Medication, TP, Paper towels, drinks and bulk seasoning. BJs is deceptive, because they also have coupons for their stuff, which lowers the cost even more. Answer from smart_gent on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/costco › comparison shopping: costco vs bjs wholesale
r/Costco on Reddit: Comparison Shopping: Costco vs BJs Wholesale
October 31, 2023 -
I have a member ship to both while I suss out which one is the better bargain. For those who may have also have a BJS membership, are there things that Costco carries for a better price/ quality than BJs? Trying to see if it’s worth it to have both, or should I just maintain one membership. (It’s just my husband and I. No kids. No pets.)
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I have both. The biggest thing is BJs has a service deli. They also regularly do a $2 coupon on deli meat too. I think they might be slightly cheaper since they do have lots of coupons in their app, but it's a pain scrolling through and clipping them. And it probably varies by location, but my BJs is run down and dirty, even though it was just built a few years ago. On several occasions, I've found their meat cases with warm meat and temperature sitting around 60 degrees. Costco gas is Top Tier. They have better rotisserie chickens and just seem to have better products.
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I have both, since before we moved we were very close to BJs and over 30 minutes to closest Costco. Now that we are equal distance to BJs and Costco, there are a couple of items at BJs that Costco doesn’t carry. These alone save me the cost of the BJ membership when compared to buying at other stores. If Costco carried those items, I would cancel BJs.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/costco › costco vs bjs opinions
r/Costco on Reddit: Costco vs BJs Opinions
June 16, 2021 -
I'm a longtime Costco member. I absolutely love Costco, but am considering joining BJs too for $20. They offer curbside pickup and are closer to me than Costco is. I'll still keep Costco because I think their brand is better quality than BJs.
Is there anything that's a better deal at BJs or equally as good? One thing I see is that they have my preferred brand of cat litter. As for food, I am vegetarian. I like a lot of the Asian food at costco too.
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The Well-Trained Mind Community
forums.welltrainedmind.com › education › general education discussion board
BJ's, Costco, Sam's--how are they on organic items? - General Education Discussion Board - The Well-Trained Mind Community
April 20, 2008 - Costco was mentioned on another thread as having good prices and variety in organic items. What has been your experience with the three warehouse clubs we have in our area---Costco, BJs, Sams? We have had a membership to each of them at various times, but haven't had one since we moved to this ho...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/eatcheapandhealthy › what’s worth buying at costco, sam’s, or bj’s?
r/EatCheapAndHealthy on Reddit: What’s worth buying at Costco, Sam’s, or BJ’s?
January 28, 2025 -
I know rotisserie are $5.
I’m not a big packaged food eater unless I can justify being healthy.
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Costco repeats in our house: Organic extra virgin olive oil Avocado oil (use in place of canola or veg oil; I use in baking as well) Campari tomatoes Fruit - all kinds Peanut butter (Kirkland brand with just peanuts and salt; no sugar) Almond flour - Kirkland brand Regular flour - King Arthur brand Kerrygold butter Hummus Sprouted rolled oats Nuts (cashews especially) Raw honey Pure maple syrup Yogurt Salsa (Mateo’s brand) Whole San Marzano tomatoes (Cento) Organic spinach
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Medication, TP, Paper towels, drinks and bulk seasoning. BJs is deceptive, because they also have coupons for their stuff, which lowers the cost even more.
RebateKey
rebatekey.com › home › bj’s vs costco: which one is better?
BJ's vs Costco: Which One is Better? - A Guide on How to Find the Best Amazon Coupons and Rebates
September 22, 2025 - Consumer Reports found that Costco ranked higher than BJs in terms of cleanliness, customer service, brand quality, meat and produce quality, and organic item prices.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/costco › how does bjs compare vs costco?
r/Costco on Reddit: How does BJs compare vs Costco?
April 17, 2025 -
Hi!
I'm getting a BJs annual membership deal for $20 instead of the typical $60. Has anyone tried BJs? For which products & services, is Costco better than BJs and vice-versa. I'm not sure if it's worth getting a BJs membership.
