Costco shoppers say these items basically make a membership pay for itself. We did the math.

"Of course, the savings from occasional discounts on big-ticket items such as TVs, mattresses, and household appliances can easily exceed the cost of a year's membership, but those purchases are expensive and infrequent for most households. That leaves a lot of folks asking, as one curious customer on Reddit did, if Costco's discounts on the basics are enough to make a membership worth it."

"Doubters have good reason to be skeptical: retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target offer pretty competitive pricing on a lot of products, not to mention local grocery stores. And then there's pack sizes - a multi-year supply of aluminum foil might technically be a savings, but it probably isn't all that useful. Nor does it save money to get more of something perishable, like fresh fruit, only to throw a lot of it away."

"To find out, we rounded up several of the most popular responses from users in the Costco subreddit, along with a few additional ones based on our experience. We focused the list on more shelf-stable items that are typically consumed steadily throughout the year and visited a local warehouse to check prices. We then compared those prices to comparable offerings at traditional retailers, such as Walmart, Amazon, Target, and others."

Costco charges a $65 annual membership and offers low unit prices by selling many items in bulk. Savings from occasional discounts on big-ticket items can exceed the fee, but those purchases are infrequent for most households. Everyday savings depend on whether routine consumption matches bulk pack sizes and whether goods are shelf-stable. Competing retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target, and local grocery stores often provide competitive pricing. Large pack sizes can create waste for perishables and reduce practical savings. Popular subreddit recommendations and local warehouse price checks highlight shelf-stable staples most likely to offset the membership cost. Estimates of household consumption were used to model annual savings.

Read at Business Insider