How To Shop At Costco Without Breaking The Bank

Who doesn’t love saving money?

A lot of Costco warehouse club shoppers love shopping there because of their, low prices, bulk TP and other paper goods, and free samples :).

Costco Shopping Saving Tips

In fact, a Costco wholesale membership-based warehouse store has a lot of discounts and great deals for buyers. For $60 a year for a basic annual membership or $120 for an executive membership, it comes with a lot of extra perks.

There are perks such as: vacation deals, lower gas prices, bulk item pricing, home furnishings, Costco’s sales, good deals with the Costco auto program, and even discounts on prescription medicines.

One great thing about this popular grocery store is you don’t have to be a member. You can go to the Costco pharmacy to order prescription refills, too.

On top of the usually low prices at this local warehouse, you can save even more money by using coupons and warehouse savings.

But let me tell you a secret: Did you know that there are some tricks for finding the best savings at Costco warehouses? Instead of spending more money than you normally would, try out these Costco shopping savings tips the next time you go shopping.

You might also like: Kroger Shopping Tips And Tricks

Shop Without A Membership Card

Let’s face it: The yearly membership fee can be expensive, especially if you don’t take advantage of shopping at Costco often.

But if you want to shop at Costco without coughing up the membership fees, you can do that by using a Costco Shop card. A Costco Shop card can only be purchased by a member but can be used as a gift card by a non-member.

You don’t need to make the entire purchase using your Costco Shop card, also known as a Costco cash card. If your card is only worth $50 and your bill is higher, you can pay the difference using other payment methods.

Nonmembers, as well as members, may use Costco Shop Cards to shop at any Costco location in the U.S., Canada, or Puerto Rico, as well as online at Costco.com and Costco.ca.

Costco Shop Cards may be used toward a membership and merchandise, including purchases at the Costco Gas Station and Costco Food Court. Costco Shop Cards cannot be redeemed for cash.

Costco

Price Adjustment

If you buy anything from Costco, such as beauty products, and it goes on sale within 30 days of purchase, you can go back to your local store with your receipt and get a refund of the price difference.

But if the store refuses to give you the price adjustment (for some reason), just return the item (for a refund) then buy another one for the cheaper price.

Secret Price Codes

Learn the secret price codes before you head out to Costco. 

There are several secret codes scattered around Costco stores. Knowing what these codes mean will save you a lot of money.

• If the price ends in 88 cents or it’s an even dollar amount, it’s on a manager’s markdown. This generally means they are trying to get this product out of the store quicker.
• If you see items that ends in 97 cents, those are a steal. This means the items are cut down from their usual price. These are the items that will give you more savings.
• If the items end with odd cents like 49, 59, 69 or 79, these are items that Costco bought cheaper from the manufacturer and they are passing the savings to the buyers.

Membership Fee Refund

Costco says: If for any reason, you’re not happy with the value of our Costco membership and decide that the savings don’t add up, Costco will refund your membership annual fees.

Once you cancel, they will take the card back, and you will get your money back.

Kirkland Products

Kirkland is Costco’s store brand.

But did you know that these Costco quality items are made by name brand companies and sold at a lower price?

Kirkland is high quality brand, so don’t skip them.

The Kirkland shampoos are made by Pureology. The tunas are from Bumble Bee. Huggies makes almost all of their diapers. Plus, Jim Beam makes their bourbons, and Grey Goose handles the vodka range.

Meat In Bulk

This is the easiest way to save hundreds on butcher costs by buying meat in bulk.

Get racks of ribs, slabs of beef, and other kinds of meat, then cut them into serving portions before freezing.

Downlod Their App

The Costco mobile app will save you tons. Not only can you access your digital membership card in the Costco app, but you can also get exclusive deals and exclusive prices on select items in the app, like discounts on exclusive online items from Costco’s website. You can even make your shopping list in the app, so you stop impulse shopping.

Give It Back

Costco has a generous return policy.

You have two years to return anything you buy: This includes frozen goods.

The Asterisk

A price tag with an asterisk means that the product is going away and won’t be restocked.

If you see any of these items and there are still a lot of items in stock, wait for the price tag to go down to a .97 ending before you buy them.

Inexpensive Food Items

Another way to save more money is by getting inexpensive food that makes a quick and easy meal.

One of the best food items to pick is their super cheap rotisserie chicken for only $4.99. They are warm, fully seasoned, and ready to be eaten by the family.

Coupons

While Costco doesn’t accept manufacturer’s coupons, they distribute their own Costco coupons via email once a month.

These coupons can be used to buy a wide variety of goods like electronics, groceries, furniture, and seasonal items during the holiday season.

Discounted Gift Cards

Make sure to check out the gift card aisle before you step out of the Costco store.

Costco sells discounted movie tickets, restaurant gift cards, and travel deals.

The Right Credit Card

Did you know that you can only use a Visa credit card when you shop at Costco?

You can only pay with cash, debit card, check, or Costco Shop card every time you shop.

However, if you’re a big spender, you might want to sign up for a Visa card so you can enjoy cashback rewards for the purchases you make at Costco.

Costco has its own no-fee Costco Anywhere Visa. This card has generous perks:

• Get 2% cash back on all your purchases from Costco. This is on top of the 2% you will get using a Gold Star Executive membership.
• Enjoy 4% cash back when you gas up anywhere, including the stations operated by Costco.

You might also like: How You Can Build Credit With A Credit Card

The Best Time To Shop

Stores tend to be very busy Saturdays especially Saturday afternoons and Sundays, so make sure to skip these days.

To beat the rush, shop in the middle of the week. Not only will you skip the long lines, it will also allow you to shop in peace.

Although the prices at Costco are already cheap, you can make them a lot cheaper by using these tips.

Do you have other Costco money saving tips that you would like to share with us?