I am expecting my first baby in the spring, and having it been just the two of us thus far I never needed a warehouse club membership. I did briefly try BJ's a few years ago but it is too far from my house and Costco would be more convenient. Is it cheaper in the long run to buy items such as diapers and other baby items at Costco, or will Target be comparable? I recall there it is expensive to join so I want to make sure it is the right fit. BJ's refunded my membership when they saw I never went in a month but I am not sure Costco will be as nice about that.
Thanks in advance.

http://www.costco.com/baby-kids.html

http://www.target.com/c/baby/-/N-5xtly#?lnk=gnav_t_spc_3_0

Thanks, those links are very appreciated.

We consider Costco WELL worth it though we buy lots of our stuff from them, thus get back most if not all of our membership costs due to their "percent back" policy (we bought a couple Vizio TVs as well as a carpet cleaner, etc).

We have the "Executive" membership which recently went up in price to $110, I think - the 5% (I think that's it) "money back" per purchase rapidly pays back the difference between that and regular membership - and when we do the big ticket items the payback is typically enough to cover the rest of the membership.

Costco's refund policy is hard to beat as well, BTW.

Having typed all this, however...we have NOT price-compared between Costco and Target and Walmart and certainly not BJ's or Sam's Club, etc. From time to time we see places like Giant price some "staples" to obviously compete on THOSE items alone with places like Costco (nee bulk Bounty paper towels). It's possible a number of the items we buy from Costco are available elsewhere at the same or lower price (we don't think so, but possibly!), so that would make the Costco membership less cost-effective.

I would first decide which diapers you like better for your kid and then base your decision on that. Costco and BJ's didn't carry the same brands so we ended up at one place for diapers and the other for the rest of the stuff.

Honestly, first time parents drink enough beer that the cost savings on that should offset memberships at both places.

haha @ poopmachine, I really can't imagine how much life will change in a few months, but that is for another website I suppose. Thanks OF,II that was also helpful.

I like Costco. They have the best steaks. I get a big pack of Ribeyes every trip and they are killer.

Costco baby wipes are the best as far as I'm concerned.
Another thing is that the Kirkland brand trash bags are
really good quality and really cheap. The savings on trash
bags, paper towels, and toilet paper make the cost of
membership worth it. I love Costco stocks too. They've
consistently paid a dividend. They also E-Verify all their
employees too which is a big plus with me.

We take returns on pretty much everything. From bananas, to diapers, to memberships, everything (excluding TV's, PCs, laptops and iPods) is refundable at any time. In regards to the pricing, the idea behind Costco is that you buy in extreme bulk. Instead of buying a box of tissues you buy 10. We're geared more toward small businesses and middle to upper income families, seeing as around 90% of purchases made in a day at Costco are 100 dollars or more. My advice, stick to Target, unless you think you can afford it.

You get the monthly coupon book from Costco which always has the paper products. It might knock about 3 to 5 dollars off the Huggies or Kirkland's (Costco store brand).

For each item, Costco tends to carry just one brand and Kirkland. You usually only have the choice to buy the largest package of toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, etc.

For selection, I'd go to Walmart Supercenter, SuperTarget, or Babies R US. Wegmans probably isn't bad either. All of these plus Costco and Sam's are out by 28 between Chantilly and Sterling if you happen to live out that way.

Perfect solution meep:

Wire Jonathan Swift in London. Have Baby, Will Swap. One baby for your table in exchange for its weight in gold. FOB Reston VA.

Never again will you need worry about saving a few cents here and there. You can even hire security to bodyguard you when lining up at Walmart at 0300 to buy that "smart" phone.

No worrying whether the teenage rugrat will wrap himself around a tree before he becomes go kill a jihadi for christ bait.

But you'll have no scion and grandscion to cry for you in the hospice 59 years from now.

Maybe one of those "pro-choicers" will loan you a coat hanger.

lurkers, have I suficiently yanked yer chains yet?

Long past the baby stage. However, I agree with the writer about who said they quickly get money back to cover cost of Executive Membership.

However, I would seriously consider convenience. With a baby, that becomes very important. Costco is very convenient for me so I shop there weekly-or more. Milk is much cheaper there and my family drinks lots of milk, so it is well worth the membership for my household.

Those $1.50 hot dog and soda combos and the $2 huge slices of pizza fed me many a day. You don't need a membership for that, BTW. Just walk up and tell the staff you're going to the cafe. They will let you in.

