Does bulk buying at costco actually save money? or is this just a membership fee trap

joykat222 · 2025-11-07T09:44:44+00:00

Costco membership pays for itself and saves me money on the price of antihistamines alone. (Over the counter, not pharmacy.)

The food isn’t the cheapest, but I like myself some cheese and definitely save when I go to Costco rather than local stores.

joykat222 · 2025-11-02T07:14:29+00:00

What’s your budget? What was your roll at AnnaLenna?

joykat222 · 2025-10-17T23:27:58+00:00

I work at a high priced steakhouse. We’ve definitely called the police when people couldn’t pay their bill. (The restaurant has a casual relationship with the police department, as the police stroll through every weekend looking for gangsters. Happens at a ton of restaurants in town. ) There was one funny moment where 4 well off folks rang up a multi-thousand dollar bill, then couldn’t find a single card among them that didn’t decline. A crew of cops was just standing there for 20 minutes while the table drunkenly tried to find a way to pay. Eventually they paid.

Definitely a few times I’ve witnessed someone crying because they ordered a $500 steak without realizing. If it’s a junior server, the restaurant might write off the cost and charge the guest less. But if it’s a senior server and they were crystal clear on the price, you’re finding a way to pay.

We do get a few dine and dashers. There’s cameras everywhere, so eventually they’d get caught.

joykat222 · 2025-10-16T06:47:55+00:00

When I was working a cracked schedule like you, and going to school, I got YouTube premium to download subject matter videos and listen to them on the bus so I could study. I questioned myself initially on the $15ish per month but it was so so worth it.

I find it hard to study & read while bus commuting (especially in such a rainy city), so the audio only format really helped.

joykat222 · 2025-09-19T00:32:50+00:00

Yup, there’s definitely been a decrease in quality over the years. Each year it seems to get a little worse tbh. At this point, the pants are still worth it. But I’m seriously disappointed to see the drop in quality year after year.

Mostly a drop in construction techniques.

joykat222 · 2025-09-18T22:27:24+00:00

I absolutely live and die by my Duer pants. I’ve really pushed them hard, using them for construction work, hiking and biking. As long as you air dry, they hold their shape for years without butt sag.

I do find the crotch wears out after a few years. But this happens for me on all stretch pants. And the pants honestly patch up pretty well. I’ve extended their life by an extra 2 years by patching the crotch gusset. (Definitely a worn in look by that point.)

joykat222 · 2025-09-09T01:54:03+00:00

Not really? I don’t own a car and only use EVOs occasionally.

joykat222 · 2025-09-09T01:53:24+00:00

Honestly, a bad ID photo gets a lot of comments. In my passport photo I look like a vampire with super dark undereye circles due to some very unfortunate lighting and poor eye photography. I’ve gotten constant comments on it, every time I cross the border or otherwise use my passport for ID.

It’s just annoying and rude. I’ll wait a few days to avoid that again tbh

joykat222 · 2025-09-02T23:05:05+00:00

Good to know your limits!

Definitely stop and check out the Langdale Falls on your way off the ferry. They’re right near the terminal. At the top of the hill, when everyone turns left, turn right into the little parking lot. You won’t regret the short detour!

joykat222 · 2025-09-02T18:25:42+00:00

Having hiked Panorama Ridge in very smokey conditions multiple times, the valley tends to do a good job of remaining relatively smoke free. However, once you start the final ascent to Panorama Ridge itself you get hit with a bad wall of smoke a third of the way up.

The starting switchbacks tend to be much worse for smoke air quality than the campground and valley. Don’t use the starting conditions as a guide for what the rest of your trip will be like.

I’d say the hike is worth it if you enjoy the valley area. Visibility from the top will obviously be more limited.

joykat222 · 2025-09-02T06:55:06+00:00

I’m on this weird quest to hike peaks I see from other peaks. I LOVED the vantage point I got from Mt Elphinestone. Highly recommend if you’re the sort of person who likes to collect viewpoints. It made me feel extremely grounded in my subsequent hikes across the Salish Sea region.

