Is a Costco membership worth it?

If you’re like me, you’ve heard all the hype about how great Costco is. We recently moved to a town that has a ton of raving Costco fans, and although my family and I have been team Sam’s Club for decades, we joined Costco to see if we liked it as much.

In a very short time, I concluded that a Costco membership is worth it at this time in our lives, in this place we now live. For one thing, we used a Groupon (affiliate link) to buy our membership, so the initial outlay was not much at all! And then, because we had just moved, I had to make some bigger purchases. Within one or two months, I purchased a brand new washer and dryer set (that I do love) and a new desk for my office (also love). Both were really good deals; those two items alone made our one-year membership worth it. Not only that, the Costco store is very close to where we live, so we don’t have to drive out of our way at all.

Speaking of driving, a mechanic friend of ours urged us to fill up only with something called Top Tier gasoline, which is what Costco sells. (Sam’s doesn’t.) So now we get Top Tier gasoline at what is almost always the cheapest gas price around. We fill up now almost exclusively at Costco now.

So the first year’s membership, purchased at a discount, turned out to be a good deal for us. Will I renew at full price? That’s the question now before me. And the answer is I probably will, because of two things we buy regularly: gas and romaine lettuce.

Read more about the items that frequently show up on our Costco shopping list!

It’s so silly that those two completely unrelated items are what make us decide to pay money to shop at a store. But there’s a reason for each. Before I get into that, let me tell you what I don’t like about our Costco membership.

Costco membership: What’s not to love?

Here are reasons why you might not want to buy a Costco membership.

1. Everyone else has one. It feels like literally everyone on earth has a Costco membership and they all shop at the same time and at the store I go to. It’s never not crowded. I ask the employees when is the best time to come and they all say that it’s always crazy busy like this, from the moment the store opens and all day long, seven days a week. I don’t like crowds and I don’t like fighting for parking spaces, so this is one of my least favorite things about our Costco.
2. It’s more expensive than other warehouse club memberships. I already think paying for the “privilege” to shop at a store is nuts, so the fact that I have to pay more to shop at Costco makes my frugal nerve get sort of twitchy.
3. Not everything is cheaper. Again with paying for a membership: If I’m going to pay to shop there, shouldn’t I be almost guaranteed to save money? But that’s not the case; I still have to carefully consider the unit price of nearly everything or else I might be paying more for the same item I could get at a regular store. At any warehouse store, your impulse purchases are going to cost you a lot more money, because whatever it was – taco sauce or toilet paper – you just bought a pallet of it.
4. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Maybe some people can run into Costco for just one thing, but I’m apparently not one of them. I’m tired just pushing my way through the crowds to get to the lettuce in the back of the store, but then I get distracted by every other thing Costco has for sale and I’m in there for potentially hours. Maybe not hours. But I’m there for a good while. (Honestly though? That’s me in nearly every store. My mom was the same way, so maybe it’s hereditary.)
5. Huge quantities are harder to find room for at home. This is a “con” or downside of shopping at any warehouse store. The large quantities of items you have to purchase at one time make it difficult to find space for them in your house. If I lived in a tiny home, I think I probably would need to rent a storage unit to stash my Costco haul. (And then maybe the membership really wouldn’t be worth it!)

That’s probably it for my list of reasons why you should not shop at Costco. If you are deterred, I’ve just saved you something like $60 to $100. You’re welcome.

If you’re undaunted, however, read on to find out why I think a Costco membership is worth it for me right now, at this time in my life and in the place where I live.

Things I buy at Costco that save me money

1. Top tier gas. I never knew there was a difference in gas quality, beyond choosing regular unleaded, premium, and diesel. But apparently there’s something called “top tier gasoline” and it makes a difference in the life of your engine. My mechanic friend told me I need to use it, so I do. (He convinced me.) Costco has top tier gas consistently cheaper than anyone else in this area. If I do the math based on this purchase alone, I break even on my Costco membership before the year is out, and everything after that is savings.
2. Romaine lettuce. You can get a six-pack of hearts of romaine for around $4 – sometimes less. These stay good in my refrigerator for weeks, and we use them as the base of our many, many lunchtime salads. I see lettuce at other stores for up to $7 for a smaller package than the one we get at Costco. [Update: this next sentence is not always true anymore. I’ve been buying even more fruites and vegetables at Costco.] Unfortunately, some of the other fruits and vegetables are not a better deal at Costco, so I have to be firm with myself and walk past them without tossing them in the cart. They look really good. If you don’t have the constitution and fortitude to pass by beautiful multi-colored mini peppers and gleaming chocolate chip cookies fresh apples or berries, this deal won’t save you money. Get in and get out with your $4 lettuce.
3. Clothes. Most of my wardrobe these days comes from Costco. Yes, I look exactly like everyone else. We’re all dressed alike. It’s like a uniform, so I don’t mind. Half the time when I compliment a friend’s outfit, they bought it at Costco. What can I say? Costco has really good clothes at really good prices.
4. Coffee beans. We do love the Kirkland brand of Columbian whole-bean coffee we buy and it is inexpensive for what it is. Coffee is very high quality and budget-friendly at Costco. (We also like the Sam’s Club equivalent very much.)
5. Blueberries. Like coffee, they are comparable with Sam’s Club in quality and price. Either store would be worth it for these two items.
6. Rotisserie chicken. No list of “things to buy at Costco that save you money” would be complete without listing the rotiserrie chicken.
7. Quinoa. The package they have is not only less expensive, it’s pre-rinsed so it’s much faster and more convenient to cook. And it’s organic, if that’s a concern you have.
8. The store-brand jarred salsa. It’s surprisingly good for not being fresh, and we love that it’s good and spicy. The price is also reasonable for good salsa.
9. Appliances and other big ticket items. Everyone always recommends Costco as the place to buy appliances. Our landlord bought the new refrigerator there, and we purchased our washer & dryer set from the website.

Another random Costco benefit

I told you about the standing desk I purchased from Costco during my first year’s membership. Well apparently they had a price change on that item and – totally unprompted – Costco sent me a gift card in the mail for the difference. It was a really welcome benefit at the time. Really welcome.

They kind of know how to win your heart, don’t they? Maybe that’s why people love them so much.

Is a Costco Membership Worth it

I’ve listed the pros and cons of a Costco membership, including really valid reasons you wouldn’t want to buy a Costco membership. I’ve also looked at things I buy at Costco that save me money. I definitely believe it was worth it for us to have the Costco membership the first year, especially since the store is close to us and convenient to drive to. (Inconvenient in terms of how busy it always is.)

Will we renew? I think maybe we will because the top tier gas savings are significant at this time, and that alone would make our membership worth it. I like that if I need any of the other fun things, like appliances or mattress toppers or Food Savers or clothes, I’ll be able to go in and shop for them.

If we did not live so close, I would just live happily ever after with my Sam’s Club membership.

What do you think? Are you a raving fan of Costco? Or do you think warehouse club memberships are just a waste of money? Are you on the fence? Let me know in the comments below.

Note: If I see a good Costco membership deal, I will definitely post it here.