Is a Costco/BJ’s membership worth it?

[MrHT]

I’m a single guy that lives alone, so I never really felt the need to buy in huge bulks. Plus I don’t own a car since I live in NYC. So it’s not like I can buy a lot at once when I shop. But my uncle also lives alone and he tells me he exclusively does all his shopping at BJ’s because he said he saves a lot of money. He told me he buys a lot there because he has this attitude that the more you buy, the more you save. So he spends an average of around $500 per month there. When he tells me that, I can’t help but feel that those wholesale places are ripoffs. Since I live alone, I don’t usually spend more than $200 per month on groceries. In fact, if I spend $40 in a single week, that’s already a lot for me. So spending $500 sounds a bit excessive and doesn’t convince me that I’m going to really save by joining those places. And that’s another thing... the membership is an added expense as well.

So maybe there’s something I’m just not seeing. Will I really save a lot if I join Costco or BJ’s and shop there regularly instead?

[strumdogg]

I'm a member of Sam's Club. The membership fee is $45, which breaks down to $3.75/month.

I only go 1-2 times per month, but I totally think it's worth it. I buy things there that I use daily, or often enough to make it worth it to buy in bulk, and it definitely saves me a ton over the course of a year. Otherwise, I do my regular/weekly grocery shopping elsewhere.

So, it just depends on what you would choose to buy in bulk, and you would want to calculate if it would save you enough to be worth it over a year.

[MrHT]

Thanks, I'll have to think about it and do some sort of study. The reason I ask is because a BJ's just opened up nearby and it's tempting to join since they are just walking distance. They are offering a special $25 for the first year, so I'm wondering if it's worth trying out.

My parents have been a member of Costco for a long time and I've never really thought it was something worth it and here's why. Some of their items, such as cereal and snacks can be worth it since I find their prices on those rather low for the big bulks they sell. However, some items are rather expensive. For example, their 1,000 sheets Scott's toilet paper is $26.99 for a pack of 36 rolls. That's 75 cents per roll. There are dollar stores near where I live that sell them for 2 rolls for $1 (i.e. 50 cents each). And if I can't find that, Walgreens sells their own generic 1,000 sheets rolls for the same price, 50 cents each. Then you look at their toothpaste. It's 5 tubes for $12.99, which is $2.60 per tube. The Rite Aid near where I live has them on sale all the time for about $2 per tube. Then there's napkins- 660 napkins for $10.99. That's about $0.02 per napkin. My local supermarket has napkins for $2.99 for 250 napkins, which is $0.01 per napkin. And if you really want to save even more, you can go to Dollar Tree and get their 150 pack napkins for $1, which is $0.007 per napkin.

Combine all that plus the $55 membership, I'm just not seeing where I'm saving money. But like I said, maybe I'm missing something because there is a big hype over Costco/BJs and how people are saving money over there. So I need to stop by the store a few times, take more notes on what their prices are and what essential items I need over there and see how much it would cost compared to buying them at a regular store.

[strumdogg]

Be careful with that dollar store toilet paper; it can be of much lesser quality.

I actually do tend to get all my tp at Sam's (45 rolls for around $18, depending on sales), and it's high quality. I also stock up on drinks and snacks. Razors are a big one too, where it saves me a lot in bulk.

Sadly, they no longer carry movies.

Good Luck!

[obssessive]

Very few BJ's near me, so I'll pass on that altogether, but I do have a Costco membership. I would say between the 3 stores, Costco usually has larger bulk items, which has it's pros and cons. I have 3 kids, so it's worth the membership. I would have to say, Sams or BJ's would be your better bet being single. That said, gotta say Costco actually has some nice quality jewelry that I've bought, and their TV warranty/policies/deals are great at certain times of the year.

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by strumdogg

Be careful with that dollar store toilet paper; it can be of much lesser quality.

The Walgreens generic brand seems fine to me. And the one at the dollar store is Scott's toilet paper, so it's the same thing as what Costco sells. However, the dollar store hasn't carried the 1,000 sheets in a while due to the demands during the pandemic. So I've been buying from Walgreens lately.

