BJ'S, Costco, and Sam's Club

[Atlantagaguy]

I just got back from Costco. Who else shops at warehouse clubs? Do you buy stupid stuff when you go? I do, but then again my foot massager feels so good!

[EZEtoGRU]

I go to Costco......but only occasionally. Whilst many of the prices seem attractive, I find the bulk quantities one has to buy to be too much. Also, storage can be a problem if you live in an apartment. I can see how Costco can be a very attractive option for a family of 6 or 8. However, for a single person, it doesn't seem very practical. Just IMHO of course.

[bigvalboy]

I absolutely love Costco. Even if I need just a few items. The savings can be substantial. It is well worth the few extra minutes it might take to get in and out of there. I always go with a list and never ever deviate from it, never ever. That is the trap!!

[Atlantagaguy]

I absolutely love Costco. Even if I need just a few items. The savings can be substantial. It is well worth the few extra minutes it might take to get in and out of there. I always go with a list and never ever deviate from it, never ever. That is the trap!!

 

But you miss out of so many opportunities when you go with a list.

[+ deej]

I do shop at Costco, but selectively. I keep re-upping my membership because gas is enough cheaper there to cover the cost.

 

For a single person, most of the grocery items are wasteful (if cheap). Can you really use a gallon jug of mayonnaise?

 

Pretty much anything you use regularly will be cheaper at Costco if you can find a packaging that works for you. (Or if you're stocking up your earthquake or storm supplies.) If you have the space to store 50 rolls of toilet paper, it'll be a lot cheaper at Costco! Last time there, I picked up some of their Kirkland brand dog treats that my dog absolutely loves.

 

I live in an area where options for pizza are slim. The pizza from Costco's food court is actually decent, cheap, and closer than the nearest Pizza Hut.

 

Where Costco shines, though, is electronics. It's always last year's model, and for selection you take what they've got in stock or you go elsewhere, but the prices can't be beat anywhere.

 

But yeah, everyone comes home with stupid stuff. I didn't really *need* that set of LED candles with automatic timers.

[Atlantagaguy]

I do shop at Costco, but selectively. I keep re-upping my membership because gas is enough cheaper there to cover the cost.

 

For a single person, most of the grocery items are wasteful (if cheap). Can you really use a gallon jug of mayonnaise?

 

Pretty much anything you use regularly will be cheaper at Costco if you can find a packaging that works for you. (Or if you're stocking up your earthquake or storm supplies.) If you have the space to store 50 rolls of toilet paper, it'll be a lot cheaper at Costco! Last time there, I picked up some of their Kirkland brand dog treats that my dog absolutely loves.

 

I live in an area where options for pizza are slim. The pizza from Costco's food court is actually decent, cheap, and closer than the nearest Pizza Hut.

 

Where Costco shines, though, is electronics. It's always last year's model, and for selection you take what they've got in stock or you go elsewhere, but the prices can't be beat anywhere.

 

But yeah, everyone comes home with stupid stuff. I didn't really *need* that set of LED candles with automatic timers.

 

I wanted them so bad, I carried them in my cart for about 30 mins.

[Bosguy]

I go to BJ's when I'm entertaining or items I use freqyently or a lot of. That ends up being very frugal and they are name brand products plus the bakery, meat department, and produce make you look like Chef Tell for a lot less money and work.

 

Boston Bill

[jjkrkwood]

I go for the FREE food samples... you can spend a whole day walking the aisles and get a full meal out of it.... Works great on the budget.... As for purchases, I am single and live alone...

dont have much need for a 50 gal jar of Mayonnaise or 250 rolls of paper towels... Unless you yourself LIVE in a warehouse, where do you store that shit ????

[LurkerSpeaks]

the mayonnaise drum might be a bit much, but for non-perishables, such as toilet paper, paper towels, etc.. Costco is great.. I have taken a little closet space up in my hall closet or my spare bedroom to store all the extra paper goods that I won't go thru for several months. And then there are the fresh chicken pieces which come in multipacks of smaller, manageable sized packages.. So you can buy larger amounts, then freeze them to use at a later date, and they are already packaged in airtight, freezer proof packages.

 

So for a single person, Costco can be a viable option for food related purchases too. Just like someone else mentioned-you need strong willpower to stay away from the impulse shopping..

[Lookin]

Where Costco shines, though, is electronics. It's always last year's model, and for selection you take what they've got in stock or you go elsewhere, but the prices can't be beat anywhere.

 

Definitely agree, although I haven't experienced the last-year's-model issue. I got a Sony a couple of years ago that was just like the ones that were in the stores at the time, except that mine also included a couple pairs of 3D glasses.

