3 Reasons I Finally Joined Costco

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I finally did it -- after months of hemming and hawing, I signed up for a Costco membership . To be fair, some of my objections to joining were practical. I live an hour's drive from the nearest warehouse location, I abhor large crowds (and packed parking lots), and I have a household of one human and three cats.

But despite these reasons not to join, I decided to go for it for the following reasons.

1. I saved money on the membership fee by joining now

Everyone enjoys paying less for a purchase, and a Costco membership is no exception. By joining now, I saved money on the membership. On Sept. 1, Costco's two membership tiers are set to rise by $5 and $10 respectively:

• Gold Star (basic) membership: Going from $60 to $65 per year
• Executive membership: Going from $120 to $130 per year

Since I was reluctant about joining Costco for so long, it didn't make a whole lot of sense for me to spring for the Executive membership at this time. If I end up saving enough with my Gold Star membership this year, I'll reconsider the Executive option -- it might cost double, but it would also pay me 2% cash back on most Costco purchases.

2. I have more storage space

After a few years of wishing, hoping, and saving money, I finally became a homeowner a few months ago. While my old apartment wasn't tiny, it wasn't exactly flush with storage space. But now I have multiple large closets and a whole basement that is largely empty.

While I may not benefit from bulk food buys (but I'm interested to see what Costco stocks for granola bars and other nonperishable grocery items I buy often), I can absolutely benefit from bulk paper goods. I'll report back about the construction progress on my basement toilet paper fort!

3. I have at least one big purchase coming up

Costco sells just about everything you can imagine, and that includes electronics. This fall, I intend to upgrade my living room TV to something a little larger and nicer, now that I have a bigger living room and more breathing room in my budget than I did when I bought my current (very cheap) TV.

I plan to shop around for the best price on the right TV (Amazon, Best Buy, and Target are all places where I've bought big-ticket electronics in the past), and being a Costco member means getting access to its deals, too. Plus, buying a TV at Costco has definite perks, including free tech support and a free extended warranty.

Should you join Costco?

For some folks, the decision to join Costco is an easy one -- if you have a big family, live close to a store, or are less put off by a crowded shopping experience, you're probably already a Costco member.

But if you're more like me, I still recommend digging into all that Costco has to offer to make the choice. And hey, there's even a case for joining Costco and never setting foot in a store. You can buy everything from paper towels to imported caviar and a loveseat from Costco.com (and you won't even have to use a Visa credit card like you would in store, since Costco.com also accepts Mastercard)!

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