We recently bought a Costco membership for the first time ever because there was this great deal available. When I announced to Instagram that we were getting a Costco membership, let’s just say they were pretty excited (be sure to watch this video!)
We were laughing so hard in this picture because I pulled my camera out to take a picture and then tripped and almost fell while I was taking the picture.
Also, we had to laugh because we had a hard time figuring out where to go to get our membership set up (we had purchased it online, but we still needed to get it activated in store). We ended up walking around the building pushing a shopping cart and looking like we were absolute Costco newbies! We finally figured out we had to go in the exit to get to customer service.
(Speaking of walking around the building, people were not wrong when they told me Costco is usually packed. We went on a Friday morning — which I thought would be pretty quiet since we’d gone to Sam’s Club then and it was quiet. Nope, the parking lot was buzzing with cars and it felt like a holiday weekend with how busy it was. I honestly can’t imagine what it’s like on an actual holiday weekend!! Lots of people have since said to get there within the first hour of opening or to go on a Monday through Wednesday.)
The customer service people were fantastic! They were so helpful and kind and it really felt like they love their jobs — which I was impressed with!
After we got our Costco cards, we started perusing the store. I’m going to be honest: it reminded us a LOT of Sam’s Club. We felt like the layout and offerings were very similar. (I’m so sorry to everyone who told me that Costco was going to change my life. I wasn’t disappointed; it just wasn’t this over-the-top WOW factor experience.)
That said, we did find some great deals! And we also felt like they had more options, more name brands, and more natural and organic products than Sam’s Club. Jesse said it felt like Sam’s Club is for restaurants and businesses and Costco is more for every day families.
We were excited that they carried Zevia at a really fantastic price as Sam’s doesn’t carry it and we go through a 12-pack every week as a family! We also picked up some strawberries for $1.49 per pound, oats for $7.89 for 10 pounds, butter for $2.23 a pound, milk for $2.38 a gallon, and I wanted to try the Kirkland Chicken Nuggets people have told us are as good as the Just Bare Chicken Nuggets and less expensive.
The checkout line was very busy and we probably waited 10 minutes… again, on a Friday morning! Sam’s Club definitely has Costco beat with their Scan & Go option — where you can scan items on the app as you put them in your cart and then just walk out!! But, once again, their employees were incredibly helpful and cheerful.
Here’s what we bought for $67! I was really happy with these purchases.
The one thing I was disappointed in was that they don’t stock yeast (right now? Some people are telling me it’s seasonal?) and Sam’s Club was out so I had to pay $4.19 at Kroger for a little thing of yeast. Hoping one of the stores gets it back in soon!
Oh and also? They don’t have $1 pretzels like Sam’s Club does. I know that sounds so silly, but I was looking forward to getting one as a treat after our shopping trip and was like, “What?? No pretzels??”
Overall, we had a great experience and are excited to go back and explore more! I don’t think it’s going to change our life, but it will be fun to have both Sam’s Club and Costco memberships this year and to compare and contrast them and see what we think at the end of a year of using both!
Do you have a Sam’s Club or Costco membership? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
We have memberships to both Sam’s and Costco, and there are specific things we get at each store. Overall, I’ve found that Costco carries healthier items, lots more organic options, whereas Sam’s focuses more on processed foods/snacks. Also, at first glance, many think the prices at Sam’s are better, but look closer and you’ll see almost all package sizes are smaller than the same item at Costco, so the price per ounce is actually higher at Sam’s!
That being said, here’s our go-to items at each store:
Costco: frozen salmon burgers (on sale often), frozen falafel, variety pack k-cups, Kerrygold butter (these are the double-wide sticks, Sam’s sells the normal 8 Tb sticks of this butter), sweet potatoes, bananas, avocados, fresh spinach and mixed baby greens, frozen chicken breasts (Sam’s only has ones with rib meat, Costco’s are just the chicken breast), big tubs of organic Greek yogurt, seedless lemons (Sam’s ones have seeds), organic hummus, tzatziki (summer season only here), Babybel cheese, 5 dozen egg box, frozen smoothie packs, frozen blueberries, sweet onions, Pace salsa, protein powder, Skinny Dipped peanut butter cups, sour cream, cranberry walnut bread, cheese (Bella Vitano Merlot, Kerrygold, Feta, Coastal Cheddar, and Manchego), printer paper (on sale often), printer ink, salad topper (roasted nuts and cranberries), Waterloo water, and nuts (cashews, almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios). Occasionally there will be special purchases that are great deals as well, like a vacuum, life jackets, coffee maker, air conditioner (with an incredible 15% back as a gift card!), and even live trees!
