As someone who loves a good deal, I’m always on the lookout for ways to save money, and many people swear that a Costco membership helps them save by buying in bulk. However, walking out of Costco without spending at least $100 is rare, and usually, we end up spending between $200 and $300 each trip. Everything feels like a bargain! But when I realized how much I was actually spending on these trips, I started to wonder if I was really saving any money.
One major issue with Costco is overbuying. You can’t just buy one item; you end up with a multi-year supply of ketchup or similar non-perishables. Even though the price is tempting, I often forget about the huge stash in my garage and end up buying a small bottle from the local store. This happens a lot with non-perishables since they last a long time, but you still have to pay upfront for those large quantities.
Another problem is buying unnecessary items. It’s tough to leave Costco without picking up at least one thing you don’t really need. As a busy working mom, I’ve often grabbed clothing items because they seem convenient and are tagged as a “great deal.” But would I buy them normally? Probably not. This leads to the common Costco dilemma: how often do you buy things just because they seem like a good deal rather than out of actual need?
Staying within a budget is another challenge. There was a time when I visited Costco once a week or felt good going every other week, making it my main grocery shopping spot. But this shouldn’t be your main grocery store. We had a $500 monthly grocery budget, and one Costco visit could take up half of it. Visiting twice a month obviously meant exceeding our budget.
So, does Costco really save you money? After taking a break from Costco and letting my membership lapse, I realized I was actually saving money by shopping at local stores. I stuck to my budget and only bought what we needed, which minimized waste. While Costco has many devoted fans, for us, not being members allowed us to save more. We did return to Costco, but more cautiously, visiting every other month to stock up on essentials.
The key to shopping at Costco is to carefully consider whether the membership truly leads to meaningful savings. Do you shop at Costco often?