Costco Membership - Over $50 in Savings - New Members Only

This deal use to be around a lot in the past but lately it has been hard to find instore. Just print the PDF and bring it in with you filled out, worked for me today.

JOIN COSTCO AS A NEW MEMBER and receive coupons for free products and other great savings, valued at MORE THAN $50 , including:
FREE Kirkland Signature™ rotisserie chicken FREE Kirkland Signature Spring or Drinking Water, 35/16.9 oz. FREE Kirkland Signature 48pk "AA" batteries – and more!

FREE PRODUCTS AND COUPON SAVINGS WITH GOLD STAR MEMBERSHIP is $55 a year including a free Household Card. Offer expires March 31, 2013, and is valid only for non-members for their first year of membership. Limit one offer per household. You must apply in person at any U.S. or Puerto Rico Costco location. Offer is non-transferable and may not be combined with any other offer or coupon. Coupons will be mailed to you within 2 to 3 weeks of processing your membership application.

REE PRODUCTS AND COUPON SAVINGS WITH EXECUTIVE MEMBERSHIP with an annual 2% Reward (up to $750) on most Costco purchases is $55 a year, plus an additional $55 upgrade fee a year. Includes a free Household Card. Limit one Executive Membership per household or business. Offer expires March 31, 2013, and is valid only for non-members for their first year of membership. Limit one offer per household. You must apply in person at any U.S. or Puerto Rico Costco location. Offer is non-transferable and may not be combined with any other offer or coupon. Coupons will be mailed to you within 2 to 3 weeks of processing your membership application.

I am going to costco for the first time tomorrow with a friend who has membership.
Anything specific worth buying from costco? eg someone couldnt stress more on maple syrup, anything else worth buying?
TIA

I've always wondered whether a Costco membership is worth it for a single, young grad student. Thoughts?

I am going to costco for the first time tomorrow with a friend who has membership.
Anything specific worth buying from costco? eg someone couldnt stress more on maple syrup, anything else worth buying?
TIA

You can shop at Costco without a membership card if you know of someone who is a member.

1. Tell your friend to purchase multiple cash cards for you and load each of them with $10 (which is the minimum for those cards)

2. Each time you shop at Costco, you enter the store with your cash card. After you shop, no matter how much your purchases cost, you use your cash card to pay the first $10 and pay the rest in cash. For example, if your purchase amount is $80, you use up one of your cash cards and pay the remaining $70 in cash.

3. At each visit, you use up one cash card.

I do not shop at Costco too often and I ordered (through my friend) 10 cash cards with $10 on each of them. 10 cards lasts me almost a year. And before you run out, you just order more.

Or, you can also use your friends membership card, but this is against the terms of the membership agreement.

the single one great thing Costco sells is the 12 inch pumpkin pie for $5.99. It is the best I have eaten and for comparison, Safeway sells 11" pies for $9.99 and 8" pies for $5.99. They are so good, I can eat one pie all by myself in less than 24 hours.

They also have cheap chicken parts (legs, thighs, breasts, etc) and Kirkland brand, high-quality toilet paper/paper towel for decent prices.

Occasionally they have good prices on clothing. Couple days ago I picked up a Calvin Klein V-neck sweater for $19.99 (the MSRP on those is around $79.99)

if you dont want to cook dinner the chicken is the way to go. always great, dirt cheap. if you need sweets the muffins are the way to go but just know its basically 2 muffins into 1 they are that big. other than that just look around, sample the samples!

the single one great thing Costco sells is the 12 inch pumpkin pie for $5.99. It is the best I have eaten and for comparison, Safeway sells 11" pies for $9.99 and 8" pies for $5.99. They are so good, I can eat one pie all by myself in less than 24 hours.

I have been a costco member for 7+ years. Thinking of upgrading to Executive since I probably spend $2500 in-store and $1200 on gas. I get some cashback from Amex BlueCard but it might just be 1%. Any other advantages of executive membership besides the 2% cashback? Is it worth the upgrade?

I have been a costco member for 7+ years. Thinking of upgrading to Executive since I probably spend $2500 in-store and $1200 on gas. I get some cashback from Amex BlueCard but it might just be 1%. Any other advantages of executive membership besides the 2% cashback? Is it worth the upgrade?