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Is a Costco membership worth it?

Your realistic spending against the annual fee — groceries, gas, and the Executive reward if you go that route.

Your numbers

Annual fee ($ — Gold Star 65, Executive 130)

Executive reward (% — 2 if Executive, else 0)

Monthly spend at Costco ($)

Savings vs. your regular store (% — typically 15–25 on comparable items)

Gas fill-ups per month there

Savings per gallon ($ — often 0.20–0.35)

Gallons per fill-up

The verdict

Estimates for education only. Fees and savings vary by location and shopping habits; membership prices shown are typical U.S. rates and may change.

The honest math on warehouse clubs

The fee is the easy part — the hard part is being honest about the other inputs. Warehouse prices genuinely run cheaper per unit than regular grocery stores on comparable items, and the gas discount is real and consistent. For a family doing serious grocery volume plus regular fill-ups, the membership typically pays for itself several times over, which is why renewal rates are famously high.

But the math has two quiet leaks. The first is bulk waste: a great per-unit price on a three-pound tub of spring mix is a terrible price if half of it goes bad. The second is the impulse aisle — the treasure-hunt merchandising is designed to add unplanned items to the cart, and a $40 impulse buy per trip erases a lot of per-unit savings. The savings percentage field in this calculator is where honesty lives: if you tend to overbuy, use a lower number.

The Executive upgrade has its own break-even: the extra fee buys a 2% reward on your spending. That pays for itself only at higher spending levels — enter your real numbers with 2% and the Executive fee, then again with the basic fee at 0%, and compare. If the reward doesn't clearly beat the fee gap, stay basic.

What tilts the answer

Household size. Bulk quantities fit families; for one person, spoilage eats the savings unless you freeze and plan.
Distance. A 25-minute drive each way is a real cost in gas and time that the fee comparison ignores.
The gas station alone. Two fill-ups a month at a meaningful discount can cover most of a basic membership by itself — some members treat everything inside the warehouse as a bonus.
The big-ticket categories. Tires, glasses, hearing aids, and travel bookings often carry the largest savings per transaction. One set of tires can pay for years of membership.

Common questions

Can I try it without paying?

You can shop with a member friend as their guest, and anyone can fill certain prescriptions or buy alcohol in some states without a membership. That's a decent way to scout prices on your actual shopping list before committing.

Is there a refund if I regret it?

Costco's membership guarantee is famously generous — you can cancel and get the fee refunded. That makes the downside of trying it for a year close to zero.

Costco vs. Sam's Club?

Same math, different inputs: Sam's fee is lower and locations differ. Run this calculator with each club's fee and your realistic spend at whichever is closer.