Costco Fans

Pandigital Digital Photo Frame for $40!

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:40:00 +0000

Occasionally, I will highlight a deal that is not from Costco, but might be relevant for Costco fans.

In this case, we just got ourselves a Pandigital Pantouch 8" LCD Digital Photo Frame. If you're like me, you've probably thought, "digital photo frames are nice ideas, but the cost is still way too high to warrant getting one."

Well, here's your chance to give it a shot w/o breaking the bank.

Bed, Bath, & Beyond, they of the generous return policy on wedding registries, has this frame on clearance for $79.99, from it's original price of $159.99. Not bad, but still not enough to whet your appetite? Well, you can use the ubiqitous 20% coupon to bring it down to $63.99, AND there is a $30 rebate on this item as well. Your end cost will be around $40 depending on your tax rate. Definitely more palatable to give this quality photo frame a shot.

The catch also is that until Sunday, this frame is marked at $129.99 at the store, but rings up at $79.99, so you should still be able to get this w/o fear of other frugal-minded shoppers snapping them all up.

From a usability standpoint, it has 1GB of internal memory, and also accepts numerous media formats. Others rave about the 800x600 resolution and the wireless functionality is a nice feature as well.

Check out all the details on this at fatwallet. Pay close attention to the model # that is referenced, as there are numerous models of Pandigital frames.

eBay Watch: KS Stool Softener?

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:20:00 +0000

hm...slightly grossed out, disturbed, and curious, I found this on eBay recently. I'm skeptical of buying drugs on eBay, even though they may guarantee a sealed container. The main question is, why won't they just return it to Costco? They don't require a receipt, and they are fairly liberal about returns.

don't ever be surprised about what one may find on eBay, the world's garage sale.

New Costco coupons for 2/9-3/1

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:59:00 +0000

are up at Fatwallet. Check out the PDF file to see the scanned pages.

Some items of note for us:

Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches - $2.50 off
Kirkland Sig laundry detergent - $2.50 off
Ziploc freezer gallon/quart, sandwich bags - $2 off

Remember, these coupons should be automatic if you use one. i.e. just use 1 coupon per visit even though you're buying multiple "coupon" items. Then come back and use another coupon for more "coupon" items. This way you can get more than one of a certain item that has an item limit.

eBay Watch: Costco t-shirt

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:45:00 +0000

What better way to show your Costco allegiance than by rocking a Costco t-shirt!

Found this nugget on eBay today. I know I posted a Costco polo shirt before, but this I am seriously considering. The $14.39 price tag will probably keep me from indulging myself. They should sell these at Costco.

Kirkland brand vs. name brand

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:10:00 +0000

I'm a big fan of Kirkland brand products, as you may well be aware. But it was interesting to discover this fatwallet thread.

Some highlights:

Some people still prefer Charmin over KS. I actually prefer the KS b/c the Charmin "crumbles."
KS vodka is made at the same facility as Grey Goose in Cognac, France!
KS laundry detergent is highly rated by Consumer Reports.
KS batteries = Duracell
KS diapers are made by Kimberly Clark (Huggies)
KS non-stick pots & pans rated #1 by Consumer Reports.
KS undershirts are the best!! (gotta pick me up some)
KS baby formula is made by CG Nutritionals (a division of Abbott/Ross which produces Similac)
KS fabric softener = Downy
I really want to get KS vanilla ice cream, but wifey vetoes it! Others love it!

There you have it, the power of the web. Don't just take my opinion on the quality of KS, read lots of other people's opinion!

Kirkland brand vitamins on sale!

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 17:58:00 +0000

Stopped by Costco yesterday and saw a bunch of the Kirkland brand vitamins on sale (instand coupons) until Mon, 1/19.

I picked up the 500 ct. daily multivits for $11.89 (reg. $14.39), 600 ct calcium+vit D for $7.99 (reg. $9.99) & the 500 ct. vit C for $9.59 (reg. $11.59). There were a few others that were on sale too.

Go pickup some vitamins!!!

No membership needed for alcohol at Costco

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:02:00 +0000

Did you know that if you reside in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Texas, or Vermont, you do not need a Costco membership to purchase alcohol at a Costco?