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by obssessive

Very few BJ's near me, so I'll pass on that altogether, but I do have a Costco membership. I would say between the 3 stores, Costco usually has larger bulk items, which has it's pros and cons. I have 3 kids, so it's worth the membership. I would have to say, Sams or BJ's would be your better bet being single. That said, gotta say Costco actually has some nice quality jewelry that I've bought, and their TV warranty/policies/deals are great at certain times of the year.

Yeah, what I was thinking of doing is just trying the $25 trial membership just to try it out and see how I like. With summer around the corner, I'll probably see myself walking there very often to buy some essential goods. I mean, it never hurts to try. My only fear is that these memberships are auto-renewed so I'm afraid of getting locked into something I can't easily get out of. I'll have to read more about BJ's membership cancellation.

[pab1219]

I opt-out of the auto renewal 2 weeks into my membership. Very easy/simple to do.

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by pab1219

I opt-out of the auto renewal 2 weeks into my membership. Very easy/simple to do.

Oh is it THAT easy? In that case, let me try it out and join for a year!

I was scared that maybe it's like a gym membership where they make it hard for you to discontinue your membership and if you cancel within a certain period of time, there is a hidden fee. Glad to know that BJs doesn't do that.

[bookcase]

I've had a Costco membership for years -- the Kirkland brand offers a lot of high quality products, from food to household items. The savings more than make up for the cost of membership. I tried a BJs free membership last year and it didn't measure up IMO. Regardless, it's worth checking each out to see what makes sense for you.

[pab1219]

Originally Posted by MrHT

Oh is it THAT easy? In that case, let me try it out and join for a year!

I was scared that maybe it's like a gym membership where they make it hard for you to discontinue your membership and if you cancel within a certain period of time, there is a hidden fee. Glad to know that BJs doesn't do that.

Yes no fees.

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by bookcase

I've had a Costco membership for years -- the Kirkland brand offers a lot of high quality products, from food to household items. The savings more than make up for the cost of membership. I tried a BJs free membership last year and it didn't measure up IMO. Regardless, it's worth checking each out to see what makes sense for you.

But what exactly are you saving? Do you have an example? I just checked BJ’s website and they charge $9.99 for 8 boxes of one lb Barilla pasta. The Stop N shop near me charges $1 per box. This what I’m struggling to understand.

[WorkShed]

I recommend it. They also treat their employees well, so I support that.

[obssessive]

Originally Posted by MrHT

Yeah, what I was thinking of doing is just trying the $25 trial membership just to try it out and see how I like. With summer around the corner, I'll probably see myself walking there very often to buy some essential goods. I mean, it never hurts to try. My only fear is that these memberships are auto-renewed so I'm afraid of getting locked into something I can't easily get out of. I'll have to read more about BJ's membership cancellation.

I know at Costco, if you don't pay the renewal fees, you just won't be able to shop there unless you pay the renewal. I have never been auto-renewed and have been a member for 10+ years. Don't forget, you can always look online and might come across membership deals. For Instance, Krazycouponlady had a deal for Sam's recently, where you get the membership for $45 and get a $45 gift card to spend.

Originally Posted by bookcase

I've had a Costco membership for years -- the Kirkland brand offers a lot of high quality products, from food to household items. The savings more than make up for the cost of membership. I tried a BJs free membership last year and it didn't measure up IMO. Regardless, it's worth checking each out to see what makes sense for you.

Agreed! Their products will not let you down.
Don't forget, Sam's is really a bulk format for Walmart.

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by obssessive

Agreed! Their products will not let you down.
Don't forget, Sam's is really a bulk format for Walmart.

