Costco 2019

Best Costco deal: whole Rotisserie Chicken, $4.99

This is a most necessary thread..

Costco/Kirkland nonfat plain Greek yogurt is the best. Very tasty and the lowest in sugar only three grams per serving.

I also treated myself to a pizza slice when leaving.

My Costco's pizza is no treat.

They have the best deal on Peets Coffee. Way better than Star Sucks. Unfortunately they don't carry my favorite Italian roast but the Major Dick is good.

What am I, chopped liver?

Their gift cards are the best deal. Otherwise, Sam's club has them beat.

OP, I love their CoQ 10. it's made from pineapple leaves unlike a lot of other CoQ 10 supplements that are made synthetically.

I buy all my red meat there, its usually better quality than typical super market and a lot better price. If you are up for a little youtube butchering techniques, Costco sells a while ribeye section for around $80. All you have to do is trim off some of the fat and slice it into steaks. It's not hard, really its not just gross the first time. You will end up with 12 to 16 ribeye steaks depending on how thick you want. I do that every other month and put what I am not going to eat that day in the the freezer. Great way to save money, see what you are getting and decent quality.

Not as good as a prime steak house, but better than what you would get at Ralph's, Von's, or Albertson's type of markets.

They have good prices on alcohol, occasionally they will sneak in a super low almost wholesale price without any advertising so only the real experts will know its a great deal.

If you upgrade for the annual corporate membership which is only 100, you will get a check at the end of the year depending on how much you spend there. In my case its usually 200 dollars and I am only shopping there for myself and my partner. It pays for itself.

Also, if you buy a computer there, you get an automatic 2 year manufacture warranty. No extra charge, not 3rd party. All other retail is 1 year. They make special deals with companies that other retailers cannot. So if the same computer is the same price between say Best Buy and Costco, you get that whole extra year for free.

Let me know when hemorrhoid suppositories are on sale.

Regular membership is $60

Executive membership is $120 but best part is you earn an annual 2% reward (up to $1,000) on qualifying costco purchases.

I always get a check back of around $200

I buy all my bottle water there Kirkland (40 pk- 16.9 oz) lowest price around even with the added CRV cuz California.

Marathon brand bath tissue 48 pk under $25

Paper towels Napkins Toothpaste Lysol spray multi packs Listerine mouth wash

Milk if you drink it is also great price 1 gallon - 2pm

Croissants fresh 12 pm

Bananas regular or organic

Ugh auto correct It's 2 pack and 12- a dozen croissants!

The problem with Costco, they don't always carry the same items. The Colgate High Impact Optic White toothpaste is amazing, but they only carried it once. It's not as if you can stockpile items with expiration dates. Most items sold during their monthly 'coupon sales' usually never become regular items.

Plus, the most basic items, such as coffee filters, they stopped carrying years ago. Calling the corporate office to complain is a waste of time. They give you the same bullshit line the store managers do. "The store's buyers try to get the best prices for our customers That's why we no longer carry certain items, the prices were too high."

The biggest joke is when they stopped carrying their own brand Kirkland Cheddar Cheese. I got the usual bullshit line form the manager, he also mentioned "a lack of shelf space". WTF? I pointed out that there were three rows of a more expensive cheddar which was priced at $5 a pound, versus the Kirkland 2 pound cheddar brick costing only $5. I guess enough people complained, the Kirkland cheddar is back and the expensive cheddar is gone.

You should be getting a car, leather sofa, blue pills and a roomba for your cat.

r6, I take it that's a 3-pack of 12 oz. bags. How much?

R6 Peet's is often $1 cheaper at Sam's.

[Quote]Most items sold during their monthly 'coupon sales' usually never become regular items.

I don't find that to be the case. For some items yes, but the majority of items in the monthly coupon book seem to always be the same items that are always in the book, they just rotate them every 4 months.

The actual problem with Costco, for me anyways, is that they're phasing out so many of the name brands. Everything is being replaced with Kirkland brands, while often similar in quality, isnt really a value considering you're now spending at least $60/year for the pleasure of buying their brand.

[quote]You will end up with 12 to 16 ribeye steaks depending on how thick you want. I do that every other month and put what I am not going to eat that day in the the freezer.

You eat ribeye steaks 6-8 times every month? Or are there a lot of people in your household?

R18, the Roomba at Costco costs over $500 (at the store closest to me, at least). The Roomba knock-off (forgot the name of it) costs over $300.

R22, agree that the trend is toward more store/Kirkland brand products.

About the Costco Rotisserie Chicken: select the smaller birds. The smaller birds are more likely to be cooked all the way through.

What I noticed about Costco is that they each carry different items. I live/work within 15 minutes of about 5 different Costcos and they each carry items that none of the others do (mostly items reflecting the different ethnicities in each area). It's both great that they do this but at the same time annoying if it means you have to go to 3 different Costcos to get what you need.

R25 has a good point. I've seen some of the larger ones come out pink.

[quote]You should be getting a car, leather sofa, blue pills and a roomba for your cat.

WTF are you going on about? Take your meds.

You can join Sam's now and get $45 back making it effectively free.

I have membership to both Sam's and Costco. I prefer shopping at Sam's because it's less of a zoo there. I don't know what it is about Costo, but no matter what time I go there, there are too many people there.

Congrats on being trailer trash

[quote]Otherwise, Sam's club has them beat.

Sam's is owned by the vile Walton family, while Costco is one of the few 'blue' big corporations out there. They actually treat their employees decently and offer good benefits, a true rarity in retail. They are proof that corporations don't have to run their companies like evil empires in order to be successful. That alone is reason to support them over Sam's.

I read awhile back that Costco starts their cashiers at $20 an hour, not bad for cashier work.

I remember a time way back when where they featured a lot more high-end items that you couldn't find anywhere else. It was fun to indulge once in awhile. These days it's more of a necessities only kinda store.

[quote]They actually treat their employees decently and offer good benefits, a true rarity in retail. They are proof that corporations don't have to run their companies like evil empires in order to be successful. That alone is reason to support them over Sam's.

I like that and all but where were these companies when I was working retail? OMG. In the late 80s and early 90s, I couldn't catch a break. I had to work two gigs.

It kind of solidified in my mind that retail job only pays the bare minimum. So this switch is totally new to me, and I can't fault Sam's for keeping w/tradition.

A cashier makes $20 per hour? Sign me up. I would be perfect for this job that requires 5 minutes of training and virtually no skill whatsoever.

The research that I've found states that they start off at $11.50 hour.

[quote]The company pays a living wage. Costco's CEO and president, Craig Jelinek, has publicly endorsed raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, and he takes that to heart. The company's starting pay is $11.50 per hour, and the average employee wage is $21 per hour, not including overtime.

[quote]I like that and all but where were these companies when I was working retail?

Well, that's the point - there hasn't been some sort of industry-wide switch to this kind of corporate behavior in the retail sector, it's mainly just Costco. And they are still hugely successful even as they pay a living wage, which proves that other companies' insistence on treating their retail employees like shit and underpaying them is pure greed, not the necessity they claim it is. Compare and contrast with the Waltons' treatment of the average Walmart worker.

I think Starbucks is up there. In-N-Out pays $12 and Nordstrum is right around there, but I doubt it pays the bennies that Starbucks pays.

[quote]According to Glassdoor, baristas at Starbucks typically make between $10 and $15 an hour. But hourly wages are hardly what makes this company so great to work for. Starbucks also offers healthcare benefits for both part- and full-time workers, along with 401(k) matching, and discounted stock options for company shares.

Being a cashier is back breaking work. Standing on your feet for hours at a time, in one spot, is very hard on the body.

Not to mention mind numbingly boring.

Sometimes Costco carries an item for years, other times they have it until the lot is sold out and then you never see it again there. I bought this three pack of Almond Nougat imported from Spain. It's really good quality and fresh.

Agree with r32--no one should be supporting the Waltons and Walmart via Sam's Club. You're giving your money to scumbags.

Unless you have a large family, cook everyday or run a restaurant, there is no need for such a huge bottle of olive oil. It has a relatively short shelf life.

[quote]The research that I've found states that they start off at $11.50 hour.

Think I read the $20 amount many years ago in TIME, they profiled the CEO. $20 might be for the Seattle stores. IIRC, that's where the main office is.