Smart Money outlines some tips on how to take advantage of this at either Costco, BJ's, or Sam's Club stores.

Merry Christmas or how to buy a flat iron

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 15:32:00 +0000

Wishing all the Costco fans out there a Merry Christmas!

Speaking of Christmas, here's a gift idea for the woman in your life. I recently noticed a new item on costco.com, the Chi 1" ceramic flat iron, a professional styling iron!

This is probably one of the best flat irons out there. It's not just a flat iron, but can also curl hair. If you do a search on youtube, there are tons of videos showing how people use the flat iron to curl. I got one for my wife last year for her birthday and she loves it. The $74.99 price is very competitive. So if your woman is itching for a new iron, either to straighten or curl hair, check this one out!

Best Stock for 2009?

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:15:00 +0000

You guessed it. Costco.

Best time to jump in the market is now. COST is trading at around $54/share. We bought our shares a while ago at $67, but we're in it long term. Go buy some stock!

eBay Watch: Kirkland brand diapers

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:30:00 +0000

I know I've mentioned diapers before, but seeing this auction on ebay sparked another thought.

There are tons of diaper brands out there, and everyone has their opinion on which is the best. We've tried Pampers, Huggies, Walgreens generic, but have yet to try the Kirkland brand. We haven't bought diapers in months b/c of gifts, stocking up on diaper deals beforehand, etc. I would like to "sample" the Kirkland, but don't want to commit to buying the whole box of 200+ diapers. There was a sample a month back for the new Kirkland Supreme diapers, which we sent away for, but if you want a bit more of an extended trial, might be worth it to check eBay and see if someone is selling a smaller batch of the brand that you want. That way you can try a certain brand w/o committing to a large box. This probably only works for Kirkland brand or other club store generics.

Nothing completely novel, just a thought for you parents out there.

25% off at Walmart if you use your AMEX

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:00:00 +0000

Yes, I know, this is not a Costco-related post. But smart shoppers who are Costco fans are generally Walmart shoppers as well. There are a lot of opinions about Walmart and its employment practices, impact of stores on other retailers, etc, but one cannot beat their prices on most goods. So if you're anti-Walmart, ignore this, otherwise take advantage of this deal!

It's a deal that's been around a while, if you troll the forums of slickdeals, fatwallet, or other deal sites. If you enroll your AMEX in this Walmart promotion and spend at least $40 in 2 separate transactions at Walmart, you will get a $20 statement credit within a few days in your AMEX account. In other words, spend $80 at Walmart for only $60, a 25% savings.

If you're like us, and can't think of $80 worth of goods to buy, buy 2 gift cards of $40/each and spend it as you need it! You can enroll multiple AMEX cards in this promo, and get the $20 credit. I bought two $40 gift cards on Sat, and the $20 credit posted today!

Skeptical? Read the fatwallet posts for testimonials of others who have received this credit. The fine print does mention that it's not valid for gift card purchases, but it does work, and there's no way that AMEX will know that your $40 purchase was for a gift card.

Life hits...

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 03:58:00 +0000

Apologize for the light posting. Things have been a bit busy at work. I have been to Costco at least 3 times this week though mostly for a quick trip to pickup some cash cards.

Update on the cash cards: live.com cashback for eBay is over for now.. It was at 30% for a few days last week during Thanksgiving, went back down to 25% on Mon, then 20%, then 15% as of yesterday. Let's hope it comes back to 30%! It was a great deal for me, both buying and selling on eBay.

What new things have you noticed at your local Costco?!?!

Pie rush at Costco!

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 02:51:00 +0000

Costco has pumpkin pies down to a science
-1 million pies in a week?!?!?! On our visit to Costco this crazy day-before-Thanksgiving, we did see a whole lot of apple pies being pushed out the door too.

Costco vs. Sam's vs. BJ's

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:35:00 +0000

From TheStreet.com,
Did you know, on average, consumers visit Costco 2.8 times/month, compared with 2.37 times/month for Sam's and 2.1 visits/month for BJ's.

Additionally, shoppers spend $92.82 each time they visit Costco, 55% more than Sam's, 59% more than Walmart, and 70% more than BJ's.

