UK Costco - Is it worth it?

[Rosielicious]

I'm fairly new to the path to FIRE and I'm still working plenty of things out. I try and buy in bulk from the supermarkets when I see a good deal, but MMM advocates places like Costco to get the best deals.

I've seen lots of evidence that Costco in the US is absolutely worth the membership fee, but haven't been able to find anything about the UK one. I've tried looking on their website but everything there is more expensive than Tesco. Any other UK peeps that can help me out?

[RWD]

We are in the US and found that we weren't really saving money shopping at Costco. We're just shopping for two people though, so maybe it makes more sense for families with children.

[GrumpyPenguin]

We are in the US and found that we weren't really saving money shopping at Costco. We're just shopping for two people though, so maybe it makes more sense for families with children.

Huh, we're a couple and save a ton at Costco.  Just have to buy strategically.  In any country I might live in in the future I would definitely give Costco a shot. You should be able to go in and see their prices and make your own calculations.  I don't know their specific policy on that, but at the least you should be able to say you're going to membership services to check out a membership and you can go in and check prices and products.

[Linea_Norway]

I don't know about your costco and how it works. But in general, compare prices in different shops and perhaps write some prices in your phone, so that you know what is a good price for each product. And then shop around at different grocery stores. Expensive shops sometimes have very good offers. Then you buy the offers only and shop the rest at a cheaper shop. And if you ever see a product that you use regularly, for a low price, buy a lot of them. Try to buy the non-fresh items, like washing powder, in non-grocery shops that sell only a limited number of products. Often they have much cheaper prices on those materials.

[misshathaway]

I'm fairly new to the path to FIRE and I'm still working plenty of things out. I try and buy in bulk from the supermarkets when I see a good deal, but MMM advocates places like Costco to get the best deals.

I've seen lots of evidence that Costco in the US is absolutely worth the membership fee, but haven't been able to find anything about the UK one. I've tried looking on their website but everything there is more expensive than Tesco. Any other UK peeps that can help me out?

Not from UK but Ilona Richards is. I love her extreme frugality blog Life After Money. She might be a little too extreme (crazy?) for you but you figure she would know about bargain food sources. She gets some packaged foods from the "pound shops" Home Bargains, B & M, Savers. For supermarkets she uses  Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, and Sainsbury's. She buys alot of marked down / past-expiration food.

I got a Cosco membership to buy hearing aids in US. I got the $60 membership cost back in the savings on the hearing aids but I will not renew. A single person has to buy way too much in quantity and have a place to store it. Also there is a risk that you will no longer need an item or get sick of it before the stockpile runs out. Of the things I consume, only a few are cheapest per unit at Costco - canned chicken and Vodka, both Kirkland brand. Also, I find my local Costco depressing. Huge shopping carts filled to the brim with huge packages of junk food steered by catatonics as wide as the carts.

[Rosielicious]

Thanks for the tips, I'll have to check out Ilona's blog when I'm not at work (BlogSpot is blocked).

Most supermarkets have their grocery prices online so I can see what's cheapest where, but all I could find on Costco's site were really expensive organic meats. I'll have to go and have a look around the actual shop some time. Have to combine it with something else though, it's over the other side of the city from us.


Also, there are two humans and a cat in this household.

[misshathaway]

<<all I could find on Costco's site were really expensive organic meats.>>

Their US online store marks up the products vs what they are in the physical store. For instance online Kirkland Signature Chicken Breast 12.5 oz, 6-count is $11.49, but in store it's $9.89.

[worms]

Funny to see this today, as I was having a chat with some Costco folks yesterday at a farm show in Scotland.  We don’t really have a Costco close enough to make it worth our while, but my wife used to visit one from time to time on a relative’s card.

What we found was that the cheaper prices were more than outweighed by the temptation into additional purchases that we would not otherwise have made - packs of flavoured water in 250ml bottles, snacks, confectionary etc. So probably not a good option for us.

Other folks have suggested that using Costco for fuel and tyres is well worth it, if the store is near you and you are not looking for specialist tyre choices.

I gather their on-line store is quite good, if you are in a location with good delivery services, and I think you can try that out without taking out a full membership.