Costco is famous for offering deep discounts on products ranging from diapers to dog food — all in bulk sizing to maximize your shopping list. However, even with great deals, a trip to Costco can cost you hundreds of dollars.
In order to combat rising food costs while stocking up for the holiday season, you’ll still need a few sneaky Costco shopping hacks to stretch your budget. Whether it’s buying booze in bulk for Friendsgiving or a couple of Costco rotisserie chickens for a nice family dinner, the savviest shoppers find additional ways to save money at their local Costco.
Keep reading to discover nine effective, yet little-known secrets to saving money at this warehouse club — with or without a Costco membership.
Costco has a price adjustment policy that members can take advantage of to score refunds. If an item you bought online drops in price within 30 days, you can get back the difference.
The store also has an unwritten policy regarding price drops for in-store purchases, as the warehouse manager can choose how to handle in-house price drops. So, hang onto your receipts, especially if you buy seasonal items before they’re marked down.
Fortunately, Costco does have a liberal return policy, so you could conceivably return an item purchased at regular price and re-purchase it at the sale price. But that’s a hassle, and Costco would much rather offer an adjustment than a refund, so take advantage of savings on something you already purchased.
You don’t necessarily have to pay the $65 standard Gold Star membership fee to buy in bulk at Costco and take advantage of its low prices. You just need a friend who is a Costco member and willing to get a Costco Cash Card and load it for you (with your cash, of course). After all, sharing is caring.
Costco Cash Cards are essentially a gift card that keeps on giving and a fantastic way to grant Costco access to someone you love. With these cards, non-members can shop at Costco, and they can even exceed the total value as long as they pay the remaining balance in cash or with an accepted debit card.
Non-members might also be able to get low-cost prescription drugs at Costco’s pharmacy. If you live in a state that prevents pharmacies from requiring memberships, you can purchase your prescriptions at the pharmacy counter with cash, credit and debit cards or Costco cash cards.
Holiday celebrations are just around the corner and Costco is a go-to spot for many looking to avoid big markups on alcohol — especially wine. Its house brand, Kirkland Signature wines, is an especially good value because the bottles are sourced from brand-name wineries.
Also, you don’t necessarily have to be a Costco member to get in on the deal. If your state prohibits the forming of alcohol clubs, you can buy wine, beer or liquor at Costco’s dramatic savings without a membership. Most Costco stores where such membership requirements are prohibited offer a separate liquor store with its own entrance.
Costco’s generous return policy means that the store regularly features gently used items at steep discounts. Save money at Costco by searching out deals on returned items. Make sure to start at the back of the store and work your way toward “center court” where Costco stocks many of its best deals.
Typically, Costco devotes a few shelves in its stores to items that have been returned but can still be sold, rather than sending them back to the vendor or a liquidator. The markdowns are dramatic. You typically can find these returned items near the automotive, household or sporting goods sections.
Nothing feels as festive as a house filled with seasonal flowers, but that amount of fresh flowers can cost you bushels of cash — unless, of course, you buy them in bulk at Costco.
No matter if you’re planning a wedding or other event that requires a lot of flowers, you can get a good deal on bulk flower purchases by shopping at Costco. Buy bunches of flowers and arrange your own bouquets or choose from Costco’s prearranged collections.
Costco savings don’t just end at household essentials but expands into healthcare as it offers clinics at its stores, where members can be screened for diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease for free. The warehouse store posts a schedule of screening dates and locations on the Costco.com pharmacy page under “Health and Wellness Clinics.”
Additionally, you can visit Costco to score low-cost flu shots — or free with most insurance — or hit a store with a hearing center for a free evaluation. If you are suffering from hearing loss, you can rest assured knowing Costco offers premium hearing aid technology at a discount, along with free product demos and hearing aid cleanings.
It’s nice to not have to swipe your credit card just to check on your health.
By checking Costco’s travel offerings before booking a trip for work or leisure, you can save money on top-quality vacations, hotels, cruises and rental cars which are exclusively reserved for Costco members. You can also save money at Costco with discounts on theme parks and specialty vacation travel.
If you’ve balked at the $130 Executive Membership annual fee, but are a regular Costco shopper, you could be missing out on a chance to have your membership paid for you. Executive members get an annual 2% reward — or cash back — on most purchases.
So, if you spend at least $3,250 in a year, you’ll get $65 back — which is the difference in price between the regular and executive memberships. If you spend $6,000 a year (about $500 a month), you’ll get $120 back, which nearly covers the cost of your membership. If you don’t spend enough to get a rebate of $60, you can often visit the customer service desk to get the difference back.
Just because you’re shopping at a discount store doesn’t mean you can afford to ignore coupon deals. Sites like Retailmenot.com offer Costco coupons and money-back deals for specific items, such as mattresses and sheds.
Check back periodically to find out if an item you desire is available at a discount. Additionally, you can visit Slickdeals.net to view Costco’s monthly coupon book.
These days, you don’t have to clip your Costco coupons to save because Costco automatically adds available discounts to your membership card each month. So, do your research and stock up on sale items while prices are low.
