I Shop at Costco Every Week. Here Are 3 Mistakes I See People Make All the Time

I’ve been a Costco member for about 18 years now. And while I didn’t always shop at the store every week, these days, that’s the frequency at which I need to go to Costco to replenish our supply of groceries, cleaning products, paper towels, and more.

Because I spend so much time at Costco, I tend to observe my fair share of shoppers. And I’ve noticed that my fellow Costco fans tend to make these mistakes you should try to avoid.

1. Loading up on products at the front of the store

When you walk into Costco, you’re instantly bombarded by a selection of discounted goods that can run the gamut from sunscreen to throw blankets to cat food. 

It’s easy to get tempted by those sale items. And having a nice, empty shopping cart makes it easy to throw those items in on a whim.

But loading up on products at the front of the store could be a bad thing if you’re trying to stick to a budget. Don’t start pulling items off the shelves at the front of the store like I commonly see people do. Instead, do your walkthrough first and tackle your shopping list. Then, if you’re still tempted by those front-of-store items, go back and get them. 

But chances are, by the time your shopping cart is full and you’ve made your rounds through the aisles, you’ll be too tired to head back to the front of the store, and you’ll realize you probably shouldn’t be spending the extra money. And that could spell the difference between your Costco run leading to added credit card debt or not.

2. Hitting the food court on the way out

At my local Costco, the food court is located right behind the checkout lanes. And my understanding is that this setup is common at other store locations, too. 

For this reason, I can see why people might think it makes sense to visit the food court after completing their purchases. But I think it’s a much better idea to hit the food court before you do your shopping.

If you roam the aisles of Costco on an empty stomach, you may be more likely to make impulse food buys. The result? Extra spending. If you fill up at the food court and then do your shopping, hunger won’t cloud your decisions.

Also, many people buy perishables at Costco. And it boggles my mind to see people with milk and cheese in their carts just sitting around the food court enjoying their hot dog combos while their dairy products sit out unrefrigerated.

When you buy perishables in bulk, you run the risk of having them spoil. You don’t want to pile onto that by leaving them in your cart for an extra 20 minutes while you’re chowing down on Costco food court fare.

3. Bringing their kids and making it a family outing

I completely understand that not everyone has access to child care. If you’re a single parent, or if your spouse works on the weekends, then you may have no choice but to bring your kids along when you shop at Costco.

But I can’t tell you how often I see couples carting their young children around the store. And I can’t help but wonder why they do that to themselves. 

My kids are a bit older, so taking them along to do my grocery shopping isn’t a problem (not that they’re super eager to come). But when they were younger, it was a nightmare, because they basically wanted to buy every other thing on the supermarket shelves. 

When you’re shopping at a regular supermarket with your kids in tow and you give in and buy them some of the snacks they start begging for, you’re buying a $3 bag of chips here or a $4 box of cookies there. When your kids beg for snacks at Costco, you’re buying a mega-sized version of whatever it is. And chances are, you’re spending $8 or $12 instead of just $3 or $4. So instead of saving money at Costco, you could end up seriously busting your budget. 

For this reason, if you have the option to go to Costco without your kids, you should take it. 

It’s easy to see why so many Costco shoppers fall victim to the mistakes above. But now that they’re on your radar, you can take steps to avoid them. Also, aim to avoid one final mistake people make at Costco all the time — using the wrong credit card for their purchases. Click here for a list of the best credit cards for Costco so you can maximize your rewards and make the most out of each shopping trip.