If my Costco obsession isn’t obvious yet, give it time. I’ve had a BJ’s Wholesale membership my whole adult life and had no interest in Costco. I didn’t like that there’s only one Costco location in Rochester, unlike the multiple BJs locations. But the Groupon for half off of a Costco membership was more than I could resist. Friends raved about it so I thought, I’ll go see what the fuss is all about.

I did too much research before I even stepped foot on their property. I discovered that price wise, they were about equal. With my top 10 purchases, I would be saving some money at Costco vs BJs. And gas is consistently less expensive at Costco. But enough to make a membership worth it? I would have to visit in person.

I fell in love.

I pulled in to find double lined large parking spots. It was hard to keep an open mind after that. Everyone was so friendly like they were genuinely happy that I was in their store shopping. BJs does samples occasionally, just enough to taste. Costco had samples everywhere. At the ends of the aisles, everywhere you turn, and they were enough for a couple bites. The samples could easily be lunch for the day. Not your thing? Get a large pizza loaded with toppings for $9.95 or a hotdog and refillable drink for $1.50. They have two employees at every check out, one scanning and one unloading and reloading carts. The lines moved quickly. They swept me off my feet and I joined.

The basic year long Costco membership is $60, and worth every penny. For $120, that year long membership will earn you 2% cash back on all your purchases. With the amount I spend there, it was worth the upgrade. They also offer a credit card that gives an additional 2% cash back on all Costco purchases, 3% cash back on restaurant and travel purchases, 4% cash back on all gas purchases, and 1% cash back on everything else.

For the first few months, I would use Costco and BJs, buying some things at one and some things at the other. But the kids loved Costco, they were asking to stop there more than weekly and we eventually stopped going to BJs at all. The kids loved it so much that we started doing birthdays there, by their choice. The employees know us. It’s home away from home. The novelty hasn’t worn off. We took a road trip around Ohio, Michigan, and Chicago last summer and stopped at multiple Costco stores along the way. We did the same thing on another road trip last summer to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. We’re hooked.

There are so many other Costco benefits, I won’t bore you with them all, but I will say their travel services are another favorite of mine. I mentioned here before, but our cruise cost almost $1,000 less through Costco than going through AAA or a travel agent. Can’t beat that!

Hit follow to get e-mail notification of new posts, leave a comment, ask a question, and come back soon!

*pic- me and the kids, Dec 2017, taken by a photography student, Molly, who followed us to document our story for a school project