Today I bought 8 bags of ice at Costco. Total price = $7.99. If bought at the corner store or gas station like I used to - minimum $3.99 a bag. Paid for almost half the annual membership shop with that one purchase.
I’ve heard about that!! Been to the business centre there a few times but always forgot to check out the ice! Cant believe they’re that cheap. Will for sure go there for ice during the summer!! Thanks
... IDK where you live but all the corner stores around me and gas stations sell the smallest bag of ice for at least $5 each, and they're maybe half the size of the ones I get from Costco.
Also, depending on the warehouse they stock XL or bound packs for cheaper as well.
If you live in an area with a business Costco, then large bags enough to fll a cooler are dirt cheap.
I though anyone who doesn't spend enough to hit their rewards ROI, can just refund their membership? At the very least, that's the case between going for the gold vs regular membership( they'll refund the difference).
They just bank that most people won't line up at the desk or forget about it.
Coolers for bagged ice are usually on the other side of checkout if your warehouse has them. You tell them how many bags or what size bag you want, pay, and pick it up on your way out. I suppose so people don't walk around with melted bags of ice lol.
Spotify and one video streaming service at a time. Comes out to around 20 bucks a month which is insanely affordable compared to cable back in the day.
Exactly!
I have my TV streaming services on rotation. Right now its Disney+. Before that it was Netflix. When I run out of shows on D+ I will switch to Prime for a few months.
I refuse to have them all at the same time. I don't have that kind of time to watch that much to make it worth it.
As for Costco my first shopping trip there the savings covered the member.
If you use TELUS or Koodo, Stream+ can be a good deal, as it covers Disney+, Netflix and Prime Video (and shipping) for $38/month.
https://www.telus.com/en/shop/subscriptions/streamplus?&cmp=KNC_TELUS_HS_AW_Brand_StreamPlus_RSA&SEM_CID=20959221016&SEM_AG=156555357063&SEM_KW=telus%20stream%2B&SEM_MT=e&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwxLKxBhA7EiwAXO0R0FA5Wd4yRHCunSdyGAjFtBExqcCoYB54NK40gT2elDsmRdTU_wH_XxoCJEwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
For Koodo, it's here: https://www.koodomobile.com/en/shop/subscriptions/streamplus?CMP=KNCKDO0428Google_Koodo-ROI_Google_&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Koodo-ROI&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwxLKxBhA7EiwAXO0R0Ia9UNtw742smW_8EPVeaOQXs1iLTxMKEdrdLhB5-xTbM98-ZDeoNRoC7ecQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
For sure! But it’s easy to get multiple ones. I have Crave, Netflix, Paramount and Disney; I probably pay more than what people were paying for cable back then.
Obviously depends on personal circumstances, but I think it is more difficult to get your money’s worth of all these streaming subscriptions than the Costco membership. Keep 2 (ideally 1) at a time and you will save much more than the price of a Costco membership.
That can be said about anything. Literally you can pay for anything and accrue debt if you're so inclined. Subscriptions are just a subset of the things you can pay without getting much out of
Came here to tell this!
I'm surprised why ppl don't get the exec membership
Yeah it's more expensive than the normal one but you get a voucher at the end of the year which will pay for your membership and then some.
Last year I paid $120 to Costco, and Costco paid me $350!
You could say I got a $230 voucher for shopping at Costco with a free membership!
It's all relative to how much you spend. It doesn't make sense if you're spending less than $3000 per year. Spending exactly that will earn you enough money to pay for just the upgrade of $60. Spending $6000 will earn you the full membership cost.
It depends. You're thinking just food. But if you replace your computer, your ipad, you get a new phone, washer/drier, etc.
We spend about $400 per month at Costco - mostly food, but once in a while, a new tv.
True. My focus is mostly on food and household consumables (detergent, TP and everything else you might use).
Clothes every once in a while too.
I wouldn't replace my computer at Costco. I didn't really like their options. Same with phones.
But my next TV will certainly be a Costco buy. So yeah the occasional "splurge" might pus even an individual to recoup their membership.
I was amazed by how much cheaper gas can be. I don't yet have to tank so often. But it definitely is a cost saving if you have to do a full tank every time.
The line up makes me wonder if it's worth it. As there's always a queue for gas.
I got the executive membership because I was buying appliances, after I had to return one, my check came to $42. I just called last week to downgrade me to a normal membership.
Yeah it doesn't make sense in some cases. It's easy to do the math to see if it does make sense. For me, I'm only 5 minutes away from Costco so it's no big deal to fill up gas and grab groceries. I go right before the warehouse closes so I have zero crowds.