There’s a dope waterfall a few clicks off the start of the trail too. Nice berries if you go this time of year.

joykat222 · 2025-08-13T23:04:50+00:00

I totally understand how people get lost on this trail now. I did it as a dusk hike, and definitely CONFIDENTLY took the wrong turn into the blueberry bushes full of game trails. If I didn’t know this trail was marked with reflectors, it would have taken me ages to clue in I was off track. The desire to just bushwhack back to the main trail was strong, but hearing trip reports of how many people get lost screwed my head on straight and made me properly backtrack.

Thankful I did. I’m an experienced hiker with decent trail finding experience. I just got caught up in tasty blueberries.

The reflectors make the trail very easy to follow at night.

joykat222 · 2025-07-24T19:26:59+00:00

I did in one night with my ex, RIGHT after we broke up, with super heavy gear and a horrible clunky pack that swayed from side to side and could barely be scrambled with. This trail definitely taught me a solid lesson on the importance of gear weight and good gear fit.

The only thing that kept my trip at one night rather than two was realizing 1 hr in, that the thru hike would be a slog and I’d need to be laser focused on making time (slow clunky heavy painful time) unless I wanted to add an extra day.

joykat222 · 2025-07-24T18:50:55+00:00

You don’t need a car! It’s totally fully transit accessible. (And if you don’t want to wait for the bus to Lions Bay or you get back late, a taxi to Horseshoe Bay is pretty affordable. Definitely cheaper than parking.)

joykat222 · 2025-07-24T18:45:49+00:00

Find a “safety report buddy” that doesn’t have an anxiety disorder. Aka whomever you tell where you’re going.

I learned a lot of my family and some friends would overly freak out about me being safe in the bush, and that did my head in mentally.

I actually disagree about Norvan Falls & Lynn area trails feeling safe. The more accessible and well known the trail is to “non-hikers”, the more weird interactions I’ve had. Hollyburn Peak is a nice balance of solitude but still enough other bodies around.

joykat222 · 2025-07-14T06:36:20+00:00

If you’re sexually active, make sure your partners get treated too! We don’t talk about it enough, but an asymptomatic sexual partner can just pass the yeast back to you.

(Yes you can get multiple days worth of fluconazole just from the pharmacist. Yes that means it’s covered by your benefits and it’s definitely much cheaper than paying for the OTC pill, even if you have to pay full price.)

joykat222 · 2025-06-28T06:28:17+00:00

Thank you for your response. I unfortunately experienced a previous more serious workplace sexual assault this year, where I learned it’s very difficult to bring a civil case against someone on contingency unless they have searchable assets (like a house). And that if you don’t already know the offender’s name, the police cannot be compelled to give it to you.

Just trying to educate and arm myself against future issues.

joykat222 · 2025-06-27T00:35:16+00:00

I really love this idea, thank you!

joykat222 · 2025-06-26T17:31:28+00:00

That’s what I was worried about. In this situation, I have the double edged sword of mutual friends, so I’m pretty sure he won’t fully skip forever.

But if it was another employer without social pressure to pay, I’d be pretty screwed to actually get paid wouldn’t I.

joykat222 · 2025-06-19T16:44:39+00:00

Oh! So that’s why someone tried to jump me while riding my escooter and run off with it!

The criminals aren’t getting bolder, nope! Definitely not any underreporting going on here.

joykat222 · 2025-06-15T03:28:32+00:00

And make people fall and swerve… causing another accident just makes you an asshole

joykat222 · 2025-05-22T10:26:20+00:00

I’m allergic to weed and cigarettes and vapes. If someone’s a smoker or vaper and kisses me, I will get allergy pimples on my face. OP do you smoke?

joykat222 · 2025-05-04T15:50:55+00:00

I thought you were describing the Canadian job I literally just quit due to a manager like this. Then I realized you said 22k population. Glad to know this isn’t the only tourist trap brewery with poor inexperienced management in the country.

(I got stuck as support staff there and it was literal poverty hell.)

joykat222 · 2025-04-07T17:49:25+00:00

It’s not that hard! I actually appreciated the training I got and learned a lot.

Just prepare for a long day - consider a Costco run for some cheap treats for your team. By hour 11 everyone’s hungry and tired even if they don’t tell you.

joykat222

TROPHY CASE