Costco- I'm in!

Michigan winters are long and cold. I.T. and I barely notice, because it's always only 7 days or less to Friday. That's when we settle in around the fire with our longtime friends from down the street to play a few rounds of pinochle. When it's their turn to host, we are frequently served delicious fruits, nuts, cheese, crackers and sweets from Costco. Our card playing friends are two of the best customers that club ever had. For years they have encouraged us to join, so we too could enjoy a steady supply of fresh, decadent foodstuffs and, of course, save money.

I am not one to follow the crowd, as you know, and even our friends' seamless arguments could not convince me that it made any sense at all to pay money for a plastic card- the required passport to shop in that store. No. I make weekly rounds to Aldi, then Meijer, maybe Family Fare and finish up at Wal-Mart if absolutely necessary- all sans *the card*, stocking enough for one week, then make the trek again.

We visited Costco a couple of times, as guests of our friends. Guards frisked us at the door and took our thumb prints before we entered. We could look, but under no circumstances were we even to think of purchasing anything from Costco without a plastic membership card. Got it? They're serious about *the card*. I felt nervous until I got ten feet or so inside the entrance. That's when the suction of the stuff-mart gripped me, as I was lured in by the loot. They pack a lot into this monster of a shopping metropolis under one roof. But it is organized and tidy. Employees believe in the products. They speak with confidence and a smile about all things Costco. We were mesmerized.

First we passed the big screen t.v.s, then the case of diamond rings. When we got to the food section, we opened our mouths at every end cap and free demo treats popped in. You can pretty much get a full lunch there on Saturdays. When we left, we felt a little bit depressed. We did not belong.

A few weeks ago, an intriguing piece of junk mail arrived. Costco was offering a $10 cash coupon to those who wished to join for the introductory rate and a $20 cash coupon for entering at the executive, CEO, big kahuna level. I paused for the flashback of the endless aisles of deals. Yeah, I wanted the gold card.

I mentioned it to I.T. He's a hard sell. I tucked the flyer into the side of a wooden box that sits by our phone- a veritable dumpster for loose paperwork that needs reevaluation.

Last Sunday was the final day of the special offer. I pulled out the flyer and took it to church in my purse. After the final prayer and chit chat, on the way to the car, I carefully reviewed the benefits of a Costco membership with I.T. He said, "you want to go there now?" I replied, "yes, I want to go there now." I flashed the flyer.

Fashionista was curious, she had heard they sold coffins there and wanted to see what styles were available. I think she visualized tens of thousands of coffins in every color of the crayon box with various designs all lined up. I burst her bubble by telling her there were two 1/4 coffins cut in half lengthwise and glued to a display board for viewing.

Anyway, we drove over there, went in the wrong door, were made to go back out and re-enter through the right door. The plain clothes door officer watched to make sure we walked directly to the membership counter, where we promptly joined at the level that offered the most perks. No credit card. Just the magic gold.

Then we grabbed a cart and got some lunch from the demo folks in the grocery department. All natural energy bars- you can pronounce every ingredient listed, fizzy soda without dyes or artificial flavoring, pork barbecue, Kirkland brand yogurt (I'm so impressed with that Costco brand- quality!) and sharp cheddar- white, not yellow- describes a few of the samples available that day. I bought the energy bars. We sampled an entire pizza at the food court on our way out.

It was exciting, though I tend to get over zealous in adventurous situations such as these. My cash envelope for groceries is now empty, plus some. I don't need to call Dave Ramsey to figure out we can't use our air conditioner this week (that should evoke enough savings from the electric bill envelope to make up the difference). I'm not sure what I'll do with 433 rolls of toilet paper and I think I.T. will need to dig out a cold storage hut under our basement to store the super sized boxes of fresh fruits and veggies. But I figure that will double as a tornado shelter. We'll cram as many neighbors down in there as we can fit and snack on whole foods while we ride out the storm. It'll boost morale in the midst of tragedy and we'll all come out ready to rebuild!

I understand, from our friends, if we play our cards right, we will actually save money shopping at Costco. I hope I'll be able to figure out how to make that deal score.

In the meantime, visit anytime -plenty of toilet paper and snacks for everyone! Plus the pool's open.

Heidi