I was talking to a woman who works in my local Costco, she told me she gets a year $8000 bonus. She was one of the first hires at this specific Queens Costco.

For the person who said being a cashier is an easy job, well, not really, not at Costco. Another person I talk to at my local Costco, told me the cashiers are required to check out a specific amount of customers within their daily work day. If they aren't super fast, they are given a few more chances, but they can actually get fired. So the pressure is on.

[quote]Unless you have a large family, cook everyday or run a restaurant, there is no need for such a huge bottle of olive oil. It has a relatively short shelf life.

Don't know what Costco you've been to, my local Costco sells three different size bottles of olive oil, the very large Bertoli, a medium size Bertoli and a smaller Kirkland size.

I do notice the Costco stock depends on the neighborhood's demographic. There are a lot of South Asians and Hispanics in my neighborhood, my Costco carries those huge bags of Basmati rice and lots of Hispanic and Mexican items. I don't mind, Mexican is my fave food. I do mind that in smaller Costco stores, they waste a lot of space on junk food, there are entire aisles of cookies and candies. They've also stopped selling those yellow writing pads.

It still pisses me off that a basic item as coffee filters, which surely didn't take up a lot of shelf space, was eliminated years ago. Meanwhile, my Costco has an entire side of shelves with different types of coffee! It would be nice if they actually listened to customer requests. If they aren't listening, then they should eliminate that Feedback box near the front.

[quote]It still pisses me off that a basic item as coffee filters, which surely didn't take up a lot of shelf space, was eliminated years ago.

I buy mine at Trader Joe's. #2 filters @ 1.99 per 100. Best price around.

sign me up.

The NYC Costco stores are not allowed to sell liquor.

If your Costco carries frozen Beecher's World's Best Mac and Cheese, I highly recommend it.

What I like about Costco is that the prices are the same (except for taxes) in all of their stores across the country. Here in Hawaii, the Rotisserie Chicken is $4.99, just like on the mainland. And here, the lines are very fast. It's easy to use Costco as your local supermarket where you drop i to get a gallon of milk and run out.

The famous 13 dollar Kirkland men's jeans have disappeared recently.

and that's a bad thing?

R48- All Costcos in New York State are NOT allowed to sell Liquor in their stores. I used to go to an A&P that had it's own Liquor store but it had a separate entrance from the parking lot.

Costcos on the tundra have separate entrances for liquor sales

I thought NYC bitches shit didnt stink, but apparently it does, why no booze in Costco? California sells booze galore, including a lot of fine wines.

Dave's killer bread is always on my list. I also like the Optimum Nutrition whey protein. The organic peanut butter is okay, but too salty. I miss the non-organic that wasn't oversalted. Don't waste your money buying wine there. It's too cheap to be good, but too expensive to be a steal.

R55

I always thought it was bizarre that in NYC, of all places, you had to go to a special store to buy wine and hard liquor. Washington state, where Costco is headquartered, had similar absurd liquor laws (not only did you have to go to a special store, but they were also government-run), but Costco got them overturned by initiative.

[quote]What I like about Costco is that the prices are the same (except for taxes) in all of their stores across the country. Here in Hawaii, the Rotisserie Chicken is $4.99, just like on the mainland. And here, the lines are very fast. It's easy to use Costco as your local supermarket where you drop i to get a gallon of milk and run out.

That's the same at Sam's.

What I don't like about Cosco is that you have to prove someone lives w/you in order to get that extra member card. One would think that they wouldn't care, becasue extra cards bring in more money. Apparently, they do, but I found a way around that, so that I could split the cost of membership with a friend.

Kirkland gin and the Kirkland French vodka are really good and very cheap. The American vodka is harsh but insanely cheap.

Rotisserie chicken, Brussels sprouts, lettuces/greens, Kirkland rawanda coffee, berries, Kirkland yogurt, Kirkland dress shirts, la croix, ciabattas, Kirkland vitamin water, all vitamins and supplements, generic omeprozole, ibuprofen and gas, all a steal.

Everything else do the math and see if cheaper to buy in bulk.

R58 that must vary by location, how rigorous they are about making sure your family member lives with you, because they really didn't care when I was added to a membership for a family member (who lives in another state and was visiting me).

The Kirkland Albacore tuna is consistently the absolute best on the market. (save for the expensive imported brands like Consorcio) Large chunks and very little liquid.

I hate miserly people who don't spend real money or support local businesses.

New York state sells liquor and wine (not beer) not in specialty stores but liquor stores--unless you consider "speciality stores" stores that exclusively sell liquor or wine. Unlike, say in Pennsylvania, where liquor stores are called state stores because the are run and regulated by the state, and and have stricter guidelines about what kind of brands of booze they will carry, NY stores are privately owned. California certainly has the leg up because not only does California have some of the best wines in the country, it allows both wine and liquor (and beer, I think) to be sold in grocery stores, as does other stores.

New York does not sell beer in liquor stores but in grocery stores.

And, r55, whether or not NYC thinks its shit doesn't stink, Costcos in New York state don't sell liquor, as far as I know. Also there is, I think, only one Costco in all of NYC.

You can also buy Microsoft software at Costco. I just overpaid (by about $30) at Office Max for Microsoft for Mac/Apple. I did try to find the software on Costco.com, but when I typed in "Microsoft Mac," all I got was mac and cheese. Ugh! If I had typed in just Microsoft, I probably would have found the software. Costco needs to improve their search function.

[quote]Also there is, I think, only one Costco in all of NYC.

Do you mean Manhattan? Be specific. The Costco in Manhattan is located at 517 E 117th St.

Native New Yorkers consider the outer boroughs part of NYC, Brooklyn and Queens are considered NYC. I assure you there's more than one Costco in NYC.

[quote]I hate miserly people who don't spend real money or support local businesses.

Are you serious? Because people, who are paying high rents, maintenances and mortgages living in NYC, want to save on their food bills, you put them down? How about people who shop at Costco for the convenience of getting different items in one store? Lots of people lead busy lives they don't have a lot of time to shop for anything.

I see no problem with saving by shopping Costco. The CEO has a great business model and pays his workers a living wage. He sure isn't as vile as the Walton Walmart family.

Just because people shop at Costco that doesn't mean they don't frequent the local mom & pop stores. I shop locally, at the hardware store for example, not at Home Depot.

btw, one of my local supermarkets renovated, they raised all their prices. The food isn't even that fresh. Who would spend their hard earned money there? Even people with LBT cards now shop at Costco!

I was going to ask if verifying the address of the second member was a new thing? I don't remember them even checking addresses when I signed up with someone else.

I just got a great deal on a six-pack of Kirkland pianos! They sound just as good as the name brands and were less than half the price!!!

r69 I'll be paying you a visit soon.

You Fat Whores!

R68, yes, they've been verifying addresses for a long time. It's hard to add on someone who doesn't have your same address.

I purchased a huge container of sliced American cheese. Actually it’s small by Costco standards. The plasticky cheese so much better for melting than regular cheddar, and Provolone and Fontina etc are too nutty.

If you see an asterisk* on the price sign above an item when you're shopping at Costco, that means it won't be reordered.

I stopped going. Spent way too much on every visit and ending up throwing stuff our because the quantities are too much. I've got two freezers and it's still not enough space for the HUGE bags of stuff they sell. I've frozen stuff that didn't eat in time too so it gets freezer burn and I've had to throw it out.

I think it's good if you're throwing a party or BBQ. You can buy quality meats in bulk. They have lots of great baked goods in my area too---beautiful, large homemade pies, cakes, cookie platters etc.

Very limited and disappointing fresh foods section.

The food court also isn't what it used to be. It pretty much sucks these days.

I was there the other day and ordered the turkey sandwich, thinking it was one of the healthier options. I got home and looked it up because I felt like I feel when I eat something really unhealthy.

1700 + calories

Almost 1800 mg of sodium

34 mg of fat

Never again.

I was a member for a while but let it lapse because it's too far from my home to be convenient and is in an area where traffic is horrendous.

I also would overspend while there and end up with bulk items that would expire before I used them. I would also splurge on impulse items. It simply was not worth the trip to get the staple items and paper goods I went for.

