FDA CPAP Mask RX-only Enforcement Poll

We no longer have pets but when we did I used Speedy Dry for the cat litter. Avail at any auto parts store.

Everytime I go to Costco I get the hot dog & a drink for $1.59 - you can't get a drink for that at McDonalds.

Guest wrote: Walmart is much closer to me

... and you might run into me and neither of us will have to put up with PailRider who stays at Costco. That has to be worth a good bit.

Oh, there's PailRider coming out of Costco now.



He's younger looking than I would have guessed.

Guest wrote:
Everytime I go to Costco I get the hot dog & a drink for $1.59 - you can't get a drink for that at McDonalds.

They are one of the few places that have caffeine-free diet cola in the fountain and you can get your own refills in that huge cup they give you.

Do they have those little packages of sauer kraut for the hot dogs? It has been a few years since I ate a hot dog there and they were out of the sauer kraut. The girl working the counter told me the sauer kraut factory burned down. Sounded funny , but I guess if you lost your job it wasn't.

ChicagoGranny wrote:Do they have those little packages of sauer kraut for the hot dogs?

YES.... but today I got the sausage which is almost like getting it from a street vendor at a Ball Park.

They do have deals there if they have what you need and don't waste what is bought.

Here is another point I came across worth mentioning....

7. Skip Costco’s Executive Membership. Maybe.

Whenever I check out at Costco, the cashier always tries to upgrade me to the $100 Executive Membership — it earns you 2% cash back on most purchases, after all. Last trip I asked my honest cashier why they give me the hard sell every visit. “We have quotas to meet,” she said. “And the Executive Membership builds stronger loyalty — customers try their best to get their fees back by spending more.”

Awesome! So before buying into that membership upgrade, do the math on your past purchases and make sure that the so-called ‘cash back reward’ pays out in your favor.

Bottom Line: You’ll have to spend $5,000 at Costco per year to break even on a $100 membership fee with a 2% cash back reward.

ChicagoFanny wrote: He's younger looking than I would have guessed.

Thank you! years of good living and Kirkland Signature Omega 3 supplements
Actually, dear, I send one of my minions to Costco these days.... what's the point of having minions if you don't use them?

(though, you did get my hair right in the illustration, bravo )

Guest wrote:

ChicagoGranny wrote:Do they have those little packages of sauer kraut for the hot dogs?

YES.... but today I got the sausage which is almost like getting it from a street vendor at a Ball Park.

Whenever I check out at Costco, the cashier always tries to upgrade me to the $100 Executive Membership — it earns you 2% cash back on most purchases, after all. Last trip I asked my honest cashier why they give me the hard sell every visit. “We have quotas to meet,” she said. “And the Executive Membership builds stronger loyalty — customers try their best to get their fees back by spending more.”

Not once have I been asked to upgrade to the $100 Executive Membership. Maybe it has something to do with the area of the country you live in. Good thing... because that kind of thing makes me crazy.

Yes, they still have the sauer kraut and yes, the hot dogs are out of this world and yes, still $1.59 ~ tho I haven't had one in years. I try to stay away from the pizza also and usually get the salad with turkey, fresh tomatoes, fresh everything really. For $3.99 it's quite a bargain.

Now... here is my question. If one is bound and determined to faithfully use the machine every single night and swears that it is keeping your organs happy and healthy, and then goes ahead and eats a hot dog or sausage or pizza at Costco, what is the point?? I'm flabbergasted - doesn't make a bit of sense to me. That junk is gonna kill you just as fast as not using your machine and maybe faster!

It's always amazed me how threads on this forum seem to morph from one subject to something else to something else.....
We went from CPAP mask prescription requirements, to Costco, to food to food police.....

But, to "CG"......thanks for that graphic of the Kirkland TP. I got a chuckle out of that (relating to a personal experience at a relative's house some years ago).

The closest Costco to me is 130 miles away. Needless to say, they neither have nor will ever get my business. I was in one in Clarkston, WA once, but wasn't impressed.

Now that I got that off my chest.......carry on.......


Den

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Things are not always what they seem like...

Checking on the cash back deal I found this on the Costco website.

First you must have the Executive Membership $110
Then you MUST have the Costco American Express... I neither need nor want yet another CC esp. if I can only use it at Costco.

That brings up another point - there are two methods of payment at Costco - CASH and the Costco American Express - fwiw this is good to know ahead of time. I seldom carry much cash with me any more.

