I live alone and save much more than the average person. That said, I do NOT skimp on amount of food and QUALITY of food. I only eat organic, LOTS of fruit and veg, pasture raised meats, etc. I workout a LOT!
At the moment, I buy all my groceries at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. Would Costco membership save me money? I don’t know how much I spend on food but I spend as much as I need to ensure high quality and that I not hungry, lol.
Thanks!
Is Costco membership worth it for single person?
byu/InfluenceDesigner889 inFrugal
Posted by InfluenceDesigner889
21 Comments
If you use it. The Kirkland dog beds are awesome and awesomely cheap! The really great part is that if you get the membership, try it out, and don’t find it useful, they’ll refund you part or all of the membership fee. I signed up years ago, bought the beds, but never really went back so I got a refund.
If you have a friend split it with them or get a Costco and they get a Sam’s. I often go to both because I think Sam’s has better junk food and frozen items but Costco beats them out on meats and greens. Everything else is a toss up depending on stock.
Their garbage bags, I will keep the subscription just for that. 200 bags, 20 bucks and they are great garbage bags.
I get some cleaning stuff there and things like rice that lasts quite a while and during the Christmas season, I get there 5 pound bags of brown sugar because I bake a lot
Definitely worth it for us and I even have to drive 30 minutes to get to a Costco
We never joined, and my husband needed hearing aids and they were gonna call state grand at the hearing aid place, they told us to go to Costco and we got the same exact hearing aids for 3K. They clean them and maintain them every time we go in.
Completely depends on your purchasing habits.
When I lived close to one, it was so worth it. Between the seafood and nuts alone, it saved me money.
I wouldn’t be able to eat enough produce fast enough to warrant buying produce there. I eat healthy but I can’t slam like pounds of strawberries before they go bad.
Fwiw the meat isn’t cheaper at Costco that often, but the big difference is the quality is so much better imo.
If you drive quite a bit, it’s worth it for the gas alone.
It’s what, $60? I’ve saved that much on gas alone without even going into the store. Plus all the food savings.
I don’t like the produce because of huge quantities and inability to pick the individual items. The prices aren’t that big a savings in my city to make it worth it.
Do you use and have room to take advantage of savings for things like huge bottles of supplements, shampoo, giant packages of frozen fruit or veggies? Would the pharmacy savings be useful?
Probably yes.
I had a Sam’s Club membership, initially just for access to the cheaper fuel, but I used it quite a bit for groceries, paper products, etc. until I moved and now the nearest club is 45 minutes away.
Theres just two of us in my house and there are certain items I specifically keep my Costco membership for that are cheaper there. Wild caught salmon, pesto, parmesan, hummus, bulk nuts/seeds/dried fruit, dog stuff, etc. We don’t buy other things there, just those.
The membership is worth it for the gas prices alone if it’s not far from where you live.
If you have a friend with a Costco card, have them buy you a gift card (Costco shop card). This gives you temporary access without having to pay the membership fee. I do this for my sister who only goes once every 6 months
Costco card gets you decent gas prices and access to some bulk supplies if you like buying something you use often. I save more money at aldis, but shop at Costco for large snack supply. I think you would save more money at aldi since is easier to plan what you need. Costco requires you to buy large quantities.
Eating organic has no benefit FYI.
If it’s close by, just getting gas there will cover the cost of the membership. Any additional savings is a bonus.
I’m a single person and maintain my membership. Great prices on tires. Large tubs of Fage plain nonfat Greek yogurt. Fruit & veggies. Protein bars & drinks. If you have a pet, great prices on pet prescriptions.
Then there’s the rotisserie chicken!
You eat pasture raised chicken?
yes. if you don’t already own one, purchase a vacuum sealer.
Do you drive a car and use gas? Savings from refueling alone more than makes up the cost of the membership.
Take a look at their gas price in comparison with other local gas stations. It’s somewhere around a 50 cent/gallon difference. If you’re pumping a full tank, let’s say 20 gallons, that’s 10 bucks of savings. Refuel like that approximately 7 times in a year, and you’ve broken even on your membership. Anything beyond the 7th pump is savings.
Of course this will change slightly (sometimes a 30 cent/gallon difference), but do the math for your local prices, and you’ll probably learn that this is a no-brainer if you’re filling up a full tank of your car’s gas on a weekly basis.
Anything in store that you buy for bulk savings is just the cherry on top.
If all I bought there were brisket and Kirkland pellets, it would be worth it.
yes