What does this say? It tells me that Costco shoppers are more loyal to Costco, and they spend more there than shoppers at other comparable club stores. Just an interesting tidbit for you Costco fans!

Lowepro Slingshot 200 AW DSLR camera bag now at Costco!

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:24:00 +0000

In today's Costco treasure hunt, I saw that they are now carrying the Lowepro Slingshot 200 AW camera bag (item #224765) for $67.99!! I have this bag for myself and love it! It carries my D80, 50mm f1.8 lens, 18-200 VR lens, sb-600 flash, extra battery, charger, and all my accessories.

They don't yet have it on costco.com, but here's a link to amazon, so that you can see it. It's listed for $89.95 on amazon, and a quick search reveals a lowest price of $68.99 at rei.com.

The only con I can think of for this bag is that it can be a bit bulky. It's designed such that you can keep it on your back as a sling, and be able to swing it around to access what you need, but it can be a bit cumbersome. With a DSLR, lenses, flash, I don't know if you can avoid cumbersomeness anyway.

If you're in the market for a DSLR camera bag, check this out on your next trip to Costco!

Winner of the $10 Costco cash card...

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:15:00 +0000

is Sharon Yim! Used random.org to generate a random integer between 1-9 (total # of entries) and on the 9th iteration, it came up with #5 which corresponded with Sharon's comment on the original post!

Congrats to Sharon, and keep checking back for future promotions!!!

A store that thinks like a customer?!?! Brilliant!

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:52:00 +0000

"I try to approach the visits from the standpoint of a customer. Does the building have the right goods out? Is it well-stocked and clean and safe? Nothing is a bigger turnoff than poor housekeeping, most particularly in a place where you have food. Also, when you have a sloppy building, I can guarantee you're going to have high shrinkage [pilfering and shoplifting]."
-Jim Sinegal, Costco CEO

Finally. A retailer that thinks like a customer. That's why we all love Costco. They know what the consumer wants and models everything around that. Good article that gives you a glimpse into the vision & mindset of Costco's leader.

I counted 8 entries (including the two on my facebook notes feed) for the $10 Costco cash card promo. Drawing will be conducted sometime this weekend via unbiased, independent means and winner will be posted on Monday!!!

Last day for the $10 Costco cash card!

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:53:00 +0000

leave a comment on this or the previous post on what your favorite item to buy at Costco and why! Winner will be randomly drawn and will win a $10 Costco cash card!

Costco Fans Promotion! Win a $10 Costco cash card!

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:30:00 +0000

I mentioned this earlier, but I wanted this blog to be more interactive with readers, so that all of you can provide your suggestions too!

So...in the spirit of Web 2.0, I wanted to pose the simple question:

What's your favorite item at Costco and why? It could be the item you buy the most, or the splurge item that you don't necessarily need, but love, or the most useful item you've bought, or the best deal you've taken advantage of, etc.

Leave a comment in this thread, and in 1 week, I will randomly choose a number using random.org, and the comment # that corresponds to that random # will win a $10 Costco cash card mailed to the address of your choosing!!! Comment must be left on this thread, not on facebook, or any other site.

A few rules:

One entry per person regardless of number of comments.
If you are related to me, you are not eligible.

**If you are reading this through a feed aggregator, email, facebook, or anything else, please click here to go to the original blog (costcofans.blogspot.com) and click on a few of my ads!

Free Kirkland brand diaper sample!

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:18:00 +0000

Apparently Costco is introducing a new Kirkland brand Supreme diaper. It's in the upcoming November coupon book, and they are also offering a sample from their website. Go get a sample now!

It is interesting though, that the sample is promised between 4-6 weeks, but the coupon is valid 11/17-12/7. Hopefully one would get the sample before committing to a big box of diapers. BTW, the coupon is for $5 off. Guessing the price of a box is around $30.

**If you are reading this through a feed aggregator, email, facebook, or anything else, please click here to go to the original blog (costcofans.blogspot.com) and click on a few of my ads!

Nikon D90 at Costco

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 03:53:00 +0000

On one of my multi-weekly trips to Costco recently, I noticed that they're selling the Nikon D90 DSLR these days. I also saw that it's on sale for a $100 off with 2 excellent lenses in the bundle. I originally got the D80 bundle back in December 2006 when they had it; I think they've had the D40 at some time as well. One of the many features of the D90 is the fact that it's one of the few DSLRs out there that records video.

