Costco vs. Amazon Subscribe & Save

amother

Blue

Mon, Jan 18 2016, 9:04 pm

Has anyone compared prices between Costco & Amazon, with or without Subscribe and Save and/or other Amazon subscriptions?

I have Prime.

I'm weighing the pros & cons of renewing my Costco membership. I have the membership which earns cashback. My cashback for the past year was $27. We were under the impression that the cashback will make the membership fee worthwhile, but not for $27.

We basically buy diapers, wipes (although in the past year we didn't buy those since kids were b'h trained but there is a baby on the way so we'll be needing it again bez'H), detergents, soap, coffee, tissues, paper towel, etc. We don't buy food there besides the occasional fruits & vegetables.

I'm wondering if I can get as good a deal on Amazon (with or without subscriptions, please specify) on diapers & wipes in particular. I prefer Huggies or Pampers diapers. And how those two compare in general.

Thanks for your time & input.

granolamom

Mon, Jan 18 2016, 9:35 pm

I think the only way to know is to go to amazon.com and check their prices. they have sales now and then, I recommend following kosheronabudget on twitter for those.

and I never liked huggies, they always leaked. pampers were much better, but kirkland (costco brand) diapers were cheaper and worked just fine too.

costco has unbeatable prices on some things but not everything. you have to know your prices. I buy vanilla extract there, and yeast, at tremendous savings. and my ugg-style boots were $39 and every bit as warm as my dd's real uggs. they usually have speedo bathingsuits for girls at good prices, and pj's and sometimes hannah anderssen dresses and leggings, and I often get the kids their fall and winter jackets there too. dh gets his socks and underwear there really cheap too. they have kosher frozen salmon fillet that are well priced when on sale. and chobani yogurt is cheaper there than anywhere else locally for me. it depends on what your family tends to buy. for us, it pays to have both costco membership and amazon prime.

gande

Mon, Jan 18 2016, 11:58 pm

I like amazon. Their prices are really great me especially now they have some great sales. I like the fact that it comes to your door. However if you go to cosco anyways and are happy with their brand it might not pay to get an amazon membership.

lfab

Tue, Jan 19 2016, 10:42 am

Why don't you try to do without costco for 3-6 months and see how it works for you. If you see that you're constantly saying to yourself "if I could only go to Costco to get this" then it's probably worth renewing your membership. I've found that if you're willing to shop around and stock up when things are on sale you can do better on Amazon and Target than at Costco. If you'd rather just get things as needed and not have to think about if it's a good deal or not then Costco is a better option. For sure for diapers and wipes you can do better at Target when they have gift cards or on Amazon when they have coupons.

amother

Blue

Tue, Jan 19 2016, 11:08 am

Thanks all for your replies.

I agree that the pro of Amazon is that it's delivered to my door and no schlepping involved.

I guess I'll try Amazon for 2,3 months and take it from there, like a poster suggested.

Also, to the one who suggested following KOAB. Thanks! She has a great deal on diapers through Amazon now. That's MUCH cheaper than Costco!

Thanks all!

LittleDucky

Tue, Jan 19 2016, 11:43 am

I actually find Costco more expensive than some other stores. Like cereal and toothpaste- CVS is way cheaper if you do the couponing/ECB deals! And if you don't have time, just sale prices are cheaper. They were selling toothpaste for 4-5 a tube when at CVS regularly it is 2.50 without coupons, ECB (and if you can spare the time, it is free with those!).
But Costco has some of the best deals on certain things. I find some kosher products are cheaper, foil pans, olive oil etc.

I don't do subscribe and save but I do use amazon for household goods sometimes. Love that it comes to my door but I won't pay more for that convenience Smile

mille

Tue, Jan 19 2016, 11:49 am

We have both and use them for different things. I usually buy toiletries on Amazon subscribe & save, usually with good deals. So I pick up things like toilet paper, deodorant, shampoo etc. I don't think they are remotely 'cheap' at Costco, just convenient, so Amazon wins there.

But our local Costco has a LOT of kosher products. So things like cheese, meat, bakery, frozen items etc are all very cheap at Costco and not something you can even get on Amazon, obviously. I think they are both worth it for us.

It depends on what you get at Costco. Do you not use it for produce or kosher products, just toiletries and the like?

sky

Tue, Jan 19 2016, 12:20 pm

(BTW I sometimes find that Walmart's prices on diapers are just as good as Amazon's subscribe and save with free shipping over $50 and many times it comes the next day. Their brand wipes are also cheap and fantastic quality and packaging).