Lauren H.
Yelp
We love Costco! Great prices and value on most things, but beware that not EVERYTHING is lowest cost here. For strawberries here today, we found much lower prices at Hy-Vee. Blueberries were also lower cost at both Sam's and Hy-Vee.
We shopped on very busy Saturday Christmas Eve Eve (per an old Friends episode, it's 2 days before Christmas). To our surprise, we were able to get what we needed within 15 minutes. They had many employees staffed and the store was operating so efficiently.
When we compare Costco vs Sam's, they are so similar to each other, so if we're getting large quantities of things, I use both of their apps to compare prices before buying. At Costco, I prefer the prepared foods and their milk jugs more than Sam's. But I like Sam's baked goods and rotisserie chicken more than Costco.
Like all warehouse bulk places, prices are usually lower but selection is hit or miss.
I hate buying gas at this Costco because the lines are always too long for me and I hate waiting. I wish they would advertise their gas prices when you enter, so it's not a surprise after you've already waited in a long line.