I shop closer to home now, don't overbuy, and am saving money by doing so. But for those who are saving money and shopping wisely there, go for it.

You really need to combo the Costco membership with a Costco Citibank Visa card. You get rewards for your membership in addition to rewards for just about everything you buy using your Visa (including travel-related purchases). The membership benefits pay in November, while the Visa rewards are sent to you with your February statement. My husband and I managed to rack up a cashback of $825 from the Visa, on top of the $80 from the membership.

The additional membership card and checking to see if the person lives at the same address must be a location thing. I just added someone to mine about a month ago and they didn't bother to match up the addresses.

I've been a member for 10+ years. The first few years of my membership I was evangelical about it. Now I just use it for gas, paper towels, and toilet paper. I order Bio-Astin (astaxathin) for my dad who has Parkinson's disease. The savings on Bio-Astin alone pays for my membership, probably double that or more.

Like many others said it was just too much stuff to find places to stash, and forget about the perishable stuff.

Their prescription prices are amazing and you don't need a membership to use the pharmacy.

One note about the prescriptions - you can get additional savings on prescriptions if it's not something your insurance covers. They offer a free program that you can join that lowers the cost even more. I don't think a lot of people are aware of it.

Still starving.

Darfur Orphan, are there any Costcos where you are? Maybe money could be raised for you to get a membership. Good luck!

[quote]You really need to combo the Costco membership with a Costco Citibank Visa card. You get rewards for your membership in addition to rewards for just about everything you buy using your Visa (including travel-related purchases). The membership benefits pay in November, while the Visa rewards are sent to you with your February statement. My husband and I managed to rack up a cashback of $825 from the Visa, on top of the $80 from the membership.

Isn't the Costco VISA the only card they accept? Costco severed ties with AMEX a few years ago.

For my partner and I, the Executive membership with the Costco VISA more than pays for itself. You get two rewards back. I think a lot of potential customers don't research the rewards programs and the other pluses before putting down the Costco model.

You can even get extra coverage on TV and electronics, no extra charge.

No, they accept more than just the Costco VISA, r85. VISA is just the card they partnered with to do a branded card that offers in store incentives like discounts.

Sams now has an app that allows you to skip the checkout. You scan your items with your smartphone. The people at the door have readers that scan a bar code that shows them the items in your cart.

My sister convinced me to join Costco but I cancelled after a year. Too chaotic and I don’t want to store jumbo jars of food and other junk for years at a time. I live by myself and couldn’t go through the food quick enough. The stores are really random too. Gas may be slightly cheaper but not worth jockeying with 124 other drivers for a place at a pump.

R87 I've used that even though there's never a wait at Sam's Club. They need to have that Scanner App at Costco or at least equip more locations with self checkout lanes.

I bought $300 worth of groceries 2.5 months ago and I’m just finishing this week. I bought the 6-pack if chicken breasts which have 2 in each plastic bag so 12 breasts for about $18 I think. Atlantic salmon and breaded Tilapia are great. I’m getting the Visa card soon and should make $5,000 a year charging my work expenses for hotels and ding (3% back).

Cha-chizzing!

I'm glad Costco brought back their self-checkouts, but they're a real bitch to use compared to other stores. As soon as the payment has processed, I mean immediately, it starts beeping and repeating that you need to get your shit and get out.

I remember when they got self checkouts about 8 years ago. They didn't work well at all compared to other stores. Everyone checking out needed help because something didn't scan or something wasn't in the system, etc. Costco ripped them all out and did a storyline in their magazine about how customers wanted to be checked out by real cashiers, do Costco 'listened to their members" and removed all their SCOs-- bull, they had a terrible system. Then a couple years ago they put them back.

Similarly, their organic eggs: four or five years ago they made a big deal about their organic eggs being humane certified and did a big story in their magazine about the humane certification of their eggs. They had a little logo from the humane group on the carton, etc. Then they quietly did away with that and the logo disappeared, around one year or maybe less after their big to-do. You wouldn't notice unless you looked for it.

A years supply of the Kirklands version of Zyrtec for $14 is worth the annual fee. Everyone in my family takes it.

Oops. Link

I really hate the $3 extra cost they tack on for 2 day shipping. I DONT WANT OR NEED 2 day shipping so stop charging me.

The Costco nearest to my mother's town has a turnoff on a very busy highway where you take your life in your hands. You have to get into the right lane to make the turn just as people are gettting off another busy highway exit ramp that is also in the right lane. You try to squeeze in between entering cars and you slow down to make the turn as entering cars are coming up behind you at 75 mph. Good times!

R93 the Allertec-D is also a great buy. It's about $5 for the package when Claritin-D is $20.

I only go about twice a year. I order some otc meds online from Costco.com (Vitamin D, AllerTec).

I go in to buy full sized candy bars for Halloween - you can't beat the price. It's about $13 or $14 for 30 bars. Target and Walmart charge about $12 for 18 bars.

I also buy their refrigerated fully cooked turkey breast for Thanksgiving/Christmas. It's really good. When I think of how it took my mother & grandmother all day to cook a turkey that tastes just like this, I feel bad for them. Takes a little over an hour.

I've bought things like cookies, donuts, brownies & other bakery goods and they were uniformly horrible. I can't believe people eat that shit. I've never bought a cake there because I can't fit 100 people into my house to eat all of one of their cakes.

I'm in NY so my Costco can't sell wine or liquor & I dont drink beer.

The only frozen stuff I ever buy are the 72 mini quiches for holidays. They used to sell a box with a bunch of frozen Egg Beaters type of low cholesterol, low fat, low calorie egg mix but they dropped it and started carrying egg whites instead.

I used to buy chocolates at holiday time for my in laws, but they died.

Like Trader Joe's, I used to spend a lot more time in there but they eventually stopped carrying the stuff I liked and replaced it with inferior/more expensive stuff I don't like.

I do go there every 2 years for an eye exam. I don't have vision insurance.

[quote]No, they accept more than just the Costco VISA, [R85]. VISA is just the card they partnered with to do a branded card that offers in store incentives like discounts.

Online, Costco accepts many different credit cards, not in the store.

My Costco only accepts Citi Visa cards, so why not get the Costco VISA, especially as the customers get a higher cash percentage back. When I bought my newest iMac Retina at Best Buy, I used the Costco VISA, the checkout person told me I got an extra three years of coverage due to using that card. Not bad at all.

Costco VISA also doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee if you use it overseas.

R61 is right! Costco white albacore tuna in water kills all other brands. I've been buying Chicken of the Sea for years. If you like tuna, try Kirkland's once. The difference is remarkable. Also, if you're up to it, if you buy a whole filet of beef for around $100 and you spend some time butchering and correctly freezing it, you'll have gourmet steaks once a week for a few months.

Oh, yes, r89. I have memberships at both Costco and Sams. Costco definitely needs the app. I actually like BJs the best but the state I moved to doesn't have one. BJS, aside from having a cool name, had better meat--- hmmm..

I love the Costco frozen meatballs. A couple of years ago, a wandering bear raided a family's garage freezer in Glendale or Eagle Rock or some other LA suburb, and ate a whole bag of Costco frozen meatballs, leaving the shredded empty bag behind. The local press dubbed the bear "Meatball," and another human interest (I guess "bear interest") story was born. Sadly a year or so later Meatball was killed in a traffic accident.

I guess this doesn't have anything to do with "Costco 2019," but I thought it was a cute story. Well, up until the time he got run over, which was sad, because we all liked Meatball. RIP, Meatball.

R98, not sure what state you live in but in NY and PA, Costco takes everything but Amex. Doesn't have to he a Costco branded VISA card.

They even take DISCOVER.

R103 what state are you in that they take anything aside from Visa in store?

Their whole thing for years has been they only accept one type of card, which they change every few years depending on who they strike an agreement with. You can use different cards on their website, which has previously been mentioned.

Sorry, must the part about NY and PA, I don't think that's accurate though.

In California, they only take Visa. they used to take only Amex, but switched to Visa a couple of years ago. They will take ATM cards from any bank, though.

*missed, damnit.

From the Costco site:

[quote]Payment - Costco accepts all Visa cards, as well as cash, checks, debit/ATM, EBT and Costco Cash Cards. Photo identification and approval by a supervisor or manager may be required. A valid government-issued photo ID is required if you plan to pay by check. Cash, checks and EBT are not accepted at Costco.com, Costco Gas Stations or Costco Car Washes.

