Costco

PANDA_IHB

PANDA_IHB

New member
My wife and I shop at Costco every weekend and I wanted to ask you guys a question. Is there really a big difference between the Kirkland brand contact lens solution and getting the Opti-Free lens solution? Opti-Free costs 4 times more than the Kirkland brand, but my wife keeps insisting that we need to buy Opti-Free as we can't go cheap on our eyes. My argument is that the Kirkland brand is exactly the same but 1/4 the cost.



My wife is also set on buying only Organic Milk and Organic Eggs. I am wondering if this whole Organic thing is just some kind of gimmick to mark up the price 2X. What do you guys think?
 
[quote author="PANDA" date=1250159528]My wife and I shop at Costco every weekend and I wanted to ask you guys a question. Is there really a big difference between the Kirkland brand contact lens solution and getting the Opti-Free lens solution? Opti-Free costs 4 times more than the Kirkland brand, but my wife keeps insisting that we need to buy Opti-Free as we can't go cheap on our eyes. My argument is that the Kirkland brand is exactly the same but 1/4 the cost.



My wife is also set on buying only Organic Milk and Organic Eggs. I am wondering if this whole Organic thing is just some kind of gimmick to mark up the price 2X. What do you guys think?</blockquote>


As with anything generic, check the actual ingredients. I bet you'll find the same, since we don't use the stuff around here, I couldn't tell you. You'll find a wide variety of opinions on the milk issue, there is a large and growing group of people who are suggesting that regular milk contains so many hormones that it is actual causing premature development in girls. I don't know, no_vas definitely doesn't believe that there is a difference between organic and non-organic milk (except the price). I tend to use a bit of both organic and regular milk and eggs, but that's probably because I really haven't made up my mind if buying organic means I'm being smart about health or if I'm being stupid about money. You've probably opened up a big can of worms here, but I guess you're used to that, Panda ;-P .
 
typically private brands products are made by the same folks who make the brand name products but just slap the private label on there, but as Tmare said just check the ingredients.
 
no_vas is probably going to jump on me for this, but I swear that organic milk lasts longer before it spoils. We drink very little milk and so I only buy a small container once in awhile. Don't ever go to the PETA website if you like drinking milk... you've been warned.
 
I think the organic milk tastes a bit better, but it is not worth it to me to pay double to triple the price of regular. Plus, there are so many loopholes on what can get the "organic" label, that I gave up wasting my money.



I do buy the cage free eggs though, hoping that maybe I am sparing a little chicky somewhere a life of agony.



I shop at Sprouts by the way, and the price of organic stuff there is alot easier to stomach than at Whole Foods.
 
[quote author="Sunshine" date=1250163725]no_vas is probably going to jump on me for this, but I swear that organic milk lasts longer before it spoils. We drink very little milk and so I only buy a small container once in awhile. Don't ever go to the PETA website if you like drinking milk... you've been warned.</blockquote>


No jumping. Just a question. What's "spoils"? The expiration date?



The SLO farmers market is tomorrow. I'm outta here in the morning.
 
[quote author="no_vaseline" date=1250165934][quote author="Sunshine" date=1250163725]no_vas is probably going to jump on me for this, but I swear that organic milk lasts longer before it spoils. We drink very little milk and so I only buy a small container once in awhile. Don't ever go to the PETA website if you like drinking milk... you've been warned.</blockquote>


No jumping. Just a question. What's "spoils"? The expiration date?



The SLO farmers market is tomorrow. I'm outta here in the morning.</blockquote>


The funky smell.
 
I buy the regular Costco milk. However, at Albertsons I buy the organic because I just can't stand the taste of the cheap regular Albertsons brands of milk.



Eggs I don't care if they are organic, but I try to buy the less cholesterol Omega 3 ones to help with cholesterol.



If you are really worried about food - just cook all your meat on medium or marinade it first. High temperatures (on BBQ or in the pan) are known to cause the formation of cancer causing chemicals. For unknown reasons, marinating the meat beforehand greatly reduces the production of the cancer causing chemicals caused by cooking on high. The risk of cancer levels are much higher cooking on high than stuff people usually worry about (ex. what kind of plastic is this, is the pan aluminum or whatever).



