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I've been a Costco shopper practically since birth - or at least as far back as I can remember.
My family maintained a Costco membership and frequently shopped there when we lived in Staten Island, New York. As a child, I found the warehouse shopping experience to be magical. The aisles upon aisles with towering shelves of products, the jumbo-sized everything, and the free samples all made it particularly memorable.
When I eventually moved out on my own some 12 years later, I naturally purchased a Costco membership of my own and continued the family tradition of bimonthly shopping excursions to stock up on frozen food, organic milk, and stacks of Kirkland toilet paper, among other things.
Eventually, though, Costco's rival came to town - BJ's Wholesale Club opened a location in Bensonhurst, within walking distance of my apartment, in September 2014. Prior to that, I'd always made the trek to visit the nearest Costco in Sunset Park, a nearby Brooklyn neighborhood but one that required a lengthy trip by subway or Uber.
Obviously, the convenience of the new BJ's made it hard to pass up giving it at least a trial run. The chain cleverly ran a discounted trial membership, and I was quickly hooked. But I never gave up my Costco membership, because ultimately, I still believe Costco is the superior warehouse option.
While it's not financially feasible for every family to pay for the dual memberships - $60 per year for Costco on top of the slightly cheaper $55 per year for BJ's - I'm lucky in that it's within my means.
And if you can swing it, there are quite a few reasons why it's worth it to maintain ongoing memberships at both.