Frugality Archives — Page 2 of 59

Why We Have a Costco Card Even Though There Isn’t a Costco Nearby

October 11, 2022 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

Our family has had a Costco membership for over ten years. We love Costco! Thanks to food intolerances, we have a special diet and cannot eat gluten or dairy; we also try to eat organic for most of our produce. Thankfully, Costco has organics at an excellent price, and they also have some gluten-free and dairy-free food that is reasonably priced. However, when we recently moved, we discovered the nearest Costco was 90 minutes away. Even so, we decided to renew our membership, and now we have a Costco card even though there isn’t a Costco nearby.

Why We Renewed Our Membership

You may wonder why we renewed our membership because we’re not going to drive 90 minutes every week or two to stock up on Costco groceries. While that’s true, a Costco membership offers excellent benefits beyond the store.

Car Rentals

We travel a lot for work and pleasure. If we’re traveling far, we like to use a rental car since our vehicles are 18 and 9 years old. The only way we rent cars is through Costco’s travel page because it saves us so much money! For instance, last year, we were able to rent a minivan for 15 days for $1,000, and we had unlimited mileage. Without our Costco card, the minivan would have cost us at least $600 more. So that one car rental alone made our Costco membership card worthwhile.

Electronics

We’re a family of five, so we need a lot of electronics! My husband and I each have laptops for work, and the kids have their own for school. We now buy our laptops exclusively at Costco.

Why? There are several reasons.

Warranty

Costco has a two-year warranty on laptops, and if you use a Costco credit card for the purchase, you’ll get an even longer warranty. The first year the warranty is covered by the manufacturer, but Costco concierge service is an intermediary between you and the manufacturer, ensuring the repair goes smoothly. In the second year, Costco covers the repairs. For example, my son’s Chromebook had a problem, and when we called the concierge service and they couldn’t fix it, they told us to bring it back to a local Costco, and then they replaced it with a new one for free!

Customer Service

We’ve had to use the concierge service with several of our laptops; they are always so helpful and kind. They go out of their way to ensure you’re satisfied and that your device is repaired in a timely manner.

Final Thoughts

The travel discounts and electronics warranties are the primary reasons we have a Costco card, even though there isn’t a Costco nearby. However, I have heard rumors that Costco is building a location 30 minutes from us, which would make having a Costco membership even more advantageous.

Is a Costco Membership Worth It When Living Alone?

Costco Can’t Be Beat for Large Purchases

P.S. if you want a list of which Costco Laptop are the best, consider going over to cleverdude.com, they recommend the Lenovo Legion 5i (for gamers) and the HP 15.6 Touchscreen (for everyone else).

MelissaB

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in New York, where she loves the natural beauty of the area.

www.momsplans.com/

3 Little Known Tips for Saving Money on Fuel

October 3, 2022 By Susan Paige Leave a Comment

The rising cost of gas is a stressor for many households across the United States. With gas prices higher than ever before, many drivers are looking for ways to save money at the pump. Here are a few tips and tricks for saving money on gas.

Opt for An Alternative Vehicle

Now is a great time to take a step back and evaluate your vehicle’s gas mileage and the average price of fuel, and to determine if this vehicle is worth it for what it costs. Opting for a more fuel-efficient vehicle such as a Get Lowered Cycles bike or an eco-friendly hybrid can save a surprising amount of money on fuel, especially if your current vehicle is an SUV, van, or another large car.

While buying a new vehicle to save money on gas might seem counterproductive due to the high cost of purchasing a new car, trading in your old vehicle for a better, more fuel-efficient alternative can end up saving you thousands of dollars in the long run.

Don’t Drive Further For Cheaper Gas

Some people believe that only filling up their vehicles at certain gas stations which boast lower prices is a good way to save money at the pump, but the truth is that doing so will only end up costing more money in the long run as you will ultimately use more gas than necessary driving out of your way to a particular station, resulting in a need to purchase more gas. Although it might not feel like the most efficient way to fuel, just get gas at the nearest station when your car needs it, and you will save more money than you might realize.

Pay With Cash

One of the biggest ways to save money on gas is by paying for fuel with cash. Many drivers don’t realize that the advertised lowest price for gas is actually the price if paid with cash, meaning that many drivers are unknowingly paying even more than expected when using a credit or debit card to fill up their tanks. Although paying in cash might not be as convenient as paying with a card right at the pump, it can save you about 10 cents per gallon on average, which really adds up.

The Irrationality of Seeking the Lowest Gas Price

July 4, 2022 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

This week, I drove through the Costco parking lot, and I noticed that the usual entrance to the Costco gas station was blocked off. Instead, gas station traffic was diverted to the area by the entrance of Costco so a longer line could form and not block other parking lot traffic. I followed the line for gas and discovered it was at least 10 cars long. What?! What is this irrationality of seeking the lowest gas price? I am a Costco member, and yes, gas there can be up to 25 to 30 cents a gallon cheaper, but I would never wait in such a long line for gas.

Why do Americans obsessively attempt, at any cost, to pay the lowest gas price? Do they not know that their efforts cost them precious time and yes, even money?

One Woman’s Pursuit of the Lowest Gas Prices

I have a relative I will call Judy, who is a low gas price chaser. She will drive 10 miles or more out of her way to save a few pennies per gallon on the price of gas. She has a 10-gallon tank. If she pays $5.04 at her local gas station, filling her empty tank will cost $50.40.

If she cruises to a town 10 miles away, she might pay $4.98 per gallon, meaning a fill-up will cost $49.80. She saved .60 cents, but did she? She also wasted gas to get to the lower-priced station and took 20 to 30 minutes of her time to do so.

Why We Don’t Seek the Lowest Gas Price

I’m frugal in general. My husband and I only take our family out to eat about five times a year. We drive old vehicles. My Toyota Sienna is a 2004 and has 231,000 miles on it. My husband’s car is a 2013 and has 105,000 miles on it. We live in a modest neighborhood, and when we bought our house, we bought one that was on the lower end of what we could afford.

We like to save money, so you might be surprised to learn that I don’t play the lowest-gas-price game. It’s not worth it to me.

My minivan has a 20-gallon tank, and our nearest gas station sells gas for $4.86 a gallon. To fill up my minivan costs a whopping $97.20. Ouch! Gas at our nearest Costco is $4.55 a gallon. Filling up there would cost $91, so I would save $6.20. However, I do not want to wait in line for 30 to 45 minutes to save six bucks.

Instead, I choose to limit my driving while prices are so high. We stay home a lot more, and when we drive, we combine errands, so we don’t use as much gas. Right now, I’m filling up every two weeks.

Final Thoughts

Americans are obsessed with seeking the lowest gas price, only to save at most a few bucks, or, at worst, a few cents. To do so, they have to spend money and precious time. Rather than chasing the lowest gas price, a more lucrative option may be to find other frugal ways to save money that more significantly impacts their bottom line.

Don’t Make the Cost of Gas Your Scapegoat

Is a Costco Membership Worth It When Living Alone?

MelissaB