Sunday, October 28, 2007

Costco rambling

Why did we go to Costco on Saturday? (Is that "t" silent? And do you omit the question mark for a rhetorical question?) I seem to remember making a pledge not to go there on Saturday in the past, but it was pouring down rain all day yesterday so we just had to get out. First thing we did was have a poutine in Rox's honor. They do make a mean poutine. Plus we always try to shop on a full stomach as that reduces expenditures enormously. The aisles were jammed, and I mean jammed with shoppers. It took us 2 and a half hours to snake our way through the place. Serge grazed at all the sampling stations while I focused on calculating whether or not things were cheaper. Just because it's a large quantity doesn't always mean you're getting a deal. I also calculate whether we can reasonably consume the items before the expiration date. As I've mentioned before, we have expired Mac 'n Cheese in our pantry that we bought there years ago.
Other questions came up while shopping. Do people really buy pants at Costco? There is no place to try them on, so how does one know how they fit? I always think about buying some jeans, but I need to try them on first, so I don't. Socks I can see buying, so we did.

We both weighed ourselves on the scales they were selling. Serge cracked me up with his standard line, "We need this." I gave him my stock response, "Define need."

I saw someone shoplifting too. Slipped an item right into his jacket pocket while doing a slow turn. It's true there's no detectors at the exit, just someone matching your receipt to the goods in your cart. Most things are in too big a package to hide on one's person, but not everything. I saw him do it, but I didn't do anything about it.

Today we've got to prepare for the hard freeze coming tonight and close the exterior water lines and bring in any plants we want to nurture inside until spring. Should be a scintillating day.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've never been to a Costco but I do shop at Sam's club. I try to buy only things I need gallons of. I was disappointed that they never had my Smart Balance margarine in the 3 pound container. I can buy the 1 pound containers at Wal-Mart.
It is 32 degrees here this morning so we have a light frost. I've already moved my house plants indoors.

CoffeeDog said...

Costco is like Ikea to me, both are like hell on earth.

RJ March said...

We went to Costco yesterday, too. I bought a million yards of dental floss and two dozen Power Bars, at which my partner raised his eyebrows. Define need, indeed.

Devo said...

We have purchased a lot of clothing at Costco, pants included. I used to resist the insanity but since they take it back no questions asked I just return it if it doesn't fit properly. I've never tried the poutine, I'm afraid to become addicted to another food item-haha. It snowed here once already and melted so it's definitely winterizing time-yeesh.

don said...

Does Costco have to change anything in order to comply with PQ's language laws? For example, does their signage say Chez Costco or Maison de la Costco?
They serve Poutine at Homo Depot in Vancouver but not at Costco. No matter, I can't eat at Costco anyway since they put the concession next to the tire shop. The smell of plastic and rubber is really disgusting.

Chunks said...

This post warmed me like no other, as you know my LOVE for COSTCOS!! (My old neighbor Mary always adds an S)

Have you tried their "Fresh Creations" sausage? They always have different flavors and they are gluten-free! As I am not a sausage person, this is a cool find because they are not your typical sausage. Very low fat/lots of flavor.

My hub buys pants at Costco. He says "Where else can you buy jeans for $18?!" What can you say to that?

Costco is the thing I miss the most in GP. It warms me to the soul when I go back in there.

Cooper said...

We went to Costco yesterday, too. I spent $157 on sort-of-needs and not-needs. We all sampled the freebies. They're why Saturday is the best day to go. I buy some clothing items there ... socks, pjs for the boys ... but not jeans. I've never forgotten being teased for wearing Kirkwood jeans when I was around 13-14.

GayProf said...

I try to avoid any type of grocery shopping on the weekend. There is too much of a frenzy.

Anonymous said...

You can get poutine at Costco and Vancouver's Home Depot?!?! I'm crushed. I've always really wanted to visit Quebec, partially so I could say I've had poutine, and now I find out I can have it 60 miles away in a hardware store?!?! This is one depressed NW Washingtonian...

Anonymous said...