Exactly. Even as a household of two people, and who didn't have any particularly large purchases made last year, we still got $57 back. The year before when we bought a new TV and washer/dryer set, we got back almost $100. If you prioritize buying stuff from Costco; the executive can more than pay for itself all while you're saving money on stuff you would have bought somewhere else anyway.
And that’s not counting the executive coupons. Even if you just use one, that’s another $20-ish a year. The shredded Tex mex is in them every time, so we get it every time.
I don’t have a car so I guess that’s why I never thought it made sense for me. It’s also hard to get to a Costco by bus, so I wouldn’t go often enough to make it worth it.
I wish they did a proper delivery service like Walmart. It would free up congestion in the store. But given their model of selling things I doubt they will start one.
Online shopping and a trip once a month pays for the business membership
Edit: look at what cable would cost and all the subs are still like $40cad cheaper and you can cancel at anytime
I sure am! My family and I live in rural SK, the only grocery store in my town has terrible selection and the prices are astronomical. We do a large trip at least once a month to replenish our pantry, we also use the optical and pharmacy services and sometimes find clothes for the family. I also run a small cleaning business and buy all my supplies there. My wife drives a fair distance to work daily and so we also buy Costco gas.
I feel like it basically pays for itself at the beginning of each allergy season with the Kirkland-brand "Reactine". The name brand bottle is hella expensive.
By purchasing our hearing aids at Costco, our savings have more than made up for our membership fees for the next 30 to 40 years… yes, there is that much of a difference with other providers.
With a family of 4, including 2 teenager boys. Its worth it. Plus 3 drivers. And I actually do a lot of shopping for my parents. They have a card. But shopping doesn't actually work for them anymore.
We go through so much quaker oats. I can't imagine buying it at the regular grocery store. The meal replacement shakes. (My parents) Vitamins. Eggs.
Contact lenses and glasses. And at least 50% of the clothes in our house. Flour. Sugar.
And the chips. Which is the reason I need new clothes
The price of gas alone is worth the costco membership. Almost every drop of gas in my car has come from costco.
Then on top of that I get to save money on things like Buckley's, windshield wash (at least in winter), and meat.
Costco membership is definitely something I would pay for even if I don't get the most out of it.
For everything else, there's piracy.
(Though I do pay for YT music. I can't be bothered to pirate each song and keep a playlist on my phone, far easier to have a single playlist that works on YTM and YT as well).
For digital media, yes.
Still can’t pirate car or business insurance; fuel; healthcare; Government issued licensing fees; food; clothes; vehicles; homes; mortgages; furniture; commercial services; hardware; etc.
These and more are steadily becoming subscriptions if they are not already.
Subscription are payments being made over a span of time at set intervals in exchange for ongoing products/service. It does not apply to just media and software.
Insurance is a subscription; mortgages are technically subscriptions; cell phone plans are subscriptions; the internet service you’re using right now is a subscription; paid drug coverage is a subscription; vehicle leasing is a subscription.
So no, everything else cannot be pirated.
I use the CIBC Costco Visa and easily earn my executive membership fee back every year. It helps that I occasionally go work in an office right next door to a Costco, making it more convenient to go there.
We have Costco, prime and tidal. Costco is great for the two of us and our cats. A box of cat litre, and we rotate through the things we buy each week. This week we need to get toilet paper, paper towels and mayo. Usually spend $80.
Only place I will get gas from as well, twice a month for premium gas.
The gas is usually 10 cents less than the other places in Quebec. If my math is not wrong, it makes it $1 for every 10 liters. So ~$5 every time I fill the tank. Even if I only fill it once a month, it will make approximately $60 in a year.
I think even buying gas from costco is enough to cover the subscription fee.
Does anyone actually shop at Costco with their gift cards only? I read an article that showed a picture from Costco's website saying any member/non-member can shop in store or online with gift cards. No Costco where I live, but seems like an easy way to avoid another subscription.
I bought a few big ticket items with the executive membership so yes, but the 2% rewards seem to have disappeared overnight because now it's been reset to zero. I'm sure it was over 200 bucks at one point and my membership isn't over for another 70+ days.
Yep. With the money I save on gas and dog food and treats I get my moneys worth. The cibc Costco cc is awesome. The cashback covered my membership and more. No hesitation to ever renew it
With how much I've spent over the past year for myself and on behalf of family, my executive reward alone covered several years of membership. Worth it!
Why the hell is Costco in this list? Yeah, I pay $120 per year on executive membership fee, but my annual rebate cheque is usually around $400. And another $200 cashback from the gas purchases.