I did stock up on bulk cans of soup, ramen, family packs of meats to throw on the grill and super packs of deli meats and cheese and learned to like powdered milk and how to make my own bread with my breadmaker so I wouldnt have to buy it anymore and ate good for MONTHS without having to spend another dime in a regular grocery store!

I used to go to both BJ's and Costco, but I dropped Costco. No Sam's anywhere near me but I try to stay out of Walton's places anyway.

IMO, BJ's has better brands, less crowding, and take coupons and credit cards (I do not do business with AMEX). Membership is cheaper and they often have trial memberships.

I just don't see the Costco attraction. Last year I was supposed to bring dinner rolls to an office party. Costco (closer) had two lonely bags of expired rolls on the shelf. Went to BJ's and they had three different types of unexpired rolls and plenty of them. That's when I said fuck Costco.

If you go to the one in Manassas, you'll make you membership fee back just on the price of gas alone. Costco beats the cheap crappy gas stations like Sheetz or Race Trac in price and they sell great clean gas. Plus, their return policy is also top notch. They'll take back just anything for any reason. And now they can look up your receipt and give you back whatever you paid. Their prices on electronics is about equal to the sale prices of Best Buy. Also a good place to buy office supplies, fresh baked bread/rolls/cookies, beef cuts and fruits. Not a great selection but what they sell is very good and nicely priced. Milk is also cheap and has no hormones or additives.

Worst thing about Costco is the number of inconsiderate asians in the FFX store, indians in the Chantilly store and mexicans in the Manassas store. They all block aisles, walk slow as heck, run into you with their carts and act like a bunch of blind monkeys in the parking lots.

Costco is more popular, but I think that they are all more or less the same. We have had a Costco Executive membership for the past 3 years and it is amazing how quickly you can rack up $5000 in purchases. We also belong to BJs and Sam's Club, but both were free for a year as a result of a work connection. I like BJs because it is less crowded and there is a Sam's Club around the corner from my office.

My favorite item at any of these stores is the meat and Costco seems to be slightly better. I buy a pack of ribeye steaks every week since I eat paleo and I grill them on Sunday so that I have something to eat all week.

Looking at the reviews on Yelp, it seems the Chantilly Costco is vastly superior to the Fairfax Costco. However Chantilly is very out of the way for us. I really appreciated everyone's advice, especially the Costco employee's point of view. I think for now I will hold off on membership and then reevaluate at another time, especially if I have a second child. Thanks everyone!!

Suck the life out of you and drain your bank account.

Thank god they are so cute! Plus they grow up. :)

NoPanic Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Costco is more popular, but I think that they are
> all more or less the same. We have had a Costco
> Executive membership for the past 3 years and it
> is amazing how quickly you can rack up $5000 in
> purchases. We also belong to BJs and Sam's Club,
> but both were free for a year as a result of a
> work connection. I like BJs because it is less
> crowded and there is a Sam's Club around the
> corner from my office.
>
> My favorite item at any of these stores is the
> meat and Costco seems to be slightly better. I
> buy a pack of ribeye steaks every week since I eat
> paleo and I grill them on Sunday so that I have
> something to eat all week.

Sounds real healthy, Porky

I'm so glad not to be a Costco "member" anymore. For that $50 a year, you are stuck with long lines, overcrowded aisles, and barely any savings at all. You have a good chance of having your car hit in any of their parking lots, or being run over by some shitty NOVA driver. Save yourself the headache, and avoid the nonsense. Your blood pressure and cost savings at Target/Walmart or anywhere else isn't worth the hassle.

Just think Lunch every day for a $1.50 BiG HOTDOG includes a soda I been there for 15 years still loving it.

BJ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NoPanic Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Costco is more popular, but I think that they
> are
> > all more or less the same. We have had a
> Costco
> > Executive membership for the past 3 years and
> it
> > is amazing how quickly you can rack up $5000 in
> > purchases. We also belong to BJs and Sam's
> Club,
> > but both were free for a year as a result of a
> > work connection. I like BJs because it is less
> > crowded and there is a Sam's Club around the
> > corner from my office.
> >
> > My favorite item at any of these stores is the
> > meat and Costco seems to be slightly better. I
> > buy a pack of ribeye steaks every week since I
> eat
> > paleo and I grill them on Sunday so that I have
> > something to eat all week.
>
> Sounds real healthy, Porky

Well, it works for me. I was 295 and 37% body fat a year ago and now I am 242 and 20% body fat on a Zone Paleo diet. It may not be for everyone, but my LDL and HDL are fine along with just about every other metabolic measure. I also ride my bike to work 3x/week from Fairfax City to Arlington.

