Saving money at Costco goes well beyond scoring free food samples. There are plenty of little-known Costco shopping hacks that can save you big bucks at the register — and help you avoid the notorious spending hangover that often follows a visit to one of America’s favorite warehouse superstores. Here are 20 ways to make your Costco membership worthwhile.
Related: Is a Costco Membership Worth It?
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1. Split bulk items with a friend.
If you are single or live in a small space, it’s probably hard to justify purchasing and storing a package of 30 rolls of toilet paper, even if it is only $19.50. But listen: that stuff is even more expensive in regular grocery or big box stores. Head to Costco with a friend to split up bulk packages of essentials and the costs — it’s absolutely worth the savings.
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2. Know the secret Costco pricing codes.
Costco’s pricing codes indicate whether an item is specially priced, discounted or will not be restocked (R.I.P. Kirkland-brand garlic-infused olive oil). Here is a general breakdown of the codes, according to HubPages:
- Prices that end in $0.97 have been marked down from their original prices, which always end in $0.99.
- Other odd pricing, like $0.49, $0.79 or $0.89, indicates that Costco negotiated a special price with the manufacture.
- An asterisk (*) in the upper right corner of the pricing sign means the item won’t be reordered, so if it’s a favorite you should stock up.
- Prices ending in $0.88 or $0.00 can mean the store’s manager marked it down to move the product faster.
Photo: Marc Majcher
3. Look for Costco’s instant rebates.
You can find a number of items that offer instant rebates in Costco’s monthly coupon book as well as the Costco shopping app, but don’t worry about clipping coupons. The savings highlighted are instant rebates, and Costco cashiers keep copies of the coupons at their registers and will scan them for you when you purchase a qualifying item.
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4. Shop summer closeouts before the season is over.
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5. Non-members can access Costco discounts, too.
Those who aren’t Costco members can still buy alcohol (in certain states including California), use the pharmacy and immunization services, eat at the Costco food court, and access the store’s eye and hearing exams, reports Wisebread. You can also get around the membership requirement and shop the store as usual by paying with a Costco Cash Card, though you’ll have to enlist the help of a Costco member as these can only be purchased and reloaded by a member.
Read: Costco and Amex End Partnership, Citibank Steps In
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6. Buy discounted gift cards, movie tickets and even toll passes.
Costco’s deals go way beyond bulk goods — members can get discounts on movie tickets, store or restaurant gift cards, and local attractions like theme parks. Some stores even sell discounted bridge toll passes for local freeways, according to PopSugar.
Photo: Jason Tester
7. Take your lunch break at the Costco food court.
Eating lunch on the go is a huge budget buster, so if you left your sack lunch at home head to a Costco food court. You can buy the signature $1.50 hot-dog-and-soda combo, a $10 whole pizza, or other reasonably-priced fare. Plus, buying and eating at the food court doesn’t require a Costco membership.
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8. Buy the Kirkland Signature brand.
Kirkland Signature is Costco’s in-house brand, but products offered by the brand are far from generic. Products carrying the Kirkland label tend to be high quality at a good value, and some even come straight out of the same factories where name-brand goods are made. Among the top-rated Kirkland products Consumer Reports lists bacon, car batteries and regular batteries, ice cream, toilet paper, organic foods, and dish and laundry detergent.
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9. Make a list (and stick to it!).
This isn’t really top-secret information, but we know all-too-well how running into Costco for “just a few things” can devolve into multi-cart shopping overkill. Make a list to keep you under control and on track.
10. Fill up on free samples.
Don’t let anyone shame you out of eating your weight’s worth of Costco’s free samples. The company actually encourages distributors to give out as many free samples as people will eat.
Photo: Sarah Murray
11. Keep your Costco receipts.
Costco is famous for its incredible return policies, which include a 30-day price protection policy and 90-day return policy. Keep an eye out in the weeks after a Costco trip — if something you bought goes on sale you can claim a refund for the price difference. The store also has a very flexible and open-ended exchange policy. If an item you purchased breaks at any time, you can usually exchange the item for a brand new one or upgrade to a different version and just pay the difference.
Related: Costco and 11 Other Stores with the Best Return Policies
Photo: Lisa Brewster
12. Put on your blinders.
Every entrance to Costco is the same: A narrow path lined with shiny new things looking to find a forever home with you. Put your head down, stick to your list, and if you really just have to buy something at least make it a Tommy Bahama beach chair. Best impulse buy ever.
Photo: Adam Galloway
13. Book a vacation through Costco.
14. Compare Costco’s per-unit prices against other stores.
Costco may be chock-full of discounted goods, but not everything there is a steal. For example, my Costco store’s tilapia is about three times the price of that at my local grocery store. Also, many grocery stores offer coupons and discounts on name-brand items that Costco sells in bulk but does not markdown.
Photo: Adam Galloway
15. Avoid “action alley.”
According to Lifehacker, the middle area of the store is named “Action Alley” because of the high traffic. Distributors sometimes pay to put their products there or hand out samples. The flashy signs and advertising can be deceptive: oftentimes this is where the highest-priced items and non-bargains at Costco live.
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16. Start at the back of Costco.
The best bargains at Costco are typically at the back of the store or hidden at the end of aisles. Start your shopping trip from the back of the store to get your staples and deals, and then work your way up to the front where the cash registers are.
17. Buy meat in bulk and freeze.
One of the best deals at Costco is bulk meat because you can portion it out and freeze it for later use. Even the late, great Julia Childs was a fan of buying meat from Costco — she was especially fond of the hot dogs.
Photo: Jason Tester
18. Fill up at the Costco gas pumps.
Some Costco stores also have gas stations on their lots, which offer members competitive per-gallon prices. You can check off grocery shopping and filling up on gas at the same time.
Photo: Mike Mozart
19. Take advantage of the Costco Tire Center.
Sometimes Costco discounts name-brand tires by $70 to $80, which is enough savings to cover the cost of membership and then some. For customers who’ve purchased tires from Costco, the center also offers free tire balances and rotations. I’ve even had one Costco Tire Center worker patch a small hole in one of my tires for free.
Photo: David Goehring
20. Shop online and use Costco’s app.
Going to Costco doesn’t top everyone’s list of favorite things to do. Skip the crowds and avoid the hassle by shopping the Costco website or through the Costco mobile app — you can even find web-only deals that aren’t offered in the stores.
The Costco app is also a great resource that highlights current deals and offers, so checking it before heading to your Costco can help you pre-plan and have a smoother trip while still hitting the best deals. You can even use it to create your shopping list.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 20 Ways to Pay Less at Costco
This article by Morgan Quinn first appeared on GoBankingRates.com and was distributed by the Personal Finance Syndication Network.
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