How To Get The Most From Your Costco Membership

Signing up for a Costco membership can be an amazing way to save money as buying in bulk is often cheaper and if you have a larger family, it seems to be the best way to go. Here are some great ways to get the most out of your membership with some practical tips.

How to Get The Most Out Of Your Costco Membership:

1. Make sure you get the correct membership to begin with. If you will be doing a lot of shopping there, it might be worth spending the extra to get the Gold Membership as it offers 2% cash back on many purchases (you will need to read the fine print but this generally does not include things like alcohol and tobacco).
2. Split the cost of the membership with someone to help alleviate the price. Since you get two cards with the membership, if you just get the regular one, this could cost you around $25 a year each.
3. Get a group of people together to help you split the cost of common items you all need. For instance, you may get a huge package of toilet paper and split 3 ways, you could all spend less and split the package up equally.
4. Shop smart. Some things at Costco are not that great of a deal and you will end up paying more per unit. This is how Costco makes their money. They trick you into thinking you are getting a better deal just because it is in a large package. Do your homework and know what the price per unit is generally at other stores so you don’t get a bad deal.
5. Generally speaking, most perishables (besides dairy) are not as good of a buy at Costco as they are on sale at other stores. Make sure you look at the per pound price of the meat for sale and compare it to other stores in your area before making a purchase.
6. Do not buy more than you can reasonably use just because it is in bulk and a good buy. It will be a waste of money if you buy something that will go bad before you can use it.
7. Try to stay away from large containers of personal care products as these can be bought in smaller sizes for free or nearly free with coupons during sales cycles.
8. Be sure to use the coupons that come in the mail from Costco. They are like other coupons that are released and will rotate, but make sure if you find a really good deal, to make a purchase on it when it is available or you may not see that same coupon for months. If you lost your coupons or never got them, the membership desk generally has them.
9. Just like in traditional stores, skip the frozen foods aisle. It is still over-priced, even though it is in bulk.
10. Be willing to break down your large containers. You will find it much easier to store and less open to spoilage if you break down large packages of items bought.
11. Don’t forget to bring someone with you when you go shopping at Costco. They can get in on the deals as well, as long as the one with the membership card is the one making the purchase.

What about you? What’s your favorite tip for shopping at Costco? What’s the best deal you’ve found there?