A Scowl, An Attitude And Big Girl Panties

[Jeepers]

I have an elderly acquaintance a few states away from me and I wanted to give her a gift. She is old, likes puzzles and LOVES to shop at Costco. So, I found a puzzle maze where you can put a gift card in it and you have to solve the maze to get the card out. I figured a Costco gift card would be perfect. What a great gift idea I came up with for the person who has everything! Pffft. Hold on there Jeepers. Nothing is ever that easy around here.

 

I'm not a member at Costco. But surely they will take my money though. I went in and talked to 3 people in there and all three said "NO! You HAVE to be a member of our exclusive club you filthy peon or we don't want your stinkin' money! You MUST give us $55.00 first!" Or something like that. At least that's what I heard. By then I suddenly had to have that card. Know whatamean? <--------'Do you know what I mean' for non-accentedly challenged people.

 

So I went to the manager. I told her I wanted to buy a $100.00 gift card for a member but I'm not a member. She said their policy was not to allow gift cards for non-members. I said, "You mean I can't buy a Christmas gift for one of your members (pause for dramatic effect) and you are going to lose a $100.00 sale plus a $55.00 membership!? Okay, I know they weren't going to lose the $55.00 membership part but honestly, I don't know why that slipped out of my mouth, but I was talking fast and getting agitated and she didn't catch on to that part. Ha! She said, "Welllll, sommmmetimes around the holidays we willlll make an exception." Hot dang, that's me.The exception to the rule. I'm in. Joy to the world. Yee-Haw, life's good again.

 

Long story...I got my gift card. Wooo-hoooo. Then I went to all three previous nay-sayers and told them "oh yes you can." It wasn't in my "told ya so" voice. I was just trying to be helpful so they'd know for future reference.

 

So if this happens to you and you want something bad enough, put on your mad face, cop a `tude, pull up your big girl/boy panties and 'git er dun!' It was a good day.

[Cat]

YAY Jeepers!

 

 

 

Sam's Club is the only one we have in this area, but Costco is coming.

 

We get a "business" membership through DH's work. It's been a yearly renewal of $35. This year it went up to $45.

 

Well, they "very kindly" now tell you just how much you save each year. Last year I "saved" $41. Why in the world would I want to PAY $45 to save maybe $41???? I go there less often because gas is more. And our family is shrinking at home.

 

I sent an email asking why they couldn't offer to make sure that we would AT LEAST get that 45 back - if I didn't save at least that much, give me a discount on the difference NEXT year.

 

Standard idiot reply - "But look at how MUCH you SAVE at Sam's Club!"

 

Not sure yet if I'll end up renewing it. It might help bigDD out with formula, etc., but that might end up with me buying it...

 

And I looked online and I see that Costco is $55, so that's not going to be a help.

[Andrea]

Cat, I got sucked into that last year. I bought a basic Costco membership for $55 because of our involvement in Relay for Life and Band Boosters. About 3 months in when I was buying 2 flat screen tv's for a fundraising event, I was approached to buy the business membership. For $100 a year, just $45 more, I would recoup all of my membership fees based on my purchasing history. I fell for it. I got a total of $36 back. That covered my $100 membership? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

 

Anyway, I've let my membership expire and have explained to my daughter that she needs to have another team member pick things up that she needs. Other than an instant decaf cappucino powder and some sandwich bread dh really loved, there is no reason to have a membership. The prices just aren't that great and there is no running in and out of Costco - constant lines means a long shopping times. I don't have time for that.

 

Jeepers - I'm glad you got your way! Isn't it stupid that you have to argue with a business to allow them to let you spend money with them? An experience like that we make me want to take my money elsewhere.

[Mt_Rider]

Our kin on Maui LOVE Costco. So naturally, a gift certificate there would solve the 'mailing of packages costs'.....and it is steep prices to mail anything but an envelope to HI.

 

DH ran into the same song and dance .....and came away unsuccessful. Costco lost business. Why?

 

 

MtRider -

[Jeepers]

That was the first time I ever stepped inside a Costco. I forgot to mention that when I was walking in I saw a man that had just come out with one of those flatbed carts. He had it piled up with big bags of rice. I don't know how much those big bags weigh. I'm 'thinking' about 50 pounds. More than the 35 pound bags that much I know. They were huge. He had about 12-15 of those bags. I don't know how he pushed the thing.

 

The odd thing was that I noticed. So yes, some people do notice what other people are buying and how much.

[Cat]

A lot of businesses do buy their supplies at Sam's and Costco. He might be running a Chinese restaurant, Jeepers. Real preppers don't "advertise".

[ArmyOfFive4God]

A lot of businesses do buy their supplies at Sam's and Costco. He might be running a Chinese restaurant, Jeepers. Real preppers don't "advertise".

5 foorr dee rreest-a-rront, 1 foorr meee!!! Heheee!

 

I also saw the Sam's membership went up. Since we have a Trader Joe's, Sam's would be on the way, but I still wonder if it's worth it now. Hubba started getting a business one through work several years ago, but the last 2 years, he hasn't had a reason to use it for work, so we've renewed OOP. My Mum has a BJ's card, & between her visiting us & us visiting her, she can get a LOT of the same things, plus they take coupons. I have been perusing the BJ's site to compare. I may even offer to pay a portion of her card fee next renewal. She'll probably say no, but...

[dogmom4]

I am a member of our local food co-op. Members are able to purchase any item in the store in bulk or by the case at a significant decrease in cost. It costs $20 a year to be a member and you can get all of your shares out if you leave. I had a Costco membership years ago and found that the savings was minimal. Maybe it would be more cost effective if people shared the cost of the membership? I do remember some items I really liked buying from there.

Edited November 10, 2013 by dogmom4

[Jeepers]

He probably was buying for a business. He was a Caucasian guy. I see a lot of that at Sam's Club and that is always the first thought that goes through my mind. Probably a business buyer. Maybe I was just out of my element being at a Costco. And I was on a mission and keeping my eye on the prize. However, he did stand out like a sore thumb.

 

My membership is at $35.00 but I'm not sure when it expires. I guess it will go up and I'll have to reevaluate. I do love those gimormous packages of TP though.

[gofish]

The owner of the local chinese buffet shops at Aldi's

[lumabean]

So glad you got what you went in for, Jeepers Sorry for the hassle they gave you though. Good too that they didnt' try to stick you with a non-member up-charge, like Sam's does for non-members. (I read they waive the upcharge fee at certain times during promotions to recruit new members).

 

Dh used to get a free Sam's membership from work every year (if you didn't want the membership, you could redeem the certificate for cash, which was tempting ...) New company took over, and now they don't do that, so after not having a membership for a couple years, we caved and bought this year. I don't know if we'll re-new, we don't seem to be saving much, and I noticed with the fresh stuff, there seems to be more waste because the three of us can't use it all in time.

Edited November 11, 2013 by lumabean

[Twilight]

We got a free day at Sam''s and by shopping carefully we found a few items.

We also saw many items that were higher by far than any where else...potatoes

being one of the very high priced items. Then when we got to the checkout

counter they hit us with a 7% surcharge and after we had paid the the items

were sacked there was a woman that met us at the door and went through

each and every sack.......

Needless to say we did not go back....

 

However we have a friend that lives several hours away that buys something like

18-20 sacks of dog food for her show dogs. She says it more than pays her to drive to Sam's...

 

I like the food co-ops too, The one I went to was 1 1/2 hour away but I got things I could get no where else..

Once my life gets settled down where i can be home more often, I want to check on another one that is closer.

[Cat]

Our Sam's never bags anything. They do have used boxes available, if you can find any useable ones.

 

I've found that produce is cheaper at a local chain and at Meijer's than at WalMart or Sam's Club. Milk, too. Very rarely I could find a "good deal".

 

What I most liked was dish soap, some generic meds like Ibuprofin and cold meds, "Iron Out", paper plates, and the Christmas stuff that will come out.

[Jeepers]

Ours don't bag either. I suppose they figure most of the items are too big for a grocery bag. Most of the things I buy are cleaning products and paper goods. I've got a lot of that stuff stocked up. Mostly because I don't use it often. I like buying OTC drug things too. I usually pick up bulk shampoo, soap, deodorant etc for my son. When I stop to think about it, I suppose it does pay for me to 'power shop' there once in awhile.

 

One mistake I made was buying those huge cans of tub and sink cleaner. The 'scrubbing bubbles' type. I can't remember the real name of it. Not only are the cans big and bulky, but they come in a 3 pack. By the time I can get half of one can used, it is a rusty mess. Things like Windex, liquid soap and dish wash soap is good for me though. I go to the grocery store and buy a normal size bottle and keep it filled up from the industrial size bottles. I do the same with laundry soap.

 

Oh and dryer sheets. I buy them in bulk and then divide them up and vacuum seal them with the Food Saver machine. I don't know if it really keeps them fresh or not. I like to think it does. At the very least it keeps the dust off of them. A box of them will last me a couple of years so that's mainly why I seal them.

[kappydell]

I am surprised. I never wanted to spring for 'membership' in either Sam's club or Costco, since most of the things they had in my area were things I did not want...more suited to the ritzy suburban trophy wives than my needs. So I found alternate places, and frankly, the prices are better. Canned veggies for 26 cents; those small canned hams for $1.50 and so forth. I guess I'm more a treasure hunter at heart. The travel is not so expensive when you have a big pantry like I keep & only have to go twice a year. Ethnic restaurants have excellent buys on rice (Asian market) and beans (Mexican market) and many ethnic herbs and such that I could never afford if I went mainstream. They are in business for the cash money, and are very happy to have you shop with them.