I am talking about vendors like Costco, BJ's and Sam's Club...Do you think they are worth the cost of membership? I belong to Costco. I would not purchase an individuals membership but I think the family membership is a great deal. I don't get to Costco very often, but I do find they have some excellent deals on certain items. Other things are not worth purchasing. People seem to fall into two specific categories, those who adore warehouse clubs, and those who think they are not worth the money.
I used to have a membership to Sam's club for many years. I found I was spending way too much money just to justify having the membership. It was too much of a hassle to go there for just the one thing they sold that would actually save me money, so I would wait and go when I could "stock up" on many things. I let my membership expire and honestly haven't missed it at all.
I have a Costco membership and I really enjoy shopping there. You have to know your prices and then you can save money. For example bread and milk are a good price at Costco. Not everything is a deal. I find sometimes buying things in bulk wasteful. I don't need 3 cucumbers and I end up throwing one away. I also stock up on certain things when Costco puts them on sale, like batteries, laundry detergent, dishwashing soap. That can be a good way to save money. I have the Costco credit card so I get money back - about 4% for all my purchases.
Bulking up on non-edible items could be smart. However, food items could be a bad deal at these places. As people have said, unless you're feeding an army, a lot of stuff might end up expiring and be thrown away. Nonetheless, some people indeed do have to feed a crowd. For instance, some people need food for busy restaurants, family reunions, etc.
I am one who adores Costco and that place saves me a lot of time and money. I live out in a rural area now and it is a pain to drive to the grocery store to get things. I make one or 2 trips to Costco each month and stock up in bulk on things we use a lot of. I purchase a year supply of trash bags and cleaning products and about a month supply of food items we go through. If you can use all of the things you purchase, you will save some money. As a for instance, I purchased a bulk box of Red Lobster cheddar Bay biscuits from Costco for $5 and you get 4 packs of the mix. A single pack of the mix goes for about $2.50 at the grocery store, so it is like getting 2 for free.
