Costco.. we can still be friends :)

Me's Rules to Costco:

1. Stick to the List

2. Use the samples for what they are good for.. FREE FOOD! Never feel obligated to buy

3. Go only when you have to be someplace right after, or right before it closes. Otherwise, you literally will stay in there all day long and spend $300 easily (not that I have done that or anything, lol)

4. If you live alone, only buy things there that will last for at least 3 months or that you can freeze and still use

5. Have fun at Costco! If you have self control and can play with all the toys, look at the clothes, and not buy everything in the warehouse.. then you should really have a nice time :) 

6. If you frequent at Costco.. Step up your game and get the Black Card aka Executive Membership. You pay $50 extra up front.. however, you get automatic $50 back each year, on top of 2% of what you buy... You do the math people! 

Psychological Tricks Warehouse Stores Play On You

by Phil Villarreal

1 person liked this

Warehouse stores like Costco and Sam's Club attract an unqualified devotion of hardcore devotees, myself included. They provide havens that sap away your frugality and coax you to happily part with large sums of money and buy more food and supplies than you'll logically go through in any imaginable length of time.
DealNews spoke to a psychotherapist, who opines about seven tricky tactics the clubs use to lull you into a sometimes false sense of security:
No music. Supermarkets are said to pipe music over speakers in order to get you moving quickly and avoid clogged aisles and lines. Warehouses often ditch the soundtrack, subconsciously coaxing you to hang around as long as you like. The thinking goes that the longer you're in the store, the more stuff you'll be tempted to buy.
Large sizes and quantities that seem like better deals. When confronted with abnormally large packages, it's tougher to do the math on your feet and calculate whether you're actually getting a better deal than you would at another store.
Ubiquitous samples. The warehouses work hard to get you to taste its wares. If you like a sample -- or better yet for the warehouse -- if your kid likes a sample and nags you, you're more likely to make an unplanned purchase.
If you have a warehouse club membership, what do you do to make sure you aren't snookered?
7 Ways Warehouse Clubs Get You Hooked On Buying in Bulk [DealNews]