Kitchen

[KJPA]

On 10/11/2014 HonnyBrown said:

KJPA, I bought the Costco Breakfast Blend K-Cups (box of 80 in the store) and it is soooo gooood! I can't say the same for the Keurig I bought from there.

I've seen the kale salad blend at Costco, but not bagged kale.

I browsed BJs online and there is one closer. I thought I was going to do the One Day Pass, but there is a 15% surcharge. I'll wait until next month when they come to my job.

Honny, you may be right about the Kale being a blend instead of straight Kale. I will look when I go tonight

You also asked about the BJ's generics. I remember when we were members (like 15 years ago) we liked theirs. I really missed them when we first moved to Costco. But once we found the ones to suit our family we also like Costco's

I wanted to mention that the Kirkland marinara is EXCELLENT. No sugar added. If I remember correctly it has only a few ingredients. It's hard to find a sauce without added sugar! We also like the Kirkland canned chicken.

[HonnyBrown]

On 10/13/2014 AspenGrove said:

On 10/11/2014 DiAnne said:

I don't have a BJs put do have Costco and Sams. I have been a Costco or Price Club member for well over 30-years. Used it extensively when raising family and even now that I am a empty nester I go there about three times a month (it is very close to me. I like that it is always clean and the employees are treated well. I will not shop at Sam's Club for the same reason I will not shop at Walmart. I think it is criminal that they are making mega bucks but have employees on food stamps and many without medical insurance.

DiAnne took the words right out of my mouth! Never heard of BJs, so it must be a regional company. I've shopped at Costco since it was Price Club, eons ago. They are a marvelous company -- to customers AND to their employees. I would not ever think of stepping foot in a Sam's Club (or Walmart) for all the reasons perfectly stated by DiAnne ... and I am beyond proud to say that I live in a community where Sam's Club had to close several years ago because people refused to shop there.

And where do the former employees work now?

[HonnyBrown]

On 10/13/2014 KJPA said:

On 10/11/2014 HonnyBrown said:

KJPA, I bought the Costco Breakfast Blend K-Cups (box of 80 in the store) and it is soooo gooood! I can't say the same for the Keurig I bought from there.

I've seen the kale salad blend at Costco, but not bagged kale.

I browsed BJs online and there is one closer. I thought I was going to do the One Day Pass, but there is a 15% surcharge. I'll wait until next month when they come to my job.

Honny, you may be right about the Kale being a blend instead of straight Kale. I will look when I go tonight

You also asked about the BJ's generics. I remember when we were members (like 15 years ago) we liked theirs. I really missed them when we first moved to Costco. But once we found the ones to suit our family we also like Costco's

I wanted to mention that the Kirkland marinara is EXCELLENT. No sugar added. If I remember correctly it has only a few ingredients. It's hard to find a sauce without added sugar! We also like the Kirkland canned chicken.

Hubby likes straight kale, so I look for it every visit. They have the kale salad blend and tons of spinach, but no bagged kale.

That's good to know about the marinara sauce! I make my own because I know what's in it and I don't add sugar.

[AspenGrove]

Great question, Honny Brown. When the Sam's Club store closed, the local Costcos (each a couple of miles away) offered them jobs. I recall many interviews on the news with former Sam's employees, many in tears, so happy -- saying quite candidly that the minute Costco employed them, their salaries doubled (in some cases much more than double), many were offered higher pay supervisorial positions that Sam's would never offer them, all were offered full-time jobs (when Sam's kept cutting their hours) ... and they all got comprehensive health/dental/life insurance, child care vouchers, adult schooling paid for, vacation time, etc., etc. In other words, they were treated like respected human beings. Every single one of the former Sam's workers said Sam's gave them NONE of the above. In addition, some said that when working at Sam's they had to work 2 or 3 additional jobs to feed their families and pay rent, but they were able to drop extra jobs when they began working for Costco.

[HonnyBrown]

Thanks Aspen, that is good to know!

[KJPA]

I notice that I see the same employees over and over at our local Costco. It's amazing in retail for people to stay so long. I assume that means they are pretty satisfied. Of course it's still a J.O.B. but as far as work goes I think they seem happy. My SIL and niece both work there and are happy to have their positions. It's hard to get a job at our local store because people stay and there aren't many openings! That says something for the employer!

[Porcelain]

Love Costco. We just got a discounted membership through LivingSocial, and I'm really pleased with the experiences we've had there so far. Kirklands seems to be a good quality brand.

The promised coupons (from the deal) for a free pie, a rotisserie chicken, and 32(!) rolls of tp just arrived. We will have enough tp to make it through any zombie apocalypse.

Plus I prefer to spend my money at ethical retailers. If sales is all the big corps pay attention to, then every penny I spend is like a vote on their practices.

[HonnyBrown]

bluegrass, I felt the same way until I tasted Costco's Deep Dish Pizza.

The savings on the items I buy more than covers the cost of membership. That's why I'm open to having a BJs membership as well.

So far the pros of a BJs membership for me:

They sell smaller or individual packages of meat;

They sell frozen pepper and onion strips;

They have more of a variety than Costco;

They sell bagged kale;

The beauty section!

I'll get a discounted membership when they come to my job next month.

[PhatCat]

On 10/11/2014 JayJay said:

On 10/11/2014 FATCATinCT said:

I've had all three at one time or another and I have to say Costco is my favorite hands down. I currently have BJ's only because they are the only ones that sell already shelled pistachios that my DH loves, lol.

My Costco has the already shelled pistachios.....must vary from store to store, state to state! I purchased them once; very good but they have increased in price every time I see them. Maybe for the Christmas holidays I'll splurge again!

Our Costco sold them at one time but stopped long ago. I personally don't care for BJ's, their prices are higher, their products limited, and the bakery in the store closest to me has very little to offer.

[HonnyBrown]

FATCAT, I did a mental price comparison and from the items I looked at the prices were the same. It might be regional, as someone else said.

Based on two visits, I thought BJs had a much wider variety if items to choose from. They had a half a row of different Dove shampoos or lotions or something. Our Costco carries one or two of each (exaggeration, but still).

Oh, BJs also has the 50/50 Bacon Cheeseburger!

I'm definitely giving BJs a try. I might do weekly shopping there and meats and k-cups at Costco.