I'm still reeling from my book signing afternoon at Costco last weekend. I don't see how this coupon clipper never realized that Costco sells quality goods at reasonable prices. I thought it was a warehouse, discount, "buy-in-bulk" store a la Sam's Club and BJ's. It's not. And if the loaded carts streaming from the Mayfield store in Cleveland are any indictation, I may be the last person in Cleveland to get that memo. You'd never know the economy is dicey from the shoppers at this store.

Costco is similar to those other shopping club companies only in that they charge a $50 annual membership fee for the privledge of shopping at one of their 543 stores worldwide. What will you find at Costco? A little of everything...from wines (Costco is the largest wine retailer in the United States) to clothing to organic produce to fine jewelry to prepared foods. They even have a seafood bar on weekends. You'll also find a host of product demonstrations, offering samples of food items, seven days a week. Not satisfied? Costco will return your membership fee at any time.

For us home office folk, they have good prices on electronics as well as office and cleaning supplies. Their book section is limited to recent releases, but their prices beat Amazon.com's by several dollars. They also offer a range of services, from insurance to travel...all at attractive prices. I may just have to give Costco a try. For roughly $1/week, it sounds like a good deal.

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