Sam's V. Costco

You might call it our example of a ‘First World Problem.’ Around our house, recently, there has been a great debate.

No, I’m not talking about the Government Shutdown. If you’re a politico, you can debate that issue on another forum - from the left or the right.

I’m talking about whether we should renew our Sam’s Club membership or, now that Costco is in the market, should we join there instead. There are arguments on both sides of the issue.

So the question is, which Discount Club should we join?

Sam’s is the tried and true choice. We’ve had a Sam’s Club Membership, on and off, since we were first married. In fact, we used to live just around the corner from the mega warehouse. But, as we have inched further and further west, it has become less convenient to go even as Lisa has developed a short list of her favorite Sam’s go-to items.

Enter Costco, now conveniently located just two miles away. I’ve never been to a Costco; I rather imagine the two stores are very similar. I’ve heard the membership for Costco is slightly higher. Then, again, you might make up the difference in gas money…except that Lisa drives by Sam’s on her way to and from work. I’m guessing the merchandise is similar.

All that to say…it’s probably a wash.

My non-Southern friends swear Costco is the way to go. But is it really that much better? Or is the loyalty to the brand built out of familiarity.

Or is this merely a geographical thing? Sam’s is a southern-based company. Costco was founded on the west coast and is based in Seattle.

I wonder, at the base of it all, if regional bias drives the preference. Does it boil down to factors such as: 

• Do you push a cart or a buggy around the supermarket?
• Do you drive on the interstate or the freeway?
• Do you have your picture made or your picture taken?
• Do you pronounce the name of the ink-filled writing utensil as ‘pihn’ or ‘pehn’?

You get the idea.

We still haven’t made our final decision on the matter. I suspect Lisa will give the matter some more thought and perhaps do some research before the outcome is decided.

In the meantime, we have weightier issues on our mind…such as how to get rid of the weeds in the yard, where to go for dinner on Friday night and whether or not to take down the wallpaper and paint the place instead.

You know…really important stuff.

JG

Question of the Day: Which Discount Club do you prefer and why?

Originally posted 10/9/2013