Costco

I think Costco is a pretty cool store. I think it makes sense to buy certain items in bulk and I can usually see the savings, but there are definitely times when I'd be fine with buying just a can of olives as opposed to a 55 gallon drum of them.

Why do so many people like Costco? The answer is easy, free samples! If you play your cards right, you can eat an entire meal by the time you leave the store. If you wear a reversible jacket then you are guaranteed to leave with a full stomach.

A few things I don't care for are how you have to show your membership card when you come in the store. I guess that makes some members feel more important like they are part of an exclusive club. I'm also not a fan of the security receipt check when you leave the building. I think the transaction should be over once you pay the cashier. Despite these minor pet peeves, I still think Costco is a cool store even though it is not the main grocery store we usually shop at.

The danger with Costco is that you may plan on going in for milk and chips, but you end up leaving with a 48" flat screen TV, pool table, and pre-lit Christmas tree because they were on sale. You never know what you might find when you go. There are few other stores where you can buy orange juice, play ground equipment, diamond rings, and a bouquet of flowers all at the same place.

Jiffy Lube

Despite being a manly man, I'm not the kind of guy who changes his own oil. Instead I rely on Jiffy Lube to take care of that for me. I know they are a big chain so I can't vouch for all their locations, but I have always had good experiences at their Provo and Orem locations.

The only thing I dislike about going there is that I know there will come a point during the process when I am asked to come back to the computer and verify the services that will be done. This is also known as the "add on" sales attempt. I will be shown my old air filters and will be shown how frequently certain services are recommended. Most of the time I have to make some excuse about how I will take care of that next time and I usually end up feeling like a neglectful car owner or a penny pincher.

I don't usually mind their sales process and have grown to expect it, but yesterday when I was having my oil changed, an enthusiast employee was really excited about their oil upgrades. He told me about a new synthetic oil made by Penzoil that is the only oil that Ferrari recommends for it's cars. I can see how if I owned a Ferrari, this might be relevant, but I'm driving an 11 year old Ford Taurus and the oil upgrade would be an additional $80 and I am used to paying $35 for the entire service. Maybe I looked like Mr. money bags to him. I'll chose to take it as a compliment.

I don't fault Jiffy Lube for making recommendations and offering upgrades, but I sometimes tire of having to say no to all of their add offers each time I get my oil changed. Despite this, I still think they do a good job and will continue to go there for my oil changes.