Marta and I just joined Costco

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

56. Costco is one of those places, where

Knowing when to shop matters. Google can tell you what the peak hours are if you search for your local Costco, but in most cases, believe it or not, weekday evenings after around 6-7 are usually slower than mornings. It's the opposite than at most supermarkets. That's because businesses, retirees and housewives with large families do most of the "daytime" shopping at Costco.

When I shopped in person, I went in knowing exactly what I wanted and where each item was. I didn't deviate from the plan, and that saved me a bunch of money. These days, I shop online, and get items delivered. If it's from the local store, then I pay next to nothing, maybe 75 cents or something like that, as long as I hit the minimum, which is nearly impossible *not* to reach, given the immense sizes/quantities of most products they sell.

Shopping online for delivery means that I can comparison shop with my local grocer, Amazon, or whoever. Not everything Costco sells is cheaper than what other outlets offer. I can also control what I buy better, rather than doing the impulse thing that Costco counts on to boost sales. Yes, that mega jar of jelly bellies is mighty tempting...but we don't need it. So I rubbish it from the list, and get only what we need.