We recently purchased our first Costco membership because of this great sale. I announced on Instagram Let’s just say I got a Costco membership. they were pretty excited (surely watch this video!)
We were laughing so hard in this photo. When I took out my camera to take a photo, I tripped and almost fell while taking the photo.
I also had to laugh because it was hard to figure out where to go to set up the membership (I bought it online but had to activate it in-store). In the end, we walked around the building pushing our shopping carts around, looking like complete Costco newbies. We finally realized that we had to exit to get to customer service.
(As for walking around the building, what people told me was not wrong) Costco is always crowded. We went on a Friday morning. I was going to Sam’s Club at the time, so I expected it to be pretty quiet, but it was. No, the parking lot was crowded with many cars, and it was as busy as a holiday weekend. Honestly, I can’t even imagine what a real holiday is like!! Since then, many people have told me to go within the first hour of opening or Monday through Wednesday. )
The customer service people were great! They were so kind and helpful and it seemed like they really loved what they did, which impressed me.
After getting my Costco card, I looked around the store. To be honest, it reminded me a lot of Sam’s Club. I felt like the layout and offerings were very similar. (I’m really sorry to everyone who said that. Costco changed my life. I was not disappointed. It wasn’t this over-the-top wow factor experience. )
That being said, we found some great deals! I also felt like they had more options than Sam’s Club, more name brands, and more natural and organic products. Jesse said Sam’s Club seems to be more for restaurants and businesses, while Costco is more for everyday families.
Sam’s doesn’t carry Xavier and my family buys 12 packs every week, so I was thrilled that they carried Xavier at a really great price. I also bought strawberries for $1.49 per pound, oats for 10 pounds for $7.89, butter for $2.23 per pound, and milk for $2.38 per gallon. And I wanted to try the Kirkland Chicken Nuggets, which people had said were just as delicious and cheaper as the Just Bear Chicken Nuggets.
The checkout line was very busy and we waited maybe 10 minutes…again on a Friday morning. Sam’s Club definitely beats Costco with its Scan & Go option. When you add an item to your cart, you can scan it with the app and walk out the door. But again, the employees were incredibly kind and cheerful.
Here’s what I bought for $67! I was really happy with these purchases.
One disappointment was that they didn’t have yeast in stock (right now? Some say it’s seasonal?) and Sam’s Club was closed so I had to pay $4.19 at Kroger for a little yeast. I hope one of the stores comes back soon.
Oh, that too? They don’t have $1 pretzels like Sam’s Club does. It may sound very silly, but I was looking forward to buying pretzels as an after-shopping snack, and I thought, “What?? They don’t have pretzels??”
Overall, we had a great experience and are excited to go back and explore more. I don’t think our lives will change, but it will be fun to have both Sam’s Club and Costco memberships this year and compare and contrast them and see what I think at the end of a year using both.
Do you have a Sam’s Club or Costco membership? If so, we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Source: Money Saving Mom® – moneysavingmom.com