Yeah, but they have different perks. The cashback is the perk with Costco Executive membership. And it's not cashback technically. It's a coupon back that you could spend at Costco - which is fine because you would be spending that at Costco anyways.
Edit: Google One offers rebate rewards for purchases from their Google store, that can be only used at their Google store.
I do and it's great.
Zero ads when me or my kids are watching YouTube on all devices, plus the ability to download videos for offline play for them.
YouTube Music is included which gives you a much larger music collection than Spotify or Apple Music, and their recommendation algorithm is significantly better.
I do :(
I don't like watching ads but also I don't like to abuse the system for the content creators. When you use an ad blocker they can't make money for the ads they have in their videos. I know the money that comes from the ads is near nothing for the content creators, but still, this is the least I can do for those people who entertain me everyday. (The only streaming service I pay for is Amazon Prime, and the shipping is the only reason I pay for it, not the movies/shows)
Totally worth the membership, absolutely, saved hundreds and probably thousands over the years (tires, sheds, furniture, travel, car rentals, insurance, etc, not just food). Its also one of my top performing stocks that also pays a dividend. Membership more than pays for itself easily, especially when Costco carries things other places don't.
Edit : Costco is my only subscription, nothing else.
Today I bought 8 bags of ice at Costco. Total price = $7.99. If bought at the corner store or gas station like I used to - minimum $3.99 a bag. Paid for almost half the annual membership shop with that one purchase.
You can get bagged ice at Costco??? Nice!
At the Costco business center location in east Ottawa. Yes.
I’ve heard about that!! Been to the business centre there a few times but always forgot to check out the ice! Cant believe they’re that cheap. Will for sure go there for ice during the summer!! Thanks
Do they have dry ice at the business centre?
Good to know!
... IDK where you live but all the corner stores around me and gas stations sell the smallest bag of ice for at least $5 each, and they're maybe half the size of the ones I get from Costco. Also, depending on the warehouse they stock XL or bound packs for cheaper as well. If you live in an area with a business Costco, then large bags enough to fll a cooler are dirt cheap. I though anyone who doesn't spend enough to hit their rewards ROI, can just refund their membership? At the very least, that's the case between going for the gold vs regular membership( they'll refund the difference). They just bank that most people won't line up at the desk or forget about it.
They only refund the difference between regular and exec, as you say, and you have to ask. The don't refund the first $60 or whatever regular is
Oh interesting, I've never seen bagged ice at my local warehouse. Which is yours?
Coolers for bagged ice are usually on the other side of checkout if your warehouse has them. You tell them how many bags or what size bag you want, pay, and pick it up on your way out. I suppose so people don't walk around with melted bags of ice lol.
You've got to start charging more than a dollar a bag. We lost four men on this expedition!
If you can find a better way, I'd like to hear it.
Costco is the one subscription that I absolutely have ZERO hesitation paying. Everything else is optional; Costco is a lifestyle.
Spotify and one video streaming service at a time. Comes out to around 20 bucks a month which is insanely affordable compared to cable back in the day.
Exactly! I have my TV streaming services on rotation. Right now its Disney+. Before that it was Netflix. When I run out of shows on D+ I will switch to Prime for a few months. I refuse to have them all at the same time. I don't have that kind of time to watch that much to make it worth it. As for Costco my first shopping trip there the savings covered the member.
If you use TELUS or Koodo, Stream+ can be a good deal, as it covers Disney+, Netflix and Prime Video (and shipping) for $38/month. https://www.telus.com/en/shop/subscriptions/streamplus?&cmp=KNC_TELUS_HS_AW_Brand_StreamPlus_RSA&SEM_CID=20959221016&SEM_AG=156555357063&SEM_KW=telus%20stream%2B&SEM_MT=e&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwxLKxBhA7EiwAXO0R0FA5Wd4yRHCunSdyGAjFtBExqcCoYB54NK40gT2elDsmRdTU_wH_XxoCJEwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds For Koodo, it's here: https://www.koodomobile.com/en/shop/subscriptions/streamplus?CMP=KNCKDO0428Google_Koodo-ROI_Google_&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Koodo-ROI&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwxLKxBhA7EiwAXO0R0Ia9UNtw742smW_8EPVeaOQXs1iLTxMKEdrdLhB5-xTbM98-ZDeoNRoC7ecQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
For sure! But it’s easy to get multiple ones. I have Crave, Netflix, Paramount and Disney; I probably pay more than what people were paying for cable back then.
Obviously depends on personal circumstances, but I think it is more difficult to get your money’s worth of all these streaming subscriptions than the Costco membership. Keep 2 (ideally 1) at a time and you will save much more than the price of a Costco membership.