For Sam’s Club, our regular purchases include turbinado sugar, Bonne Maman jelly, paper towels & toilet paper (Sam’s Members Mark store brand is just better than Costco’s for these paper products), Puffs tissues, salad kits (we really like the southwest salad and Caesar salad for those busy nights), 5 dozen egg box, avocado cups, aluminum foil, Parmesan cheese wedge (Costco only sells a Parmesan-Romano block), ground chicken (kindof hit-or-miss if they have it in stock), chicken broth, sugar, Bubly waters, and this great BelGioso shaved cheese blend for our salads. Also, they have Tom’s shoes on sale a few times a year (usually about when I’ve worn through the sole of the previous year’s pair!).
At Costco, the savings on gas is significant compared to other local stations—often 30¢/gallon or more (especially for times when I’ve used up our fuel points from Kroger/King Soopers).
I saw the Mary Ruth multivitamin you’ve mentioned at Sam’s recently, though I don’t know how the price compares elsewhere as it’s not on our list, but may be something to check into! Also, Sam’s offers a wider variety online than in stores, so if you wait until you have the minimum amount for free shipping, you can get expanded selection for no extra cost (my MIL orders the big pack of dried Pinto beans this way).
Plus, executive members get to shop an hour early—which means no crowds, easy parking, and you’re in and out before regular hours open (which also means you get first access to all the good deals!). And you get 2% back from all your purchases in a check each year. They have a guarantee to where if you don’t make back at least the difference in price between the regular membership and the executive membership they will refund you the difference. (We make back much more than the difference in price each year.)
Thank you so much for sharing this — so helpful!
Happy we have a Costco nearby. The cottage cheese is cheaper. Rotisserie chicken is a good deal for us and it gives us more than the chicken. I use the drippings from the bottom of the bag for when I make gravy and use the bones and skin to make chicken broth.
Oh and during the holidays their gingerbread house kit was “next level” in our book and priced lower than kits at other stores that didn’t give as much.
I have found enough for us at Costco that I am planning on paying full price to renew, which is saying something.
I’ve been a Costco member for years because it’s closer and more convenient for me. I was curious about Sam’s and joined last fall when they had a good deal. I’ve only gone a few times. I like it, especially the Scan and Go, but I’m not sure I’ll keep the membership since I have to go out of my way to get there.
We recently upgraded to Costco’s Executive membership and have been using them for travel and so far are very pleased. We don’t get prescriptions too often, but when we do, going through Costco has been the cheapest option by far. We also use them for glasses and contacts and it saves a ton of money! (I was able to get a pair of prescription glasses and prescription sunglasses for less than the eye doctor’s office was charging for one pair of glasses.)
I’ve found the sweet spot to go is around 10:30am Monday – Thursday. It’s after the rush of when they first open, but before people start coming around lunchtime. Friday evenings are usually pretty quiet as well. I try to avoid going the week before a holiday to avoid that craziness (the earlier you can go in November and December, the better).
We had all three big box store memberships in the past. So much depends on what you eat, I think. We adore Costco! Personally, I feel like it’s not even close to Sam’s. Only thing I miss about BJs is the deli counter.
I am with you it was ok. I’ve been a Sams club member for years. It felt about the same. I probably won’t have 2 memberships but the special you posted was great👍. They do offer some things I’ve never seen at sams. Thankyou for giving me the opportunity to try it for a year!
You are so welcome!
You went to Costco AND YOU DIDN’T GET THE $1.50 HOTDOG AND SODA!?!?!?!?!? *Gasp*!!!!