Make the most of your membership

Executive Members Get 2% Reward
Executive Members Get 2% Reward
Up to $750 on Costco merchandise purchases!
How To Qualify For The 2% Reward And Other Executive Member Privileges

Upgrade to an Executive membership and get a 2% reward. The Executive membership upgrade fee is an additional $55 for Business and Gold Star members (plus sales tax where applicable). We will prorate the upgrade amount based on the months remaining in your current membership. At your next renewal, you will be billed a total of $110 for your Executive membership. To upgrade, call 1 (800) 220-6000 or visit the Membership counter at any Costco warehouse.

Paid Executive Membership 2% Reward
Monthly
Purchases

$200
$300
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$2,100
$3,125 Yearly
Purchases

$2,400
$3,600
$4,800
$7,200
$9,600
$12,000
$25,000
$37,500 Approximate
Annual Reward

$48
$72
$96
$144
$192
$240
$500
$750 max.

Looks like you need to save more than $5/mo to make up the savings there.

Keep in mind there are other CC that do offer cash back rewards.

Here are some exceptions to the cash back rewards check the Costco site for more...

Reward is not calculated: (i) on purchases of cigarettes or tobacco-related products, gasoline, Costco Cash Cards, postage stamps, alcoholic beverages in certain states (including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan), and at food courts; (ii) on membership fees; (iii) on purchases not recorded through Costco's front-end registers and transactions done on or through Web sites not hosted by Costco even if accessed through Costco com, including all business, consumer, and insurance services, the online photo center, Costco Travel, and the My Publisher website; (iv) on miscellaneous fees, deposits and taxes, including sales tax; <snip>

VVV wrote:Costco runs a coupon in the local paper about once a quarter that lets nonmembers shop on one weekend. We will go there a couple of times per year just to see the place and pick up a couple of items like their fish oil capsules.

Don't they charge a surcharge for those weekends cuz you are not a member?

So they let you shop just charge you more?

AND you have to pay cash?

Did I get that right?

Guest wrote:Things are not always what they seem like...

Checking on the cash back deal I found this on the Costco website.

First you must have the Executive Membership $110
Then you MUST have the Costco American Express... I neither need nor want yet another CC esp. if I can only use it at Costco.

That brings up another point - there are two methods of payment at Costco - CASH and the Costco American Express -

and debit cards, last I was there.

and, no, you don't have to have one, or both the amex card and the executive membership, they are separate items, though both give separate year end rebates.

costco mails the rebate for the executive membership, and amex sends a check for the rebate for purchases made on the card.

the costco american express card is simply an american express card, you can use it for anything that takes american express

Thanks for the clarification on all that. I do know there were more exclusions on the rewards esp. if you cancel or downgrade your membership.

There is a lot to understanding all of this for sure.

Costco will accept a Visa debit card--I was there.

From the Wikipedia info:

Forms of payment
American Express is the only accepted credit card in Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States because Amex charges Costco very low interchange fees (a percentage of revenue from total sales made); as Costco's margins are low in comparison to other retailers. Other forms of payment accepted at Canadian, United Kingdom, and United States Costco locations include cash, Costco Cash Cards, Costco credit cards, checks, EBT cards (food stamps), and PIN-based debit cards (Interac in Canada). Costco also accepts Flexible spending account (FSA) debit cards for qualifying purchases at the optical and pharmacy departments in the U.S. Online, Costco.com accepts the American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa cards. The website also accepts Bill Me Later accounts for payment.



Den

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chunkyfrog wrote:Costco will accept a Visa debit card--I was there.

Absolutely correct. Debit-cards are considered same as cash at most places.

Online Costco accepts more forms of payment than say at the gas pumps.
This from their website...

Payment Options at Gas Stations

Costco gas stations currently accept the following forms of payment:

American Express Cards

Costco Credit Card

Most PIN-based Debit Cards

Costco Cash Card*


*Costco Cash Cards may be purchased at any Costco location or online at www costco com.

Keep in mind the Costco Cash Card can only be purchased with a membership. While the Costco Cash Card is encoded with the members number the gas purchase can not be used towards the Cash Back Reward. Which is too bad since we know how expensive gas is and is something everyone can/will use.

FDA CPAP Mask RX-only Enforcement Poll

The direction of this thread seemed strange at first glance but now it is getting clearer.

Trying to tie this all together, are we to expect that in the future we have to buy 80-pack cases of CPAP masks at Costco?