I am not sure that the membership fees offset the purchases you would actually make. To me, it kind of goes like a gym membership. In this order:
1. You get the impetus to join a gym. May or may not be a sale. $10? $25? Either can be planned for. May as well make it the cheaper one. You take the plunge. You sign up. Annual building maintenance fees assessed sometime for $39 or so. Cool.
2. You go a few times in a week, maybe even twice a day sometimes. You love it. You do some exercise. You feel good.
3. You go to work.
And this is where it all falls apart.
Now you're tired. You worked hard. You go home.
Maybe, maybe.. in that first week or two.. you go to the gym to work out before or after work. You maybe do this a few times.
Then you go to work again.
Now you are sleeping.
Now you are no longer at the gym. Not waking up early, getting there before everyone else, none of that. Just going to work and working real hard. Physical job or not, your body is still awake and needs rest..
Now you are cancelling your gym membership.. feeling silly for ever having joined in the first place. You stayed two weeks.
Now let's compare to a membership club.
Same kind of thing! Some family member tells you how amazing Costco is. Don't even bother with Sam's or BJ's, Costco is the good one. So you sign up.
You go a few times, shocked at how large everything in there is. For the first few times, it is cool.
Chances are you had to deal with a long-ish line, bought more of something than you planned for, and had high traffic coming in and out. And at the Costco location near me, it is debit card only for gas and the lines are
long! Sure, gas is the cheapest in town by about 10 cents...
So, a similar thing happens. Now they are closed after work. Might as well just go to the store that is closer. Whether that is a Walmart or Kroger's. This is about the time I would mention Amazon, which is also very good for most things, as I always said, except for things you need right now... and also, you know where the cheapest station or stations are. If you use a certain gas, you know where that is too. And you know where you go when you just need cheap gas and where you go when you maybe want to put in something "better" ... Etc etc etc. Chances are your car is maintained so well your choice of gas won't matter. Including a clean fuel system. But hey. Moving on...
And then, eventually, you realize that the closer FREE stores work just as well, have what you need, and cost almost exactly the same. No sales pitches, put your phone number in for savings if that is what they do, and smart shopping principles can still apply.
The shine wears off.
Yes! I quit shopping at Sam's Club and cancelled my account after their tire fiasco. My parents purchased tires for my car as a Christmas gift and was told I didn't need a membership for free balance and rotation, as my parents were members. Then it was i guess we can do it after looking up my parents info. On my third trip it was " Sorry you don't have a membership and we can't service your tires until you do." Haven't been back again.
I have had the exact same experience. They can keep their tires.
I will not be dealt with like I am in a prison.
) also throw in the wild card = EBay.
