Using the old technique of trial and error, during more than 10 years of being a Costco customer -and having worked in one of them- I’ve learned one trick or another to save much more money than the bulk shopping itself offers. It’s not just throwing things into a shopping cart, paying and leaving: you have to know what things to do and what things not, because there are also small tricks that the company applies to earn a few more dollars at each check-out.
Next I’m going to reveal my secrets to you because, if someone knew tricks to save money, I would like them to be shared with me. Am I right?
The secrets to a better purchase at Costco
The first thing to note is that Costco offers three types of membership and a credit card: The Executive Membership, which costs $120; the Gold Star Membership and the Business Membership, which cost $60 either. And then there’s the Costco Anyware Visa Card.
Choose the right membership
If you are a sporadic shopper, a Gold Star membership is best, but if you are going every month -or more frequently- you may have to choose the Executive Membership, which has a 2% refund of qualified purchases, with a maximum of $1,000.
So if you spend a minimum of $250 per month, you will get the extra $60 back by the end of the year.
Buy the house brand
The products of Costco’s own label, Kirkland Signature, are surprisingly good. Do not get carried away by appearances, because they have a large stock of products of all kinds that can surprise even the most exquisite palates. For example, you can buy Starbucks coffee, that is priced at $24.99 for a 2.5 lb package (1.13 kg). But Kirkland’s coffee of the same size costs $18.99, and is manufactured by Starbucks! So, for the same coffee, you are paying about $5 less.
Another example of savings of this type are the Kirkland Signature batteries, which are manufactured by the Duracell brand: this means that you get great quality products but at lower prices.
The secret code of prices
Usually supermarkets mark prices at “.99”, so if you are paying something that is worth, for example, $100, the label will say that the price is $99.99, so that your brain thinks that you are paying something closer to $90 than $100. Smart, huh? There’s science behind that, and it actually works.
However, according to Costco’s own CEO, Craig Jelinek, you have to be attentive to the “97 prices”, because the “97” means that the company did not make a good purchase, ir urged to get rid of inventory, and he says it openly: if you see a price marked “97”, for example $19.97 or $157.97, you will know that they are marked down.
Another tip: If you see a “00″ at the end of a price, it is the last one available in the stock. In contrast, if it is marked in “.99”, you can be sure that it is the normal price.
Price tags ending in “.88” indicate a “manager’s markdown”, which means that the product may have been a floor model or a return. Also pay attention to the “death star”, of which we made a whole article that you can read here.
Take a look at gift cards
In the wholesale chain, gift cards usually cost less than their value, so you can get more food or articles than you are paying for: for example, a California Pizza Kitchen gift card costs $79.99 at Costco, but you get $100 to spend at the restaurant.
You can also get four Domino’s Pizza gift cards for $79.99, but they buy $100 in products ($25 each). The same can be done with four Smash Burger gift cards of $25 each, for a total price of $69.99 all four.
Buy in bulk, even fresh products
Buying in bulk is the spirit of the company, and you can freely buy large packages of non-perishable products, but you typically don’t do it for fresh foods such as bread, because you think you can’t eat it fast enough. However, if you also buy these groceries in large quantities, you will save much more than if you buy them individually or in smaller bags.
Purchase larger packages of muffins, bagels, croissants or French bread, and freeze what you don’t need right now. Don’t worry: when you unfreeze them, they will have a texture as if they were fresh, and you won’t even tell that they have been in the freezer.
Don’t shop on weekends
Most customers go to Costco on a Saturday or Sunday, and there are long lines to get in and at the checkout counters, and their parking lots are completely crowded.
This increase in foot traffic can also cause certain items to sell out and longer waits at the food court, to buy the classic $1.50 hot dog combo. It is better to go on a weekday, when the shops are usually not very crowded. If you have no other option but to go on the weekend, I recommend going half an hour before they open, because people usually start arriving in the middle of the morning. Even before opening, you will surely already see a short line of other customers who, like you, want to avoid crowds.