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I love BJs
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I shop at both on a regular basis, so I think I can offer some reasonable commentary here. Caveat: the BJs commentary is specific to my local store (Portland, ME) which is a relatively small location on the scale of warehouse clubs and notably doesn't have a food court or pharmacy, so there may be aspects of the store experience that don't apply at a larger BJs. My local Costco (Scarborough, ME) is a fairly typical Costco location in terms of size and I occasionally shop at other Costcos so I think my commentary on that end ought to be more generalized. Key differences: BJs has more consistent inventory (but a smaller overall selection) - I've found that Costco turns over much more quickly and what is on the shelves is much more variable week-to-week. BJs has more items that they stock consistently and less limited time or temporary items. This is excluding seasonal items which are pretty similar in terms of turnaround at both places. Conversely, Costco tends to have more "limited time" deals or one-off items, and when Costco offers discounting it tends to be much deeper than what you'd get with coupons at BJs. At least at my local locations, Costco has a much broader selection of personal care and home improvement items. Their prices are also a lot lower on things like over-the-counter medicines (sometimes by as much as 30-40%, so if you buy a lot of OTC meds this is a major point of differentiation). Costco also has a better selection of electronics and appliances (my local BJs doesn't sell large appliances at all, though you can order them online). Conversely, our local BJs has a much better selection of office supplies, i.e. pens, file folders, label printers/labels, etc. BJs tends to have smaller but still bulk portions on certain items, so for individuals or couples, it can be easier to deal with BJs portions. Kirkland Signature quality tends to be pretty consistent, whereas I've found some Berkley Jensen stuff that was not all that great. Not a major point of differentiation, though, and some Berkely Jensen stuff is good to excellent. There are more options for store brand Kirkland Signature items, whereas there are a number of areas where BJs doesn't offer a store brand Berkley Jensen item. With respect to the butcher shop, I've found that I generally prefer the selection at Costco day-to-day, but BJs occasionally has some crazy-good deals. They also carry national brands like Perdue if you care about, whereas Costco is almost entirely their own brand/supplier for meat. Costco's prices are lower day-to-day, but BJs often has coupons in the app/website that push their prices below Costco. A good example I ran into recently was an 8-pack of Duracell 9V batteries was 19.99 at BJs and 18.99 at Costco - however there was a coupon in the BJs app that pushed the price down to 17.99. I'm sure this is region specific, but our local Costco has a much broader selection of wine and liquor than our local BJs. I haven't tried the Berkley Jensen brand liquor but the little bit of Kirkland Signature liquor I've had has been excellent value for money. BJs also accepts all credit cards, whereas Costco only accepts Visa. How much this matters depends on whether you normally pay with credit vs debit (or other methods) and whether you have non-Visa cards that re specifically rewarding for warehouse club purchases. The BJs app and website are somewhat better than Costco. They've had the ability to search inventory in your local club and to place orders for in-club pickup for years. Costco's ability to search local club inventory and prices is relatively new, and not quite as comprehensive, though it is improving. Costco generally prices ground shipping into online orders, and adjusts prices accordingly. BJs is less likely to have different prices in-store and online, but more likely to charge for shipping. At least at my local store, the shopping experience is generally more pleasant at BJs, but a lot of that is down to the fact that they aren't as busy. BJs also isn't as intense about checking memberships - they don't check at the door, so anybody can come in and look around (of course you do need to scan it at the register). The BJs checkout/front-end system is night and day better than Costco. Costco self-checkouts don't have hand scanners, so if you have a large item you either have to flag down the employee supervising the self-checkouts, or you have to awkwardly pass it in front of the barcode scanner mounted on the self-checkout itself. BJs has wireless hand scanners, and if you scan something with the hand scanner it doesn't need to go on the scale - it just prints an alert on the receipt for the checker at the exit. With a similar sized order, I'd guess I can frequently get out the door in less than half the time at BJs vs Costco. Overall I think it just depends on what you buy relative to what your local stores stock. If you're happy with Costco I wouldn't go out of my way to switch to BJs (or vice versa). However with that said, BJs doesn't check memberships at the door (or at least they don't at my local store), so it's pretty easy to go in and check prices/inventory before you commit.
