[USER]

Hello, everyone! Does shopping at Costco ( for seniors) really save much money? Examples, please!

I’m curious to hear your thoughts and experiences about shopping at Costco, especially from a senior’s perspective.

Many people praise warehouse clubs for their bulk deals and savings, but do the benefits truly outweigh the costs for seniors who might not need large quantities?

If you’re a senior who shops at Costco, does it help you save money on groceries, household items, or other essentials? Do you find the membership fee worth it?

Please share any specific examples or strategies that have worked for you—whether it’s buying in bulk, taking advantage of special offers, or saving on healthcare and other services.

On the flip side, if you don’t shop at Costco or stopped going, I’d love to hear why!

Your insights will help others decide if a Costco membership is a wise choice for seniors.

Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences!

[Michele]

The gas is best deal. Most everything else can be purchased cheaper elsewhere

[Kaye]

If you need hearing aids and the type they carry can help you, the savings was aprx $3 to $4 grand compared to what was being used.

[Lisa]

Gas ($0.90 – almost a dollar – less per gallon than the gas station half a block away)

Tires
Laundry detergent
Toothpaste
Shampoo
Soap
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Kleenex
Coffee

Heavy whipping cream (I use it in my coffee and I drink a pot a day)
Chicken
Soup
Some clothes
Baked goods
Nuts
Spices

Batteries (split with friends / neighbors)
Sheets
Towels
Blankets
Chocolate treats

[Melinda]

Worth it for rotisserie chicken $5 and some of the deli prepared foods.

[Sarita]

I find the organic fruits and vegetables are much cheaper there. Also, our Costco has much more organic products than Sam’s.

Organic is important to us. Also, I’ve gotten my eyeglasses there and have been happy with the styles, service and price.

[Patti]

So many factors. How far away is it. Would you buy gas there? We don’t buy everything there but do like what we do buy there. We buy supplements, get our glasses there, some food.

Their meat is good but would have to be repackaged into smaller quantities so the rest is frozen. We also have Sam’s we prefer their paper goods to Costco’s.

Same with the rotisserie chicken. Some items are in smaller quantities than Costco but not all.

We also love free curbside with the plus membership as well as early hours and free shipping over $50 most with no additional fees vs Costco.

I would suggest seeing about visiting one with a friend and see what they carry and if they are things you eat or use.

Most produce comes in too large a quantity for us. We like some of their pre packed items and deli items.

I also buy clothes at both.

[Stephanie]

Depends if you get your gasoline there. I keep my card for the gasoline, an occasional celebration cake, clothes and sometimes a chicken from the deli.

[Annette]

They allow non members to walk around. I took a list of the things I buy most often to compare price and didn’t find enough of an advantage to get a membership. Perhaps if I had a freezer and works sales it would be worth it to me.

Also, perception glasses are reasonable.

[Melissa]

I have a Sam’s membership. They are all basically the same.
Gas and gift cards.

I catered a party of 50+ and it was a huge help buying quantities of food desired.

[Henke]

I feel that a lot of the food and toiletries aren’t a deal, you could get that price at a Walmart.

Their clothes, medicine, supplements, car rental, gift cards and flowers are less expensive especially if you stock up when they have a sale.

We do also get $ back in March on all your purchases. A big perk is you can bring anything back and they extend warranties by a year.

[Michele]

I’m not a senior and have young kids so for us it’s a win. I easily pay for my executive membership with the % return each year.

We purchase all pet things outside of food, protein drinks, and have used their travel deals and purchased glasses for my kids, among other things we always get there like coffee, chicken and school lunch stuff.

More importantly though I’m supporting a company that treats their employees well and provides them with a livable wage. I strive to spend my money where my heart and mouth are.

That being said I am not on a fixed income and would have to adjust my priorities as such.

Over all, I think you can find good deals for quality products anywhere you look (outside of maybe shopping at Whole Foods regularly), but even there with Prime deals sometimes I can grab things there cheaper than I would at another store.

My parents are seniors and buy sundry items and “when the grands visit” food and drinks at Costco regularly.

[Dennise]

Lots of variance in situations. Mostly save in bulk, do you have room to store extras? The gas definitely helps, would you get gas there and how often?

Do you entertain and occasionally need more food?

