Who doesn’t love to save money?
If you find one of the best deals available, it feels like the best day ever, right?
Shopping at a Costco warehouse is another great way to save money. It can be a magical dreamland when it comes to saving money and getting the best deals, but you might not be maximizing your savings.
Costco Shopping Online & More Ways To Maximize Savings
You might find yourself walking away from the store spending more money than you would have liked.
What if you can keep more extra cash in your wallet just by knowing how to optimize your buying strategy?
To help you avoid walking out of your local Costco spending a fortune and help you spend way less, here are some tips to maximize your savings with your Costco online order.
Shop Online
Visiting a store may not be your favorite thing to do.
Why don’t you skip the line and the hassle by shopping online?
Shopping on the Costco wholesale website allows you to find online-only deals that aren’t offered at any store. They’ll also deliver your orders directly to your door step.
Skip The Membership
You don’t need to pay the $60 annual membership, especially if you don’t always shop at your local Costco store
Skip the Costco membership annual fees by asking a family member or a friend with a membership card to get you a Costco cash card.
This cash card is kind of like a reloadable gift card it lets you reload from $25 to $1000 and use it when shopping without paying Costco’s executive membership fee.
This is the best way to get all those good deals on your fresh groceries and household items.
Compare Prices With Other Stores
Before you step into your Costco local grocery store, don’t forget to do some price matching.
You can use apps like ShopSavvy to compare prices and price match.
Just because Costco is a warehouse store doesn’t mean the prices are always the best option. Take your time in comparing prices with other clubs like Sam’s club.
Get Cash Back
Use Ibotta to enjoy cash back from the purchases you made at Costco.
Ibotta is free to sign up. Just download the app, look for cash back offers you qualify for, then shop as usual.
Once you get your receipt, take a photo of it, upload it to the app, and that’s it!
Here’s even better news: You can get a $10 welcome bonus once you sign up when you use my code: fttfw and redeem your first rebate within 15 days!
You might also like: How To Use Ibotta Without Scanning Receipts
Be Familiar With Price Codes
There’s always a method to the pricing madness.
When you shop at Costco, make sure you’re familiar with the price codes.
An asterisk on the price tag means that the item will not be restocked anytime soon.
- Prices ending with .88 or .00 means manager specials. These items were returned by other customers, but are still in fine (to pristine) condition. The boxes might not be in perfect shape, but these items are heavily discounted.
- Regular priced items end in .49, .79 or .99.
- Reduced prices, on the other hand, end in .97. These items have a slight markdown.
Don’t Delete The Emails
Did you know that deleting emails will cost you more money?
Stop deleting your emails! You can also use Paribus, an app that allows you to get money back from the purchases you’re making online.
It is free to sign up. After you’ve completed the sign up, it will scan all your emails for receipts.
Once it sees a proof of purchase you’ve made in the past, it will help you track the price and get you a refund, in case there’s a price drop.
Get Store Brand Products
Once you’re at Costco local warehouse, look for the grocery items and products with the Kirkland label.
Although some brands are a hit or miss, Kirkland is known for its high quality Costco products.
Use A Cash Back Card
If you don’t own a rewards card or a Costco shop card, now is the perfect time to get one. No more paying those higher prices.
Rewards cards not only let you enjoy rewards and great deals for every purchase, they also allow you to get cash back.
Don’t have one? You can sign up for the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited Card allows you to earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all the purchases and everyday items you’ve made like toilet paper.
Plus, if you spent at least $500 in the first three months of getting a card, you’ll get an additional bonus of $150.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited Card also doesn’t have any annual fee to pay. The rewards also don’t expire.
Start At The Back Of The Store
The farther you walk into a Costco store, the better deals you’ll find.
Start at the back of the store and work your way up. The front part of the store is usually where the more expensive items are, while the center part is the center court, with better deals.
Split It
You might not really need 30 rolls of paper towels, but you may not want to say no to the savings.
Why don’t you split the cost with a friend?
You can save half your grocery bill if you split the bulk items with your other savings-loving friend.
Check The Costco Coupon Book
You can find a lot of Costco coupons, deals, and discounts for different items in the Costco coupon book, so make sure to check them out.
Plus, unlike other stores, you don’t need to present the coupon when purchasing the item.
Once the cashier scans the item, you will automatically enjoy the discount.
Download The App
Before you head to the store, check out the Costco app for the current deals and offers.
You can also browse the Costco mobile app when you’re pre-planning your trip. It is the easiest way to make shopping smoother, faster, and hassle-free.
If you don’t like clipping coupons, you can use the app to store them. All you need to do is to shop the app on your phone and you can immediately redeem the offers.
Buy Meat In Bulk
Do you have enough storage to store bulk meat?
One of the best ways to maximize your savings is by buying meat in bulk.
You can portion the meat out then freeze the portions for later.
Fill Up On Samples
Shopping on an empty stomach may make you buy a lot more than you intended.
To prevent your hunger from influencing your shopping decisions, fill up on samples. This way, your brain will do all the shopping, instead of your empty stomach.
You might also like: How To Save At Whole Foods Without Blowing Your Budget
Take Advantage Of The Price Changes
Costco has a 30-day price protection policy.
If the item you purchased online changes its price within 30 days, all you just need to do is to contact the customer service team, provide your information, and you’ll receive a credit back on price difference in three to five business days.
Costco might have lower prices, but if you know how to shop wisely, you can maximize your savings even more. With these tips, you can enjoy money back and more savings when you’re Costco Online Shopping or in-store, to get the most out of your money.
You’ll Want To See These Before You Leave:
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