Sorry to say, I let my Costco membership drop--stores about 5 hours away, did keep Sam's but can get the same deals thru local merchants. Walmart matches Sam's here, and Target and our local food stores are cheaper for me, but I loved looking at what these two stores offer.

Wine is on my list, too. Costco has a terrific selection at amazing prices.

BUT! My all time favorite holiday food from Costco are Chocmod Truffles. Sinfully delicious.

I let my Costco membership drop. There isn't one in my city, but one not too far away. I found I would go and spend lots of money on junk type food that I didn't need like their huge yummy chocolate and chocolate chip muffins. My will power disappeared when I hit that store!

we often do and this year we will be heading to Costco this weekend. I need to buy one of their delish Sadlers smokehouse fully smoked briskets all sliced and ready to heat and eat. That is one of my contributions to the Christmas meal. We have been getting them for years and they are always wonderful.
The link below is to the website for Sadlers but that picture of the brisket on the front page says it all. Not cheap but definitely worth the price.
I have also picked up some of their big beautiful pies at holiday time to take along to where ever we are going.

Here is a link that might be useful: sadlers brisket

the costco pies are to die for!!! last year sam's carried fresh jenni-o turkey breast....$$ but the brand is really good.this year they didn't...but found a whole one at wal mart...

we really try and avoid other goodies...

I adore the plastic bowl of Madelines that Costco sells. Yumm. The little frozen cream puffs in a bucket are wonderful too.

Costco's pumpkin pie really is the greatest and one cannot make one for that price.We go frequently, do most of our bi-weekly food needs, and fill in with local fresh. And I appreciate that our Costco is selling 'cage-free', humanely raised eggs. It is really trying (I think) to raise the bar on the quality of our food. And, yes, we do purchase those
gift cans of cookies... just to have 'in case' we need a last minute hostess or ? gift, or to break out for company.

I forgot we used to get our Christmas ham or prime rib at Sam's (we don't have a Costco close). Their beef is prime and the hams have always beennice and tender.

I love those cream puffs in the tub and like the eclairs even more. Bought some when my BIL's were visiting once and they ate the whole thing in one sitting!!!

I just got a Sams membership for next to nothing. Costco recently had memberships super cheap too but DH has a business one I use occasionally. Now BJ's has a super cheap deal for new members. I'm going to let me BJ's expire then redeem the Sam's. Looks like Amazon is poised to start competing.

Amazon is about to unleash a new program that will encourage you to do your bulk shopping from the comfort of your couch.

The company is taking shots at warehouse club stores, like Costco and BJ's by launching a new business that will allow users to order big boxes of grocery store goods for a fixed shipping price, three sources familiar with the effort told USA Today.

Amazon will call the service Pantry. It should launch in 2014 and will include about 2,000 products like cleaning supplies, canned goods, some beverages, and dry grocery items like cereal. Shoppers will be able to load up a set-size box with as many of the offered goods as can fit without exceeding the maximum weight limit and Amazon will ship it for a small fee. The company plans to target current Amazon Prime users.

Without this service, Amazon can't really take a chunk of the packaged food market because the cost of shipping individual items exceeds the price it can ask for those items. For example, the cost of a box of cereal would be about equal to the cost of shipping said box. Pantry would make it more economical for Amazon to deliver packaged foods in bulk to customers.

Amazon has designated at least four fulfillment centers to store the Pantry inventory, according to USA Today.

We go to Sam's quite frequently since it is just up the road from the house. I don't know what we will buy as far as goodies go, but I am sure we will since my DS is coming home next Friday...well I will drive down Wednesday and he gets out on Thursday afternoon, and I have some business to do down where we used to live. Then he and I will drive home Friday..

Raven, I am so glad you mentioned the smoked brisket from Sam's. I bought one for the first time one on Tuesday to serve at a family party I am hosting on Sunday. It had good reviews online. How do you heat it?

My holiday food buying from Sam's is not much. I tend to buy the basic things, large bags of sugar and flour, and things like that. I have not bought their brown sugar yet but I may in the future. I don't get there but maybe once a month as it is not that close to us. I do by the big package of King's Hawaiian rolls. We have bought birthday cakes there and they are pretty good. I don't like all the icing but lots in my family do.

Sue

If anyone is interested the BJ's deal is still on groupon. Buy a membership for $35 and get $25 back in GC's. Valid for new members only

No Costco or BJ"s around here. There is a Sam's but I gave up the membership 2 years ago. Not worth it for us.

I don't think anyplace has pies or anything else as good as homemade. Just my opinion.

Patti, how are you feeling. I hope better by now. You have been in my thoughts all week. I had not seen your name in a while & did not know how to get in touch with you.

I have purchased items from Costco to be used for entertaining. Beef tenderloin (great quality, better price), smoked salmon, cheeses and dolmas, to name a few.

None by me, but agree with mary3444 - I don't think anyplace has pies or anything else as good as homemade. Just my opinion.

I buy my sugars at Costco..every month. White, brown and powdered.
I buy nuts at Costco, vanilla, taco seasoning, smoked paprika, peppercorns, chocolate chips, natural peanut butter, Nutella, Organic Olive Oil, Coconut oil, butter, 1/2 n 1/2, cream cheese, cheeses, some times eggs( I usually get local eggs.)
This time of year they carry the pork loin rib roast...mmmmm love it!
I love their tri tip..so goood, and brisket..
We shop Costco every 2 weeks. It is 32 miles away.

Their Bakery items are very tasty..as are their "deli" platters.

You cannot go wrong with the price you pay for those things and the quality you get is very good.

