<p>I was looking for a rug to put under our kitchen-area table. Costco had a selection of outdoor/indoor rugs - the right size and the right color, washable, and at $99 each this deal was hard to pass.</p>
<p>I’m still kicking myself about not getting a cedar garden shed which would have been perfect, just perfect for our backyard!</p>
<p>It’s important to be focused at Costco, but if you find something you think is appropriate, don’t hesitate or it will be gone and may not ever be restocked.</p>
<p>Last night I tried Costco’s tri-tip, after sampling it at the store. It was fantastic (and I’m very particular when it comes to the meats I buy). A beef tri-tip roast is a boneless cut of meat from the bottom sirloin. It also is called “triangular” roast because of its shape.</p>
<p>Got great T-bone steaks there for the past weekend. Price was good too. This week I baked a huge pork roast ($1.79 a lb) and we’ll eat that for sandwiches and leftovers like curry, etc. I’m even freezing a chunk of it for two weeks later when I’ll roast a bunch of whole chickens so we’ll have a change of pace. I rarely buy true lunch meat using leftovers whenever I can. Can’t beat the price of pork and chicken per pound for lunch meat as well as the quality.</p>
<p>Was at Costco twice this week already to buy supplies for the Soccer concession stand I’m in charge of!</p>
<p>BTW, another Costco reallly good buy - already mentioned, but…</p>
<p>The 4.99 Rotisserie Chicken…after we have a meal with it, I plop whatever is left, carcass, bones, juice and all in a pot, cover it about 3/4 with water and let it simmer for an hour. Let it cool, strain, and pick off any leftover chicken and freeze and broth and chicken for soup another day. Two meals off a $5 chicken - can’t beat that!</p>
<p>I’m now picky about my meat so I get organic chicken from TJs and grass fed beef from Whole Foods (teeny steaks cause it’s EXPENSIVE). Do any of your costco’s offer organic meat or produce? I don’t see it here…
Did get a great Wild Alaskan Coho salmon piece. And some great new shrimp with a lime, cilantro, garlic marinade.
And a case of pelligrino…great price!</p>
<p>Here’s a list of some of Costco’s organic products, but I dont think they have organic meat products. The salmon is great, however. Both the fresh and the smoked versions. <a href=“http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/04/costco-organic-finds.html[/url]”>http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/04/costco-organic-finds.html</a></p>
<p>Total aside-- On our drive to take our S to college last weekend I scoped out the locations of the Sams and Costcos (the ones I could see from the road). Then, on the way back we stopped at each for gas and food/snacks (I confess, I got nothing healthy). I got a cinnamon pretzel at the first stop- Sams, and DH got a slice of Pizza, and I got a big cup of fat free chocolate soft serve yogurt at Costco, the second stop. DH got some chicken burrito type thing. He also got a big box of baked Lays products (chips) and a big box of sunchips (on sale with a coupon). Does that count as healthy?</p>
<p>Kinda pathetic, when I think of it, that we planned our stops on the way home by the big warehouse stores. But, the gas prices are great and the bathrooms are clean. Just no opportunity to get coffee. Just gigantic cups of caffeinated soda for the drive.</p>
<p>I sometimes stop at the truckstop type places. They have cheap gas prices and the best coffee with the super high caffeine option, for use when necessary. On the way to school, DS and I stopped at Sonic for milkshakes/smoothies (he had some lemon-lime thing; I am a chocolate purist). Somehow long drives and chocolate ice cream have been paired together in my head…</p>
<p>Neither the Costco nor the Sam’s club’s that I’ve visited have gas. That would be a nice plus. I got my son a Sam’s club membership since they have one of them close to his college town. He and his roommate visited and stocked up on all kinds of snacks in bulk and easy to make food. I’m always surprised at the quantity of food he can he for as slim as he is.</p>
<p>I also love the Costco $4.99 chicken. It seems to be bigger then our local grocery store’s rotisserie chicken that I get weekly. Since there are just three of us now, it’s always a two meal bird. </p>
<p>I just got the Garmin GPS that is currently on sale for $279. It’s price is $450 at Best Buy!</p>
<p>Try those WHITE peaches - Wow.</p>
<p>I find the Costco roast chicken to be slimy. Our Costco sells organic uncooked chicken. Whole birds and boneless breasts. I have not tried them. I am picky about my chicken and buy most of my chicken at a small grocery chain. Have tried the organic ground beef. I liked it, H liked it but my D said she didn’t like it.