Food Republic
foodrepublic.com › 1939265 › cheapest-wholesale-grocery-chain
Sam's Club Vs BJ's Vs Costco: Which Wholesale Grocery Chain Is Cheapest? - Food Republic
August 18, 2025 - Still, Costco often comes out cheapest for certain gourmet-leaning items, such as organic eggs, olive oil, many nut products, and vanilla extract. Food Republic also ranked Costco's rotisserie chicken higher than Sam's, and it's cheaper than BJ's.
LIFamalies
lifamilies.com › chat › topic.aspx
Costco vs BJs in regards to Organic foods
Log In Chat Index Search Rules Lingo Create Account · Costco vs BJs in regards to Organic foods
Business Insider
businessinsider.com › business insider › lifestyle › food › i shopped at costco and then visited bj's for the first time — i think the latter is a worthy competitor
I shopped at Costco and then visited BJ's for the first time — I think the latter is a worthy competitor
February 3, 2025 - Costco's bread section is located in a corner visible from the bakery, tucked away by the produce section, and takes up a considerable amount of space. The variety is astounding and wonderful, with brands and types to accommodate all preferences — keto, gluten-free, organic, budget-friendly.
DISboards
disboards.com › forums › just for fun › community board
BJ's vs Costco organic products | DIS Disney Discussion Forums - DISboards.com
July 25, 2010 - Costco has a couple of Kashi cereals, and some organic items. I remember the bins of spring mix the best, but I think most of the organics are from Mexico.
MyBJsWholesale
mybjswholesale.com › home › game on! bjs produce or costco wholesale?
Costco Vs. BJ's Produce Items Compared | MyBJsWholesale
February 7, 2022 - Costco has Dole Brand. BJs has Chiquita. Costco’s are ready to eat, BJs are not. I’ll let you pick who you choose as the winner on this one 😉 · The organic spring mix I always find to be a good deal at Wholesale clubs.
Business Insider
businessinsider.com › business insider › i belong to both costco and bj's wholesale club — here's why it's worth it to pay for both memberships
I belong to both Costco and BJ's Wholesale Club — here's why it's worth it to pay for both memberships
June 10, 2019 - Melanie Stetson Freeman/The Christian ... for your food and drinks is important to you, Costco has a leg up — currently, the store has the greater selection of organic items....
Reddit
reddit.com › r/frugal › sams, bjs, costco
r/Frugal on Reddit: Sams, Bjs, Costco
November 9, 2023 -
I’m trying to decide between a membership for one of the 3 of these. They’re all about the same distance from my house. What are the benefits of each and the cons? I know Sams is good for bulk shopping. Costco just moved in so I don’t know much about it. Which one do you like best? We’re a family of 2 adults and a picky toddler who eat home cooked meals most nights but like to grab easy things for breakfast and eat a lot of sandwiches for lunch. TIA
Edit: Thanks everyone. This weekend I’m going to try to window shop them all to see what works best for me. It looks like each one has pros and cons and it depends on your personal habits.
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Costco changes its stock depending on local shopping habits and demographics so it's a good idea to tour your local store as a guest of a member before making your decision. Also, depending on local laws you may or may not be able to use the pharmacy without a membership. In general, Costco's gasoline consistently costs less than major chains, its pharmacy negotiates the best out of pocket prices (always ask the pharmacist: your out of pocket price may be less than your deductible), and their auto center is competitive. Costco's food court has held the line on prices and beats most other fast food. Edit: apparently pharmacy access without a membership is chain-wide policy now. Overall Costco focuses on offering quality products fewer price points. Costco isn't the place to find the cheapest sheets and towels, but if you're looking for midrange linens they're often the best deal for the price. Where Costco really shines is customer service. They pay their people a living wage so Costco employees care about doing the job right. For instance it was a Costco Optical employee who figured out one of my eyes has a focal point 3 mm higher than the other, which may seem like a small matter but it affects the prescription because a standard lens won't focus correctly unless it's crooked. No other optical test had ever spotted this. Sooner or later service will matter, and you may not realize when you need it. (I hadn't). My main experience with Sam's Club was picking up a reserve order with a friend who has a membership there. They'd reserved a dozen frozen quiches for an event using the online system, and then called in advance to confirm everything was in order, but on the morning of the event only five quiches were there. None of the store employees had an explanation or gave a damn, and customer service gave the run-around. We ended up having to drive to a different Sam's Club and were nearly late for the event. Also regarding Costco: people tend to love it or hate it depending on how they shop. The people who go on weekends for free samples and make impulse purchases tend to decide the place is a waste; the people who love it shop from a list and check the household inventory before leaving home. And run a search specifically for Costco Business Center. Business Center stores are the restaurant supply arm of Costco. That's the place where you get the best volume discounts, such as mozzarella cheese at $2/lb if you're willing to buy 6 lbs of it.
