5 Disadvantages Of A Costco Membership

From the start, back when it was still Price Club out of San Diego, the major warehouse chain Costco has existed to save its customers money. Not just any customers, though — to shop at this budget-friendly store, you need to purchase a membership. Luckily, there are plenty of great perks to having a Costco membership, from lesser-known benefits like access to travel discounts and life insurance to the stuff everyone celebrates, like its super-tasty food court and cost-effective gasoline. However, there are some downsides to a Costco membership that you should take into consideration if you're thinking about joining or you're up for a renewal soon and on the fence about it.

While we're the first to admit that most Costco hate is forced, customers past and present have brought up a number of legitimate concerns, from some of the financial aspects of shopping there to quality issues with the products that line the shelves. If you want a realistic take on becoming a Costco member, read on for five disadvantages to deliberate over.

If you're considering a membership with Costco, you likely are looking to save a little money by buying in bulk; likewise, Costco is able to offer its members prices that are lower than those at your typical grocery store by also buying in bulk from its suppliers. But the other, more significant way Costco can keep its prices so economical is by charging membership fees, which historically account for more than half of its total profits. That means every household forks over $65 for a Gold Star membership or $130 for an Executive membership. But it's not a one-time fee — you must pay up annually to continue to shop at Costco, and for some, particularly those on a tight budget, that cost of entry might be too high.

What's worse, if you do go ahead and fit the membership into your household's financial plan for the year (maybe you found a way to join without paying the full membership fee), your membership might auto-renew; it does appear that, in some cases, this is the automatic setting when you sign up. Now, there are a few reasons why this isn't necessarily a negative, but imagine you forget that your membership is up for renewal, and you just paid all your bills, you had an unexpected car expense, and your furnace is making a noise all of a sudden. That Costco membership might be your checking account's tipping point.

There's a common joke that you don't decide what you need from Costco; the store decides for you (before you even know you need it, too). And it might seem true, especially when you see people exiting the stores with their carts stuffed to the brim, items arranged in a precarious, Tetris-like formation. All this can indicate that they bought so much because everything is a great deal at Costco. Is it, though? Look, it's true that Costco is often more affordable than regular grocery stores, but often isn't always, and if you just go ahead and assume that you're getting the best deal on something, you're likely going to end up overspending.

This is especially true if you don't end up using or freezing everything that you purchased before it goes bad or spoils, like expensive fresh beef products. Instead of just assuming that you're getting the lowest price at Costco, it can help to shop around a little bit and compare prices, especially at local grocery stores that often run sales. It's also helpful to curb your impulse buying as much as possible. Do you actually need that $100 entire wheel of cheese, or is that just the mini-Costco CEO sitting on your shoulder, telling you that you do?

One of the pitfalls of buying perishables in bulk is that there is so much more to get through, and if you don't have enough people eating or drinking all that milk or cheese, you're going to end up dumping it down the sink or tossing it in the garbage when it inevitably spoils. And some items, namely Costco's produce, have unfortunately been known to spoil sooner rather than later.

Over on Reddit, one user said, "I would actually not recommend Costco if produce is your focus, unless you buy and eat within a couple days." But even then, they continued, they were "not really impressed [by the] quality." Another Redditor chimed in, saying the fresh fruits and vegetables at the warehouse chain could be "hit [or] miss." On a different thread, one Redditor complained that they get home and find mold is already growing on the onions, potatoes, or berries. "I'm tired of wasting ... money," they wrote. And it might not be as big a deal (though it's frustrating no matter where you get your produce from) if you weren't paying to buy quite so much that ends up in the garbage a few days after it was purchased.

Among the many things the COVID-19 pandemic took away from us was the joy and ease of shopping at midnight, thanks to some supermarkets being open 24/7. You could freely make circles with your cart without knocking into someone else because there were zero crowds. It often felt like you had the whole grocery store to yourself, as if it were your own personal shop for an hour. Now imagine the opposite of this, and that is what a visit to Costco is like when it's at its busiest.

The cavernously wide aisles are nonetheless filled, teeming with whole families and people who act like it's their first day on Earth. And to make matters worse, they're pushing carts the size of small cars, or stopping with them in the middle of the aisle, leaving you no way to get around. Then, the crowds seem to descend upon the registers en masse, tacking an extra 15 to 20 minutes of just waiting onto your shopping trip. If you can avoid these crowds, do so; there are definite worst days and times to shop at Costco. If the warehouse's non-peak hours and your schedule simply do not agree, and you cannot abide the crowds, you might want to consider shopping somewhere else.

If you don't like it when fast food chains release limited-time items and then pull them after a few months (after giving you a heads-up), you really won't like it when Costco does it, sometimes completely unannounced or with little fanfare or warning. It's part of the chain's business model, unfortunately, keeping its limited stock rotated and fresh, and removing even popular items to make way for newer prospects.

It has happened again and again over the years, giving birth to a long list of discontinued Costco foods we desperately miss. Customer favorites from the bakery, grab-and-go section, freezer aisles, and especially the food court create a fondness in customers' homes, hearts, and stomachs, only to be ruthlessly pruned from the Costco tree, never to be heard from again.

As mentioned, sometimes the product disappears without any prior indication, but occasionally there will be what's known as the "death star," an asterisk on the price tag, which means the item won't be getting a restock once what's on the shelf is sold. If you don't like the idea of getting attached to a product, only for Costco to ghost you with it at some point, then a membership at this store might not be worth it for you.