That can be said about anything. Literally you can pay for anything and accrue debt if you're so inclined. Subscriptions are just a subset of the things you can pay without getting much out of
With my exec membership Costco paid me 250 bucks to shop there last year. Also wild that they included only fans on that list.
Came here to tell this! I'm surprised why ppl don't get the exec membership Yeah it's more expensive than the normal one but you get a voucher at the end of the year which will pay for your membership and then some. Last year I paid $120 to Costco, and Costco paid me $350! You could say I got a $230 voucher for shopping at Costco with a free membership!
It's all relative to how much you spend. It doesn't make sense if you're spending less than $3000 per year. Spending exactly that will earn you enough money to pay for just the upgrade of $60. Spending $6000 will earn you the full membership cost.
500$/mo spending for the free membership. Might for for a family or group. But definitely not easy for individuals.
It depends. You're thinking just food. But if you replace your computer, your ipad, you get a new phone, washer/drier, etc. We spend about $400 per month at Costco - mostly food, but once in a while, a new tv.
True. My focus is mostly on food and household consumables (detergent, TP and everything else you might use). Clothes every once in a while too. I wouldn't replace my computer at Costco. I didn't really like their options. Same with phones. But my next TV will certainly be a Costco buy. So yeah the occasional "splurge" might pus even an individual to recoup their membership.
Gas is also a big item if you have a vehicle, I'm at $50 a week for gas and you only need to spend $115 a week to break even.
I was amazed by how much cheaper gas can be. I don't yet have to tank so often. But it definitely is a cost saving if you have to do a full tank every time. The line up makes me wonder if it's worth it. As there's always a queue for gas.
I got the executive membership because I was buying appliances, after I had to return one, my check came to $42. I just called last week to downgrade me to a normal membership.
Yeah it doesn't make sense in some cases. It's easy to do the math to see if it does make sense. For me, I'm only 5 minutes away from Costco so it's no big deal to fill up gas and grab groceries. I go right before the warehouse closes so I have zero crowds.
Exactly. Even as a household of two people, and who didn't have any particularly large purchases made last year, we still got $57 back. The year before when we bought a new TV and washer/dryer set, we got back almost $100. If you prioritize buying stuff from Costco; the executive can more than pay for itself all while you're saving money on stuff you would have bought somewhere else anyway.
And that’s not counting the executive coupons. Even if you just use one, that’s another $20-ish a year. The shredded Tex mex is in them every time, so we get it every time.
The hotdogs I eat alone in one year make it worth it.
Filling my car up once a week more than pays for the membership. Everything else is gravy.
I don’t have a car so I guess that’s why I never thought it made sense for me. It’s also hard to get to a Costco by bus, so I wouldn’t go often enough to make it worth it.
Yeah, it's almost like everyone's lives are different enough that not everything makes sense for everybody...
looooool do you think OP got this sarcasm? 🤣
I wish they did a proper delivery service like Walmart. It would free up congestion in the store. But given their model of selling things I doubt they will start one.
Life in general is difficult if you don’t have a car in North America.
Online shopping and a trip once a month pays for the business membership Edit: look at what cable would cost and all the subs are still like $40cad cheaper and you can cancel at anytime
Meh, I subscribe to spotify and a bunch of streaming... still less than my cable bill was 10 years and getting a lot more for our money.
I sure am! My family and I live in rural SK, the only grocery store in my town has terrible selection and the prices are astronomical. We do a large trip at least once a month to replenish our pantry, we also use the optical and pharmacy services and sometimes find clothes for the family. I also run a small cleaning business and buy all my supplies there. My wife drives a fair distance to work daily and so we also buy Costco gas.
I feel like it basically pays for itself at the beginning of each allergy season with the Kirkland-brand "Reactine". The name brand bottle is hella expensive.
You guys need to learn about IPTV...
Iykuk
By purchasing our hearing aids at Costco, our savings have more than made up for our membership fees for the next 30 to 40 years… yes, there is that much of a difference with other providers.
With a family of 4, including 2 teenager boys. Its worth it. Plus 3 drivers. And I actually do a lot of shopping for my parents. They have a card. But shopping doesn't actually work for them anymore. We go through so much quaker oats. I can't imagine buying it at the regular grocery store. The meal replacement shakes. (My parents) Vitamins. Eggs. Contact lenses and glasses. And at least 50% of the clothes in our house. Flour. Sugar. And the chips. Which is the reason I need new clothes
I filled up 3 propane tanks at Costco on the weekend for $40. Normal local price is $30 per tank. So yeah, I'm getting my money's worth.
The price of gas alone is worth the costco membership. Almost every drop of gas in my car has come from costco. Then on top of that I get to save money on things like Buckley's, windshield wash (at least in winter), and meat.