Uh, r105, if it's not accurate then I am defrauding Costco in both NY {Manhattan} and PA {Pittsburgh}. I shop in both monthly.

R109 you must somehow be.. I shop at the Manhattan Costco and they only accept Visa.

OP, I can't believe you bought underwear in front of all those people. All those strange people looking at your boxes of underwear thinking, "Well, if I see him on the street, I know what kind of underwear he has on."

I could never in a million years.

[quote]All Costcos in New York State are NOT allowed to sell Liquor in their stores.

The (relatively) new Costco in Oceanside (LI) has a Costco liquor store. From what I understand, they made some sort of a deal with a non-Costco person who technically owns the liquor store.

We did a taste test comparing Bailey's with the Kirkland Irish Cream. The Costco brand won 3 to 1 over the real thing. It was almost identical but the Bailey's had a distinct 'alcohol' taste and it was less smooth.

Stock up in quinoa! The apocalypse is coming.

I like the meatballs too. Ten times better than Sams or Aldi.

Costco accepts ANY VISA, not just the Citi/Costco ones. They have to-- VISA requires their cards to be acceepted everywhere, irrespective of the issuer.

[R98], not sure what state you live in but in NY and PA, Costco takes everything but Amex. Doesn't have to he a Costco branded VISA card. They even take DISCOVER.

Not true AT ALL, as least not in NY. At NY Costco stores, they only accept Citi VISA.

All the other cards you list, you can only use to pay for the items you order through Costco.Com. When I order from Costco online, I sometimes use one of my other cards, usually when they have a 5% promotion for any online shopping, which Discover does sometimes.

EBT is now accepted at Costco stores in NY, but EBT users need to be Costco members.

[R98] not sure what state you live in but in NY and PA, Costco takes everything but Amex. Doesn't have to he a Costco branded VISA card. They even take DISCOVER.

Not true AT ALL, as least not in NY. At NY Costco stores, they only accept Citi VISA.

All the other cards you list, you can only use to pay for the items you order through Costco.Com. When I order from Costco online, I sometimes use one of my other cards, usually when they have a 5% promotion for any online shopping, which Discover does sometimes.

EBT is now accepted at Costco stores in NY, but EBT users need to be Costco members.

In Silicon Valley (Santa Clara County Calif), and perhaps everywhere else too, there's a 4% rebate if you use the Citi Visa card at the Costco gas pumps. It's paid via an annual check that's issued each Feb, so you have to calculate the time value of money whenever you buy gas and deduct that from your 4% savings, though I don't care enough to do all that math -- it's still cheaper than paying full price (which is already less at Costco than at most gas stations). The pumps open at 6:30 in the morning and lines are short if you go early.

[quote]At NY Costco stores, they only accept Citi VISA.

I have TD Visa and Investors Visa and I use them in Brooklyn and Oceanside.

r116 Please stop repeating this. They accept ALL VISAS, not just Citi.

I get the premier protein weight-loss shakes there. They show up in the coupon book every few months, which reduces the price 25%.

If you show up when the store does -not- have samples, it's much more manageable. But the folks who dine on the samples clog the aisles.

Wish I could get excited about Costco but gave it up after one year (a gift). Just not my thing. The parking lot alone was enough to keep me away.

R66, you have good taste. I rarely shop there because I end up wasting too much food since it's just me. They have great prices on optical and pharmacy which is why I keep my membership.

The Costco stores I go to have greatly reduced samples in the past year. The blender guy is usually there but that's about it -- last week, there was a sausage table but I don't eat meat.

[quote]not sure what state you live in but in NY and PA, Costco takes everything but Amex. Doesn't have to he a Costco branded VISA card. They even take DISCOVER.

Not true at all. No Costco anywhere, including Manhattan and Pittsburgh, accepts anything but Visa. And the NY locations accept ANY Visa not just Citi Visa.

I noticed very few samples too. I usually didn't wait on line for samples as I have spine problems and it's hard enough to shop without waiting on additional lines but in general I think that sucks. Those samples were one of the things most people loved about Costco. In addition their food court sucks. The pizza tastes like plastic and the one good thing they had, the BBQ sandwich they no longer have, at least at my Costco. Also at my Costco they always carried a very good brand imported from Greece feta in a 16 oz container. Now you have to buy 4 fucking pounds of it if you want the same brand. Screw that. I'll buy online. They also stopped selling their large container of organic hummus. Now you have to buy those little individual containers, 20 to a box. I'm not 5 years old. If I want to serve hummus I'm not going to put out a tiny little container.

I have a feeling Costco has about another 5-8 years left to it before it goes out of business or becomes just an online seller.

My Brooklyn Costco has a good liquor store right next to it. Good prices on good wine.

I don't eat them so I didn't know about the change, but a friend of mine told me that the hot dogs are no longer good. Again, I don't eat them so I don't know if they were ever good to begin with but he was telling me they used to use Hebrew National Hot Dogs and now they use a Kirkland brand.

[quote]. Not true AT ALL, as least not in NY. At NY Costco stores, they only accept Citi VISA.

Not true. I use my Amazon visa all the time

It's MasterCard here in Canada. Any MasterCard. The Costco MasterCard gives 1 percent back on any purchases (Costco or elsewhere), except restaurants (2 percent, any food outlet, including fast food) and gas (3 percent, Costco or elsewhere).

Sorry, I got that backwards. It's 2 on gas, 3 on food.

[quote]Not true. I use my Amazon visa all the time.

And frankly, the Amazon reward program beats Costco's hands down. You get the rewards each month, not once a year. Then apply them on Amazon for anything you want.

Hot dogs have been tasteless for years, ever since they stopped serving Hebrew National.

How is the cotsco in Harlem?

I like their hot dogs. I'll see myself out...

I actually love their pizza, chicken stick things and hot dogs.

Brooklyn Native and my family has been going to them for over 20 years. We always shopped at Costco and their frozen meatballs are some of the best.

They used to carry EVERYTHING, name brands and all. I remember we would go there for everything, I even would buy my dvds and CDs there. Now they have less brands etc

Also, yes, almost all major stores like Costco etc. sell different items in different stores. Target is the same way. Some stores carry certain items, others don’t.

Targets in NYC can carry beer but not wines etc. but other states sell wines etc. also. Trader Joe’s is the same. Only one Trader Joe’s in all of NYC carries wine. The rest can’t.

And why no mention of BJs? My parents always shopped Costco and BJs

If it weren’t for the dog food I wouldn’t remain a member..but the gas, coffee and fresh produce are deals I appreciate. winco has much cheaper Greek yogurt, milk and eggs and in smaller sizes which I prefer.

The Kirkland turkey cold cuts are amazing. I’m surprised there hasn’t been more BJ’s love on here. I’m a fan of both Costco and BJ’s

[quote]Then apply them on Amazon for anything you want.

Why would you want to apply them on Amazon? Then you lose out on the 5% rebate you would have earned if you charged the purchase to the card. ALWAYS get cash back or a statement credit. (And if you have the Citi DoubleCash Master Card, which gives you 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay, NEVER get a statement credit, because you lose out on the "1% when you pay" part.)

Use your brains, people.

Well everyone here loves blow jobs r138

[quote]Well everyone here loves blow jobs [R138]

Yeah, I was wondering about that. What is BJ's?

R141 another Warehouse store. I've only been to ones in FL.

They are big here in NYC

I could never take to BJ's. I'll do Target for some things but mostly Costco. I do hate what they've done with Costco online. Their delivery charges are ridiculous. If I don't need at least $75.00 worth of things I just won't order from them and the Costco grocery is out of this world ridiculous with how expensive it is. I will never do that.

Not everyone, r140.

I think Costco also stopped mailing out their monthly "coupon book" to members. I was told back in November that they were only going to make them available online.

For underwear there are two I prefer - boxers in the blue/green combo and Reebok briefs that make me bulge like no tomorrow.

R146 I got my coupon book, and I don't use them. I only shop at Cosco for the gift cards and a few items that catch my eye. That's once or twice a year.

