Here are five reasons I think every nurse should be an executive member and regular shopper there.
High Quality Foods at Reasonable Prices:
I love Costco’s selection of organic produce, meats, poultry, cheeses and more. If you prefer organic and high-quality foods, then you’ll save big. When I lived on Kauai from 2004-2010 my grocery bill was insane. Food was quite expensive and organic or gourmet foods were cost prohibitive for a nursing school student. My wife and I used to drive an hour to a smaller Costco style warehouse in Kapaa to get decent deals on meats and cheese. At our local supermarket a Tillamook medium cheddar block was over $20 dollars back in 2005! When Costco opened on Kauai it had a massive grand opening. It really upgraded my quality of life. My wife and I got very good at buying in bulk even just for two to eat better, pay less, and not waste food. Many products had the same or similar prices as the mainland. I remember massive wine and cheese parties after it opened with fellow nurses. The cost was 50% less with more gourmet choices than we had had before. Even their beer and wine selection is impressive.
Even though I’m back in Oregon I’m still a regular shopper. Getting high quality foods at reasonable prices can help nurses after tax pay go a lot further.
After a busy shift I’ll frequently have an excuse to go shopping and get a salad kit, $5 Rotisserie Chicken, Bread and Brie for a delicious, cheap dinner. It feeds my family of four for like $20 with plenty of leftovers, in yes 2024 dollars.
Good Deals on Durable Products and Electronics
They often have seasonal deals on all kinds of products that can make life’s experiences better. I buy most of my electronics from Costco. Plenty of clothes. Patio furniture. Impressive pet food selection and basic necessities. Sporting goods and more. My yellow Body Glove paddleboard package is still going strong ten years later. I often see good deals on e-bikes, grills and more. If you have kids you’ll save a bundle from diapers to toys. You can even buy a car from them (I prefer to buy used). They have a generous return policy and sometimes extended warranties without additional cost. You won’t be able to abuse the return policy, but on expensive buys that should have lasted well over a year, I’ve been able to get a refund or exchange if they didn’t. I know plenty of nurses who have enjoyed the same experience.
One of the Best Rewards Credit Cards
I pretty much use my Costco Credit Card everywhere. I often get over $1000 per year in rewards benefits and combine it with the executive membership (another 2% cashback in addition to credit card). The cash back reward usually pays back the executive member fee 3x over. With great cash back deals on gas, travelling restaurants and 2% shopping at Costco, It’s a great primary card to automate everything to. Its web experience is one of the best and easiest to manage I’ve ever had.
Often the cheapest Gas (& Lunch)
When traveling I often make Costco a pitstop even if it’s a little out of the way. Their gas prices are usually the best deal around and you get 6% cash back if you use their credit card and are an executive member. Grabbing a tasty $3 blended coffee, $2 giant pizza slice, or $1.50 Giant Hot Dog and Soda is hard to beat. I wouldn’t make a habit of it for health reasons…They also have decent deals on turkey sandwiches and Caesar salads.
It’s a Different, but Enjoyable Shopping Experience
The warehouses have funny hours. The stores are huge with massive carts and flatbeds, but the aisles are still wide enough for three giant carts. I’m an expert at weaving around and navigating the store even if some people are managing to take up twice their space! Giant orange shelves stack crates and pallets 20- 30 feet in the air. Many product displays are simply giant piles of products in boxes or stacked on each other. They actually have enough checkers for you to somehow get out of there in a reasonable time even if its nuts. Even though there are bulk foods and good baseline deals on products, they have monthly rotating sales and specials meaning you can get lucrative deals and even stock up if you have an extra freezer or storage space.
I’m not a paid influencer for Costco, I’m just a fan and recognize it’s a company that actually has added a fair amount of value to my consumer life. I think every nurse can benefit from being a member, especially if they have kids. My most memorable Costco experience was in Reykjavík, Iceland. We rented a campervan with our two-year-old daughter to adventure for a week and were shocked the food was even pricier than Hawaii!
We had seen a Costco on our way from the airport to the city. We made it our first stop after renting the van, but didn’t realize it was their opening day! We found ourselves in a line 100+ people long not realizing the Icelandic sign “Meant New Membership.” Luckily, we figure it out before just leaving. Once inside we found ourselves shoulder to shoulder with Icelanders and shuffling inches at a time in the slowest flow I’ve ever seen. If it weren’t for the unique Icelandic offerings mixed with typical products, I think we would have aborted. I finally just had my wife and kid wait with the cart parked next to a pile of empty boxes for some kind fruit that must have been an unheard-of deal. Then cart-free and solo, I weaved and slid through the crowd, grabbing what we needed one to two things at a time and returning them to the cart. Then we got the heck out of there. Search and Rescue volunteers guided us out of the parking lot. Thankfully that was a one-off experience! Its usually a pretty quick in and out. One does have to be careful about not leaving with much more than they intended though. They’re experts at enticing you to buy their wares. But hey, it’s worth it.