Costco allows reviews on its website

Did you know that Costco now allows customer reviews on items on its website? Similar to Amazon and other retail websites, you can now post a review of a Costco item.

I find other user reviews very helpful when comparison shopping. I really like amazon, b/c they usually have a good solid number of reviews over a longer period of time. You have to take everything with a grain of salt; there can also be "fake" reviews posted by people who want to promote a certain product. But suffice it to say, if an item has 100+ reviews and 90% of them are positive, it's probably a good product. That's the power of the online community.

Since Costco has just started, the reviews probably won't be as useful, but feel free to go and add your opinion of products that you like! We're in the market for a stroller, so I surfed around and found a review of this >Go-Go Babyz Urban Advantage stroller. Go check out this new feature!

Wines at Costco

I'm a big fan of Kirkland brand, but ever wonder about the quality of Costco's own wines? This columnist from the Statesman's Journal in Oregon did. Don't know if he's a wine expert, but since I know nothing, I'll take his opinion over mine...

the highlights, you can also click through:

Let's start with that bubbly, the Kirkland Signature, Brut Champagne, $22. This is real, upper-case Champagne. At that low-end price point, though, do you have the right to expect Bollinger or Veuve Clicquot? No, but, this is pretty darned good stuff.

It's fairly rich, with wonderful yeasty, baked-apple-pie aromas. The creamy texture, with frothy, tiny bubbles, enliven the apple flavors. Very good. And just think: You can buy at least two of these for the price of a typical Champagne.

The Kirkland Signature, 2007 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, $10, is the one wine of this bunch that is produced by an actual winery. And it is classic New Zealand sauvignon blanc, with zippy grapefruit and peach aromas. The tart flavors of mango and peach, and big notes of grapefruit, make for a wonderful wine.

The Kirkland Signature, 2007 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir, $14, is predictably very California-like, and that's good or bad, depending and how Oregonized you are.

It begins with aromas of violets, earth and a note that I get so often in California pinot, of resin. The flavors are herbal, with notes of raisin and bing cherry. It's a pretty hefty wine, for pinot, weighing in at 14 percent alcohol. Not much in the way of acidity. But that's coming from someone who was weaned on Oregon pinot noir. I suspect if you like California pinot, you'll enjoy this.

So let's get it on with the Kirkland Signature 2005 Margaux, $18. The skinny on this Bordeaux region is that the wines tend to be more elegant, more aromatic than some of the neighboring big boys.

And that's exactly what I found, beginning with the fabulous floral, cedar and black-currant aromas. It's fairly light, more delicate than one might normally expect of Bordeaux. It has good chewy tannins, and earthy flavors of blackberry and currant. Excellent with a side of beef.

All Hail Costco

Reasons you already knew about Costco, but reiterated by one of my favorite personal finance sites, Motley Fool. Some highlights from the article...

• CEO Jim Sinegal earns a mere $350,000 per year, with a bonus of as much as $200,000 (and possibly some stock). He aims to earn no more than three or four times what his highest-paid store managers earn. "Having an individual who is making 100 or 200 or 300 times more than the average person working on the floor is wrong," Sinegal has said.
• Costco pays its employees relatively lavishly. Workers reportedly start at $10 or more per hour, considerably more than elsewhere, where minimum wage is the usual starting point. According to a 2008 SmartMoney article, average pay topped $18 an hour, fully 68% more than employees earned at Wal-Mart's (NYSE: WMT) Sam's Club, and more than BJ's Wholesale (NYSE: BJ) employees earn, too. Roughly 85% of Costco's employees had health insurance last year (at fairly cheap rates), versus only about half at Wal-Mart and Target (NYSE: TGT). All this leads to low turnover, saving the company money on recruiting and training new employees, and helping Sinegal argue that it's simply a rational business practice.
• It's a rule at the company that no item can be marked up more than 15%. You'll find markups much higher elsewhere (though you'll usually be unaware of it) -- supermarkets mark up items by about 25%, on average, and department stores like Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN), Dillard’s (NYSE: DDS), or Macy's (NYSE: M) can tack on 50% or more.

Buying Costco gift cards on eBay for a discount

I'm constantly looking on eBay for certain gift cards to get a discount in essence at the store. We've received 10-20% by buying gift cards for Marshalls, Lettuce Entertain You restaurants, etc. Some stores go pretty close to face value, while others get a bigger discount b/c they may be more obscure or not as popular. For example, Walmart and Target gift cards almost always go for 98-99% of what they are worth since almost anyone/everyone can get something of use at those stores. For others like say Club Monaco, you may be able to get 25-30% off b/c they're aren't as many Club Monaco stores and/or it doesn't fit everyone's style.

Anyways, Costco gift cards fit the 98-99% of face value, since most people can get something there. In fact, some gift cards go for more than the face value sometimes, b/c non-members can use the gift card to buy something at Costco even though they are not members.