What I did buy at Costco earlier this week. San Luis Sourdough bread, Vitamin Water (coupon), the chicken salad wraps (I was hungry), fresh flowers (having company for dinner), Large bottle premade margaritas, avocados, san peligrino limonata and dog bisquits. My D’s new high school is down the street from Costco so I think I will be going more often.
When we travel we like to stop for Costco gas.</p>
<p>That’s really weird. I’ve bought the Costco hot roasted chicken countless times & NEVER had a slimy/bad one, nor has anyone I’ve spoken with. I did once get a bad batch of pastrami & once a bad batch of roast beef (cold cuts).</p>
<p>I get most of my produce at Costco because the prices are really good and the quality generally excellent. Also get most of my meat there. Fish is generally excellent and reasonablly priced. Their toilet paper is great for double ply wonderful price. I bought a TV for my entering college D at the local Costco, again priced wonderfully and they add an extra year to the warranty (as does AMEX). I also like their roses. Very good quality for an extremely good price and sometimes they even have a scent.</p>
<p>Also fill up with gas. Price is generally less than any gas station.</p>
<p>I regularly buy meat, fish,wine, laundry detergent, cleaning products, t.p., vitamins, some canned goods,paper towels. I stay away from the variety packs of food items unless someone in the house will eat everything. I generally bypass the non food/household items unless I am looking for something anyway, because that’s where it’s too easy to spend money on things you don’t really need.</p>
<p>I love Costco, my favorite place by far. But be carefully with gas. My H. said that they mix it with something. He would not fill our cars there. He keeps himself very informed about consumer type of concerns like price/quality staff, so I trust him in that. We are also in Ohio.</p>
<p>I don’t buy food so much at Costco- I am lucky in that I have some of the best markets I have ever seen in walking distance- I also have a small family.</p>
<p>However- I just made the biggest purchases I have ever at Costco.
I bought a ultrasonic toothbrush for D ( who doesn’t have dental ins)
A compact camera- some tops to wear on my trip to S.F.,I don’t remember off hand what else but it added up- however- I had been planning on these purchases for sometime- it was mainly the amount of tax that was a :p</p>
<p>( Haven’t had trouble with gas- also like their carwash)</p>
<p>In our state, I’ve seen a cetrain company petroleum truck fill up the underground tanks at the local Costco gas station then proceed to another gas station and fill up theirs. Same gas, just different pricing.</p>
<p>Costco roses - “Very good quality for an extremely good price and sometimes they even have a scent.” Absolutely agree! Especially the pink ones (which is what I usually get from H who thinks a rose that doesn’t have a scent is not a rose :))</p>
<p>If you are an executive member and have a Costco Amex, you will get 2 rebates - one from Amex (1-3% of what you charge to your Amex) and one from Costco (2% of what you spend at Costco). Either can be exchanged for cash at Costco. I handed our $500 rebate check to the cashier to pay for my $100 groceries, and got 4 $100 bills back from him. Sweet.</p>
<p>H is buying some crabs there now.</p>
<p>I think I found the gas “problem” mentioned by MiamiDAP’s husband. It has to do with raising the temperature of the gas, which causes expansion, and therefore prevents customers from getting the full amount of gas. </p>
<p>[Local</a> News | Costco to change how it sells gas | Seattle Times Newspaper](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009110753_apushotfuelsettlement.html]Local”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009110753_apushotfuelsettlement.html)</p>
<p>^^^ Thats interesting, toledo. I had always wondered if that was true, about buying gas when its cooler outside. The expansion issue made sense.</p>
<p>As for the roses, I’d read somewhere that with all the new bioengineering to make roses last longer and produce bigger flowers, this was at the expense of the scent. Why is that?</p>
<p>*** LOL oldfort-- I read your post as saying your h has crabs :o oops</p>
<p>jym626 - oh, no. This would be the place I would post that, right? That’s funny.</p>