Aside from Costco's infamous $4.99 Rotisserie Chicken, its Kirkland brand dog food - Health Weight - is the other best deal: $28.99 for a 40-lbs. bag.

We raised our pup on Blue Buffalo until she was 6 months; then we changed her food to this. (She's a 'Large Breed' baby; so she's especially sensitive about her weight.)

I used to get their dog food but not that one. It was grain free, lamb & rice kind. It cost about $43. I just had to stop going to Costco, because it's a zoo. I just get the premium kind at Sam's.

Costco needs to expand their hours, at least a few nights a week. My local Costco is open until 8:30 M-F, and 6 on the weekends.

R151 good. You have to work with their hours. Not the other way around. I hate how stores keep pushing back hours later and later to appease the FEW people that wanna be shopping late. Guess what? Those people working there have lives too and I love that Costco doesn’t fuck then over for someone who can’t get there by fucking 8:30

[quote][R151] good. You have to work with their hours. Not the other way around. I hate how stores keep pushing back hours later and later to appease the FEW people that wanna be shopping late. Guess what? Those people working there have lives too and I love that Costco doesn’t fuck then over for someone who can’t get there by fucking 8:30.

The workers at my local Costco don't work all day. My local Costco opens about 9:30AM. Workers have two shifts, this store also hires part-timers. A worker who starts at 9:30, sure doesn't work until 8:30. Don't be absurd. There are two separate groups of workers. Add in the part timers and the people who work nights stocking the shelves.

I talk to a lot of people who work there. Their main complaint is about having to check out a certain amount of customers within their shift, otherwise they they make decent money compared to working at a local supermarket or department store.

I actually work long hours myself, but that's none of your fucking business. I do manage to get there before 8:30. Costco actually closes at 9-9:30 sometimes, because assholes arrive there at 8:15, walk around as if they're sightseeing and usually don't bring a list. All the things I DON'T do. The cashiers must check out every customer, even if they end up working until 9:30. I clearly know more about their situation than you do.

Since Costco is a madhouse on weekends, it stands to reason they should definitely stay open a bit later on weekends. I make a point to never go there on Sat or Sunday.

You seem to be taking this too personally, are you on your legs all day making low wages? If not, then STFU.

[quote]I think Costco also stopped mailing out their monthly "coupon book" to members. I was told back in November that they were only going to make them available online.

Nope. I just got one yesterday.

Costco is one of the few stores that's closed on most major holidays.

The poster upthread who mentioned getting gas at off-hours was 100% right. I live close enough to a Costco (around two miles) that I can swing by to get gas either before the store opens or after it's closed. I wouldn't bother at any other time. I believe the one near me opens its gas station VERY early -- like 5:30 during the week at 6:00 on weekends.

Yup. Costco gives their employees off on Holidays etc.

While other stores now make them work thanksgiving they stay closed and don’t open until normal hours the next morning.

Yes, R156, two of the Costcos nearest me open their pumps at 530A Mon-Fri. There's always a line starting at 515A at the one nearest me.

I was told the same thing about their coupon mailer, that they were going to stop mailing them out. They wanted to get my email address so they could send it to me via email. I wonder if they got too many people complaining about not getting an actual mailer or if they're still going to phase them out. I was told this back in December.

+1 to Premier Protein and pizza. The take-and-bake pizzas are even cheaper, like $7 or $8.

R150 um, u realize rice is a grain, eh.

When I need to grab a few things I'll roll up at 7:45pm because the crowd has died down. I'm out of the store by 8:15. Perfect time to go.

So how is the one in Manhattan? Or should I schlep to Queens?

I enjoy that Costco is international. Let me explain as that is a broad generalisation. In Australia, we now have Costco. Only a couple, but have them. The membership you have, you can use in Costco's around the world. Eg, when I go to Hawaii and the Big Island, I stop in (as its 2 miles from airport) and get a slab of water for the week, as well as those Hershey Almond in Choc lollies for people back home.

In Japan, Costcos have huge party trays of sushi. Not just rolls but Nigiri, etc. and it's inexpensive. It obviously isn't the highest grade sushi you'll get but it's much better than most you can get. Wish they sold it in the states.

Do Costcos in Oregon and New Jersey have gas stations?

R166 yes. I think the ones in NJ are opened to non members as well (they were forced to).

I worked at Costco in my younger days (2012 or so) in the food court. The manager scheduled us for four or six hour shifts, often ten to THIRTEEN consecutive days with one day off here and there, rarely two days off. He did it in a way that kept us part time on the books, but we had no lives.

Schedules were posted two weeks in advance as required by Costco, but the manager would then change the schedule repeatedly. Every two days or so there would be a post-it note on the time clock saying to check the schedule for changes. I'd check the schedule and see that I'd been completely fucked.

r167 That must be odd -- they usually only have one person staffing the stations in other states, but with no self-serve, they must use a large number of employees. I would imagine that would make for higher prices.

Costco used to sell sushi at my Dallas area locations but it absolutely sucked-- and that's coming from someone who thinks Sprouts sushi is totally OK.

The only sushi I have ever seen at Costco was the same brand they sell at Trader Joe's which were just rolls. I've never seen actual raw fish sushi/sashimi at Costco. Sam's sells it though.

Costco once sold Yummi Sushi but Costco kicked them out the door.

How is the Costco in Manhattan ?????

My local Kroger (Fry's in AZ) has a pretty damn good sushi counter.

[quote]How is the Costco in Manhattan ?????

Never been there. The Costco in LIC is not huge as I've heard others are. They also waste too much space on junk food, two aisles of cookies and candies you can buy anywhere, otherwise it's great. The workers are always pleasant and super helpful. They always have lots of unadvertised sales. They prices on those items are usually super low.

There is another Costco in Flushing, why it's listed as Rego Park, who knows. it's larger than the LIC store.

Don't forget, Costco's stock also seems to depend on the demographic of the neighborhood.

Costco in Hawaii (Big Island) sells whole pigs with their faces still on, but as a vegetarian I prefer the reasonable priced macadamia nuts. As a macadamia farmer I prefer canned Mauna Loa Mac Nuts in the 8 oz. size, as they are perfect roasted and the smaller sized can will stay fresh throughout the eating.

Kona coffee, fresh leis and tropical flowers, Hawaiian print clothes, souvenirs, Hawaiian books. Do your gifts for friends shopping here.

The most delicious candies ever, MeleMacs made by Island Princess are at Costco. They are large, perfect MacNuts, with a thin coat of hard toffee, a thick coat of dark chocolate, with a dusting of powdered sugar for visual beauty. I don't eat them myself since the time I overindulged, which is a blessing.

I greatly prefer Costco, but it’s a zoo. So when I saw Sam’s was running a special recently on memberships, I switched. Pay $45 for the membership and get $45 off your first purchase. The Sam’s near me is nowhere near as crowded and they have many — but not all — of the things you can get at Costco, including a rotisserie chicken for under $5. Self-checkout too. The gas seems way cheaper than Costco. I filled up yesterday for $1.79/gallon. Yes, I’m supporting the evil Walton empire. I know. Not crazy about it. But Costco kicks my claustrophobia into overdrive.

The chickens at Sam's Club are disgusting. You've been warned.

Sams Club isn’t good and their food sucks.

Costco or BJs all day.

And for anyone who hasn’t heard of BJs

Gas in CA is still over $3/gallon. At the cheapest places (including Costco and Sam's Club), it's maybe $2.90, but most mainstream places are selling it at closer to $3.50.

Upthread person..in Oregon they pump gas for u per state law

Costco has rolls of over-sized plastic bags mounted on the corners of each meat case, so shoppers can cover their plastic-wrapped styrofoam trays of meat or poultry or fish just in case any of them might leak. I don't buy those products, but I do tear off 4 bags each time I'm at Costco, fold them up into tiny packets, & discreetly slip them into my pocket. They're great for cleaning the cats' litter box.

You can get those bags at almost any supermarket produce section and usually bakery department too and some, like Shoprite, do also have them in the meat department, just in case you run low between Costco runs.

When I buy bread or rolls in the bakery section of markets I want to feel the bread/rolls for texture and freshness so I don't use the tongs. I use one of those bags inside out on my hand, like a disposable glove and use another bag to put the bread products I select in the second bag, then I use the bag I used as a glove like a twist tie to seal the bag. If I see people using their naked hands touching things I just walk away and never buy at that store again.