There is a cashback program at live.com. It's been well documented at Fatwallet, and other deal sites, where one can get 25-30% off of a Buy-it-now eBay auction. So what's been popping up on eBay are gift card auctions with a Buy-it-now price of something higher than what the gift card is worth.

For example:
$500 Costco gift card listed at $570 Buy-It-Now
Buyer pays $570, but with 25% cashback (on $570), only pays $427.50 for the $500 gift card
Seller gets $570, pays approximately $54 in eBay and Paypal fees, profits $16 on the sale.

I've bought 2 gift cards now using this method, a $100 Costco gift card for $91 after 30% cashback, and a $100 Bed Bath and Beyond gift card for $75 after 25% cashback. The cashback is not payable for 60 days, but I have received confirmation that it's there. I've also put up an auction of my own on eBay selling a $500 Costco gift card, just to give it a try.

So go out there, check things out, and save some $$$!!! You can even buy my Costco gift card and get your cashback/discount that way! I'll show you how to do it, if you want. Just drop me a line.

The Journey: A Humidifier Story

So we've been in the market for a humidifier for our little one's room. We originally had one of those simple, cute, frog ones, this one. But saw a Honeywell one (similar to >this) at Costco for $50. Me being the techy snob, saw the UV germicidal technology that reduces 99% of bacteria and germs justified that for only $16 more, we could get a much better machine. So wifey returned the froggy to BRU, and we got the Honeywell.

It seemed to work well enough, but after a few days, the mist started smelling. I took a look at the filter and saw mold! From reading humidifier reviews, I knew mold was an issue, especially with an appliance that is constantly churning water. But after 3 days of use? I was not willing to clean the thing every 3-4 days. Plus with the filter, that's one more thing to have to keep buying. It's like printer cartridges. Manufacturers are willing to give away printers, b/c they know you will always have to buy more print cartridges, where they make more $$.

We decided to return the Honeywell but couldn't find the receipt! No worries, Costco's no-questions-asked return policy took it back w/o a problem. Then on our tri-weekly treasure hunt around Costco, we found >this beauty! It was double the price of the Honeywell ($100), but it looked awesome! I did some more research online, checked to see if we could get something decent at Bed Bath with the 20% coupon, but in the end, decided to spring for the Germ Guardian.

Thus ends our quest to find the perfect humidifier.

Costco getting creative to save costs

An excellent article on how Costco is combating the rising costs in this economy...

Have a great weekend!!!

Costco news around the web 10/7/08

Controversial Costco store proposal - sounds like a Walmart story

Costco effect - interesting

Tiles at Costco - in case you're ever in the market

Self-checkout lanes at Costco - coming soon to yours?

New coupons valid 10/9-10/26

Ripped from FW...



Costco Coupon Book 10/9-10/26/08
$2 off Kirkland Signature Roll Towels
$3.50 off Kleenex Ultra Soft Facial Tissue Uprights
$2.50 off Clorox Disinfecting Wipes
$2.50 Off Tide Power or Tide Liquid Laundry Detergent
$300 Off Toshiba 40" 1080p 120Hz LCD
$3.50 Off Bertolli Complete Skillet Meals
$3.50 Off Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste and/or Rinse
$2 Off Pantene Shampoo and/or Conditioner
$80 Off Vizio 37" 1080p LCD HDTV
$199.99 after $40 Off Garmin Nuvi 205w Portable GPS
$4 Off M&M Variety Pack
$4 Off Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn
$3 Off Nature Valley Granola Bars
$4 Off Kirkland Signature Jelly Belly Jelly Beans
$549 after $100 Off Novaform Purcomfort Deluxe Queen Memory Foam Mattress
$2 Off M&M's
$2.50 Off Progresso Soup Variety Pack
$2.50 Off SunnyD Sport Cap
$2 Off Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Morsels
Up to $100 Off per window on Hunter Douglas Window Fashions
$2 Off Triple Chex Cereal
$1.50 Off Cascade Advanced Power and/or Cascade Advanced Gel
$2 Off Nabisco Ritz Crackers and/or Wheat Thins
$2.50 Off Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese
$749.99 after $100 Off Toshiba A305 15.4" W Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 4GB DDR2 320GB HDD
$2.50 Off Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats and/or Frosted Flakes
UP TO $2 Off Your choice of any two: Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew or Brisk $2 Off 36 pk or $1.50 off 24 pk

UP TO $3 OFF Cascade Complete Action Pacs 85ct or $2.50 Off Cascade Action Pacs 90 ct
$3 OFF Dixie 10" Paper Plates
$16.99 after $4.50 Off Splox Multi-Purpose Ream-Less Paper 8.5x11" 2500 ct
$1.50 Off Bounce Dryer Sheets
$3 Off Clorox 2 2x
BOGO Jerky Treats for Dogs
$1.50 Off Dawn Advanced Power Dishwashing Liquid
$1999 after $400 off Marseille 6 pc bedroom collection
$2.50 Off Gain Detergent
$3.50 Off OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover
$2 Off Vanity Fair Luncheon Napkins or Dinner Napkins
$2 Off Clorox Disinfecting Toilet Bowl Cleaner With Bleach and/or Automatic Bowl Cleaner Tabs