 

Add to that the easy return policy and an extra year's warranty and Costco is usually my first stop for TV's. Same for cameras. Their selection isn't huge but they usually have stuff that's as good as, or better than, what I came in to buy.

[jackhammer91406]

My staff keeps a small dish of candy for customers and vendors. Costco sells large bags of bite size candy mixes including Snickers, Almond Joy, Butterfinger, Kit Kat etc. I also buy small facial tissue cubes in bulk as well as razor blades. Occasionally I will buy the large containers of pretzels and bar mix. Of course the gas is well priced too. But the Bulk food sizes are way too big for me.

[Epigonos]

I live within walking distance of Costco. I use it as my regular grocery store. I'm single but I entertain a great deal so the large quantities work great for me. I buy their whole pork tenderloins and cut and freeze them for company. I also use tons of mayonnaise because I make all of my own salad dressings. During the holidays I buy all of my baking goods there because I bake so much that I need large quantities of flour, sugar, walnuts, and pecans. Like someone else remarked I buy all of my paper goods there. I LOVE Costco but I won’t step foot into Sam’s Club – I hate Walmart!!!!!

[OneFinger]

When my primary home was in Utah, I belonged to Sam's Club. But, since working in Oregon, I've switched to Costco.

 

Their gas is so much cheaper than other local stations. It's worth the cost of my membership just for that. But, I also use Costco for my supplements such as fish oil, vitamins, etc. I also buy my protein drinks from them in bulk. Have also used them for deck furniture, electronic tooth brushes, and even bulk wine.

 

As others mentioned, you've got to be careful. Buying in bulk needs to be carefully evaluated. But, they meet my needs to several items and I'll continue to use them.

[EZEtoGRU]

Of course the gas is well priced too. But the Bulk food sizes are way too big for me.[/color][/size][/font]

This thread caused me to fill-up my gas tank at Costco this morning. I have to say the pumps were sparkling clean which one rarely sees these days at the local Exxon or Chevron. I did start wondering, however, where Costco get their gasoline from. Is it simply from the lowest cost supplier of the moment. Because of their anti-American policies and culture, I try to stay away from Venezuelan supplied oil....which keeps me away from Citgo and Valero. Also, I don't patronize BP any longer since the gulf oil spill. Of course, trying to determine where the oil originated or what oil companys were involved in the supply chain can be exceedingly difficult unless one has inside info. I thought I'd ask if anyone had any insight.

[+ deej]

Don't know where Costco gets their gas, but they were among the first stations to suffer closures during the recent shortage/price hike.

[jackhammer91406]

Contrary to belief, it depends on where you are located. Brands don't always mean what you think. Chevron has a distribution farm of tanks very near me hidden behind other buildings on a strip of land near the freeway (ironically enough right across the street and 1 block from my local Costco). Most of the trucks pulling into the lot are not Chevron trucks. I have seen some Shell trucks and some ARCO trucks. Not sure if those were emergency fills or regular customers, but it surprised me.

[EZEtoGRU]

Contrary to belief, it depends on where you are located. Brands don't always mean what you think. Chevron has a distribution farm of tanks very near me hidden behind other buildings on a strip of land near the freeway (ironically enough right across the street and 1 block from my local Costco). Most of the trucks pulling into the lot are not Chevron trucks. I have seen some Shell trucks and some ARCO trucks. Not sure if those were emergency fills or regular customers, but it surprised me.[/color][/size][/font]

You are correct that the oil well to refinery to retail outlet for the supply of gasoline is a complex business. Just because I prefer to buy my gasoline from an Exxon or Chevron station does not guarantee the oil came from an Exxon or Chevron managed oil well. The Citgo/Venezuela link is fairly clear as Citgo is owned by the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA. For me that's an easy one to cross off the list. Similarly, Valero is wholly or partially made up of x-Citgo retail outlets and I understand they specialize in gasoline that comes from heavy crude oil.....not unlike the kind that originates in the Eastern Venezuelan Orinoco belt. The ties between Valero and Venezuela are likely a little less definitive....but enough for me to avoid Valero as well. I agree that I could purchase gasoline at Chevron but later learn BP was involved in the supply loop in some way. It's not a perfect science, but I do the best I can with the knowledge I have.

[MsGuy]

trying to determine where the oil originated or what oil companys were involved in the supply chain can be exceedingly difficult unless one has inside info. I thought I'd ask if anyone had any insight.

 

LOL, it's all the same stuff from the same place.

 

In between the refinery and the gas pump lies the bulk plant, a bunch of big-ass storage tanks connected to a refinery (or two) by a small pipeline. Bulk plants function as the wholesale supply point for your local distributors (gas jobbers) and are generally located not more than a 4 hour drive apart (give or take). All those gasoline tankers you see rolling along the interstates are running back and forth between bulk plants and gas stations.

