Membership well worth it.
Last weekend, I packed up the family and took them to
Costco.
I was against the idea of bulk buying, but friends convinced me to give it a go. The idea of paying a $60 yearly membership fee and then having to store 48 rolls of toilet paper did not seem like a good idea to me, but after 3 separate friends suggested I should give it is a go, I decided that I should.
So, off we went. The family ate lunch at the little kiosk for $10, so that was very impressive to start. Then we lined up to apply for membership. You are able to have a second household card for a partner with the one membership fee as long as you live at the same address - and yes, they do check ID. At this point we had our huge trolley and we systematically wound our way through the warehouse continually amazed by the range of goods available and the prices.
Although you have to buy most goods in bulk, it is not excessive; 48 toilet rolls may seem like a lot, but actually it wasn't that bad. Within the bulk pack, the toilet rolls were packaged in groups of 4, making it manageable to store, and if you did what I did and drop off at a friends and split the haul, it really isn't that bad. The savings are noticeable with most items costing approximately half of their traditional supermarket prices and now I have a stash of toilet paper, paper towels, dishwasher tablets and washing powder to last a few months.
The good thing is they have some generic brands (possibly American) as well as the trusted brands that we know and love, so you know the quality of the products that you are buying. Also, I came home with some yummy products that I see on USA TV programs that I have always wanted to try, and they were worth it, possibly not great for the hips, but delicious nevertheless.
Oh, and the $60 membership fee, I well and truly recouped that in the first visit - and I know it won't be my last visit for the year!
So really, take a look. You need to be a member to enter the store, so if you are still sceptical after reading this, ask your friends, you'll be surprised how many are members and ask them to take you along. Each member is allowed to take 2 visitors in with them, so split your haul and enjoy the savings while having a fun and different type of shopping trip.