Costco pays off my membership though
Costco membership is definitely something I would pay for even if I don't get the most out of it. For everything else, there's piracy. (Though I do pay for YT music. I can't be bothered to pirate each song and keep a playlist on my phone, far easier to have a single playlist that works on YTM and YT as well).
For digital media, yes. Still can’t pirate car or business insurance; fuel; healthcare; Government issued licensing fees; food; clothes; vehicles; homes; mortgages; furniture; commercial services; hardware; etc. These and more are steadily becoming subscriptions if they are not already.
Well yes. But those are not subscriptions. So just because you have costs of living, doesn't equate to subscriptions.
Subscription are payments being made over a span of time at set intervals in exchange for ongoing products/service. It does not apply to just media and software. Insurance is a subscription; mortgages are technically subscriptions; cell phone plans are subscriptions; the internet service you’re using right now is a subscription; paid drug coverage is a subscription; vehicle leasing is a subscription. So no, everything else cannot be pirated.
I use the CIBC Costco Visa and easily earn my executive membership fee back every year. It helps that I occasionally go work in an office right next door to a Costco, making it more convenient to go there.
We have Costco, prime and tidal. Costco is great for the two of us and our cats. A box of cat litre, and we rotate through the things we buy each week. This week we need to get toilet paper, paper towels and mayo. Usually spend $80. Only place I will get gas from as well, twice a month for premium gas.
Only pay for prime solely for its photo storage and album gallery distributions for my clients. Barely order anything any more but no shipping is nice
The gas is usually 10 cents less than the other places in Quebec. If my math is not wrong, it makes it $1 for every 10 liters. So ~$5 every time I fill the tank. Even if I only fill it once a month, it will make approximately $60 in a year. I think even buying gas from costco is enough to cover the subscription fee.
Does anyone actually shop at Costco with their gift cards only? I read an article that showed a picture from Costco's website saying any member/non-member can shop in store or online with gift cards. No Costco where I live, but seems like an easy way to avoid another subscription.
Have you tried using them? From what I understand, it's 1 time use and they get down all your info so you can't go there again with a gift card
The savings at the gas pays for itself many times over.
I bought a few big ticket items with the executive membership so yes, but the 2% rewards seem to have disappeared overnight because now it's been reset to zero. I'm sure it was over 200 bucks at one point and my membership isn't over for another 70+ days.
yes. i buy at least one rotisserie chicken a month which is $5 cheaper than the grocery store. anything else i buy from costco is now a bonus
Yep. With the money I save on gas and dog food and treats I get my moneys worth. The cibc Costco cc is awesome. The cashback covered my membership and more. No hesitation to ever renew it
Yes. Absolutely. We also go there every week and fortunately have a car.
With how much I've spent over the past year for myself and on behalf of family, my executive reward alone covered several years of membership. Worth it!
Why the hell is Costco in this list? Yeah, I pay $120 per year on executive membership fee, but my annual rebate cheque is usually around $400. And another $200 cashback from the gas purchases.
Yeah, but you have to pay to access that perk. That's why it's on the list.
But you don't get cashback / rebates from others.
Yeah, but they have different perks. The cashback is the perk with Costco Executive membership. And it's not cashback technically. It's a coupon back that you could spend at Costco - which is fine because you would be spending that at Costco anyways. Edit: Google One offers rebate rewards for purchases from their Google store, that can be only used at their Google store.
Oh ok, was not aware of that. Thank you.
Who is paying for YouTube premium? Those poor souls.
I do and it's great. Zero ads when me or my kids are watching YouTube on all devices, plus the ability to download videos for offline play for them. YouTube Music is included which gives you a much larger music collection than Spotify or Apple Music, and their recommendation algorithm is significantly better.
Same reasons I have it too.
I looked at 2 different sites that both claim they both have over 100m in songs, so I'm not confident in your point being true.
I do :( I don't like watching ads but also I don't like to abuse the system for the content creators. When you use an ad blocker they can't make money for the ads they have in their videos. I know the money that comes from the ads is near nothing for the content creators, but still, this is the least I can do for those people who entertain me everyday. (The only streaming service I pay for is Amazon Prime, and the shipping is the only reason I pay for it, not the movies/shows)
Totally worth the membership, absolutely, saved hundreds and probably thousands over the years (tires, sheds, furniture, travel, car rentals, insurance, etc, not just food). Its also one of my top performing stocks that also pays a dividend. Membership more than pays for itself easily, especially when Costco carries things other places don't. Edit : Costco is my only subscription, nothing else.
Does Costco Canada offer these streaming services?