I've bought shorts there at my wifes suggestion. They fit well but are kinda cheaply made (a button fell off after a few uses). They are also made with a heavy fabric which isn't quite practical in summer. I agreed to get them without trying them on assuming we'd return them if they didn't fit well. I normally wouldn't buy something like that, but there was a need for them and my shopping time has been quite limited.

Anonymous said...

@Ann: the poutine at Home Hardware (I'm assuming it's a Harveys in the foyer?) isn't REAL poutine--you can only get that in PQ and franco-Ontario. How to tell? The curds at Harvey's rarely squeek.

dpaste said...

"Serge grazed at all the sampling stations"

Good thing you ate before you went shopping.

Anonymous said...

I don't remember the last thing I bought at Costco.

And seeing the shoplifter? It would have put me into paroxysms of guilt. Should I out him or not? Because of shoplifters, prices are higher. Why should he get something for free? He's stealing!

Oh, the agony of it all.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I'm with Cooper on the jeans, my brothers middle school career was ruined by wearing toughskins which was okay in Minnesota but not in California.

I love knowing that you can just return things that don't fit. Thanks Devo.

Eek on the shoplifting.

Fatinah said...

one time we bought a jumbo cling wrap from Costco - it lasted 7 years!

Java said...

I don't think we have a Costco within 100 miles of the Middle-of-Nowhere, South Carolina, but there are a few Sams Clubs. With a family of 8, half of them teenagers, I don't usually have trouble using up the large quantities Sams provides. Except the cling wrap! Still have that huge box. It is hard to remove from the cabinet, and one of the kids tore off that serrated piece of metal that cuts the stuff.
So there it sits,
under the sink,
gathering dust,
pushed farther back,
waiting for someday
that may never come
to be useful again
in our busy lives.

Ode to the cling wrap.

lattégirl said...

I bought jeans at Costco ("Cossco") once - had to try them on in the ladies room. They were Calvin Kleins and only $35... I couldn't pass them up!

Daddy Cool said...

The crowds coupled with the questionable savings (falling victim to the oooh I need that) turned me off the Costco. It's the regular old grocery for me.

Doug said...

Being the non-enunciator that I am, it's pronounced "kahz-ko."

No dressing room? No problem! Nothing like a little public display. ;)

Tony Adams said...

I have to go to Costco today.
Hope there will be some more of those urban walking sandals I got a while back.
Other things always to buy at COSTCO:
a) Starbucks decaf coffee in the five pound bag. (and yes you can bring it into Starbucks and they will grind it for you for free.) We mix decaf with reg so there is little reason to buy expensive decaf. This blend is a bargain.
b) Tide
c) "memory foam" pillows
d) multi vitamins, Co-Q-10, CLA
e) blue towels for stuffing into one's gym bag. Buy two dozen and they will last you for that many years, and if you forget one at the gym, you won't be heartbroken.
f) mixed nuts (big jar) for your busy husband to bring to work for when he doesn't take a lunch break.
What not to buy at COSTCO: moisturizer. They do not sell the unscented variety.

Patricia said...

i do enjoy going to sam's but never on a saturday, it spoils my fun to get so wretchedly bitchy when shopping.

"we need this" is one of my favorite phrases :)

A Bear in the Woods said...

Places like Costco are one facet of the modern version of the Gladiator pits of the ancient world.
Hardly more civilized.

Mark in DE said...

When we used to belong to Costco we occasionally purchased pants. True, you can't try them on before buying, but I did return an ill-fitting pair without issue. Probably not a good idea if you are often 'between sizes', but if you always wear the same size its usually fine.

We would NEVER go to Costco on a Sat though.

Mark

Kirsten said...

I would like to have a need to go to Costco once in awhile, but my apartment just isn't big enough.

Regarding the shoplifter: I wouldn't worry about not reporting it too much. I've worked in a number of retail environments, and they all had the same policy. If store staff does not witness the theft, they can't do anything about it. I was working a supermarket once when a customer told me she saw a young man put a huge family pack of chicken breasts under his coat. He came to the checkout obviously holding his coat and shifting the product around, trying to keep it from falling. Since I never saw the product, I couldn't do anything. Sucks, but that's the way it goes.