. My BJs membership was up for renewal in early January; each year they increase the membership fee and it's currently $60, which is a fee I don't like paying since buying for one makes it debatable whether or not paying that fee is worth it. However, my grocery price comparisons tell me that many BJs foods are priced at a level comparable to Aldi's, and certainly cheaper than big supermarkets like Stop & Shop or Big Y.
So I wrote to BJs customer service yesterday and explained that I found it hard paying that membership fee as a solo person, and could they offer me any discount. I got an email from the national customer service saying please call us, which I did this morning. At first she offered me a $5 discount, which was disappointing, but I thanked her and then declined. Then she said, hold on, let me check again, and this time she offered me a $10 discount. Again I declined as my backup plan was to stock up on a few favorite BJs foods before my membership expired, just go without BJs for a few months and then renew if I still want to. Again she said let me check again, and this time offered me what I'd been hoping for, a $25 membership that I happily accepted. I mean, their pricing negotiations are on a par with some Internet and phone service providers I've dealt with! The moral of the story is, 1) it never hurts to ask and 2) always remain polite and appreciative.
Netflix is my chief TV provider but often I find myself losing interest in many movies they offer about halfway through the movie, if not sooner. The acting is often lacking, IMO. But sometimes there's a movie name I recognize that I somehow never saw, even while being widely touted as an "important" film of its era. That was the case with Taxi Driver, a 1970s-era Scorsese film I watched last night, and I must say it was a great movie. It depicted a gritty, seamy side of New York that I was familiar with growing up during that period when prostitution and crime were perhaps more entrenched than they are now, or at least, less hidden from view if you were walking around Times Square.
I knew the movie had to be good with its 4 key actors being Robert DeNiro, Cybil Shepherd, Jodie Foster and Harvey Keitel. It was one of those movies where you're not really sure you grasped all its meaning, so I often will go online afterwards and read movie critic reviews just to understand it better. Especially the ending, in this particular case. I must say, Robert DeNiro and Harvey Keitel were SO young in this film (and the others, too, of course).
In the past, I never really went out of my way to watch Martin Scorcese films due to their violence, but I must say now I am a little curious to possibly watch some of his other films if they are on Netflix.
December 11th, 2025 at 04:13 am 1765426415
December 12th, 2025 at 04:22 pm 1765556575
To be fair, and I am certain you already know this, but the majority of revenue these places get are through memberships, not through their sale of merchandise. Sooo, I also get it if they can't cut too much of a deal.
But like yourself, I also found that it hasn't proven to be worthwhile for single people, including myself. Although I did not blog about it or anything, but I did recently give Costco another look, and sadly, the atrocious parking, the long lines, and the general mayhem of these stores were totally not worth it relative to the fairly little shopping I do in general?
For now, I have once again decided against it.
December 13th, 2025 at 03:45 pm 1765640723
December 14th, 2025 at 05:52 pm 1765734751
I find I use Netflix to watch TV, as opposed to movies. I don't have the patience for movies unless they are in a theater. The two seasons of "Man on the Inside" with Ted Danson are worthwhile if you haven't seen it. I'm also a fan of the Great British Bake-off. Now that I've run through the current seasons of both of those, however, I'm looking for something to watch--both West Wing and Grantchester have been series recommended to me by friends.