How far do you live from your store? Would you be able to get all your supplies there or is it too far and you’d supplement from stores closer?

Would you use pharmacy, hearing/seeing services? Can you get a discounted membership offered through Groupon, a credit card benefit, etc.

Do you know someone you can share the membership with? Maybe a family member or neighbor, and you shop together. What are your alternatives?

We have Aldi and a cash/carry restaurant supply store nearby plus Walmart+ (free as a benefit with my credit card).

I currently would not save enough to have a membership for 2 people.

[Noreen]

I don’t go there to save money as I always spend more than what I go there for. I just love the choices.

There are good prices on clothing and the rotisserie chicken and the hotdog with the soda for $1.50.

[Judy]

I buy most of my meats there, and vacuum seal them. If you got the space paper towels, toilet paper, and plates are a good buy

[Kristel]

The pharmacy, paper goods, pet food, gasoline, bird seed absolutely. If you have a deep freeze… the frozen fruit and veg are a steal as are the frozen pizzas.

You can go as a guest, I believe. See if it’s enough.

Otherwise… tires, mattresses, appliance are excellent deals.

[Elizabeth]

Not near a Costco but I shop at Sam’s. Paper goods, laundry and dish detergent, bath soap, lean ground beef, lamb (for special occasions, not available in my supermarket), rotisserie chicken, sometimes sandwich bread (if the kind I like is in stock and price is right).

Not shampoo because I don’t like giant bottles. Not most canned goods because they don’t stock “no salt added,” not produce because I can’t use large amounts.

I save on some things and like the guilt-free removal of paper towels and toilet paper from my weekly list.

Downside: the temptation to splurge on some items (e.g. cheese, nuts) and to think a price is better than it is.

[Jay]

I live in the mountains. Costco helps me to make fewer trips for groceries. I stay well stocked up.

They even deliver things to my doorstep when they are big and heavy or cumbersome, like laundry detergent and paper towels/ toilet paper.

I absolutely love my Costco.

[Gloria]

Recently I made a list of things I want to have on hand for a couple of months.

I have memberships at both.
If you want organic, costco is good. Sam’s has a better selection of less expensive items.

For example, I use canned items in some soups and casseroles. Costco doesn’t carry a lot of canned goods.

Tires for my car were a better deal at Costco.

I know costco pays their employees better but Sam’s employees are more helpful.

Nobody at costco can tell you where to find anything.
I usually shop at Sam’s once a month.

I will say my beasts do not like Kirkland pet food. Nothing eats it. Not my dogs. Not the ferals. Not the crows. Not the squirrels.

[Leslie]

Yes, toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent and dryer sheets, dishwasher pods, large containers of spices and gravy mix, and such are much cheaper to buy in bulk.

However you have large bulky items to carry, separate and store. For us it is worth it.

However, when you take the annual fee into account I am not so sure.

[Judy]

I tried to get Costco on a Groupon and I couldn’t make it work.lol
.Our Costco is 30 miles away and I would not go very often.

So, by the time I add two gallons of gas to the cost of a trip, it is not worth it to me.

I try to find a friend to go with and pay part gas or lunch or something.

[Nancy]

It is a benefit for me and my Mom. Keep in mind that you can use their pharmacies without a membership and the sizes of their products are larger in every way (which makes it difficult to compare prices easily).

It also might depend on how much space you have to storage large quantities of things.

Also…you get rewards from executive membership and their visa (for me I make money from the visa and my executive membership breaks even).

[Barbara]

I will add vitamins to the list of what we buy that’s cheaper. Kirkland toilet paper is good and a good buy as is paper towels, napkins.

[Melanie]

I shop some at Sam’s. Paper goods, cat food, some staples, the occasional rotisserie chicken.

I’m a Sr and feel it’s worth it.

[Bethany]

Prescriptions, supplements, healthy eating, toiletries, paper products etc. I would think that if you planned well it would save a ton of money.

[Deborah]

I drove out of my way to buy gas in a very long line that I could get closer to home for just .10 cents a gallon more.

I don’t eat that chemically laden rotisserie chicken or the hot dogs.

For a single person I don’t want large packages of food.

After a year of tracking my “savings* I broke even after considering the membership.

[Author]

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