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A Costco membership costs $60 a year.
- Costco has plenty of excellent deals, but in some cases, the cost of a membership just isn't worth it.
- If you're shopping for perishable items, for example, or if you have limited space in your home, a Costco membership might not be a good idea.
- Here are some instances where the $60 annual fee for a Gold Star membership - the lowest-priced tier of Costco membership - can't necessarily be justified.
Costco is a fantastic grocery shopping option for a variety of reasons. Between the great deals, the ability to buy large quantities of your favorite products at once, and the generally high quality of their available items, there's a reason why the wholesale warehouse is a favorite among savvy shoppers and professional chefs alike.
But of course, as with everything, there are certain drawbacks and restrictions when it comes to whiling away a day wandering the high-stacked aisles at Costco. In particular, many would-be members are turned off by the fact that the store is members-only, with a Gold Star membership running you $60 per year and a higher-tier Executive plan costing $120 annually.
Read more: How to shop at Costco without a membership
While die-hard Costco lovers will insist that the cost of membership is well worth it, that's not quite always the case for every person and in every situation.
Here are six instances in which it's hard to justify forking over the cost of an annual Costco membership: