I can answer the warranty question. I purchased an Apple Watch in 2021. When it died in 2023, I was able to get a new one by filing a claim with credit card company, because I purchased it on 2021.
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I just always kinda wonder if I am missing out by not going to Costco because I have heard such good things about it, but it sounds like it’s not the right fit for us. We buy local organic produce at the farmer’s market or local coop market. Occasionally when I am just pressed for time I will pick up produce at TJs, but I mainly go there for certain snacks (TJs takis, TJs Fritos, TJs potato chips that taste like Charles Chips) and certain vegan and frozen items.
Costco and Sam’s would both be pretty inconvenient for our location vs our local stores.
Not as of now. That’s why I use it when traveling abroad. But policies do change.
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@sweetgum, we are also empty nesters, though ShawWife is an excellent cook and we entertain a fair bit, which means we probably by more food than normal empty nesters. We live in an exurb with 13 working farms and ShawWife has great relations with a number of them so we know what is growing when. During the growing season, we purchase vegetables from them. We buy fish (and used to buy meat and chicken but have dropped them from our diet) and many other food products (milk, cheese, berries, melons, almond flour tortillas, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, etc.) plus staples (napkins, dishwasher detergent, garbage bags, etc.). During the winter, we get a lot of the produce from Costco. Like the fish, it is typically very fresh because their products turn over very quickly.
We go to a local supermarket and TJs for things we can’t get at Costco and also go to Amazon or an Asian market for various specialty items (toasted sesame oil, gochujang, Szechuan peppercorns, Lavazza organic coffee, gluten free pasta, chili oil with crunch garlic, etc.). Interestingly, there are a few products like wild grain rice and certain electronic products for which Walmart.com has the best prices. But, for the most part, local farms/Costco/Amazon/Asian markets are sufficient.
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Thanks @1214mom.
It looks like only certain Citi cards now have two-year extended warranty. The Costco card now has no extended warranty. Many others have one-year extended warranty.
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We’ve always belonged to Costco, so I don’t really know much about Sams. Mr. Groundhog loves the parking spaces at Costco. They opened one 5 minutes from us last year and now we go weekly. We get most of our produce there. S25 likes the food court pizza and the rest of us like the street taco kits.
I joined Costco waaay back when they opened their first warehouse. I was a King County employee at the time (first job at 16) and the membership qualifications were pretty strict.
We have the credit card & use it for all Costco purchases as well as travel charges. Our rental car for this trip was already low, but I was able to cancel and rebook it twice for even lower rates w/o penalty.
They treat their employees well and stand behind what they sell.
I am fortunate enough to have never had to shop at Walmart, in any way.
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Our farmer’s markets run in the winter too and at least one runs twice weekly I think through November. My husband got really into going to the area farmers markets (there are many) during COVID. Nice to get produce outside in the fresh air. He often goes to 3 different farmers’ markets on Saturday just because he enjoys it. There are way more than 13 farms represented. One of the three markets has over 75 vendors. They all have to be local within 50 miles. No oranges or avocados (we are in NC), but tons of other good produce including the standard tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, but also berries, melons, asian vegetables like bitter melon and celtuce, ginger, turmeric, etc. Great breads, including gluten free. We have local fish options and meat options, but we don’t buy that. It is all probably much more expensive than Costco or Sam’s, but it’s a great way to support local farmers, eat seasonally, and it’s fun to go to the markets. Even for things that we can’t get at the farmer’s markets we tend to buy locally produced stuff like locally roasted coffee (not for me, I don’t drink it, but my adult kids do). We have a subscription from Who Gives A Crap for toilet paper and paper towels and tissues (they build toilets in developing countries).
So, I just don’t think it’s a good fit for us. If I was going to join a big box club, though, it would probably be Costco. I have always heard good things about how they treat their workers.
There is a Sam’s 15 minutes away. We had it when we had an office to supply. Have not had it for years. Sometimes I order Walmart on line and supplies come from Sam’s.
Costco is 2 hrs from here but love it. Order on line a lot. Their products are vetted. There is an extra year warranty on electronics. H got his hearing aides there. We go there once a year. We are empty nesters. Like their quality.
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And always remember that Costco (and probably most other large chains) are very strategic in where they place products:
It’s all about using loss-leaders to hopefully make you buy more. I guess the same applies to the food court: tons of people go to buy lunch there.
Yes they honor their old obligations. But I believe (need to check) that there is no extended warranty at all with Citibank cards. That was great thing and I used before Costco credit card specifically for extended warranty. Now I use Chase Ultimate Freedom for only 1 extra year extended warranty on items that has warranty for no more than 3 years (so no free warranty for refrigerators etc.). It looks like most banks stopped extended warranty unles you pay annual fee for credit card…
Ideologically? Or not in your area?
I was exposed to Wallmart in Atlanta area. They were everywhere. When we moved we got very upset that nearest Walmart is almost 10 miles away. But DH still goes there. He loves that it is open untill 11pm. He enjoys even grocery shopping there (not me), and it is definitely go to place for all fishing and licensing (plus all outdoor) things. He sometimes drives me crazy when he wants to stop at Walmart in the middle of nowhere because “They have so many great cheap things there that are not available at out local store…” 
I haven’t shopped in either recently. But from past experience, it really varies by location rather than brand. When we lived in SoCal, our Costco was great. Not just good prices but an interesting product mix – it was always fun to browse. When we moved to NJ there originally wasn’t a convenient Costco so we used the nearby Sam’s Club and it was much worse than our SoCal Costco – just much less interesting products, presentation, etc. We assumed it was the brand. But some years later they opened a new Costco nearby and when we excitedly went, it was worse than the Sam’s Club. Then when we were visiting friends in CA we went to Costco again and it was like we remembered it.
I am probably in a minority here, but we buy that Costco chicken only on the road. We prefer to get antibiotic free /free range bird (not necessarily organic) and can put it in rotisserie at home… Yep, it is more expensive but more healthy too.
Don’t know how much to believe this, but sites I see on the internet say that Costco rotisserie chickens are anitbiotic and hormone free but clearly they are farmed and not free range.
Our Costco averages 50 cents a gallon cheaper than the stations near us.
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I definitely prefer Sam’s Club. Just more stuff I like from there.
We have a Costco in our town. The nearest Sam’s Club is 40 min away.
We had both memberships when our son was in college. His college town had a Sam’s Club. Now that he is done with school, we dropped Sam’s Club because it’s so far away. There is a Costco near him and one near us.
As far as the attraction, I just like to get some different food items that I can’t get at a regular grocery store. We just get sick of the same food all the time lol. I think Costco food is actually expensive, so I don’t go there to save money.
I shop there probably once every six weeks. We did buy our two most recent tvs there, too.
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Ideology is most of it. Even when we had two in childcare, and money was really tight, we managed with locally-owned stores (long before Fred Meyer was a Kroger thing) including Costco. We didn’t have to search out the absolute cheapest. My sister said she had to hold her nose, but as a single mom to 2 Walmart was a necessity.
All said, we’ve been loyal to Costco.
Anyway, the many male engineers at that big aerospace company in town would have been naked without the Costco wardrobe. Haha. The days when H and his coworkers were all in the same shirt on the same day…
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I’m curious to hear from people who have both or have used both, what items one has that the other doesn’t carry.
For instance Costco is a great spot for seasonal plants - trees and shrubs and annuals and bulbs for the outside in spring/summer/fall and house plants in the winter and sporadically throughout the year - does Sams have live plants?
I fully support buying local and using/enjoying Farmer’s Markets. But the Farmer’s Market doesn’t get me cans of organic chick peas for under $1/can or parmesan cheese in the large can that is a staple in our refrigerator.
These few things alone make our (Costco) membership as a home of two people worth it:
Gas
Produce (nearly ALWAYS in good condition; I buy a couple of varieties of a fruit/vegetable and that’s what we eat that week- as opposed to buying 3 apples, 3 peaches, 4 bananas)
Canned goods (chick peas, chicken broth, Rao’s sauce, diced tomatoes, etc.)
Bacon - the thick sliced Kirkland brand is outstanding and priced so well (I cut each of the two packages in half so it’s “4 packages” for us and lasts a long time)
Obviously we buy much more but those items alone save us time, trips to the store, money.
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I find that it’s kind of a complimentary relationship. Sam’s seems to have more house brands for food and staples. Costco has a big selection of Kirkland specialty items. If I’m in the mood for exotic food, Costco is great. If I need staples, I can shop at Sams…but I don’t because Costco has the $1.50 hotdog/Pepsi. I have my priorities. 
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