Back in the (Warehouse) Club

A good while back, I talked about my affinity for warehouse clubs, and Costco in particular. But after the Mrs. left her previous job her Costco membership, which she'd gotten through the employer, lapsed.

For a while we were clubless. It didn't matter much at first, but as time went by I started to miss things like the two-pound blocks of Cabot aged cheddar (called "special reserve" or some such nonsense), the razor blade cartridges in packs of 12 or 16 that would last me a year, the five tubes of toothpaste for $9, and other such things.

I looked into my benefits at work and found that I could get a membership to BJ's Wholesale Club at a discount, so I signed up. One nice thing about BJ's is that there is one within walking distance of our house, though depending on how much I buy, carrying home a bunch of club-sized mega-packages on foot isn't necessarily the most convenient approach. If I walk there I just have to be mindful of how much I can carry, and for bigger loads we can plan ahead and take the car.

After two visits I'm giving them a mixed report card. BJ's does carry things that Costco did not, like the brands of toothpaste and certain other household items we use, and they have a very nice in-house bakery department (Costco had some baked goods, but it seems like BJ's has more). But I am starting to feel that the membership might not be as worthwhile as I once thought it was.

Razor blades are definitely a good deal (the only place you'll find them priced as low is on eBay, and who knows if those are real or not) but with each package of 12 blade cartridges you get a new razor handle, which is silly and wasteful. A three-pack of anti-perspirant was $10, but I recently got it on sale at CVS at two for $7, which is basically the same deal give or take a few cents, and even that is only slightly less than what I normally pay at Target, so not really that impressive.

I think bigger-ticket items like TVs and outdoor furniture can be better deals, and certainly if you have a large family you can save on food at a warehouse club. Sometimes it's just handy to be able to get a large quantity of something all at once so you don't have to buy it as often, provided you are able to store it. But I think the idea of the warehouse club is more enticing than the reality of the place. It seems like I go there with visions of deals that never materialize, and you also have to factor in the cost of the membership, which is a better deal if you shop there frequently, not such a good deal if you don't.

Since I paid for my membership and it's valid for more than a year, I will continue to make use of it, if only for the three-pound tubs of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies. But when it expires, I don't think I will renew it.