As you may have read, we chose not to renew our Sam’s Club membership.
Not for any particular reason — other than the fact that we were driving a bit out of the way to take advantage of what I used to call “madhouse shopping”.
It really wasn’t that bad — it just got old. And after being dues-paying members of the legendary Sam’s Club for well over a decade, we began to lose sight of the real benefits.
Fast-forward a few months later, and we find ourselves dues-paying members of Costco now!
Here’s why…
Great Prices On Electronics
A friend of ours (thanks, David!) told us about a good deal that Costco had on Viewsonic 22-inch computer monitors. It’s a 22″ HD wide multimedia LCD monitor.
He got one. And since I’ve been scoping out monitors
My big, clunky 21-inch monitor has served me well for many, many years, but I was hoping to save some desk space and widen the screen a bit — with all the multitasking I do on computers 24/7.
Pictured at right is my new Viewsonic flat screen monitor. Love it!
UPDATE: We’ve since purchased 2 large screen HDTV’s (a 42-inch and a 55-inch), a leather sofa (I know… it’s not electronics, but it was such a large purchase I wanted to mention it), and dozens of other electronics — from digital cameras (yes, more than one) to a computer printer, router, and scanner.
And I can’t even begin to quantify all of the fun food items, dog supplies, and household items we’ve gotten at Costco.
Anyhoo, back to the review…
My Top 7 Reasons That Costco Is Better Than Sam’s Club
Granted, we’ve only been members at Costco for a few days… but first impressions go a long way, right?
#1 – The people there (from the card checker at the door… to the receipt checker at the other door… the membership signer-upper… and the checkout cashier) were very pleasant and seemed genuinely happy to be working there. That is something you don’t see at most retail businesses these days!
#2 – We went on a Thursday evening — and there were no lines, no crowds, no “madhouse shopping” in this retail warehouse.
#3 – Things were laid out pretty much the same as at Sam’s Club, but something felt cleaner/newer about Costco — even though I was at an older store. It also seems they have mostly the same products — just under different “member” labels (Kirkland Signature at Costco and Members Mark at Sam’s Club). So, if there’s an item at Sam’s Club that someone mentioned they like, chances are you’ll also find it at Costco.
#4 – Of the food items we glanced at, things seemed a few cents cheaper than at Sam’s Club. Oh, and the computer monitor I bought cost $70 more at Office Depot — and at most other places, including online retailers.
#5 – The store seemed very clean and orderly. The clothes were all perfectly and neatly folded on the tables. Food items rarely seemed out of place. It made a good first impression.
#6 – They box your stuff for you! That’s right…there’s a cashier and a boxer checking you out each time. One runs your stuff through the scanner & handles your payment. The other puts each item into a perfectly-sized box, all nice & neat. At Sam’s, we always had to go on a mad hunt for “the perfect” box while we were waiting in long lines. Then Sam’s Club eventually instituted a policy stating they were not responsible for putting your items into the box for you. (I guess they didn’t have the time.) They would only put it in the crate, leaving you to box it up when you transferred the items from the crate to your car. Ugh!
#7 – Here’s evidence that Costco “looks out” for their customers... We grabbed a bag of fresh-baked bagels from the deli area inside Costco. At the checkout register, the cashier told us that the bagels are two (2) bags for $3.49. (We thought it was one bag of oversized ‘everything’ bagels for that price.) Since so many people only grab one bag (like us), they have a big ‘ol stack of bagels in bags up near the front registers. I figured they wouldn’t be as “fresh,” but they were marked with the same freshness date as the ones we picked out ourselves.
Sams vs Costco Membership Prices
- At Costco, a membership costs $55 each year.
- At Sam’s, it only costs $45 each year.
While I’d rather the Costco membership be the more affordable one, we still feel that we will get well over $55 worth of savings each year from our Costco membership.
UPDATE: We definitely do! Here’s proof: The lady who tries to get Costco shoppers who regularly spend a lot in their store to sign up for Costco’s own credit card has approached me at least a half-dozen times this year!