DO NUT GET SUCKED INTO AMAZON'S service pantry program! I posted about this before. I ordered my usual "yearly" Costco bulk order, smugly, from my couch from Amazon. $45.00, no shipping! Right? I ordered over $500.00 worth of canned goods, cleaning supplies, paper goods, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, Ziplock baggies, etc., etc... It took me a good six weeks to receive the entire order! They shipped everything they could in separate shipments. And charged shipping ON EVERY SINGLE shipment under 45.00! One 12 pack case of corn was 13 something ... shippng was 17.49! I quit counting the shipping charges when hubby tallied over 200.00! I'm not going to return 30 boxes of merchandise ~ most of which had been unpacked and put away already. Quite a bit of the cans were dented, boxes of baggies, foil and plastic wrap were crushed. Cases of paper towels were mangled so bad the cardboard cores won't fit into the paper towel holder ... what a, very expensive, nightmare! Makes me sick to even think about it... UGH

Their new service doesn't launch until 2014? I would be furious and calling for reimbursement every day, ANy problem I've ever had has been remedied immediately.

Why would Amazon charge shipping if THEY split your orders up? My husband and I have ordered many many times from Amazon and a lot of times they split up the orders and we have never EVER been charged shipping fees because of it. And how are they going to charge you extra if you've already paid for it? They can't just start charging stuff to your credit card without you doing it! I don't get this! Amazon has awesome customer service, I'm sure they would have made things right with this!

When the boxes started arriving, they had different return address labels. Walmart, Sam's Club, YahsDarling!!! (the aforementioned corn. I'm looking at the receipt. Corn was 18.99, Shipping 17.92. Order total 36.91 ~ for 12 cans of corn!) 12 cans (case) of spinach were shipped from Futura in Cambridge, MA ~ 22.08 for spinach, 12.77 for shiping. 34.85 total.
Chopped chives came from "Fun Stuff for Sale". Onion Powder came from "TheNewMall". Diced Tomatoes came from "Daily Market", etc., etc
It was my own fault for being lazy. I don't like driving and I don't like shopping! Last year I hired a local shopping and delivery service for the "yearly" stuff. Was worth way more than the 10% charge to have everything delivered and hauled up and down three flights of stairs (kitchen is up one flight, pantry is down two flights). Hubby can manage normal trips, but the yearly stocking takes a toll on him these days, too!

Angel, I would call amazon Asap because that is ridiculous. There must be some kind of mistake.

Rose, I use heavy duty foil and line a metal baking pan then I lay the brisket in the foil, I then start pulling up each side of the foil to meet at the middle and fold them to make a tight seal but before you seal it add about 1/2 cup of water into the package, then seal it up. I heat it on about 350, the time will depend on the size of the brisket. It comes out so tender and moist this way. I have been doing them for years and everyone always loves it.

I am So disappointed with Costco! We went today and they are no longer carrying the Sadlers smokehouse brand! I went to 3 stores today and they were all sold out of them. Did Sams have the Sadlers or another brand. I might go to Sams tomorrow but my membership is due and I don't want to go now and pay it if they won't have any.
In fact Costco was out of many things I usually get there.

Angelaid, Amazon doesn't even have its distribution centers set up for the pantry service yet. You can purchase all kinds of food products from Amazon, but they will be sent from the individual suppliers. Costly, unless you've enrolled in a Prime membership.

In a few months, pantry items will be sent from regional warehouses in several parts of the country.

Presently, cases of canned products can be ordered from Amazon but not through their unlaunched Pantry program.

I agree with the other that suggest you talk with someone from Amazon about this. There's no way that this company will hang you out to dry, so to speak. Consumer satisfaction is essential to Amazon and is paramount to their amazing success.

I've bought everything from clothes, sheets, health care items, heavy duty storage shelves for garage, foods, pet items, and more from Amazon....all without shipping charges and always at better prices than found elsewhere.

Raven, I got mine at Sam's Club. We don't have a Costco where I live. I didn't see your post until this evening but thanks for the info. I put mine in a rectangular glass pan with a little beef broth, covered it tightly with foil and heated in the oven at 350ð for about 1 hour. It was delicious, my sons all loved it.
You might be able to look on Sam's club website or just call the store to see if they have any.

Sounds like you did it perfectly!
Yes they are delish and super easy.

I looked on the Sadlers website and they are showing Sams and Walmart and kroger, I went to Walmart and kroger after Costco but I guess everyone else did too lol. I finally got some but not one of the big whole briskets, I had to go with the smaller tender splits, which is fine, just smaller slices but supposedly more tender. My group will devour it, that's what matters.

Glad yours was a hit.

You know, I purchased an apple pie at Costco several weeks ago. We did not like it at all and shared only one slice before disposing of it. That has made me leary trying the pumpkin pie.

heather_on - You will most likely see the Costco muffins you like being sold at small coffee shops etc. I see them in Toronto all the time. We also gave up our Costco membership. The one closest to us is awful and stand-alone - and forget getting parked - and the other is at the other end of Toronto - right near my doctor's office. There is a liquor store in that outdoor mall - and it gets jammed with people post Costco shopping. Canadian Costco stores are not nearly as good as U.S. stores - this according to the snow birds who I met shopping in a Toronto store. No liquor/wine of course; no anti-biotic free meat; 12 chicken breasts are packaged in one pack - according to a snow bird in the U.S. they may come in a 12 pack but are vac packed into 2 portions each which would be very nice. I find that you really have to know your prices and watch the expiry dates here. And there are just the two of us - and the dog - and we buy our dog's food from the groomer.