Is the Costco Membership Fee Worth Paying?

Is Shopping at Costco Worth the Membership Fee?

Every year when it comes time for membership renewal my husband and I ask “Is shopping at Costco worth the membership fee?”   We spend time debating the pros and cons of paying for the annual Costco membership fee each spring.  Ultimately we have continued to renew our membership.  Here are some of the reasons why paying for the membership is worth it.

Lunch and Dinner

They have hot dogs and polish sausages that are $1.50…and those come with a fountain drink.  Pizza is also sold by the slice….and they are huge slices!

Gas

Costco fuel is cheaper than other places.  You will save up to thirty cents per gallon of gas at Costco versus other gas stations.  Sometimes the lines are ridiculously long and it isn’t worth your time to sit there and wait, while other times you may pull up to the pump with your gas tank on the wrong side of the car and stretch the hose across your car.  Oh, the things we do to save money.

Organic Products

They carry select bulk organic foods and it is much cheaper to buy those items from Costco than traditional grocery stores.  Costco carries organic strawberry jelly in a large jar and it is much cheaper to buy that than it is to buy small jars of organic jelly at the grocery store.

Meat and Produce

Select produce and meats are cheaper at Costco.   In addition, when Costco has store coupons for certain items, the prices drop so low!  I like to get organic salad and bananas at Costco.

Wholesale Sizes

The size of the products (wholesale) means your food lasts more than two days.  All the hungry vultures in your house can’t go through it all in one sitting!

Rewards Program

If you sign up for Costco’s annual rewards program (Executive Rewards) you can actually be paid to shop at Costco.

Milk and Eggs

Milk and eggs cost less at Costco than traditional grocery stores. The savings on these are not huge, but if you shop at Costco regularly they will add up.

Seafood

The quality of frozen and fresh seafood is fantastic.

Seasonal Products

The seasonal products are amazing.  When Costco carries snow boots and snow pants in the fall for winter or life jackets in the spring for summer, you will get a great price on a high quality product.

Gift Card discounts.

You can purchase select gift cards at a fairly large discount.  This comes in handy for birthday parties (we bought Build-a-Bear gift cards and applied them towards a birthday party), baseball games, eating out, movie tickets, and much more!

Propane

Costco’s refill price on propane (not available at all locations) is amazing.  I saw the price as low as $7.99 this summer, compared to a $21.99 exchanged tank that is not as full.

Costco is my go-to place for Vanilla, Rotisserie Chicken, and socks!

What items do you constantly buy at Costco?  Leave a comment to let us know!

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