Not A Pro Or A Con… Just A Fact
It seems people are always talking about Costco — rather than Sam’s — when discussing membership clubs these days.
Even big-wigs and celebrities. I can’t tell you how many times this week I heard a couple of “Hollywood stars” mention Costco when they were talking about something they recently purchased.
Which just tells me that there are probably more Costco store locations than Sam’s Clubs — who knows?
I Found This Interesting…
On my way out of Costco today, I asked the cashier what she thought was the biggest difference between a Costco membership and a Sam’s Club membership.
She said:
“#1 our customer service.”
[Agreed.]
“#2 our enhanced business membership privileges.”
[Ehhhh… we couldn’t care less about these. They’re just ‘fluff’ in our opinion. But they’re obviously proud of ’em.]
Then, I asked her about any differences in the food….
She said:
“The meat! I’m kind of a meat snob, and I used to only buy ‘prime’ cuts of meat. But now I buy all my meat here. It’s not prime, but it’s ‘choice’.”
The funniest part… You’d have thought someone set this up. The guy in line behind us said: “I’m a butcher. I used to have my own shop, but now I don’t. I only buy my meat from here now. She’s right. Their meat is really a lot better here — especially if you know what to look for. I buy the larger cuts at a lower price, then cut them myself.”
I thought that was some very valuable information! Worth the price of admission, if you ask me.
Understanding Costco’s Price Codes
Here’s how to make sense of Costco’s price codes, so you can save even more money…
Costco price tags explained:
.99 = item is full price
.97 = a deal decided by the manager
.49 and .79 = a manufacturer’s special
.00 = the goods are about to go
* = the item is being discontinued
Costco vs Sam’s Club Comparisons
- Sam’s Club vs Costco Prices
- Costco vs Sams: Which Is Better?
- Sams vs Costco: Comparing Their Store Brand Items
- Costco vs Sams: Which One Is Worth The Membership?
- Sams vs Costco Price Comparisons
- Costco vs Sam’s Club vs BJs: Which Has The Cheapest Prices?
Secret Tips For Saving Money At Costco
In addition to the links I’ve included above, here are some other resources to help you save big bucks when shopping at my new favorite store — Costco:
- 24 Costco Shopping Secrets
- How Shopping At Costco Saves Me Money
- The Best Things To Buy From Costco
- Items That Will Singlehandedly Pay For Your Costco Fee
- 20 Ways To Save Money At Costco
- Costco Employees Share 14 Money-Saving Secrets
- These Costco Hacks Are The Huge Secret To Saving Lots Of Money
- Addicted To Costco: A Fan Blog
- 11 Secret Tricks For Shopping At Costco
UPDATE: 10 Years Later
Here it is 10 years later now, and we’re still shopping at Costco — quite often.
I’ve got my all-time favorite things that I buy just about every time I go there. But I also enjoy scoping out all the “newest” items at Costco each time. Combine that with the savings over what I’d spend on the same items at other stores, and I’m more than satisfied with my Costco membership.
I also put a lot of trust in Consumer Reports and Clark Howard, so I find these articles of theirs interesting (and helpful):
- Costco Shopping Advice: What To Buy And What To Skip At Costco
- 12 Ways To Save Even More Money At Costco
- Costco’s CEO Shares 13 Secrets To Help You Save Money
- Sams Club vs Costco: Which One Is Really The Best Deal?
Did you know that you can buy Costco products through Amazon? Yep, there are hundreds of Costco’s Kirkland Signature products available there! And here is Clark Howard’s list of the 10 Kirkland Signature products you should always buy at Costco.
Always on the lookout for a good bargain, I consider myself a frugal person — but not cheap. And not afraid to spend money on the things that matter.
I like to share good deals with others when I find them. One of my favorite ways to save money is to reuse items in ways other than their intended purpose — so I write a lot about outside-the-box ideas that most people wouldn’t think of!
When I’m not saving money or looking for good deals, you’ll find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites).
