I joined Costco shortly before returning to work following an extended health-related absence that resulted in the loss of my left leg. While it took nearly 4 months to build strength and re-learn daily life, one of the things that has continued to be difficult is simply putting gas in my car.
I learned from a friend that Costco is willing to pump gas for those with disabilities - the exact procedure is posted on their gas pumps as it occurs between certain hours and simply involves pulling up to a pump and tapping on your horn.
Costco has both individual and business memberships with both types of memberships having two different levels priced at either $60 or $120 annually. The difference is essentially additional perks for the higher priced membership. The higher individual membership offers 2% back on certain purchases along with extra benefits, while the higher priced business membership has both of those perks plus the ability to add additional people to the membership and to purchase memberships for resale.
By now, I think most people know the basic deal about Costco. It's a membership only wholesaler with an emphasis on selling goods in bulk or large quantities. As a person who is single, thus not very often needing bulk, I must admit that I have long hesitated to try a membership. However, between the availability of certain items, the option of having gas pumped (and usually significantly lower in price), and extra services like travel, optical, home repair, and others I decided I could likely justify the $60 annual fee.
First off, I'll note that I've used the gas service twice now and it worked perfectly. I pulled up to a pump - in both cases, it happened to be the same employee. He was incredibly friendly and very careful about confidentiality of my credit/debit card. As we're currently in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, I also noticed they were actively cleaning the pumps off after each use. The hours they will pump gas for a person with a disability are generous and they are super friendly about it.
In terms of in-store, the atmosphere is essentially a huge warehouse that is fairly well organized. The down side - if you're someone who wants the same specific brands all the time, you may find yourself disappointed. Because you're basically dealing with wholesale options, brands come and go here. Some are fairly consistent, of course. Plus, the in-house Kirkland brand, which is generally high quality, is pretty much always available. However, if you think "I have to have this type of cookie" you may find times it's not there.
Because prices are in bulk, I sometimes felt like actual "savings" was questionable for a single person for me. For example, I bought a 16-pack of hot dog buns. I quickly learned I couldn't possibly go through them all before they were stale and, as such, I really spent more on buns than if I'd simply bought my usual 8-pack somewhere else. However, for bigger families or organizations there can definitely be savings.
They have regular e-mails, if you sign up, that can clue you in on the most recent specials and sales and invite you to special deals quickly. I've noticed one cool factor - a lot of the prices quoted online actually include delivery (though be aware - you can sometimes get a lower price in-store).
I really only bought a handful of items during my initial visit including some cleaning supplies that were a pretty decent deal. As is often noted, Costco typically has lots of samples but this is on hold right now due to COVID-19.
Employees are for the most part friendly and helpful and as a mass wholesaler they are often good during times like this when some supplies are limited. When the initial COVID rush happened, they were packed but they quickly adjusted how they operated and their crowd management has been beautiful.
While I can't say this is going to be anything like a weekly stop for me, other than maybe for gas, it's easily worth the $60 annual fee and really solved a huge problem for me with the gas issue. For families, organizations, and businesses, I definitely see a strong benefit here. Individuals, on the other hand, will need to decide for themselves if the membership is cost-effective. read more