club because I couldn't eat it all before it spoiled in most cases.

  3. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bert Kemp View Post
    is it worth it for a single guy to get a membership
    Most likely it can be. My suggestion would be to go to a store with a friend that has a membership and take some time to walk though to familiarize yourself with the store. Spend a few minutes on the website, too, as there is a much larger selection of many things available that way, too. If things look reasonably attractive to you, join and try it for a year. As someone already mentioned, $60 for the basic membership isn't a huge gamble.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #34
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    And Costco tends to cater to locals. I drive a half hour and shop in the Bloomfield Hills MI store as it is near my allergist. Somewhat affluent area. I have seen Yamaha $50k grand pianos for sale there. Crazy. I joined five years ago when I wanted to purchase a 65" curved screen 4K TV. I have a friend that shops both Costco and Sam's Club. She claims the Sam's Club bakery is superior in everything but pumpkin pies to Costco.
    Last edited by Ole Anderson; 01-03-2022 at 10:03 AM.
    NOW you tell me...

  5. #35
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    There are a number of ways to get into Costco or Sam's Club to just look around. No friend required. Just tell them you want to go to the membership desk to sign up. Just go past the membership desk and into the store. In some states they have to let you in to use the pharmacy or buy liquor without a membership.

  6. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    Nope. If you can walk in the door and give them either $60 or $120, depending on Star Membership or Executive Membership, you are a member. Maybe you're thinking about some other firm.
    I think the point is that low income people without jobs are unlikely to spend the $60 to shop at Costco, not that there is any restriction on joining.

    When Sam's Club first came to the Minneapolis area you had to work for certainly employers or be a member of certain organizations to be qualified to join. That requirement has been gone for years.

  7. #37
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    I still recall my first visit to Costco (it was still called Price Club), the first week the store opened in Kitchener Ontario. I overheard two guys talking, I assume one was a automotive garage owner. They were looking at a barrel full of windshield wiper blades and one said "these are cheaper than I pay my wholesaler and I have to buy them in lots of 100".

  8. #38
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    About those restrictions...I remember when I was still in high school, 1959, there were several membership stores. GEMCO was pretty well known (Government Employees Membership Co-op, if memory serves), and SCOA (Serving Communities of America. They both had membership restrictions, which were eased up enough that my family could join, about then.

    I remember GEMCO very well, as I took my fiancé to the jewelry counter there to pick out an engagement ring in 1963. We found one with an almost invisible flaw in the diamond for $78, which was a weeks take home pay then. She still wears it, and will not take a better one.
    Rick Potter

    DIY journeyman,
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    AKA Village Idiot.

  9. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bert Kemp View Post
    I was basically interested in grocery's. After looking at the prices for bulk items like fish and stuff I find its cheaper at Fry's.
    A couple of things come to mind here. Buying paper products in bulk means you need to store them too so storage space is something to account for and the savings won't likely justify it. As stated above most produce is going to of a quantity too large to finish before it spoils. Meat Department is where you can do well but a deep freezer may be needed. We break up steaks into individual bags and freeze. Frozen fish and other foods are often frozen in individual bags. The wife and I don't eat junk food or bread so if you do you save money on that. Wine is pretty reasonable there too. I made steaks from there last night and had enough for steak at lunch today. In fact other than wine the only thing I eat is meat so it is well worth it for me.

  10. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Elfert View Post
    There are a number of ways to get into Costco or Sam's Club to just look around. No friend required. Just tell them you want to go to the membership desk to sign up. Just go past the membership desk and into the store. In some states they have to let you in to use the pharmacy or buy liquor without a membership.
    The stores in this area have the customer service desk just inside the "exit" so folks can't actually pass into the store without going backwards through the checkouts. You actually walk in the "out" door to get to the desk. I'm sure some folks do pass in backwards, however.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  11. #41
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Elfert View Post
    There are a number of ways to get into Costco or Sam's Club to just look around. No friend required. Just tell them you want to go to the membership desk to sign up. Just go past the membership desk and into the store. In some states they have to let you in to use the pharmacy or buy liquor without a membership.
    Arizona is one of those states.
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  12. #42
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    NJ Store have to sell gas to anyone...no membership required.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  13. #43
    Well I'm still looking at prices online and I still do better a frys with my discounts. Brand names don't mean anything to me. I find store brands just as good in most cases. I have a Chest freezer, so I can take advantage of sales on meat and fish. So I guess for me a memberships is not the way to go.
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  14. #44
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    The online prices are different if you log in as a member.
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  15. #45
    Quote Originally Posted by mike stenson View Post
    The online prices are different if you log in as a member.

    Next time I'm near Costco I go in a take a look around.
    If the Help and advice you received here was of any VALUE to you PLEASE! Become a Contributor
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