<A href="http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/heterocyclic-amines">http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/heterocyclic-amines</A>
 
[quote author="no_vaseline" date=1250165934][quote author="Sunshine" date=1250163725]no_vas is probably going to jump on me for this, but I swear that organic milk lasts longer before it spoils. We drink very little milk and so I only buy a small container once in awhile. Don't ever go to the PETA website if you like drinking milk... you've been warned.</blockquote>


No jumping. Just a question. What's "spoils"? The expiration date?</blockquote>


Organic milk has a longer expiration date than regular milk does. Regular milk might be fine a few days after the ex date, but the organic milk still has later ex date and a longer shelf life than regular milk. That is why I buy it. I save money by not throwing away milk before it is half gone. Yes, I've done the Ipo like <strong>anal</strong>ysis on the cost, and organic is more cost efficient. Plus it does taste better. You would have to pay me to drink that water with milk added to it called non-fat, but the organic non-fat actually tastes and looks like milk.
 
I am not familiar with California, but for some locality, the expiration date on diary is strictly controlled by regulation, while some let the manufacturer/processor determine it. If you see that organic milk has a later expiration date, it can be due to various factors. As mentioned, it can be due to the processing plant's decision. Other factors are quicker delivery of the product from the plant to the shelf, better pasterization (low bacteria count) that show up in analysis of sample, thereby results in later expiration date. As to the longer shelf life, it can be due to better or more careful pasterization, or better handling of the dairy product (say, not let it sit out under the sun for hours before move it into a refriged trailer), or better packaging.



The fact that it lasts longer does not necessary mean the product is superior or warrants the 3X price. For some people, it maybe better off economically speaking, to buy milk at 1/3 of the price, and drain it down the sink when it is half finished. But when it come to taste of the product, there can be no substitute no matter how much cheaper is the inferior product.
 
1) Just do LASIK. It's the hawtness. Dry eyes for a bit, but worth every penny.

2) Saline solution is saline solution. I went off the Opti-free years and years before I did the LASIK, when I noticed that I could buy saline in the first-aid section for a lot cheaper, and I was fine.
 
Ditto those that say to check the ingredients. For lens solution I use the Target brand which is significantly cheaper than the "brand names".
 
I agree that Albertson's brand milk tastes horrible - usually a sour taste like it's been left out. I don't mind the ralph's or Pavilion's/von's brand. I also don't like Albertson's store brand eggs. Last time I bought them 9 out of the 12 eggs had double yolks and it made me think what kind of hormones are they giving those chickens. Some people think double yolks are a good thing, but it grosses me out. It made me think of octomom.
 
[quote author="caycifish" date=1250204382]1) Just do LASIK. It's the hawtness. Dry eyes for a bit, but worth every penny.

2) Saline solution is saline solution. I went off the Opti-free years and years before I did the LASIK, when I noticed that I could buy saline in the first-aid section for a lot cheaper, and I was fine.</blockquote>


Seriously. Of all the money I've spent on Opti-Free Contact Solution over the years, I probably could of gotten LASIK by now. The thought of eye surgery scares the crap out of me though. Caycifish, can i ask how much it cost you per eye to get your LASIK done?
 
[quote author="PANDA" date=1250205518][quote author="caycifish" date=1250204382]1) Just do LASIK. It's the hawtness. Dry eyes for a bit, but worth every penny.

2) Saline solution is saline solution. I went off the Opti-free years and years before I did the LASIK, when I noticed that I could buy saline in the first-aid section for a lot cheaper, and I was fine.</blockquote>


Seriously. Of all the money I've spent on Opti-Free Contact Solution over the years, I probably could of gotten LASIK by now. The thought of eye surgery scares the crap out of me though. Caycifish, can i ask how much it cost you per eye to get your LASIK done?</blockquote>


I am not Caycifish but...I did Lasik about 5-6 yrs ago and it was a good experience. You really only have 1 day of discomfort.



The price of the procedure can range anywhere from $500 each eye to a few thousand on each. It all depends on how your eyes are. Just go to one of those free consultation ..there the doctor will map out your eye to see how your vision is and how your cornea is etc You will be surprised, some people cannot do it.



As for the procedure, it's really quick and easy. Probably 30 seconds tops for each eye. The rest of the day is hit or miss...some people can see instantly and have no issues w/dryness and some (like me) just went to sleep cuz their eyes were super dry. The next day is the best feeling :)
 
the latest research has put the organic food label under fire. without trying to bias my search, i just put "organic foods" in a google news search and the majority of the articles are about the lack of nutritional superiority in organic vs non-organic.



<a href="http://news.google.com/news/search?um=1&ned=us&hl=en&q=organic+foods">http://news.google.com/news/search?um=1&ned=us&hl=en&q=organic+foods</a>
 
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