R184 I'm gathering that R183 likes the ones from Costco because they're much sturdier than the ones you get at regular grocery stores. I've seen countless people like R183 grab extra ones and slip them into their pockets/purses.

Correct, R185. I used to use the plastic bags with handles that grocery stores & every other place packed customers' purchases in -- sturdy enough to hold several cans of soup at the store & litter box contents at home. But I'm in Calif, which has now outlawed those plastic bags & only produce bags are permitted (which are too flimsy for litter box duty). So Costco's bigger & sturdier meat counter bags help to fill the need, & for free.

What do people walking their dog do R186 for dog waste bags?

Costco is fine if you can go during the week at a non peak time.

I've been avoiding Costco for three months because of the Holidays and because I've been using the Sam's App which gets me in and out in under 10 minutes.

A friend asked if I could take him to Costco so he could get a few items. I agreed but as long as we went right as they opened. He kept being indecisive about an item and took 5 minutes to decide.... and just like that, in those 5 minutes it went from zero people in line to each register (only two open) being 10 people deep. We had to wait 15 minutes to check out and the son of a bitch was complaining.

They really need that self-check out App.

R187, bags are for sale in pet supply stores, some pretty cheap (those are also small & maybe flimsy). But I see most dog-walkers using bread bags, which are long & narrow so you can put your hand into the bag & pick the droppings up off the sidewalk, then turn the bag inside-out as you remove your hand & tie the bag's long neck closed. Those bags are sturdy enough for the task. The bags that paper boys use to protect newspapers from rain work well too, but most people don't have newspapers delivered anymore.

I'm not sure the bags sold to pick up dog waste would be sturdy enough for litter.

Out of curiosity what kind of litter do you use, R190?

So you can get plastic bags for dog waste R190? Where I walk my dog there are several "stations" where there are dog bags and they are the really good ones. The ones I buy at the store are flimsy and can't compare to the quality.

I doubt Costco cares about taking a few of those bags

You are blessed, R192. The few doggie bag stations I've seen in Calif parks are usually empty, or filled with flimsy & skimpy bags.

R191, none of the dog waste bags I've seen are strong enough to hold litter -- but they're only needed to hold the amount of poop generated during one walk, which I assume isn't too heavy (depends on the size of your dog & its diet, no doubt). I usually buy the Arm & Hammer brand of litter called "SLIDE", which clumps & doesn't stick to the sides of the box. My favorite is a brand I got once for free with a coupon -- Okocat clumping wood litter, lighter weight, no sticking, excellent odor control -- really the best I've used, but I can't afford it all the time.

R194 this is DL... threads were meant to be derailed.

Anyway, have you tried, World's Best Cat Litter? It clumps, doesn't stick to the side of the box, does a great job with odor control and is flushable!

If ours go empty R194 there are people that will put the flimsy bags in until they get reloaded. Ours are the two ply ones in the link. I like them also because you can't see the contents.

Muttmitts look great, R196. Is my math right -- 200 for $40 = 100 for $20 = 10 for $2 = 5 for $1 = 20cents apiece? Seems worth it.

Flushable cat litter sounds like the impossible dream, R195.

[quote]Flushable cat litter sounds like the impossible dream, [R195].

Seriously, try it! It harnesses the power of corn!

If you see something at Costco you really really like. BUY IT! Chances are it won't be there in a week or two and sometimes those items never come back.

R182-New Jersey has NO SELF SERVE gasoline stations either. It's FULL SERVE only.

I bought these very tasty Almond Nougat in a three pack. El Almendro imported from Spain. Good quality with lots of Whole Almonds.

I once bought a big tray of Coca Cola imported from Mexico. No CORN SYRUP. The soda only has cane sugar and is far tastier than the crappy American version.

Please share more good items to try - thank you! I just started going out Costco, so I appreciate the tips.

It is real easy to shoplift at Costco.

Has anyone bought one of their mattresses? The kind that's folded up into the box? I bought a Caspar mattres, but I'm going to return it. It's horribly hot and I'm waking up overheated even with no furnace on, and only a light comforter. I'm sure it will be terrible in the summer.

R204, get one from Amazon, seriously. Free Delivery and less hassle. I know a lot of people who have purchased them and they've all raved about them.

[quote]It is real easy to shoplift at Costco.

How? Everything is either huge or in sealed lots of many. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a single thing that could be shoplifted from Costco.

r203 shoplifted an entire fucking bridge, r206, and he wants to sell it to you.

I slide those roast turkey breasts down the front of my pants. I usually step into the diary section to do it. It is a great discount.

[quote]I usually step into the diary section to do it.

They call it the journaling section now.

You sure that their OO is authentic and not mixed with canola? If olive oil doesn't sting your throat (like arugula), it's not authentic

Sometimes they sell several olive oils. The one that people rave about is the organic extra virgin. And yes, it can sting.

I've never actually been to Costco. There's a huge location in Brooklyn and I keep putting it off. I do want to check it out one of these days.

I saw a young woman being busted for shoplifting at Costco -- not sure what it was she stole but she was sobbing while calling her mother to come rescue her from the store cops, who were cutting up her membership card.

Costco sells coffins. Maybe she was shoplifting a coffin.

They don’t have fitting rooms so I bought jeans, tried them on in the bathroom stall then was looking in the mirror when an employee demanded to see my receipt as she said we don’t let you try them on...I showed her then returned them prior to leaving.. CUNT

They even have signs outside their bathrooms telling you not to bring in unpaid merchandise. She wasn't out of place at all. And yeah, you really showed her.

[quote]They even have signs outside their bathrooms telling you not to bring in unpaid merchandise. She wasn't out of place at all. And yeah, you really showed her.

R216, reading comprehension problems?

R215 said they showed the employee their receipt. They bought jeans, then went to try them on. Then, they returned them before leaving.

You LOVE Costco pizza? Go to a real restaurant. Even minimum wage should enable you to taste a correct pizza every other month. Why eat garbage?

R218, actually Costco's frozen pizza, the bread crust pizza or whatever it's called, is rather tasty for frozen pizza. I should know, I grew up having a grandfather who owned a Brooklyn Italian bakery which also produced pizzas. I know what good pizza tastes like.

Costco used to sell the DiGiorno Deep Dish and Rising Crust pizza, I haven't seen them for about two years.

I will say, the Sabatasso pizza they also carry, tastes like cardboard with tasteless sauce and terrible processed cheese on it. That's pretty bad. When I'm too busy or tired to cook, the Kirkland pizza is decent for a quick meal. I usually have half a Kirkland frozen pizza and also eat a salad or a side dish of their Normandy or Stir Fry vegetables.

We are not talking large full pizzas here, there are four medium size pizzas per box.

If you're referring to pizza from Costco's food court, at my Costco, it's separate from the store. I've never been in it. I go to Costco to shop, not waste time eating.

If you are already at Costco and plan on getting frozen pizza there you would do better to go to the food court and get as many slices of pizza as you want, what kind you want, they have 3 kinds. Take them home and freeze them in something the cheese won't stick to, like Reynolds Wrap Non-Stick Foil. They are not real pizza place quality but much better than anything frozen and cheaper, $1.99 for a very large slice and no extra charge for the ones with toppings.

R218 Oh honey...do you ever wonder why people, in general, don't like you?

R220, what don't you understand about not having time or wanting to go to the Costco food court. Buy pizza there, then freeze the pizza I'd buy?! I'd never do that. I'm not interested in doing that at all.

The Kirkland pizza and DiGiorno are both quit good for frozen pizza, I have no problem with their pizzas at all. Also, Costco sometimes has a large fresh pizza in the meat section. They're super large, more than enough for four people. So, I'd have to freeze that too, that fresh pizza is to large for my partner and I to eat in one sitting.

I don't have a separate freezer, just a regular refrigerator with the freezer on top.

Most of you posting in this thread must have homes with a freezer in the basement or a very larger fridge. I have a fairly large apartment, but my kitchen is small and my fridge isn't a two door with the freezer on one side. I do have a third bedroom where I can stockpile non-perishables, like paper towels, Kleenex etc. We have the extra room set up as both a walk-in closet and storage for other items.