I’ve been a die hard fan of Costco for several years (my roommate worked for Costco and then I got my own card after I got married – 34 years ago!) I’m very price conscious so I only bought things that ARE actually cheaper at Costco or I just can’t get anywhere else. My kids were huge fans of the pizza, and still are but they are all growed up and have their own Costco accounts now!
We had already gotten it at Sam’s Club a few weeks before… and we don’t really eat hot dogs and soda much, so nope. 🙂
I stopped going there after we moved too far for it to be convenient. So it’s probably changed a lot since but back in the day I really had a hard time navigating the miles and miles of ultraprocessed food. My go to purchases than were Rosie chickens and big bags of sweet potatoes I’d share with a neighbor (also a couple with no kids at home). Storage space is limited so I need to carefully allot my space of I’m going to stock up on nonfood items. In the end I order online and buy my groceries that we eat locally when possible. We eliminated so many food items in the past years, so I get delivered meat, delivered produce and buy eggs from a local rancher who doesn’t feed her chickens soy. I don’t have an official celiac diagnosis but I get so many adverse effects from wheat that I just avoid it now. Costco can be great for families who go through copious quantities of snack foods and paper products. It just wasn’t working for a retired couple who follow a meat based low carb diet.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
Our Costco opens an hour early for executive members so I go right at 9am any day of the week and am done and checked out before the crowd is even parked and lined up at the door for the “real” opening.
Even if I do have to ever stand in line I will happily do so at Costco as they not only provide jobs but they treat their employees well.
I’ve heard that they treat their employees well – it was pretty evident to me that everyone we interacted with seemed to enjoy their job!
Maybe they don’t have pretzels, but have you seen their soft serve? Right now they have a mint chocolate sundae that’s actually really good, and it’s a great price for the amount you get! I will sometimes bring extra cups and divide it up between my kids. They also switch up their menu occasionally, so keep an eye out!
Oh! I didn’t know about soft serve! Checking that out ASAP!
lol! Yeah, it’s creamier than DQ too
As empty nesters we go less often and buy much less once we get there. I always start in the far section for marked down items – an item’s shelf tag shows an asterisk if it’s been marked down. Quick glance -30 seconds tops. Over 5 years I’ve purchased 8ish unbelievable deals. Several so so deals. Hit or miss. Sometimes save hundreds on one item.
Tires. Both Sam’s and Costco sell tires cheaper than other options. However, keep in mind that Costco inflates theirs with a specific kind of ‘air’, and can only be re-inflated at Costco’s air pumps – no corner gas station air pumps for you.
I joined Costco for the prescription discount. The discount is usually better than insurance or prescription coupon sites.
I have heard they have great deals on prescriptions! We don’t have any ongoing prescriptions here, but if we did, that would be a great reason to look into a membership!
I love Costco for their eye glasses! Between my Costco membership and VSP discount, I was able to get a pair of progressive bifocals (frames too) for $60! I was shocked!! My eye doctor quoted around $600.
We have both at the moment. I like the gift card options at Costco (Papa John’s 20% off). Sam’s scan and go definitely has them beat, SO MUCH FASTER. We have the Sam’s + and they give free delivery with a $50 order and it is not instacart, so the prices are identical to the store and it is VERY easy to find the exact prices on their app and website, not so with Costco. I think overall, if you are comparing apples to apples, Sam’s is cheaper for the things that we buy and definitely a more convenient shopping experience. But Costco is nice for variety and I have already saved the price of my membership. Thanks for posting the deal about membership.
I also tried BJ’s for a year when they had a super cheap trial and I would say it is my least favorite. More expensive than Sam’s and they have scan and go, but it is not as seamless as Sam’s. But we saved the cost of the membership in gas.
Oh! I didn’t know about the discounted gift cards! Thank you for that tip!
We’ve had a Costco membership off and on, but Sam’s Club is what we’ve found worth keeping from year to year. For us Sam’s Club is more conveniently located and meets more of our day to day needs, and Costco has more of the fun stuff.
Both places have similar prices on gasoline and things we buy every week, like dairy and produce, so Sam’s wins just because of proximity. We prefer the rotisserie chickens & Member’s Mark toilet paper at Sam’s Club (Kirkland/Costco is actually the only TP brand my husband asked that we never buy again). Costco had better diapers (though it’s been a few years so that may have changed) and far superior cakes & bakery products (definitely still true). Costco seems to have slightly nicer clothes/home goods.
