[Dylan16807]

> enough cash to cover

You don't need to buy the membership with cash. Credit card, pay off $3-5 a week with your food savings, you'll barely pay any interest.

Also not having $400 would have to be the number after buying food with your paycheck, right? If you get the membership as part of your first food purchase, including that nice bag of rice, you'll be okay.

[csa]

> You don't need to buy the membership with cash. Credit card, pay off $3-5 a week with your food savings, you'll barely pay any interest.

I’m guessing you don’t know many lower income people.

Not only are credit cards generally not part of the picture for these folks, but often they don’t even have bank accounts.

[mft_]

You’re not mathematically wrong, but you assume that everyone has a rational disciplined approach to their finances, and a reasonably stable income behind that.

And for buying in bulk (which is basically what Costco offers) to work, you need a larger amount of available cash up front, and a home with sufficient safe space for storage.

And of course you need some sort of transport to bring your bulk purchases home from the Costco, often built on cheap land away from dense housing.

[Dylan16807]

> you assume that everyone has a rational disciplined approach to their finances, and a reasonably stable income behind that.

I'm not assuming that. If you get a paycheck at all you can impulse buy a $65 thing.

> And for buying in bulk (which is basically what Costco offers) to work, you need a larger amount of available cash up front, and a home with sufficient safe space for storage.

The bag of rice is cheap and compact, along with many other options. Your upfront need can be covered by your normal spend.

Yes it does need a mild amount of safety.

> transport

For sure, but I was responding about the $65 issue.

[mft_]

> > you assume that everyone has a rational disciplined approach to their finances, and a reasonably stable income behind that.

> I'm not assuming that. If you get a paycheck at all you can impulse buy a $65 thing.

Not to buy the membership, but to gain meaningful benefit from it afterwards by buying in bulk in the long term, despite the greater upfront cost, motivation, planning, etc. that that requires.

[Dylan16807]

It doesn't require greater motivation or planning. You just say "oh yeah I have a membership I should go there".

If you want it, it's one choice to make. No extra discipline.

[JackFr]

As someone who has shopped at Costco using public transportation, that’s where your IKEA bags come into play. And you avoid bulk liquids at all costs.