In Sunny Los Angeles there are only two options (that I am aware of) that fit a description of a warehouse store. Typically they are characterized for selling oversized items. As well as people usually buying way more than they intended. In my experience, having a warehouse club has led me to spend too much (intended to buy about $150 dollars worth of things, and spent closer to $300). Or encountering the impulse buy of a new "Smart" TV during my favorite time of year, Black Friday!
Nevertheless, it has been a purchase my family and I have not regretted. We find items that when compared to prices I have paid at the grocery store, I get a better deal when I purchase in bulk. My best example, without dishing out inaccurate numbers, is jared organic pasta sauce. As I strolled a lane at Costco, a 4 pack of organic pasta sauce caught my eye. I purchased an organic pasta sauce the day before at my local store. After doing some math, I found myself a little annoyed. I paid half the amount they were asking for Costco for 4 jars, at my local store on just 1. The 4 pack was on sale, but it shows you that if you have the room, and like to plan ahead, you can save money on home cooked meals when buying at a warehouse store.
Disclaimer: I've only had the pleasure of buying at Costco. In Los Angeles we also have Sam's Club. I've heard great things about both stores on online forums. And like almost anything in life, there are teams, or divisions among people's preferences. There's Team Costco and Team Sam's. I'm on Team Savings. I am just writing a little 'ol blog about potential perks of using warehouse stores :)
So, I never said never to the thought of getting a card. It just never seemed like the right time. Since 2011 it has just been my husband and I. It seemed like a waste of money. I still think it would have been. When we got married we decided to invest some of the money from our wedding in the purchase of a Costco Executive Member card. A friend of ours told us that getting a card had been useful when they had their first baby. They bought wipes and diapers at Costco for a cheaper price than at Walmart or Target. We were getting ready to pop, so why not?!
Our first couple of purchases were super novice. It's a huge warehouse without signage and loads of shelves. Overwhelming? A bit, specially on a Saturday or Sunday. People go big at Costco. Some folks lug around 2 carts, followed by family members with carts of their own. It's not all bad, though. You get food and beverage samples on Saturdays and Sundays. Although waiting for the sample to be cooked, or waiting in line and watching the very last sample taken by the person in front of you, could give just about anyone the irritables.
I digress.
After becoming members since Fall of 2013, we have renewed every year. We used the money back feature on Costco's Executive Member card (purchased in 2013) to pay for the lower priced Gold Star Membership the following year (2014).
Potential Deals
Diapers!:
The price of diapers is high. I often looked for deals using weekly ads from Kmart, CVS, Walmart, and Target. Although Costco may have a sale on diapers, it may not be the brand you prefer. If you are on a budget, you may not always be able to buy more than on box of diapers at Costco. At least that was something we have experienced. Keeping an eye out for online coupons and through the Sunday paper were always our go to alternatives.
Before turning one, my son began to develop severe diaper rash. We had to change through different diaper brands until we found one that had the most absorbency. When we finally settled for one, we found that the best prices were at Costco.
Wipes:
The assortment is limited. They do have brand names wipes though. You may just find the kind you currently use.
Since my son was getting diaper rashes very often, we decided to go cold turkey, and just used wet paper towels when changing his diaper. Gross. As we did more research, we decided to purchase wipes that had less chemicals. The wipes we use are not sold at Costco. Boo.
Formula:
Although Costco does not have a wide variety of Formulas, I was pleased with their brand selection. I found more variety at costco.com and began to purchase Gentlease by Enfamil online. This formula helped my little man sleep better. A pediatrician recommended it and we were were happy to see it sold at Costco. Purchasing through costco.com was easy and fast.
Diaper Genie:
I have purchased a 4 pack of Diaper Genies for $19 pretty much since we ran out of the ones that came for free with the Diaper Genie purchase. It has been on "sale" once or twice since 2013 for about $15.
There are many other reasons to purchase things at Costco. I'm just staying on the baby lane.
Hope you find this useful,
KM