Ken Rockwell reviews it on his website, and also explains the megapixel myth. Basically the number of megapixels will not make a difference to the regular amateur photographer. Read his review if you're considering the D90.

My take? It's always been a great idea to combine multiple technologies/features into one device, but it often results in mediocre performance. Heard of the phrase, "jack of all trades, master of none?" That's how I feel about most multi-function devices outside of fax/copy/scan machines. If you want a good camera, get a good camera. If you want a good video camera, get a good video camera and expect it to be something different from your good camera. FYI, we have the D80 with a 18-200 VR and 50mm (1.8) lenses, and the Canon HV30 HD video camera.

Sign of the ultimate Costco Fan & gift card update

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:23:00 +0000

I'm seriously thinking of buying >this.

Tally of gift cards: Three $500 gift cards, two $200 gift cards sold at a profit of ~$10/gift card. One $500 gift card purchased at a 17% discount, one $100 gift card purchased at a 9% discount. IF YOU ARE READING THIS AND SHOP AT COSTCO, YOU HAVE TO GET IN ON THIS DEAL. I WILL HELP YOU SAVE 15% ON YOUR COSTCO PURCHASES.

**If you are reading this through a feed aggregator, email, facebook, or anything else, please click here to go to the original blog (costcofans.blogspot.com) and click on a few of my ads!

Starbucks gift cards Costco's best seller?

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Might the new Starbucks gift cards (Five $20 cards for $79.95) be the best seller at Costco, overtaking the mighty Kirkland brand bath tissue?

It does make for a great gift if you have a Starbucker to give a gift to.

**If you are reading this through a feed aggregator, email, facebook, or anything else, please click here to go to the original blog (costcofans.blogspot.com) and click on a few of my ads!

Update on buying gift cards on eBay

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 03:47:00 +0000

Last week I wrote about using live.com's cashback promotion to purchase Buy-It-Now items on eBay. A primary target for this are Costco cash cards, b/c most people can burn through a $500 value card in a few months. The fact that you are saving $70-80 and are actually paying ~$420 is a major bonus. The only catch is you have to wait 60 days for the cashback.

Anyways, I've now sold 2 $500 Costco cash cards, 1 $200 Costco cash cards and probably have made about $10-$15/transaction for a total profit of $30-$40. This includes subtracting eBay fees, paypal fees, shipping fee (a stamp) and adding in the fact that I'm using my Costco AMEX to buy the gift card, thereby getting the 1% cashback on the card, and adding to my 2% for executive membership (see details in this post).

On the buy side, I've purchased a
$100 Bed Bath gift card (paid $110, $27.50 cashback, $82.50 final price)
$100 Costco card (paid $130, $39 cashback, $91 final)
$50 Lettuce Entertain card (paid $45, $11.25 cashback, $33.75 final)
$100 Ruth Chris card (paid $91, $22.75 cashback, $68.25 final).

Take advantage of this while you can! If you want, you can try it by buying one of my Costco cash cards. Someone you can trust to deliver a card, and we both benefit!

**If you are reading this through a feed aggregator, email, facebook, or anything else, please click here to go to the original blog (costcofans.blogspot.com) and click on a few of my ads!

Costco allows reviews on its website

noreply@blogger.com (jtcho78) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:57:00 +0000

Did you know that Costco now allows customer reviews on items on its website? Similar to Amazon and other retail websites, you can now post a review of a Costco item.

I find other user reviews very helpful when comparison shopping. I really like amazon, b/c they usually have a good solid number of reviews over a longer period of time. You have to take everything with a grain of salt; there can also be "fake" reviews posted by people who want to promote a certain product. But suffice it to say, if an item has 100+ reviews and 90% of them are positive, it's probably a good product. That's the power of the online community.

Since Costco has just started, the reviews probably won't be as useful, but feel free to go and add your opinion of products that you like! We're in the market for a stroller, so I surfed around and found a review of this >Go-Go Babyz Urban Advantage stroller. Go check out this new feature!