All right, I’ll admit it: I’ve thought about joining a wine club. It’s so damned tempting to imagine the UPS guy at my doorstep with this month’s South African Cabernet Sauvignon. And it does save me a round-trip subway fare to the nearest Trader Joe’s, right? Well, yes. But, for me, it’s still not worth the cost of membership; it just doesn’t make economic sense.
Unless you’re living under a rock — in which case, why are you reading this citified blog? — joining a wine club won’t be smart for you, either.
There are so many gourmet clubs in the world, enough to make your head spin: microbrewed beers, farmhouse cheeses, gourmet chocolates, premium cigars, freshly cut flowers, fruit-of-the-month … so on and so forth. Memberships to these clubs are popular gift ideas. But they’re very expensive. Why else would they be favorite fundraisers for alumni associations and the like. Because they make MONEY … hello!
As you know, we at Metro Cheapo love to crunch numbers, so let’s lay out the math:
- The New York Times Wine Club Sampler (6 bottles per shipment; 4 red, 2 white) $90 + $19.95 shipping = $109.95 (or over $18.32 per bottle)
- A similar selection of fine wines at Trader Joe’s (6 bottles per shopping trip; 4 red, 2 white) $41.94 + $3.44 NY sales tax = $45.38 (or less than $7.57 per bottle)
If you’re startled by the above comparison, so was I. Before tallying, it seemed logical that schlepping to the wine shop would be the cheapest deal. Seeing it here in black-and-white really convinces me — and, hopefully, you. Just try to resist the appeal of those dastardly gourmet clubs and remember: when it comes to paying dues for booze, you’ll lose.
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