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Costco - I'm blaming TUG

Jan M.

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Thanks to all of you here on TUG we finally joined Costco back in November. I am blaming all of you for my husband's love of all things Costco. His brother and SIL from Erie/Edinboro, Pennsylvania stayed with us for a couple of days earlier this week and one of the highlights of their stay was a trip to Costco. The closest Costco is over an hour away from them and they had never been to one before but have friends who rave about Costco so were excited to go. My BIL had read that Costco's vodka is either as good or better than Grey Goose Vodka or is made by Grey Goose. I don't remember which it is as vodka isn't something we know about or buy. My BIL was so excited with his twenty something dollar bottle of vodka as he would pay over twice that for Grey Goose at home. They also bought several other food items they had tried at our house. My SIL and I had a good time following them around the store and laughing at them.

Kirkland-Vodka.jpg


Today my husband bought himself a pair of these shoes for $22.95. When he got back from his Costco run and showed them to me I suggested he immediately put them on even before he went back out to finish bringing the rest of the stuff in. If after wearing them for a while he liked them he should go back and buy another pair. He is hard on shoes so they definitely won't sit in his closet never to be worn. He has a pair of memory foam Skechers he really likes that we bought him at at either TJ Maxx, Marshalls or Burlington. He has been wanting another pair but not at the price they are when you can't find them at one of the discount stores. So he came home from his second trip to Costco in the same day with two more pairs; another black pair and a navy pair. He may give our son the second black pair but he may decide to keep them for himself.

20190301_125703.jpg

You may or may not be wondering why my husband is the one going to Costco and doing the shopping. I try to avoid going as much as possible to avoid the temptation of buying a 75" TV. There is not a thing wrong with our 8 year old 60" but I want that bigger screen so bad and my husband is absolutely no help whatsoever. He says if you want it, get it. In spite of him being an enabler I've managed to stay strong and not give in to temptation by staying the heck out of Costco as much as possible.

While I'm making fun of him I have to add that on his second trip he also came home with one of their pizzas that we had read was supposed to be very good. I'm happy to report that it is very good!
 
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WinniWoman

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I wish we had a Costco here. We have a Sams Club. I heard about that Kirkland Vodka from others.

Enjoy!
 

DaveNV

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Jan, please tell us the membership you got was the Executive, so you’ll get a 2% rebate on all those purchases. It’s worth it if you spend enough, and it sounds like the bug has gotten you both. ;)

As for that big TV, take note that you have 90 days to return it for a full refund, if you just hate it. ;)
Compared side by side, new TVs are amazing, compared with sets from eight years ago.

Dave
 

Jan M.

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Jan, please tell us the membership you got was the Executive, so you’ll get a 2% rebate on all those purchases. It’s worth it if you spend enough, and it sounds like the bug has gotten you both. ;)

As for that big TV, take note that you have 90 days to return it for a full refund, if you just hate it. ;)
Compared side by side, new TVs are amazing, compared with sets from eight years ago.

Dave

Daaaaaave, are you being an enabler too? You are so bad! Lol.

Yes we did get the executive membership and the Costco credit card too.
 

VacationForever

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Jan, please tell us the membership you got was the Executive, so you’ll get a 2% rebate on all those purchases. It’s worth it if you spend enough, and it sounds like the bug has gotten you both. ;)

As for that big TV, take note that you have 90 days to return it for a full refund, if you just hate it. ;)
Compared side by side, new TVs are amazing, compared with sets from eight years ago.

Dave
Is there a price difference between Executive and Business Executive? We have been keeping the Business Executive membership even though we no longer have our business because my husband thinks it gives us more points!? I doubt it. The other thing is that we also have my son attached to our membership so that we can pay for his membership each year. Is Business Executive the only way to have extra membership so that we can pay for it?
 

Jan M.

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Did you know that the Costco Visa card includes as a card benefit trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage at no cost?

Thanks! I'd forgotten that. I can see that we need to get out all the stuff they gave us the night we got our membership and take some time looking over all the different benefits.
 

Patri

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Funny post, Jan. There is no Costco near us, or I would check it out too.
 

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Jan: make sure you have the executive membership and the Costco Credit Card. 2% back on the executive membership. On the Costco Credit Card you get 4% back on all gas purchases (whether Costco or other gas), 3% back on restaurants and certain travel expenses, 2% back on all Costco purchases put on the credit card (this is on top of the 2% for being an executive member), and 1% on all other items put on the credit card. When you get your check at the end of the year from CITI do not use it to pay for Costco purchases (you are giving up the 2% for COSTCO purchases on the credit card). Go to the membership desk and they will either give you cash or write you a check you can deposit into your bank account. When you get your check back from Costco (separate from your CITI Check) buy a $20 item and they will give you the cash back.

