Costco and Prime Beef

[Jenise]

So on Saturday I asked the butcher at Costco when we were going to get prime beef in Bellingham. And he didn't use the word "never", but basically that's what he said. It only goes to the high volume stores, and we're not one. The closest is Everett. However, he HAD cut up a rib eye about an hour earlier that would have been prime gradeable. I got all ten. I feel like a hoarder.

Apparently the customer base plays a role in this also as my neighborhood Costco carries choice (as do many here in Phoenix) but a store about 12 miles up the road has prime and often cuts rib-eye steaks 2-3 inches thick. My cardiologist seems to think that's a bad thing!

True with cheese, too, I've come to think. The Costco near home has the worst cheese selection while the one near work is so much better!

[Jenise]

True with cheese, too, I've come to think. The Costco near home has the worst cheese selection while the one near work is so much better!

While in line on Saturday, I chatted with the woman behind me. She's Canadian and comes to our Costco for certain things she can't get at home. She waxed poetic about our options--so in return, I had to tell her how much I can get at the Vancouver Costco that I can't get here. Lots of cool cheeses, and frozen food for adults (in my reduced circumstances the past eight months, I've needed to take advantage of a few things). Here, the frozen section is mainly kiddie junk food.

Hi Jenise and others
Is Costco a good thing? They are about to open their first Australian store next week here in Melbourne. I am not sure I want to pay $60 before I can even walk in the door and see what they have. ! I know they say they happily refund membership but we all know how long refunds can take and the hoops one may have to jump through.
The membership grocery store is a rare beast downunder so it will be interesting to see how they go.
thanks
Barb

Costco will give you a free day pass to check them out prior to joining or at least they do that at the Maryland Costco stores.

Drew

I am not sure I want to pay $60 before I can even walk in the door and see what they have.

Barb - we make up the cost of membership on milk alone, especially when both my boys are home.

I find it interesting that you chose milk for your example. Milk always seems cheap to me (to get people in the store?). We pay $2.99 a gallon (almost anywhere in MA). How much is a gallon of milk at COSTCO in Maryland?

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5075176

Costco is great if you have a family and can buy in bulk. Costco does have quality products and a good return policy. People in Redding used to travel three hours once a month to go to Costco in Sacramento. Our Costco is always busy, but they get you through quickly. Lately, when we go there, someone comes along with a hand-held scanner and scans all our items right in the basket. When we get to the check stand, it is fast and we are out of there in no time. Many people like that you can order lunch/dinner from their food counter and it is ready for you by the time you check out. They have a nice size seating area, as well. Since we are a family of two now, our purchases are limited to paper products, meats, frozen bags of cooked and raw shrimp, checken breasts and tilapia which are individually packaged and very good. Their fresh flowers are always a good buy, we always browse the different departments and always come out with something extra. If you are unsure, go with someone who has a membership or get a day pass and browse all by yourself. Another thing I like is that on our hot summer mornings they always open their doors about ten minutes early, so the long lines can come into a cool building. We always enjoy going to Costco, and I know one family that buys all their furniture, carpet, food, clothing, etc, there. I think they have a reward system, but since we visit there about four times a year, I do not know how it works.

I find it interesting that you chose milk for your example. Milk always seems cheap to me (to get people in the store?). We pay $2.99 a gallon (almost anywhere in MA). How much is a gallon of milk at COSTCO in Maryland?

It's usually in the 3/$5 range here. We're only two and we don't buy enough to make a Costco membership worthwhile, so we just borrow someone else's card for the rare occasion we go there. I can frequently find sales that beat Costco's prices anyway.

Sorry they don't have the prime, Jenise. I try to buy all our meat from the grass-fed folks at the local farmer's market, but gladly make an exception for those $8/lb. prime ribeyes.

Barb, even as a family of two, we find Costco worthwhile. The return policy alone makes it worth it to buy there. We purchased a mattress, and my wife couldn't sleep on it. We got a full refund.

In general, the prices range from slightly below Wal-Mart to well below. On items where the supermarkets run big sales, they're not as cheap, but you can buy with confidence that you're getting a good price.

Walt

I find it interesting that you chose milk for your example. Milk always seems cheap to me (to get people in the store?). We pay $2.99 a gallon (almost anywhere in MA). How much is a gallon of milk at COSTCO in Maryland?

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5075176

No hormone milk at the most expensive supermarket here in Oregon is $2.00 per gallon on a regular basis. Raw milk is around $6.00

Thanks everyone. I've emailed them to see if I can get a day pass as suggested or if they have an alternative system.
Larry, the membership cards here will have photo ID so we cannot borrow a card.
sounds like it will be worth investigating, and maybe worth at least trying a years membership and see how that goes.
again many thanks to all.
B

Try disguises.

[Jenise]

Thanks everyone. I've emailed them to see if I can get a day pass as suggested or if they have an alternative system.
Larry, the membership cards here will have photo ID so we cannot borrow a card.
sounds like it will be worth investigating, and maybe worth at least trying a years membership and see how that goes.
again many thanks to all.
B

Barb, you might also peruse costco.com, the website, to look at the range of merchandise Costco sells. Like Karen, I sometimes find the quantities unwieldy for two, but we do buy certain basics there like toilet paper and paper towels which are about half the cost of same at a regular grocery.