I've had Costco or Sam's Club membership, on and off for the past ten years. Mostly off. I'm thinking of joining up again and tracking how much money I spend and how much I save, in order to settle once and for all whether or not it's worth it for someone who only shops for one to spend the annual membership rates.
How many of you who are single and live alone have membership at one of these stores? Are you convinced that it's worth it? What particular items are especially money-saving when one makes the purchases at Costco or Sam's?
I'm thinking that any money I save on food will count in the "save" column, whereas an impulse DVD purchase might require consideration: Would I have made the purchase anyway, if I'd been shopping elsewhere? If not, it's not a savings. Certain other things, such as TP and gasoline, I suppose are automatic savings, but how would you suggest I value time spent in line at the pump (milage is not a concern; I live close enough to Alakawa Street that I don't consider it out of my way at all) or the stress of being around so many PEOPLE?
Are there other factors I'm not considering? What about spending a dollar less on three times as much broccoli, only to see half that broccoli get thrown out? Is that a personal savings but a global waste? How the heck do I factor THAT into the whole enchilada?
How many of you who are single and live alone have membership at one of these stores? Are you convinced that it's worth it? What particular items are especially money-saving when one makes the purchases at Costco or Sam's?
I'm thinking that any money I save on food will count in the "save" column, whereas an impulse DVD purchase might require consideration: Would I have made the purchase anyway, if I'd been shopping elsewhere? If not, it's not a savings. Certain other things, such as TP and gasoline, I suppose are automatic savings, but how would you suggest I value time spent in line at the pump (milage is not a concern; I live close enough to Alakawa Street that I don't consider it out of my way at all) or the stress of being around so many PEOPLE?
Are there other factors I'm not considering? What about spending a dollar less on three times as much broccoli, only to see half that broccoli get thrown out? Is that a personal savings but a global waste? How the heck do I factor THAT into the whole enchilada?
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