8 Basic Savings Tips That Will Help You Save Money at Costco!

Hey everybody, it’s Michele the Bargain Queen from SavingMoneyandMakingMoney.com and this week my blog will talk about 8 basic money saving tips to know when you go to shop at Costco!

I will break down what to buy and not to buy at Costco in another blog post, but this week I want to share some basic things to look at when you are shopping at Costco.

1.     Price Ending

Look at the price of an item.  Does it end in .97, .00 or.88?  If the price ends in a .97, that means the item is on clearance. It if ends in .00 or .88, the Costco manager has decided to cut the price (could be the last model, the floor model or that it is damaged).

2.     Price Tag Asterisk

If you see an asterisk on the upper right-hand corner on the price tag, that means that Costco will not be reordering the item.  The item may come back in stock later (think seasonal items).  So, if it is an item that you really like, you may want to stock up now!

3.     Price Tag Date

Take a closer look for a date that sometimes appears under the final digit of the price.  This date represents the most recent markdown.  Use this date to determine if you should purchase the item now or wait to see if the price goes down again.  This is a double-edged sword because if it is a popular item, it will probably sell out fast.  Those items that are marked down and are not as popular, will probably be marked down again.

4.     Paying Full Price/Item Goes on Sale

Don’t you get mad when you purchase something at one price and then you turn around and the item goes on sale the very next week?  Costco does have a 30-day price correction.  If an item goes on sale within 30 days of your purchase date, you can request to get the different refunded.  Some store locations will allow you to do this in person, while other locations will only allow you to do this online.  Check with your local Costco to see how they handle refunds.

5.     Soda Around the Holidays

Buying soda at Costco may be a good deal or a bad deal.  It all depends on the pricing in your area.  Soda usually goes on sale at Costco around the holidays (think Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Christmas, etc.).  Is it a good deal or not?  This is where you need to know the pricing in your area. I recently need to buy soda for a golf tournament.  At the local grocery store a 12-pack of soda costs $7.99.  (That is crazy!) A 35 pack of soda at Costco was $13.59, so it was a no brainer to get the soda at Costco. A week later the soda at the local grocery store went on sale for buy two at $7.99 and get one free! Local grocery store 36 cans soda for $15.98 or 35 cans soda at Costco for $13.59.  Still a better deal at Costco.  But then, the local grocery store had it on sale for buy 2 get 2, so it would cost me $15.98 for 48 cans of soda instead of 35 cans for $13.59 at Costco.  I would then purchase the soda at the local grocery store.  Do you know the pricing in your area? 

6.     Need Tires?

When you need tires do you think of Costco?  You should. A good thing to know about Costco tires is that they rotate sales on brands of tires each month.  If you want a particular tire and can wait for it to go on sale, wait.  Once you purchase tires at Costco, they will repair flat tires, check tire pressure an even rotate the tires for the life of the tire for free!!

7.     Not Happy with a Product?

If you bought something at Costco and are not happy with it, return it!  Return it for a full refund – no questions asked!

8.     Bells are a ringing!

While shopping at Costco have you ever heard a bell ring?  No, an angel didn’t get its wings.  It means a new batch of rotisserie chickens have just been put out from the oven!  Costco’s rotisserie chickens are a loss leader hoping that when people stop in to buy one, that they will buy something else.  Where else can you get a fully cooked rotisserie chicken for only $4.99?  Yep, nowhere!

So, there are eight basic money saving tips to know when you are going to Costco.  Do you have an idea that you would like to share?  Let me know and I’ll give you a shout out on Facebook and Instagram!

As my husband always says, Saving Money IS Making Money!