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My BJs has a deli for sliced sandwich meat plus they mail me coupons for $20 off a $150 order fairly regularly. Their digital app with digital clipped coupons keeps me looped in on the best opportunities to grab what I need when it's on sale. Have previously had both CostCo and Sam's, and in my experience neither company seems to try as hard as BJs. (I also got an annual membership for $20 when they were running a special, so that was great.)
Reddit
reddit.com › r/frugal › bjs, costco, or sam’s club?
r/Frugal on Reddit: BJs, Costco, or Sam’s club?
January 3, 2024 -
Hi I’m a female who lives alone without a car trying to figure out which option Is cheapest. ? I’m a gym person so most of my diet consists of protein bars, protein powder, chicken/meats, salmon, tilapia, tuna, & Greek yogurt eggs, brown rice, whole wheat pasta etc . Also a lot of veggies preferable precut veggies such as cubes of squash etc which would be the best option ? Also prefer something where I can order my body soap, shampoo, toiletries all in one type of thing
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Costco is best
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I have both Sam's Club and Costco memberships. Husband got the Costco from work and I snagged Sam's Club for super cheap ($15 for a year) through T-Mobile. I prefer getting meat from Costco. Seems better quality to me. I get the more "staple" stuff from Sam's.
The Kitchn
thekitchn.com › costco-sams-club-bjs-comparison-258644
Costco Sams Club BJs - Products Shopping Benefits | The Kitchn
May 1, 2019 - Many of you compared the organic options to that of Whole Foods — while, of course, pointing out that the prices are way better. Related: The 7 Smartest Costco Deals for When You’re Trying to Eat Healthier
The Reporter
readthereporter.com › bjs-vs-costco
BJ’s vs. Costco
They’ve also got pizza!? As I hand my children their ice cream, my daughter makes sure to announce that BJ’s doesn’t have any ice cream in their snack area. In fairness to BJ’s, they do have cookies, but they are not served warm like they are at Costco.
Bogleheads.org
bogleheads.org › board index › community › personal consumer issues
Grocery shopping price comparison (Costco vs BJs vs Sams...) - Bogleheads.org
We regularly shop at Costco since ... to their chocolate chip cookies. We also have a BJs membership for some things we use in bulk but Costco doesn't sell that brand....
Eat This!
eatthis.com › home › groceries › 7 major differences between costco, sam's club, & bj's
7 Major Differences Between Costco, Sam’s Club, & BJ’s
June 6, 2024 - For starters, if you are looking for the widest selection of organic products, stick with Costco. If you just want sheer volume and the most amount of options possible, look into a BJ’s membership.
Big Green Egg Forum
eggheadforum.com › egghead forum
Costco or BJ's — Big Green Egg Forum
July 10, 2018 - Both are hit or miss for prime meats, both have nice looking choice and grass fed cuts, but watch sell by dates very carefully. Both stores sell meats where they circle the date because it says sell by 2 days or do from then. Both stores are upping their organic produce and dairy.
The Krazy Coupon Lady
thekrazycouponlady.com › tips › money › bjs-vs-costco
Costco vs. BJ's: Who Is Cheaper? - The Krazy Coupon Lady
January 6, 2025 - We compared Costco vs. BJs on membership fees, prices, and perks to find out if BJ's is really cheaper than Costco. You might be surprised by the answer.