None of the Costco vodka is Grey Goose. Grey Goose does not even distill their own vodka.
 
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rapmarks

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Jan, ask your brother in law if he knows Gerry and Phyllis Woods
 

dsmrp

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Is there a price difference between Executive and Business Executive? We have been keeping the Business Executive membership even though we no longer have our business because my husband thinks it gives us more points!? I doubt it. The other thing is that we also have my son attached to our membership so that we can pay for his membership each year. Is Business Executive the only way to have extra membership so that we can pay for it?

We have 'grandfathered' business executive membership, and it allows 4 people on it without extra charge. That I know.
I think Executive allows 2, but not sure.
I think the cost for Executive vs Business Executive is the same.
 

Jan M.

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Jan: make sure you have the executive membership and the Costco Credit Card. 2% back on the executive membership. On the Costco Credit Card you get 4% back on all gas purchases (whether Costco or other gas), 3% back on restaurants and certain travel expenses, 2% back on all Costco purchases put on the credit card (this is on top of the 2% for being an executive member), and 1% on all other items put on the credit card. When you get your check at the end of the year from CITI do not use it to pay for Costco purchases (you are giving up the 2% for COSTCO purchases on the credit card). Go to the membership desk and they will either give you cash or write you a check you can deposit into your bank account. When you get your check back from Costco (separate from your CITI Check) buy a $20 item and they will give you the cash back.

Costco vodka is not Grey Goose. Grey Goose does not even distill their own vodka.

Darn, we already messed up and used the end of the year check for 2018 the wrong way. We joined in mid November so the check was only for $11 and change and we were only buying 3 things when we used it. But thanks; I just told my husband so we remember when the check comes for 2019 because it will be for a lot more.

Like I said we aren't vodka drinkers but my BIL was happy with his purchase. He either had it at someone's house or read about it online after hearing about it from other people or maybe both. At any rate they were excited to go and when they get home they can tell their friends they finally got to go to a Costco. Our son had a lot of fun ripping on us for entertaining them with a fun filled trip to exotic Costco.
 

DaveNV

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Daaaaaave, are you being an enabler too? You are so bad! Lol.

Yes we did get the executive membership and the Costco credit card too.


Jan, who, ME? An enabler? Of course I am. LOL! ;) You DO know I'm married to the Costco mob, right? :D My spouse has been a Costco career staffer since 1996. I'd have my ears handed to me in a Kirkland-branded ziplock baggie if I didn't promote Costco at every opportunity. But truth be told, I'd do it anyway. I drank the Warehouse Club concept kool-aid waaaay back in 1982, when I went so far as to misrepresent myself to the Membership Department at the old Price Club, to get myself a membership. I couldn't begin to count how many tens of thousands of dollars I've spent at Price Club, later Price-Costco, and now just Costco since then. (I was at Costco just this afternoon, looking at a cool air fryer-convection-toaster oven thing. I'm trying to figure out where to fit it - the sucker's huge!)

Congratulations on getting the Executive Membership AND the Costco-branded Visa credit card. If you're using that Visa card to buy at Costco, you're getting 2% back from Costco, and another 2% from Ciitbank. So those extra shoes your husband bought cost you 4% less. ;) It's like things are always on sale. :)

Did you buy that TV yet? You have 90 days to return it, so there's nothing to lose. <wink wink nudge nudge> LOL! :D

Dave
 
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DaveNV

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Is there a price difference between Executive and Business Executive? We have been keeping the Business Executive membership even though we no longer have our business because my husband thinks it gives us more points!? I doubt it. The other thing is that we also have my son attached to our membership so that we can pay for his membership each year. Is Business Executive the only way to have extra membership so that we can pay for it?

Costco can't convert a Business Executive account to a regular (Gold Star) Executive without losing ALL of your shopping history, which is a huge inconvenience. You can go in without your purchase receipt, and they can look it up for you. If the shopping history isn't there, they can't do that. So you may be denied a legitimate refund because they can't prove you bought the item. If you wanted to go from Business Executive to Gold Star Executive, they'd have to close the one account, and open you a brand new one.