Biggest savings will come on formula. The extra large box of formula at Costco (similac though I think they have other brands as well as the generic brand) cost the same at Costco as the much smaller box at Giant and Walmart. Considering how much of that stuff you use in a month, you will save your membership fee after only one month. Diapers are much cheaper as well (and as a previous post mentioned they run coupons every other month for $6 off per box of Huggies). I resisted joining for a long time (I kept thinking why would anyone pay just to be able to shop somewhere), but it has more than paid for itself with small children. Buy the membership, stock up when the coupons come and you won't regret it. On a related note, even though they don't take coupons (except their own), they do accept those "checks" that formula companies send to you in the mail which usually knocks $5 off a box of formula.
Oh, and congrats on the baby :)

recent mom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Biggest savings will come on formula. The extra
> large box of formula at Costco (similac though I
> think they have other brands as well as the
> generic brand) cost the same at Costco as the much
> smaller box at Giant and Walmart. Considering how
> much of that stuff you use in a month, you will
> save your membership fee after only one month.
> Diapers are much cheaper as well (and as a
> previous post mentioned they run coupons every
> other month for $6 off per box of Huggies). I
> resisted joining for a long time (I kept thinking
> why would anyone pay just to be able to shop
> somewhere), but it has more than paid for itself
> with small children. Buy the membership, stock up
> when the coupons come and you won't regret it. On
> a related note, even though they don't take
> coupons (except their own), they do accept those
> "checks" that formula companies send to you in the
> mail which usually knocks $5 off a box of
> formula.
> Oh, and congrats on the baby :)


Nursing is much less expensive and healthier for your baby than formula. Why would you sacrifice your child's health over convenience?

LaLeche Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> recent mom Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Biggest savings will come on formula. The
> extra
> > large box of formula at Costco (similac though
> I
> > think they have other brands as well as the
> > generic brand) cost the same at Costco as the
> much
> > smaller box at Giant and Walmart. Considering
> how
> > much of that stuff you use in a month, you will
> > save your membership fee after only one month.
> > Diapers are much cheaper as well (and as a
> > previous post mentioned they run coupons every
> > other month for $6 off per box of Huggies). I
> > resisted joining for a long time (I kept
> thinking
> > why would anyone pay just to be able to shop
> > somewhere), but it has more than paid for
> itself
> > with small children. Buy the membership, stock
> up
> > when the coupons come and you won't regret it.
> On
> > a related note, even though they don't take
> > coupons (except their own), they do accept
> those
> > "checks" that formula companies send to you in
> the
> > mail which usually knocks $5 off a box of
> > formula.
> > Oh, and congrats on the baby :)
>
>
> Nursing is much less expensive and healthier for
> your baby than formula. Why would you sacrifice
> your child's health over convenience?


They make a product to feed your baby, so why wouldn't you buy that product?

LaLeche Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> recent mom Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Biggest savings will come on formula. The
> extra
> > large box of formula at Costco (similac though
> I
> > think they have other brands as well as the
> > generic brand) cost the same at Costco as the
> much
> > smaller box at Giant and Walmart. Considering
> how
> > much of that stuff you use in a month, you will
> > save your membership fee after only one month.
> > Diapers are much cheaper as well (and as a
> > previous post mentioned they run coupons every
> > other month for $6 off per box of Huggies). I
> > resisted joining for a long time (I kept
> thinking
> > why would anyone pay just to be able to shop
> > somewhere), but it has more than paid for
> itself
> > with small children. Buy the membership, stock
> up
> > when the coupons come and you won't regret it.
> On
> > a related note, even though they don't take
> > coupons (except their own), they do accept
> those
> > "checks" that formula companies send to you in
> the
> > mail which usually knocks $5 off a box of
> > formula.
> > Oh, and congrats on the baby :)
>
>
> Nursing is much less expensive and healthier for
> your baby than formula. Why would you sacrifice
> your child's health over convenience?


