In our suburban town, it seems everyone has a Costco membership. This year, I decided to withdraw from Costco, cold turkey.

We had been spending big bucks at Costco, paying $50-100 for membership, risking life and property in the parking lot, spending hours navigating the crowded giant warehouse and checkout lines. And it was a farther drive than other stores I frequented.

We'd been piling up massive amounts of groceries and household items that we couldn't possibly consume in a year, storing them in our garage. We had been throwing away spoiled produce, since my family can't possibly eat all those bananas before they go bad (maybe yours can). Plus all those "impulse" items - who can resist the 5-pack of flashlights for only $19.99*, even though you only need one? It's no surprise that the average tab (this is called "dollar ring" in the biz) for a warehouse store visit is over twice that of a grocery store visit.

Actually, I like Costco. They are a well run company, their employees are helpful, and they offer great selection and prices. If you've got 8 hungry kids or a small business, it's a real value. When furnishing our house, Costco was an excellent source for many household items. Their gas prices are low, and the pizza from the Food Court is huge! But for regular food shopping and gas fill-ups, it was just too far away.

_{*hypothethical products and prices}

A new Smart & Final opened this year at the site where a bankrupt Linens & Things used to be. For a smaller family operation like mine, Smart & Final has filled the Costco void. I am overjoyed to have discovered it!

• Joy #1: No membership fee. You sign up for a savings card, free, just like at the grocery store.
• Joy #2: Easy parking - the lot is hardly ever crowded and no one tries to muscle you out of the way with their SUV for a spot. Yay!
• Joy #3: Manageable square footage that doesn't take all day to navigate. Clean and well-stocked; advertised specials have been in stock each time I've been there.
• Joy #4: No huge checkout lines.
• Joy #5, and the best in my book: Fantastic selection and prices on fresh produce, and you can buy them in any quantity. No longer do I have to get 20 lbs of onions or celery to get a warehouse price. I can just get one! Hurray!
• Joy #6: Unlike Costco, they take manufacturer's coupons. And they take more payment options, like credit cards.
• Joy #7: I can get out of Smart & Final with a tab that doesn't break my budget.

The store in my area carries a wide selection of yummy ethnic (mostly Hispanic) specialties not found elsewhere. Example, cinnamon sticks and dried peppers in bulk bins where you can scoop out what you want. Smart & Final carries regular grocery items in regular size packaging (pricing comparable to grocery stores), plus big warehouse sizes of many items with warehouse pricing. I can buy the single box of cereal, or I can buy the warehouse twin pack which costs less per ounce. My choice!

The last plus for me: Smart & Final is in the same plaza as Target; I can hit both in the same trip each week. Cha-ching for gas/mileage and time savings!  I still miss Costco, but Smart & Final is helping me get over it.