[Tom]

The rotisserie chicken is not only cheaper but consistently better than anywhere else. The food court is pretty good too, as well as the bakery items. All in moderation, of course. The pumpkin pie is also better than you will find anywhere else.

[Navy salad]

[Brian Curtis]

And don’t forget to make stock out of the bones.

[Now I Fly]

I'll be watching to see if these go on sale. I have the single pair design, but I would love to be able to dry my mittens at the same time.

[Anne Elk]

[Pyrites]

I’ve fueled at a Costco, by Yelm seen 25 cents increase, and 45 cents more in Packwood.

[Chief Joseph]

I will likely frequent Costco more often when I am in the area, if only for the chicken and the exercise of walking around the large stores...O' and I might want a hot dog and pop...they for sure won't get rich off of me. I usually shop at Fred Meyer because I have a lifetime discount of 15% off hard lines and 10% off their private label brand food.

[Bargainhunter]

The Kirkland Men's Hood Fleece Jacket for $19.99 is a nice replacement for my Patagonia Piton Hybrid Hoodie, now long since discontinued. Also got the Eddie Bower Down Hooded down Jacket for $35. How could I not? It's 80% 650 fill and thin, but holds warmth well. Neither have waist drawstrings but are excellent values nonetheless.

[Tom]

Costco has excellent deals on clothing and jackets, great for casual use, but for the backcountry I'd say it's worth paying a little more and investing in a premium garment. REI has their 850 fill down jacket on sale right now at 30% off. Probably the best bang for your buck for a fully featured hooded down puffy: https://www.rei.com/product/221689/rei-co-op-magma-850-down-hoodie-mens Eddie Bauer also has some 1000 fill down jackets that go on sale at 50% off every other month which makes them incredible values. Their return policy is also very good (up to 1 year). A few weeks ago I picked up this 1000 fill down hooded down jacket for $180 after 50% off and $20 off coupon. They have a less expensive 800 fill down version but at 50% off the cost is trivial to upgrade to 1000 fill down. https://www.eddiebauer.com/p/38832943/mens-microtherm-1000-down-hoodie Only thing i don't like is the area behind the underarms is stretchy and not insulated so I may wait for their new 1050 fill macrotherm jacket to go on sale at 50%. Only 40% off for Black Friday which isn't as good as other sales. https://www.eddiebauer.com/p/38832961/macrotherm-hooded-down-jacket Edit: you can also currently pick up Eddie Bauer gift cards at 20% off which saves another 20% when the jackets go on sale at 50% off. https://eddiebauer.cashstar.com

[Bargainhunter]

$175 for that REI down hoodie vs FIVE $35 Eddie Bauer down hoodies from Costco? That's FIVE functional down hoodies vs ONE. I find it hard to believe that the REI 850 fill jacket is worth 5x as much, but I get your point. Some people will pay a premium for a subtle increases in functionality. Fit matters too, so sometimes that play a role. I have plenty of the pricier brand stuff too (Patagonia, Montbell, Feathered Friends, Western Mountaineering, etc.), but budget outdoor items are out there and are a great value! I also find that I don't wear/use some of my pricier stuff as often because it's just too nice to get messed up, but sometimes a budget item fills a niche and gets used a lot because I'm not as worried about it getting worn out, abused, stolen, etc.

[Tom]

I guess it depends on how you plan to use it and how much of a premium you place on saving weight. I've had my Western Mountaineering Flight down jacket for 20 years and it's toasty warm. Weighs a little over 10 ounces so it's never a concern whether to throw it in the pack when the weather starts to get colder. I could have bought something 5x cheaper but would weigh 2x as much and not be as warm. I'm as thrifty as it gets when it comes to saving money but I'm willing to pay a premium for quality technical gear because it really does matter. The only reason I'm looking at buying another jacket is my WM Flight does not have a hood. The REI jacket isn't the lightest one out there, it weighed in at 12 ounces on my scale, but it's fully featured with a drawstring on the hood. I compared it to the lighter down puffys I picked up and the drawstring made a big difference in terms of comfort and warmth around the head, so might be worth the extra few ounces it adds vs. something without a drawstring, YMMV! I personally would never buy a lower fill 650 down jacket or sleeping bag for backcountry use. Might as well go with synthetic insulation which will keep you warm when wet if saving weight isn't a concern.

[RumiDude]

It really does matter if it is only going to be used backpacking or if it will be for everyday use. I have a few lighter quality items that are reserved for backcountry use because I don't want to wear them out for everyday use. I also have some items that get used for both backcountry and everyday like shirts, pants, hats, gloves, etc. And at the far end, I have a few items I only wear around town because they just aren't suited for backcountry use. Over the years I have changed the types of backcountry recreation I do and thus my need for expensive technical gear has changed. I don't do winter trips anymore so a belay jacket, technical boots, and such are a thing of the past. But for someone just getting started, inexpensive Costco stuff might help them get a toe hold on gear without going into debt or taking a bite out of grocery budget. This is where an experienced friend might offer some good advice. Rumi

[Tom]

True, and you can't go wrong with Costco and the return policy. I snagged some cheap gloves a while back for biking and hiking, no need to spend a lot of money on some things. I just picked up a nice warm jacket for $30 for my wife, looks designer, and she loves it. Just saying being penny wise can be pound foolish. Eddie Bauer has 50% off almost everything today. You could snag a 1000 fill down puffy for $400 x (1- 50% off) x (1 - 20% off gift cards) = $160 + tax, doubt that would put anyone in the poor house, shrug. Of course not the jacket for everyday use. You could supplement it with a cheap jacket from Costco and have the best of both worlds.

[reststep]

Cranberry sauce from the deli made by a company in Oregon. Very good but I think they only have it at Thanksgiving time.

[Tom]