I also prefer the cafe at Sam’s – in part because of the soft pretzels and in part because I like their pizza & hot dogs better. Costco has some nicer menu items and more variety, but those also add up quicker. I like the simplicity of the menu at Sam’s.
These are great tips – thank you for sharing!
We have both Sams and Costco memberships. My husband loves Costco. My engagement ring, our wedding flowers, our honeymoon, and our homeowners insurance all came from Costco. They have some great perks, like a 30 day price adjustment. If you buy something and it goes on sale within 30 days, you go to customer service and they refund you the difference. They have a great cashback credit card as well.
Sams is good for basics and necessities, like toilet paper and ground beef. Costco is great for the experience and the treasure hunt – you never know what you will find!
That is great to hear! Thank you for sharing!
Costco has blowout/clearance prices on clothing, usually toward the end of the season, I have gotten light weight joggers for $7 & mens so up hoodie for under $10, also pull over hoodies for around $10 during this time, but you have to get there when they open, because people are starting to catch on…ha ha!
Thank you for that tip!
As someone else mentioned ….they may not have pretzels, but one of their giant hot dogs on a bun with a fountain drink of your choice included all for $1.50 makes a great lunch! The fresh rotisserie chickens for $4.99 are also a great bargain in our area.
Sam’s Club has the same hot dog deal so I need to buy both and compare them! 🙂
We belong to Sam’s Club. We buy our health and beauty items here . We also buy ground beef and paper products ( paper plates, paper bowls, dessert plates (for cat food), and paper for our printer. We buy individual wrapped candy during their sales for spouse lunch. We also use their pharmacy for our prescriptions. While we don’t buy everything here we save a lot on what we do buy.
Thank you for sharing!
I’ll take Sam’s club over Costco any day. Sam’s club is just more relaxed and chill. Costco is nothing but chaos. The parking lot at Costco drives me insane
We did feel like it was a bit of dodging cars just to get through the parking lot!
We love going to Costco at 7:00 p.m. The store is practically empty, and the checkout is always incredibly fast. I understand that this time might not be suitable for everyone, but we really enjoy the quick and efficient shopping experience. It’s now become our preferred shopping time at Costco.
Thanks for mentioning the Kirkland chicken nuggets. I decided to buy some tonight. We still buy the Just Bare chicken strips, but I am curious to see how they compare to the Just Bare chicken nuggets.
I had some today for the first time and was really impressed! Also, thank you for the 7 p.m. tip!
I got a membership solely for their organic produce, though my family is not vegetarian. I find that their prices really can’t be beat. I am definitely in the minority of folks who skip most of the aisles and head straight for the fruits & veggies. Other great deals are their organic coffee, nuts and frozen organic berries.
I thought that at least 5 of their produce deals were great! I’m hoping they rotate sales and I’m able to find some good deals each time I go!
I find grocery sales often beat Costco prices. Also, seems their prices are regional. Someone I follow got a 10 lb pork loin there for $20, they are in WA, here in CA it is $35. I’ve never seen strawberries here that inexpensive, which always strikes me as odd given they are grown near here, but always less in other areas.
That is so crazy that strawberries are more expensive there!!
You should see all of the home services they offer. We got new carpet and we got a Costco gift card that was 10% of our total bill. We got a new air conditioning unit and got a 15% Costco gift card. We got a generator and got a 10% gift card also. They have a great price on checks also. We got them there for half the price that our bank charges.
Oh! I hadn’t heard about home services – thank you for sharing that!
We got a Costco card on a good deal and I loved it. After it expired we tried Sam’s. I didn’t love Sam’s. It was too much like Walmart. I like Costco because they have more items that have cleaned ingredients. I do get sad when someone online shares a great new item that our store doesn’t have. Ours is always crowded. We did go once in the late afternoon and it was less crowded. The employees are always super helpful.
They may not have pretzels, but they have great pizza, and the hot dog can’t be beat.
Is the hot dog and pizza better than Sam’s?? 🙂