Costco Is Great, but Here Are 4 Reasons You Shouldn’t Join

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Costco can be a great source of savings, but a membership isn’t right for everyone. Read on to learn more. 

A Costco membership won’t necessarily break the bank. For $60 a year, you can get a basic membership that gives you access to a vast network of warehouse club stores. And for $120 per year, you can upgrade to an Executive membership, which gives you 2% cash back on your Costco purchases.

But while many Costco members enjoy their fair share of savings regularly, joining may not be the best move for you. Here are four reasons you may not want to get a Costco membership.

1. You have zero storage space at home

One major benefit of joining Costco is getting to save on grocery purchases and household essentials by buying those items in bulk quantities. But if you live in a studio apartment with a small fridge, little freezer space, and a tiny closet that’s already overflowing, then you may not want to shop at a store where your only option for buying granola bars is to take home 60 of them at a time.

A better bet may be to shop at discount grocers in your area, like Aldi. This especially holds true if you’re someone who isn’t very picky about brands.

2. You don’t cook

Maybe you have a giant pantry and a large fridge in your kitchen. That’s all fine and good. But if you’re someone who never cooks, then you may not get a lot of value out of a Costco membership.

Of course, food isn’t the only thing you can buy at Costco. And if you think you’ll make back your membership fee and then some by purchasing your household cleaners or other products there, then by all means, join.

But don’t kid yourself into thinking you’ll suddenly be spending five nights a week at the stove after joining Costco when at present, you’re lucky if you cook once a quarter. If you’re someone who just doesn’t cook, own that. And if anything, take the money you’d spend on a membership and use it to sign up for a meal kit service.

3. You don’t have a Costco nearby

You might easily save yourself $10 to $20 a week by purchasing groceries at Costco. But if you’re also spending an extra $10 to $20 in gas to get there, you’re really not doing yourself any favors. Plus, in addition to spending the money on fuel, you’re spending time on the road that you may not have.

Of course, you could always join Costco and mostly limit your purchases to Costco.com so you don’t have to make that trek. But you should know that warehouse club prices tend to be cheaper than the prices you’ll see online. So if you’re not going to be able to enjoy the maximum savings you can get in the store, then it may not pay to join — especially since you can order many Costco items from the website without having a membership.

4. You live near a Costco, but don’t have a car

There may be a Costco warehouse calling your name a mile or so down the road. But if you don’t have a car, then shopping there is going to be a challenge, so much so that it may not pay to join.

You could decide that you’ll take a rideshare to and from Costco to benefit from the store’s lower prices. But let’s say it costs you $10 per ride to get there, or $20 per visit. You might reap that amount of savings or more, depending on your specific haul. But you’re also taking a chance there. So if you know you’ll have to pay for a rideshare every time you want to do a Costco run, you may be better off skipping the membership and instead asking to tag along with a friend who has a vehicle and has already joined.

A Costco membership makes sense in many situations, and shopping there might help you free up more money for your savings account. But in these scenarios, it pays to at least think twice before signing up.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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