I hate shopping, so having the extra room for non-perishables is wonderful.

R222 Get a hold of yourself Mary. Let's take some loooong deeeep breaths....iiiiin......ouuuuut.....iiiin....ouuuuut.

STFU, R223...I am NOT the one obsessed with Costco Food Court Pizza.

Move along.....Mobility Mary!

I love their Food Court Pizza too.

Omg frozen pizzas?

Frozen Pizzas can be good. Digiorno is great. I love their Supreme pizza.

I like Costco pizza, but one slice is like 700 calories. The whole pizza is 4500. Seeing that made me change my mind.

[quote]Do you order papa johns too?

I despise Papa John himself, so I would never buy pizza from that store, then again, where I live there are no Papa Johns.

Guess as usual on DL, you didn't read that I grew up having a grandfather who owned an Italian bakery which also produced pizzas, so I know what great pizza tastes like. There's nothing wrong with Kirkland and DiGiorno pizzas. The Supreme is great but my local Costco hasn't had that in years.

So, basically, STFU. Because snarking at me will make zero difference.

The acai bowl is fantastic. Love the al pastor salad, too.

R224 Admit it hon. You can't afford a slice of pizza. Jealous cunt.

If you rent cars, get a membership. Costco Travel let's you book cars through regular rental places and typically gives a 30% discount AND the second driver free. It way more than pays for the membership.

[quote][R224] Admit it hon. You can't afford a slice of pizza. Jealous cunt.

What an absurd and juvenile comment. I can sure afford a slice of their food court pizza, I simply don't want it.

My Costco membership costs $130 with tax. It more than pays for itself due to receiving the two yearly cash back checks.

Again, I go to Costco to shop, not waste time going to their food court to order pizza to then bring home and freeze. You sound like an utter dolt.

Just cooked one of their prepackaged entrees, a Pot Roast. I have to say, you could cut it with a fork and it was damn tasty. Certainly not like my homemade but my husband and I are doing low carbs and I haven't made pot roast all winter. I'm kind of astonished.

The pot roast is really good and so are the Mediterranean chicken skewers. They are a great option when I don't feel like cooking. Their shrimp cocktail plate is also excellent for price, but the cocktail sauce that comes with is trash.

Is the pot roast in the freezer section or in a box where they have things like cheeses and cold cuts, cold, non frozen things?

Vacuum-packed, in the open refrigerated section.

R236, it's in the box thing opposite the deli.

The chicken pot pie, in the fresh food section is pretty good. Way too much crust though.

Don’t laugh, but I like the quinoa salad. It has a lot of flavor and “sauce.” I can add other stuff to it and mix it all up.

I actually like the sauce (ketchup-based) that comes with the shrimp cocktail. I add Tabasco to make it more spicy.

R234, how does a low-carb diet mean that you can't eat pot roast? Do you mean that the potatoes and carrots traditionally served with it are too high i carbs? Because the beef itself is high in protein and low in carbs. Even the cooking liquid is OK, if it's not thickened into gravy with flour.

R233 Suck it, cunt.

I like the feta cheese.

Costco has great organic salsa. You get two jars for less than $8.

[quote]Suck it, cunt.

You seem to feel the need to have the last word, well YOU won't, Food Court Pizza Moron.

No one gives a flying fuck about your OBSESSION with Costco's Food Court pizza.

Get help! At this point you are just plain sad.

[quote]Costco has great organic salsa. You get two jars for less than $8.

What's the brand, Jacks? The Santa Barbara brand was great, they no longer carry that. That brand came in three types.

My Costco only carries the one large plastic jar of Jack's Organic Cantina Style, its's $5.99. It's in the refrigerated section. Years ago, Costco stopped carrying the Chili's brand as well as their own Kirkland brand of salsa, these were not refrigerated. The Kirkland brand came in two fairly large plastic jars.

My Costco also only has two brands of guacamole, Wholly Guacamole, in a 20 individual small cup package, for $13.99 and another brand, which comes in 3 medium size plastic dishes for $9.99, forgot that brand. Both brands are delicious.

Thank you R237 and R238. I will be looking for it on my next trip to Costco.

[quote]Frozen Pizzas can be good. Digiorno is great

If you like white trash food, yes, if you like real Italian food no. Not even close to real pizza, its all thick dense dry bread saving money on the toppings. You will regret in net morning on the bowl.

Digiorno is the Hot Pocket of Pizza.

r248, please, the worst pizza in the world is in Italy. No one wants fucking thin crust with hardly anything on it.

The Scoop Away litter sold at Costco is superior to Tidy Cat. The savings on it alone pays for my membership. For cat litter, get a Litter Genie.

That pic is not from Italy R250. It's American.

You do know Italy invented Pizza Right? Real pizza is not supposed to be thick beady dough with 2 pounds of cheap greasy cheese on it. I guess some people prefer that to the real thing but then just as many people eat dog food instead of a real steak.

Nobody who eats frozen pizza is looking for 'real' Italian food any more than someone who eats at Taco Bell is looking for authentic Mexican food. They're looking for something that's flavorful and tastes good, even though they know it's junk. Unclench, FFS, R248.

Best fucking pillows I ever bought are from Costco. They're called Sleep Innovations. I bought them 10+years ago. I've tried to shame myself into buying new to replace them, but why?

Also, an amazing (but large) backpack that's bee with me for 10+ years.

Costco has some quality stuff.

How do fucking pillows work? ^

Haha, my head rests very well on these foamy pillows as I sleep, dream, fuck and jack off.

Try the precooked turkey breast. It's in the refrigerator section. Most of them are 3.5-4lbs. Try it, see if you like it and you've made Thanksgiving (and maybe Christmas) a lot easier. Takes about an hour in the oven.

Btw, the cooking instructions are on the vacuum packed wrapper on the back where you get the nutritional information. They're kind of hard to see if you don't know they're there.

Can the pre cooked turkey be frozen after it's sliced? I live alone. I can't eat an entire turkey breast before it goes bad.

[quote]Nobody who eats frozen pizza is looking for 'real' Italian food any more than someone who eats at Taco Bell is looking for authentic Mexican food. They're looking for something that's flavorful and tastes good, even though they know it's junk.

Except Taco Bell tastes like dog food. Just look at who they market too.

All this bitching about people who eat frozen pizzas coming from people who stick their tongue up other people's asses!!!!

r260, you presume everyone here who decries Costco frozen pizza rims?

No, R261, some fuck their pillows!!!

And enjoy it, hunty at r262!

[quote] Can the pre cooked turkey be frozen after it's sliced? I live alone. I can't eat an entire turkey breast before it goes bad.

R258, of course you can freeze slices. Why would you think otherwise?

R260 hit the nail on the head.

They are a bit pricey but I like the shrimp in lime and cilantro. A sandwich of Dave’s bread, cheddar, sliced tomato and the shrimp makes for a yummy and healthy lunch.

R259, nobody gives a fuck about Taco Bell; that wasn't my point. The point is that no one, I mean NO ONE, is seeking authentic ethnic food experiences from junk food. Your food snobbery aimed at frozen pizza eaters is over the top and pointless.

Amazing, DL now has an Anti-Frozen Pizza Troll.

I went to Sam's in Houston. Appalling.

I have dinner at Costco daily. $5 gets me a footlong hotdog, Coke and churros.,

[quote]I have dinner at Costco daily. $5 gets me a footlong hotdog, Coke and churros.,

The hotdog and Coke are $1.50. How many churros are you eating?

LOL, I don't think their hot dogs are foot longs but they seem at least half a foot wide. Sadly they have no taste. Too bad they got too cheap to keep using the Hebrew National ones. Those were good. I'd rather pay 2 bucks for the combo and get a good dog. If not HN then maybe Oscar Mayer or Nathan's. The ones they use really have no flavor at all, like the way the umbrella hot dogs taste these days only the umbrella ones are as skinny as a pencil. All you taste is bun if you buy one of those and now they are $2.50 for one teeny dog.

Who the fuck goes to Costco to eat?

Are some of you bringing your tourist relatives from some Third World country or some bumfuck US town, there?!

Get your groceries and other stuff, then get the hell out. Costco isn't some amazing destination, that anyone needs to linger, let alone, eat there.

