Costco is a beloved brand, famous for its bulk deals and $1.50 hot dogs. But can shopping there really save you money? 

On this special episode of Booming brought to us by our friends at Control F: How much money are you really saving when you shop at Costco? The surprising ways that wholesale can—and can’t—save you money.  

Sources in this episode:

• Consumer Price Index data, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Most and Least Expensive Supermarkets, Consumer Reports
• Cost of Living Index (COLI) data, The Council for Community Economic research
• Interview with David and Susan Schwartz, authors of The Joy of Costco 
• Interview with Jordan Page
• Interview with Tan Vinh and Chris Solomon

Control F wants to answer your questions about how our world works! Click here to submit a question using their online form, or email the team at ControlF@kuow.org

Do you have a tip for the Booming team? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.