There is no price or benefit difference between the Executive and Business Executive accounts, but there are some big differences in usage. If you have a Business Executive membership, you can expand the number of people on the account beyond the two of you, as you know. But be aware the first two names on the account are the only shoppers who earn the 2% rebate on that account. If you closed the Business Executive account and opened a regular Executive account, you'd need to use "The Gift of Membership" program to pay for your son's membership.

If you have credit cards associated with the Business Executive account, and you went to a regular Executive, the cards would likely have to be converted to a personal credit card, which could drastically reduce the credit line. And that could affect your credit score. Long story short, Costco recommends you keep the Business Executive account as long as you want to, even if you've closed your business. It isn't costing you any more, you aren't losing any benefits, and you're saving yourself and the refund cashiers a whole lot of headaches.

Dave
 

moonstone

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I wish we had a Costco here. We have a Sams Club. I heard about that Kirkland Vodka from others.

Enjoy!
If you are indeed in Pine Bush NY then you are only 1hr away from a Costco. Their warehouse locator map (which I use every time we visit a timeshare in a new location) shows one in Nanuet, NY and another in Brookfield CT.
Before the 2 Costco warehouses were build near us in Ontario we used to drive an hour once a month or two to stock up, gas up, and eat lunch at Costco. I wish Canadian Costco's had liquor, although the ones in Quebec have beer (& possibly wine?)!


~Diane
 

DaveNV

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Re: Costco Vodka: I'm being told that Costco sells two types of Kirkland-branded vodka. The "Premium" variety is the one associated with Grey Goose. The "American" vodka is not, and is not nearly as good as the Premium. If it matters to you, buy the Premium.

Dave
 

WinniWoman

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If you are indeed in Pine Bush NY then you are only 1hr away from a Costco. Their warehouse locator map (which I use every time we visit a timeshare in a new location) shows one in Nanuet, NY and another in Brookfield CT.
Before the 2 Costco warehouses were build near us in Ontario we used to drive an hour once a month or two to stock up, gas up, and eat lunch at Costco. I wish Canadian Costco's had liquor, although the ones in Quebec have beer (& possibly wine?)!


~Diane

Yes. I know. I grew up in Nanuet. and my husband works in Rockland County. It's a little over an hour. I consider it too far to shop. We have a Sam's just 20 minutes away.

You know, after commuting and driving for a living, now that I don't have to anymore, I just love shopping locally as much as possible. Loving the decrease in my gas bill and wear and tear on my car and me.
 
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Jan M.

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Just in case you did not know, the difference in price between the executive and the gold membership is $60. (gold is $60 and exec is $120). However if for any reason at the end of the year, you do not hit a refund of $60 on you executive rebate, you can go in and have them refund you the difference in price between the gold and exec instead if your refund. So basically they are going to guarantee a refund of a minimum of $60 for having the executive membership. I always exceed that so it is not an issue.
 

dougp26364

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We’re in Maui right now. The Costco run cost me $160 for the $200 Atlantis Submarine excursion. Not huge savings but $15 cheaper than anywhere else. I’m also enjoying a bottle of wine I picked up as well plus filled the tank up with gas $1/gallon cheaper than anywhere else.

We joined Costco a couple of years ago for a Hawaiian vacation specifically to save on the price of gas. We were on the big island and put significant mileage on the SUV we’d rented. The gas savings from that trip alone nearly paid for the basic portion of the membership (we signed up for the executive level).
 

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...You may or may not be wondering why my husband is the one going to Costco and doing the shopping. I try to avoid going as much as possible to avoid the temptation of buying a 75" TV. There is not a thing wrong with our 8 year old 60" but I want that bigger screen so bad...

I think DW has agreed to move our 60" to the BR (replacing a old 40").
Then, we'll have room for a new one.
.
 

pedro47

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I am one of those lovers of Costco. We liked Costco auto buying plan, their travel plan, their homeowners insurance plans, their car rental plans and their rebate plan. We are sold on Costco.

Any thing with the word Premium by Costco is just outstanding. It is a good buy. If you do not liked anything you have purchased at Costco, you can return it for a full refund. No question asked.

I just wish our local Costco was not a 25 miles drive from our home one way.
 
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We've been members so long that occasionally "I'm heading to Price Club" pops out of my mouth.

Another advantage to their branded cc: it adds a year warranty to anything you buy with it. I used it for purchasing kitchen appliances last year the local appliance store.
 

pedro47

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Wow, I can remember when it was called Price Club, that was many, many years ago or maybe decades ago.

Plus, I liked Costco because it treats their employees well. IMO.
 
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