$489.99 after $80 Off Viewsone PJ551D DLP XGA Projector
$3 Off Woolite Ultra ProCare and/or Spray n Wash
$3.50 Off Masterpiece Plats and/or Reflections Cutlery
$2.50 Off Ling Ling Chicken Potstickers
$2.75 off Les Plats Du Chef All Natural French Onion Soup
$999 after $200 Off Lorex 15" LCD 4 Channel Triplex DVR
$3 Off Q-Tips Cotton Swabs
$8 Off Huggies Diapers and Huggies Natural Refreshing Baby Wipes
$2.50 Off Always Ultra Regular or Ultra Thin Overnights or Super Maxi
$2 Off Irish Spring Bar Soap
$579 after $100 Off ZT Reliant Desktop Intel Q6700 4GB DDR2 500GB HDD
$4 Off Nexxus Therappe Shampoo
$7 Off Nexxus Humectress Conditioner
$3 Off Glide Deep Clean Floss
$4 Off Oral-B CrossAction Pro-Health Toothbrushes
$599 After $2.50 Off New York Bonded Leather Chairs 2-Pack
$2.50 Off Colgate Total Toothpaste
$5 Off Vaseline Intensive Rescue Lotion
$4 Off Esssenza Reed Diffusers
$5 Off Olay Regenerist and/or Total Effect
s$179.99 After $20 Off Commercial Stainless Steel & Black Patio Heater
$7 Off Olay Regenerist Microsculpting Cream
$4 Off Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion
$2 Off Dove Shampoo and/or Conditioner
$4 Off Playtex Gentle Glide Tampons
$199 after $50 Off Kodak Easyshare 10" Digital Picture Frame W1020
$9 Off Mobil 1 10W30 Synthetic Motor Oil and/or 5W30 Synthetic Motor Oil
$5 Off Any First Alert Fire Safety Product
$100 Off Cellular Phones
$249.99 After $30 Off Kodak EasyShare Z1015 IS 10MP
$50 Off Sony 5.1 Channel 5DVD/CD Home Theatre System
$100 Off Acer 15.4" Widescreen Notebook Computer
$100 Off HP DV7-1133CL 17" Widescreen Notebook Computer
$2499.99 after $700 off Verona 4'x8' Slate Pool Table with Dining Conversion Top
$30 Off Panasonic Lumix FS5 Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoon
$40 Off Samsung 22" LCD HDTV
$50 Off Magellan Maestro 5310 5" Portable GPS Auto Navigation
$399 after $105 in savings Brother MFC-9440CN Network Color Laser All-in-One
$5 Off Snapware MODs Food Storage
$40 Off Hoover Self Propelled WindTunnel Vacuum
UP TO $35 Off Buy FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing System and/or 6 pk replacement rolls get $30 off sealing system and/or $5 off bags

$2299 after $500 off Preston 4 Piece Fabric Living Room Collection
$30 Off Maxtor OneTouch 4 750GB External Hard Drive
$25 Off Oral-B Professional Care 8950 Rechargable Dual Handle Toothbrush
$4 Off Design Optics Reading Glasses
$5 Off Warner Bros Classic Cartoons DVD Assortment
$1699.99 After $400 Off Cappuccino Modular Office Wall
$3 Off Airborne Original
$15 Off Nicorette 2 or 4 mg, and/or Nicorette Mint 2 or 4 mg, and/or Cinnamon 2 or 4 mg, White Ice 2 or 4 mg, NicoDerm 21,14 or 7 mg, and/or Commit 2 mg or 4 mg.

$3 Off Vicks NyQuil Original or Cherry or NyQuil LiquiCaps or DayQuil LiquiCaps or ThermaCare Back Heat Wraps or Thermacare Neck Arm Heat Wraps or Metamucil Capsule or Sugar Free or Smooth Texture Orange

$200 Off Panasonic 50" 1080p Plasma HDTV
$3 Off Nature Made Folic Acide, Vitamin D, Odorless Garlic, Organic Flaxseed Oil, Vitamin C Liquid Softgels, Multi-Complete Liquid Softgels

$2 Off L'il Critters Gummy Vites, Calcium Bears Omega-3 Gummy Fish
$2.50 Off Kirkland Signture Sugar Free Children's Chewable Multivitamin, Enteric Coated Fish Oil Daily Multivitamin Pack and/or Vitamin C.

$3499 after $600 Off Vineyard 8-Piece Dining Collection

eBay Watch: Costco reusable shopping bag

From what I can remember, they were giving these bags away for signing up for the Costco AMEX credit card.

Someone put this up on eBay and sold it for $4.99 + $5 shipping, further cementing the fact that one can sell almost anything on eBay.