Why I Don't Stock Up on Ground Beef - or Why I Love BJs and Costco

In general - if you use coupons and watch sales, you can do better at a grocery store than any warehouse.  For example - if you use buy diaper packs on sale (generally $8.99 is the sale price) and use a coupon for each package, your price per diaper is far less than the giant packs at Costco or BJ's.

But here are my top reasons to buy a membership!

1. Milk.  You can generally save about $1 a gallon at a warehouse.  And Costco has these cool square milk bottles that take up less space in the fridge.  Love that
2. Meat - Some things (like chicken breast) can be beat during a rock bottom sale at a grocery sale - but we use a lot of 93% Ground Beef - which runs about $4-5 a pound.  The lowest I've seen it at a grocery store lately is $3.50 - but it's $3.19 a pound at BJs.  So why stock up when I can get it fresh?
3. Gas - 10 to 20 cents off the local price per gallon every day
4. Magazines - Generally, 20% off of the retail value
5. Greeting Cards - BJs has an awesome Hallmark section - with 50% off of the retail price.  I hate spending money on Greeting Cards
6. Clothes - Polo jeans for $20 anyone?
7. Baby wipes - so the price is okay but the Kirland brand baby wipes can't be beat
8. Cakes!  My youngest son had a Cars birthday cake for his most recent birthday.  I got a 1/4 sheet cake, which would have run me $25 to 30 at a grocery store.  I got the same cake - with a better taste - for $15 at BJs.  Costco also has amazing cakes - but they don't do characters.
9. Deli Meat - My BJs has a deli counter with Dietz and Watson - that runs about $3 less per pound than the grocery store

What I dont buy at warehouses:

• Diapers (when I can avoid it)
• Laundry Detergent (I have a stockpile of laundry detergent - 30-40 loads each- that I paid $1 for.  Far better than the $12 for 100 loads price you see at warehouses)
• Most packaged foods - sure it ends up being $1 a box - but why spend $1 when you can get it free?
• Yogurt - I need flavor variety!