Kitchen

[brandiwine]

Hands down Costco. Great meat, produce, frozen foods, and canned goods. Health & beauty are amazing. Clothes too!

[Katiesmom]

We belong to Costco but went to Sams last month after we received an invite in the mail. I like Costco much better. We found one thing at Sams - plastic tumbler glasses for our kids - but Costco seems to have a much better selection on everything. Just my opinion based on our local stores.

[PurpleBunny]

Our local Sam's went out of business, but Costco's are flourishing.

[Arley1210]

Costco is definitely the best by me!!!!!

Arley

[chickenbutt]

Agree with everybody else - Costco is, by far, the best. The stores are nicer, better brands, better products, they treat their employees well, and you can buy the meat/produce/bakery there without worry. I would not buy anything in those three categories from Sam's Club.

Costco's in-house brand, Kirkland, is outstanding. If you buy canned tuna, the Kirkland brand white albacore in water is superior to any other canned tuna I've ever seen. I also have a lot of their brand vitamins, although I'll admit that I often buy them through Amazon. There are many, many Kirkland brand products that are just as outstanding.

[flickerbulb]

On 2/12/2014 Deadeye Daisy said:

We do all three. Each has some things that the others don't. BJ's takes manufacturers coupons. On a six pack of something like beans, you can use 6 manufacturers coupons, as well as the BJ's coupon.

Costco doesn't carry the Squirrel snack items. Love the snack mix, and usually order 4 from Sam's online when they have it. FAR less than buying at Q. This week, Sam's has it on sale online again.

You can utilize the pharmacy and liquor departments at any of them WITHOUT being a member, with no upcharge on liquor. Costco does come out less at the Rx department when you register your Costco card with them. Cost will be about 20% less than without registering your card.

BJ's had a MUCH better selection of both name brand and store brand personal care items, and more books for less than either Sam's or Costco. Sam's and Costco will let you return an item forever, and can look up your purchases for the last 15 years. BJ's can't do that. If you order online from either Sam's or Costco, you can return to the store. Not BJ's.

Only reason I have all three is we get free executive membership renewals every year through out Credit Union.

If it plugs in, I generally buy from Costco.

I buy my undies from Sam's. $12 for a three pack of microfiber that wear like iron, and don't give you wedgies. I buy Gloria Vanderbilt jeans from Costco for $13 ($15 if you order online). These are the ones that are similar to Isaac Mizrahi with 14% spandex. I also buy my 'fluffy' socks from Sam's. I tend to use them as slippers, so I wear them out fast. Sam's also has a better seclection of T-Shirts and the like.

Sam's often has their own $2 coupon for Mexican Coke. Costco, rarely. Sam's also has a selection of extra value gift cards with FREE FedEx shipping. I've gotten Ruth's Chris, Buca de Beppo, Olive Garden (Darden), Disney, etc. Generally you get $100 in cards for $74. Have rarely seen these at Costco.

Both carry Kind Bars for about $1 each, but ONLY Costco carries Corazones. 72 for about $62.

I prefer to buy racks of ribs from Sam's, also brisket. They sell the whole ribs, which have way more meat. Also they sell the entire brisket with the cap. At Costco, I buy the boneless short ribs. I buy a whole beef rib roast, and cut down at home to my own specifications. I grind my own ground beef using a combination of brisket and boneless short ribs, sometimes with trimmings from the rib roast.

I generally buy whole chickens from my egg lady, but when I want a lot of thighs, I purchase at BJ's. They sell a package of 16, packaged with 4 each to a vacuum sealed pack. Runs $.89 a pound. I won't buy any poultry from either Sam's or Costco.

Costco carries sliced smoked salmon, which I bring home and divide up and freeze. They also carry the Ghiradelli double chocolate brownie mix. Box has 6 packages inside. Used to be $5.47, but price has gone up. Unless you buy yours at a store that is having a BOGO sale and double coupons, you still can't beat the price at Costco. They also carry Nonna's products.

Sam's and BJ's have a FAR better selection of interesting filled pastas, but rarely have the same one next time you go in. Just got several packs of lobster and crab ravioli at Sam's. Sam's also seems to have a better variety of Cabot cheese than Costco. Their Reggiano is also $1 less a pound as is the fresh mozzarella. Our Sam's also carreies fresh pasta if you're not into making your own. They also carry Ajinomoto pot stickers, which EASILY rival the ones from Q or Trader Joe's. Also, far less costly.

If you REALLY need Philly cream cheese in individual packs and your local super isn't having a sale that you can combine with double coupons, price at Sam's is far better than at Costco. Costco carries the block version and an off brand, whick suc*ks.

Sam's carries Cavanaugh's smoked sausages, which are TOPS.

I prefer Sam's for produce, except for when I buy my annual 25# of bing cherries for making bounce in June. The ones at Costco are better.

I have to go the same distance in three directions to go to any of the three, so where I head usually depends on what my other destinations are on that day.

I don't think I could actually choose only one. I could make do with Sam's and Costco, I suppose. But, I do make $50 when shopping BJ's for market research. BJ's often has freebies - around Thanksgiving, you get a Butterball turkey; at Easter time, a ham. In summer, free ribs.

DD-I see you mentioned making Bounce from cherries. What is this? My grandma used to make Boomerang from cherries.

[ChynnaBlue]

I like Costco better because they treat their employees better and I can feel better about shopping their and keeping them in business.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/19/reasons-love-costco_n_4275774.html

[MomCat]

I actually like Sams better. We have a very nice one near us. Some of you mentioned how poorly Walmart/Sams treats employees, but I personally know several people who work for both Sams and Walmart and they love it. I was chatting with an employee at Sams last week and she liked that Sams was so much a like a family to her, she encouraged her son who just got out of college to go to work at Walmart's main headquarters. Anyway, just another opinion.

[GCR18]

I've belonged to both. I currently belong to Sam's because that's what's in the area. Costco wins hands down. Their stores are cleaner and they have a better selection.

[Soushi24]

dropped my Sam's club membership and have executive card with Costco's. Been very happy.