R272 they ddin't move away from HN because of the cost. It's the same reason they don't use OM or Nathan's.... they're moving away from all namebrands and pushing Kirkland items only.

They're pushing out a lot of the major brands in-store to only sell Kirkland, which is ridiculous. Who wants to pay for a membership to just buy their own brand?

[quote]They're pushing out a lot of the major brands in-store to only sell Kirkland, which is ridiculous. Who wants to pay for a membership to just buy their own brand?

That's certainly not true at my local Costco. I overheard some customers arguing that this particular Costco is no longer carrying the Kirkland brand of cheddar cheese, which cost $5.99 for a two pound brick.

One man was asking why they substituted their own Kirkland brand for an expensive imported cheddar brand, which costs $5.99 per pound? Who the hell wants to pay $12 for a brick of cheddar cheese?

The manager gave the customer some convoluted response, "We couldn't get the Kirkland cheddar at a good price." Of course, they made absolutely no sense, especially as Kirkland is Costco's brand.

OP, have you used up your 2L bottle of EVOO? Has it gone rancid?

I buy a 750 ml bottle each time. It's enough, and I use lots of EVOO.

R275 that's probably a one-off and I'm not surprised it's regarding their cheese. Have you ever used that cheese? It's soft, and disgusting. The more likely reason is that they discontinued it because no one was buying it.

But go ahead and take a look around at the other stuff around the store and look at how much has been replaced with only the Kirkland brand.

I adore Costco it's perfect for my diet I buy my gigantic cans of coffee, organic chicken wings and big bags of fresh organic greens. Addicted to their organic frozen cherries and organic eggs. Costco flowers outrank Trader Joes.

[quote][R275] that's probably a one-off and I'm not surprised it's regarding their cheese. Have you ever used that cheese? It's soft, and disgusting. The more likely reason is that they discontinued it because no one was buying it. But go ahead and take a look around at the other stuff around the store and look at how much has been replaced with only the Kirkland brand.

I assure you, this is not a "one off". Everyone was buying the Kirkland cheddar. It was always selling. Don't know what cheddar you were using but the Extra Sharp Kirkland cheddar was never soft. I liked the dry texture, it was great for cooking.

This Costco has substituted the Kirkland brick with the expensive imported cheddar cheese, nt good move in a neighborhood which still has large working class population. Besides the imported $12 brick, there's also the two bag package of the 'Mexican cheese' which is a mix of cheeses. The Mexican cheese is fine for omelettes, but for baked macaroni, the Mexican cheese mix is too 'mealy' tasting. To me, it tastes like shredded processed cheese.

About three months ago, my local Costco was back carrying the Kirkland cheddar. Then, about a week ago, it was gone again.

I double checked, I spoke to the same manager. He went to check the computer list, he told me this Costco will no longer be carrying the cheddar: "You can get it in the Flushing Costco". Why would I go to the Flushing Costco when my local Costco is only five blocks from me?

I have an Executive Membership, which is great because it more than pays for itself, but still, this Costco keeps discontinuing so many items and they are not even substituting them with Kirkland products.

Even the most basic items are being discontinued, such as coffee filters. Costco sells so many brands of coffee, yet are discontinuing coffee filters?? I have to order them online from Costco.com and there's a shipping charge. You bet I've complained. Paying so much for the membership, yet this Costco keeps on eliminating items?! That's sheer insanity.

They’ve discontinued La Croix water. Well, I never in all my life . . .

Costco sells magical Kirkland Plastic Wrap. Little known secret: if you never check how much is left, it'll last forever. 15 years and still going strong.

I agree with the above. My Costcos are slowly discontinuing most products and replacing with their own brands. Some of the items I've noticed that they've replaced completely with the Kirkland brand include: Coffee Filters (we still have them), canned corn and beans, rice, chocolate chips (they only bring in the Nestle Chocolate Chips during Holiday season now), Deli Meats (the ones in the big refrigerator cases) as well as hot dogs (previously mentioned). The next to go is going to be the Haggen-Dazs ice cream bars as Kirkland now makes their own brands of those.

R282, I was also told by the manager, "This is a small Costco compared to the much larger stores in NYC." Yet an answer like that doesn't explain why my local store would be discontinuing many products which were always flying off the shelves.

In my local Costco, NONE of the discontinued products are being replaced by Kirkland products, they are simply being eliminated. Even basic products like certain brands of soaps, are gone. My Costco hasn't carried Dial bar soap for years. Yet they will carry expensive French milled soap from France? Does the average person use that? Of course not!

I can definitely understand Costco carry special toiletry items during the Holiday season, but expensive soap all year round? I've complained to the Seattle office to no avail.

Your Costco sounds weird, R283. Maybe it's a sign that they're gearing up to shut it down.

[quote]Your Costco sounds weird, [R283]. Maybe it's a sign that they're gearing up to shut it down.

They're located in one of the largest areas of gentrification in Queens, Long Island City. We managed to drive Amazon out, but we sure don't want Costco out!

There's high rise construction going on all around that Costco. Over the past year two new building have gone up near that Costco. Costco would be insane to close. What's the point of all that high-rise construction with absolutely nowhere for the newbies to shop?!

The nearest supermarkets in that area are about 8-10 blocks from that Costco.

These supermarkets have been renovated and raised their prices due to the wealthier new people moving to the area. Long time residents can see the changes. Yet, these supermarket owners seem to forget there is still a large portion of the neighborhood which consists of working class people, who are not going to pay the high prices at their renovated local supermarkets.

Not to mention, compared to Costco's food, the quality of the supermarket food is inferior and higher priced.

[quote] Who the fuck goes to Costco to eat?

The Costco near me used to have its "food court" area near the entrance, inside the store. People used to shop, pay for their stuff, then sit & eat at the food court (hot dogs, pizza, etc.), leaving their shopping carts (huge) next to them. This blocked up the entrance.

A genius (being serious) decided to move the food court to the outside of the store. This was a great improvement.

R286– is this the one in Astoria?

No, R287 , it's not in Astoria. This must be a common Costco strategy -- move the food area outside for the hard core people who will sit and eat next to the parking lot. More floor space inside for higher revenue items.

Not only that, R288, it allows them to increase their revenues by allowing non-Members to graze there.

[quote]The manager gave the customer some convoluted response, "We couldn't get the Kirkland cheddar at a good price." Of course, they made absolutely no sense, especially as Kirkland is Costco's brand.

You do realize they don't actually MAKE any of the Kirkland products, right? Obviously they have to contract with a cheese company to have them make and package their product under the Kirkland name, so it does make sense to me.

There is no Costco in Astoria, it's in Long Island City.

I thought there was an old cheese maker and olive oil maker in the back room along with the thousands of packages of Bounty paper towels.

My costco is not eliminating much that i can tell, still have la croix, nestle chips etc. if i am looking for skincare i do check online for more options. I shop costco near west hartford ct.

I didn't know that Kirkland cheddar cheese was so good. I'll keep an eye out for it. Costco does sell Kerrygold Dubliner cheese. It's a cross between cheddar and Parmesan. Really delicious.

I just left my Costco. They no longer carry the Kerrygold Irish Butter. It seems to have been replaced with a Kirkland version. I didn't buy it.

R276 not the OP but when I purchase the olive oil I buy the 2L bottles. I usually have them for about 9 months before I'm able to use it up and it's never gone rancid on me.

[quote] They no longer carry the Kerrygold Irish Butter.

What?! I love that butter. That's on my shopping list. It has a unique texture (creamy).

I buy that 2L bottle of Kirkland organic olive oil but I store it in the fridge. Stays non-rancid a long time.

R297 could just be that store but I've found that at least around the ones by me, once they start introducing the Kirkland versions they phase out the name brand ones.

I purchased a pack of merino blend socks and can report they held up very well when hiking.

Is there any way to get a membership at cheaper than $60?

I hate their roasted chickens. The breast meat tastes weird and has a mushy consistency. I buy their frozen packs of chicken thigh meat. My favorite thing there is the 15 count boxes of Salon-Pas lidocaine patches. I wear one on each knee daily and put on on my bad hip every night so I'm not taking OTC pain relief so much.

I still have and use a comforter I bought back when Costco was Price Club. After reading this thread I want to go to a Costco in Hawaii.