http://www.trulia.com/voices/Remodel_and_Renovate/Is_Direct_Buy_worth_the_membership_cost_when_consi-132608en-ushttp://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Other-Charlotte_NC-332046/http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Other-Charlotte_NC-332046/I have worked for both "Big Box" Home Improvement stores, and actually had people ask this same question. It all comes down to how much you intend to spend. On the larger purchases throughout the store there is a margin of 11-17% The bulk of home improvement store money is made on the peripheries (light bulbs, paint tools, etc) ...you know, those things they crowd the aisles with so you trip over and go "I needed one of those, and look at that price” The key amount I have previously worked out for customers in the WNY region was about $33,500. That is the threshold cost to savings amount, if you plan to spend more than that in DirectBuy's first two years then it’s probably worth investigating them. One side note... especially since I work in the cabinet & countertop department. The cabinetries you see in the infomercials of DirectBuy are high-end named cabinet companies, and they are not offered at either Home Improvement store. So a side-by-side comparison in price is impossible. --I have personal favorites(brands) when it comes to cabinets, countertops, and flooring options after having worked with these companies for years if you would like that. I won’t post that in this response, would rather have this consider advice rather than an advertisement. The website listed here is just from a simple google search for Direct Buy. Of course with anything on the web, everyone needs to do their own due diligence in research before buying.Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:02:16 -0700