Still nursing the 3 yr old, are you? Not everyone can nurse for as long as the kids need breast milk/formula, for any number of reasons, both physical and work-related. Keep you guilt trips to yourself, sister.

Tough One Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm so glad not to be a Costco "member" anymore.
> For that $50 a year, you are stuck with long
> lines, overcrowded aisles, and barely any savings
> at all.

Watched a Costco special on CNBC not too long ago. Basically, virtually all of their profit comes from the membership fee, and nothing in the store is marked up more than 15%, most a lot less than that. Their corporate profit margin is about 2%, so they are selling you stuff at damn near their cost to buy it. Walmarts margins are at 5%, and Targets are even higher at 7%. On balance, you will save $ shopping at Costco over Walmart/Target, but a lot depends upon how much you buy and what types of goods.

Thanks so much everyone! This is all great. I am also smiling about how much this damn hot dog comes up, I think I need to try their lunch.

Do they have collison insurance coverage for when you get run over by crazy asian and shopping cart?

run the numbers Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tough One Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I'm so glad not to be a Costco "member"
> anymore.
> > For that $50 a year, you are stuck with long
> > lines, overcrowded aisles, and barely any
> savings
> > at all.
>
> Watched a Costco special on CNBC not too long ago.
> Basically, virtually all of their profit comes
> from the membership fee, and nothing in the store
> is marked up more than 15%, most a lot less than
> that. Their corporate profit margin is about 2%,
> so they are selling you stuff at damn near their
> cost to buy it. Walmarts margins are at 5%, and
> Targets are even higher at 7%. On balance, you
> will save $ shopping at Costco over
> Walmart/Target, but a lot depends upon how much
> you buy and what types of goods.

CNBC is the shit. Interesting if that is where their main source of income is, because they have been quite profitable over the years. Then again, conventional grocery stores are very tight on that, just barely clearing a profit in many areas. Yeah probably overall savings if the right items are bought indeed, can be had, such as baby formula, diapers, and that sort of stuff. Actually to Costco's credit, also their OTC meds for Kirkland are a bargain.

"but a lot depends upon how much you buy and what types of goods."

WOW, Really? I had no idea!

run the numbers Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tough One Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I'm so glad not to be a Costco "member"
> anymore.
> > For that $50 a year, you are stuck with long
> > lines, overcrowded aisles, and barely any
> savings
> > at all.
>
> Watched a Costco special on CNBC not too long ago.
> Basically, virtually all of their profit comes
> from the membership fee, and nothing in the store
> is marked up more than 15%, most a lot less than
> that. Their corporate profit margin is about 2%,
> so they are selling you stuff at damn near their
> cost to buy it. Walmarts margins are at 5%, and
> Targets are even higher at 7%. On balance, you
> will save $ shopping at Costco over
> Walmart/Target, but a lot depends upon how much
> you buy and what types of goods.


The CNBC program is worth watching as it provides a great behind the scenes view of Costco with a focus on how products make it into the warehouse. It was interesting to see how Costco has become the nation's leading wine retailer (with some very good private label wines) and sells more almonds and meat than any other retailer. If you ever wondered how they select products the process of selecting toys for the holiday is worth the 15 minutes alone.

I can't handle the crowds at Costco, but I do admire the company.

They are proof that a company can be extremely successful WITHOUT screwing their employees. Wegman's is another.

I went today, no crowds. The key is don't go on the weekends. The ribeye steaks are the best and I got a great deal on batteries for the holiday. Also a hotdog and soda for $1.50 on the way out.

I'm in it for the food... such good prices.. they have great steaks!

How much space do you have...

Some people do food shopping & go frequently. It's a bit of a trip for us, so we only go about 4x per year and buy a cart and a half or so.

Bulk paper products, cases of canned/dried food like tomatoes and noodles, big boxes of spices for no more than 2 little jars cost, soap/dishwasher/detergent and, of course, wine for a lot less than anywhere except Total or the District.

Typical bill runs $700...

Costco stores not friendly to the handicap!
And if membership fees are the big profit source why no short aisles for people buying say 15 items or less. get them in get them out. NEXT

whats that its volume baby VOLUME


Asians(and south) get membership discount to scare off the white man plus they love buying 3 year supply of toilet paper at one time even if its really not that great of a deal. Mommy can we go buy some Korean barbecue for dinner. No we spend budget on toilet paper so you have clean butt as far as the eye can see. very sharp minds they have don't you know! ah so

yes it is