 

The difference between brands, you ask? After filling up at the bulk plant, the drivers climb up on top and dump a bucket of additives into the tank. LOL, so the difference between Exxon and Texaco gas is a couple of gallons of additive in an eight thousand gallon tank.

 

The retailer pays a few cents per gallon (varies a lot by location and brand) for the right to use a particular brand's signage and credit cards but the gas that's being pumped is only by chance coming from a refinery owned by that particular brand.

 

That's the grossly oversimplified version of gas distribution. For instance, sometimes a brand with an underutilized refinery will do discount deals with distributors to expand their market share and marketing area. The discount pays for acquiring new retail locations and compensates for the extra trucking expense of hauling the gas further.

[EZEtoGRU]

Ms guy. I do agree with you that that brand quality variations between retailers is mostly a fallacy. My issue relates to buying as little gasoline as I can that comes from Venezuelan crude. I still think that there is a stronger correlation between Citgo and Valero with Venezuelan crude.....but I cannot prove it at all. Interesting discussion.

[jackhammer91406]

I'm sorry, I neglected to mention that I absolutely agree with you on Valero and Citgo. I also boycott both.

[+ Lucky]

My staff tells me that Costco gas has gone down 65 cents a gallon since they last filled the tank on my limo. By the same token, Arco, the other low price competitor, had only gone down 45 cents.

[trilingual]

Even though I live alone (until my husband can get a spouse visa) and in a smallish apartment I still shop at Costco and Sam's Club. The toilet paper fits perfectly well in my closet! (For paper towels I prefer Target -- they sell the kind that comes in half sheets, which is usually all I need.) They're also excellent for basic things you use a lot of, like tomato sauce or tuna or ground meat. Their meat packages are enormous, but it's easy enough to split them up and freeze the rest in individual portions, so you can benefit from the savings. Gallons of mayo don't make any sense, but they do sell such things in smaller sizes (usually in 2-packs) and those are handy -- have one in the fridge, store the other in the pantry. They have excellent prices on spices, and they're unbeatable on cheeses, which cost a fortune at the supermarket! I don't need 25 lb. bags of anything, but for many things the stores are a real godsend. Yes, it's easy to spend more than you planned, but they often do carry interesting and unusual things that are fun to try! Just be judicious!

[MsGuy]

My issue relates to buying as little gasoline as I can that comes from Venezuelan crude. I still think that there is a stronger correlation between Citgo and Valero with Venezuelan crude.....but I cannot prove it at all.

 

Venezuelan crude is on the sour & heavy side both of which qualities create problems for refiners. The bulk of it goes to refineries on the Gulf specifically engineered to crack Venezuelan crude efficiently. A refinery designed for the type of oil generally found in the Gulf states or Mexico (for instance) would have an unacceptably low yield rate if it tried to process heavy sour crude.

 

Once refined a good bit of it flows through pipelines to destinations in the Northeast and the Midwest as generic gasoline. Unfortunately for your purposes, once it's in the pipelines, there's no way to distinguish it from gasoline from any other source. However, if you live on the West Coast, you aren't consuming Venezuelan petroleum, in any case and regardless of brand. My understanding is that shipping costs are prohibitive for the crude and there is no gasoline pipeline from the Gulf to the West Coast. (that info is about 10 years old, so maybe something has changed since then.)

 

EZE is correct that Citgo brand is now wholly owned by Venezuela's national oil company, so you are helping it with your cash by purchasing there even if the gasoline at a particular outlet wasn't refined from Venesuelan crude. In the back of my head, I'm thinking that Valero is, or was (?), primarily an independant refiner and picked up a number of those specialized heavy crude Gulf Coast refineries on the cheap a while back when the majors were trying to exit from the refining business, so there's probably reason to avoid that brand also.

[+ Axiom2001]

I go to Costco......but only occasionally. Whilst many of the prices seem attractive, I find the bulk quantities one has to buy to be too much. Also, storage can be a problem if you live in an apartment. I can see how Costco can be a very attractive option for a family of 6 or 8. However, for a single person, it doesn't seem very practical. Just IMHO of course.

 

I bought a membership at Costco, but then again it was not worth it for one who's single. Normally, the only benefit of membership for me would be to buy items when I was contributing to a party or other special event outside of my place. {Storage for me could also be one hell of a problem, too.}

[EZEtoGRU]

Normally, the only benefit of membership for me would be to buy items when I was contributing to a party or other special event outside of my place.}

Axiom makes a good point here. One of the local AIDS charities in Houston held a food bank drive in September. I marched over to Costco and bought canned goods in bulk with the cans already in boxes or shrink wrap. Couldn't have been easier. Costco was the perfect solution for this mission.