Yeah, no question about it. Costco and BJ's are GREAT stores and they have a lot of amazing stuff. That's actually why I'm feeling tempted to join. My hesitancy is the savings. Based on what I'm seeing, the savings are slim to none. But like I said, I'm comparing prices of one wholesale retailer to several supermarkets and dollar stores near me. So that means, I shop around to get the best deals. Just because Stop N Shop has the best deal on pasta, it doesn't mean they have the best price on toilet paper. I have to go to Walgreens for that. Whereas Costco or BJs, everything is in one store. And since the prices aren't all that terrible and the quality of the products are high, then it's basically all about the convenience of doing my shopping all at one store rather than going to several different places trying to snag the right deals at the right time and place. So yeah, while I'm not thoroughly convinced that I'm saving all that much, it's still tempting to join just for the convenience. And then I have the added bonus of encountering some pretty sweet deals on their electronics.

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by MrHT

But what exactly are you saving? Do you have an example? I just checked BJ’s website and they charge $9.99 for 8 boxes of one lb Barilla pasta. The Stop N shop near me charges $1 per box. This what I’m struggling to understand.

I did some more studying and I just answered my own question on this. While some items like some food and paper goods might not save me all that much, surprisingly their prices on other stuff like batteries, Brita Filters, toothbrushes, soap and cereal are SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than buying them on sale at the store. Just looking at those items alone, I've estimated that I would literally save almost $55 on just those. Add in some extra little savings with snacks, coffee and some other toiletries, we're looking at a MINIMUM saving of $60 per year... and that's putting it conservatively.

So it's not about how much you buy, but what you buy! But I think it's clear that the membership is worth a shot. I shall give it a try this weekend...

[bookcase]

Originally Posted by MrHT

I did some more studying and I just answered my own question on this. While some items like some food and paper goods might not save me all that much, surprisingly their prices on other stuff like batteries, Brita Filters, toothbrushes, soap and cereal are SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than buying them on sale at the store. Just looking at those items alone, I've estimated that I would literally save almost $55 on just those. Add in some extra little savings with snacks, coffee and some other toiletries, we're looking at a MINIMUM saving of $60 per year... and that's putting it conservatively.

So it's not about how much you buy, but what you buy! But I think it's clear that the membership is worth a shot. I shall give it a try this weekend...

Exactly! And they have monthly instant savings on a lot of products. For instance, an 8-pack of Frontline for my dogs is $80, but they had $17 off recently -- so I stocked up for the year. If you're a smart shopper, you'll save far more than the cost of membership.

[strumdogg]

Originally Posted by bookcase

I've had a Costco membership for years -- the Kirkland brand offers a lot of high quality products, from food to household items. The savings more than make up for the cost of membership. I tried a BJs free membership last year and it didn't measure up IMO. Regardless, it's worth checking each out to see what makes sense for you.

Originally Posted by obssessive

Agreed! Their products will not let you down.
Don't forget, Sam's is really a bulk format for Walmart.

The "Member's Mark" brand at Sam's offers some quality products too. Yes, most are also available at Walmart, but the savings are even better in bulk.

[urban_kowboy]

It's not for everyone. I remember going for the first time with my then g/f and she was explaining how much money she saves and how she can buy in bulk. You know, the same line that everyone uses.
I go with her with my car on the weekend for a massive load that according to her should last her all month. I swear it was like going to a small amusement park. You spend pretty much all day browsing and shopping. And she was stressing out on if she's missing any item she didn't think about buying. My trunk and back seat were filled with groceries but get this; She or myself still had to make stops to the regular grocery store from time to time so I'm really not sold on the convenience. I don't want spend that much time at a grocery store and still need items elsewhere to shop for.

[strumdogg]

Originally Posted by urban_kowboy

I don't want spend that much time at a grocery store and still need items elsewhere to shop for.

That totally makes sense. As has been stated, it depends on the individual and what they're buying that determines the value. For me, I still do my regular/weekly shopping at the grocery store, especially for perishable stuff like bread, meat, produce... For Sam's, I have a specific list of items that I shop for in bulk, and just go about once per month to stock up. Pretty quick in-and-out.

But yeah, if you're going to a bulk store without a plan and are just browsing every aisle, you could be there for hours.