I shop at Costco. At first I thought it was wrong for a single woman, but with smart choices it can work. My membership is well worth it as I save so much in prescription frees, my local pharmacy charges $12 filling fee, Costco is $4. The Kirkland tissue is amazing.
Iāve checked out Costco and havenāt found that the savings would justify the membership fee for me. In some states you can use the pharmacy without being a member.
http://www.costco.com/pharmacy/member-prescription-program-frequently-asked-questions.html
LOL! Me too! Guests should be thanking ME!
I donāt get overly effusive with them at first to be honest. I never write Looking forward to meeting you! Because it really isnāt true. 
Once they are booked, I send them a document which has everything they need to know about staying here plus says thank you, etcā¦ And if I get to see them leave I always come and say goodbye and thanks for stayingā¦ But I donāt overdo it!
To be honest, I donāt treat any guests any differently. If they are coming for a honeymoon, they get fresh flowers in the room. If they arenāt, they still get flowers. ( From the gardenā¦ Not ones Iāve bought. ) I cannot afford to get goodies for anyone. In the past when I have done this, left goodies, they were either not acknowledged or they were criticized (!) for not being BETTTER goodies!!! Seriously!!! Thatās all it takes for me to burn out on leaving goodies.
I have hosted other hosts and have always felt intimidated! Like they are sizing me up! Honestly hosting other hosts invites nit pickiness. And makes me nervous.
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I get it! I might have done the same, just let her worry and squirm before refunding. Nervy to ask for the service fee, but soon enough she will get that too. I thought she was a host? Scary that she is if she is that clueless!
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The savings at the gas pump justifies it alone! When I visit my mom in Dana Point, I fill her car at Costcoā¦ Itās by FAR cheaper than anywhere else. In Hawaii everyone, everyone has a membership card. If not, you may find yourself paying $8 for a gallon of milk! $55 a year is nothing!
Itās a bit different here. The closest Costco is far enough away that it would take planning to buy gas there. Here I can get milk for $2.99 per gallon at Trader Joeās or the Muslim market a few blocks away so no need to drive 20 minutes and deal with the lines at Costco.
In the US, you have to pay a fee on top on your meds?!?!
It depends on your insurance plan of which there are infinite variations. My plan is an HMO. I pay $5.00 for each prescription which is a monthās worth of medication. The real highway robbery is in over the counter medications. As the insurance companies donāt negotiate the price, the pharmaceutical companies can charge whatever the market will bear.
Itās quite possible the host isnāt really aware of the problem So itās good you said something privately. People that are around it constantly, kind of stop noticing it.
My partner is an executive in the marijuana industry but he rarely brings product home. Well, except for the occasional edible 
I cannot use because of my āday jobā, so we donāt have the issue of lingering marijuana aroma for our guests to noticeā¦
Weāre using AirBnB for the first time as guests, early next week in Ouray. Interested to see how others do it.
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It depends on the humidity level. If itās low then 78 would be fine. In fact this is what i keep our Palm Desert place at and no one knows the difference. But some people freak out and hav e to have it at 72 or lower, which gives me a sinus headache. :o
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I have dim and distant memories of going inside Costco and being intimidated by the sheer quantity of things on display. And it seems they expect you to buy large quantities of everything. Large bags of food, enough to feed a family for a month. Very American, very consumerist. For a very single, decidedly non-consumerist person, it all felt like a bit much.
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Not all things are sold in huge quantities. But true, quite a few customers are retailers and use them for resale. The other day I saw someone buying enough stuff to stock their own store!
You can get great prices on electronics, etc. Single serving sizes are readily available there. But yes, it does play into our well deserved image as consumerists. 
Iām in Canada, many folks have coverage, but not all. So if you have a prescription the pharmacy charges a set amount for their service plus the cost of medication. The provincial governments provide free drugs for seniors and people on welfare etc. This allows them to bargain for low price with drug companies which benefits all as this is the price for everyone.
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My mother lived through the Great Depression and then the food rationing in WWII. Let me tell you, we stocked up on everything. There was a 100 lb bag of brown rice that she bought when we were children - it got separated into dozens of glass jars and I think it took 10 years to use. Costco is like heaven to people like this.
Depending on what types of items you buy, there can be some very good deals. I remember from 14 years ago - the last time I had a membership - that there was a brand of canned chicken that came in 5 packs. It was significantly cheaper than regular grocery store prices. I would go to Costco and spend $200 and come out with only about 8 items, but those were enough to eat off of for months.
Itās not consumerist, itās about being prepared and never having to open your pantry and wonder if youāre going to eat today. For someone self employed like I have been for 20 years, the ups and downs of cash flow can be offset by having canned food in stock.
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Bingo!!! I buy huge packets of beef and grind it for all our needs.The costco toilet paper and tissues sit on shelves and are used regularly. Tunaā¦ let us talk tuna. Do I eat it often? No. Is it on the shelf in the pantry, right next to the sardines, absolutely. Other regular items are the 25lb bags of King Arthur flour [I run an AirBNB that offers breakfast], the butter, organic Valencia orange juice, vanilla beans, small individual cheeses [for those German guests], wild caught salmon from Alaska, parmesan and romano cheese, smoked salmon, fruit, vegetables, and then the prescriptions. The lowest prices and the pharmacist actually knows who I am! Need a router? Costco! Need a TV for your AirBNB room? Costco! I am so not a consumerist, and I love Costco. It is close enough to my house that it can serve as one of my grocery stores.
And then there are the random items that are such a good price, it is worth considering if you wanted them already.
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Itās a Costco World!
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Hi Carmen,
Would you mind if I post in this thread a survey regarding sharing economy like airbnb, uber etc.
Thanks
Yes we do mind. Please donāt hijack this thread with a survey. It will be deleted by moderators.
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Hi @Artemis,
I can certainly see the advantages of stocking up. But is eating a lot of canned food healthy?
Itās relative - think about - itās lunch time - my kids need to be fed. I donāt happen to have homemade leftovers in the fridge - they need to eat something - oh, a box of mac-n-cheese with some tuna mixed in for protein. Healthy? Not exactly - but, on the scale of real life - not horrible. If that was their diet every day it would be bad. But sometimes canned food saves the day!
I use Hunts canned whole tomatoes when cooking my homemade sauces or chilis - they are fantastic. I could never keep that many fresh tomatoes around!
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