If you’ve ever wandered into a Costco warehouse, pushing your cart full of bulk goods and household items into the warehouse may seem intimidating. But behind the soaring shelves is a community of savvy shoppers armed with insider knowledge to help other consumers shop smarter at Costco. hidden opportunities and maximize membership privileges. In fact, there are hundreds of pages of Reddit threads and endless social media posts dedicated to Costco shopping tips.

Search for Prices Ending in 0.97

If you look closely at prices, you’ll notice that regular-priced items end in 0.99 (e.g. $15.99), but you’ll often encounter an item that isn’t marked “on sale” but ends in 0.99. 0.97 (e.g. $14.97). This suggests that the item has dropped below its regular price and is probably a better deal than it originally was, and Costco is trying to remove it.

Check Out Other Weird Prices

Note that it is seasonal snack or the clothing item ends in 0.79 or maybe 0.49 (e.g. $7.79 or $7.49)? This usually indicated that Costco had struck a deal with the manufacturer and passed those savings on to consumers.

What to Know If You See an Asterisk

Reddit users long believed that the asterisk next to the price tag was the kiss of death for the products and that it was the last supply, but this theory was debunked by employees active on the social forum. “This could mean a lot of things,” one employee noted. “Either the product number changes (or) we get an updated version of the product. That doesn’t mean it’s going to disappear forever.” But – it could – so if it’s something you love, especially if it’s a seasonal item, pick up a pair.

Buy Gift Cards

Did you know Costco sells gift cards? It’s sometimes easy to miss the warehouse display, but Costco stocks gift cards for everything from travel to restaurants at deep discounts. Consider a $500 Southwest gift card for $450 or four $25 Crumbl gift cards for $79.99.

Upgrade Your Membership

Costco’s membership offerings come with two options for personal use: Executive ($120/year) or Gold Star ($60). While Gold Star membership may seem like a better option for warehouse access at first glance, Executive membership comes with a 2% reward on eligible pre-tax purchases up to $1,000 per 12-month period. If you spend around $250 a month, the added $60 will pay for itself, but let’s be honest; we all spend more than that.

See Online

Did you know that Costco offers even more discounted items online? It seems hard to imagine if the thought of a warehouse is already overwhelming, but discounted furniture, outdoor equipment, and other household supplies not available in stores are available at Costco.com. Costco’s website also gives membership holders access to: services like home water bottle delivery, affordable truck rentals, pet insurance and more.

Travel Reservation

Novice and seasoned travelers alike look to Costco’s travel planning services when they’re ready to take a domestic or international vacation.

“My husband and I went on an all-inclusive vacation to Cancun, Mexico for a week, which included airfare through Costco. The cost was approximately $2000. “I would definitely use them again,” he said. Costco Travel Hacks Reddit topic wrote. Another reviewer who booked consecutive trips to the Hawaiian Islands using Costco’s trip planning services said the prices were “much cheaper” than doing it on her own.

People who use Costco to book travel also report benefits.

“Many trips (booked) through Costco may include extras like resort fee waivers, free parking, free breakfast,” one user wrote. “Many cruises also give you a percentage of your booking price back in the form of a store card. This could be a hundred dollars depending on your travel cost.”

Prepare Your Barcodes

A shopping trip to Costco can often leave you feeling a little overwhelmed, so when it’s time to leave you’ll understandably want to check out ASAP. Help your cashier streamline the process by placing items in your cart with the barcode facing up; This will speed up checkout time.

Search for Kirkland Label

Like other money-saving warehouses, Costco has its own in-house brand: Kirkland Signature. This brand is used to sell products to consumers at even more affordable prices. You’ll no doubt get great deals on Kirkland Signature paper towels and toilet paper, but there are some hidden gems in the warehouse that consumers flock to again and again, like sparkling water, olive oil, yogurt, pesto, maple syrup, and maple syrup. More.

Don’t Forget the Return Policy

Costco’s return policy is extremely generous (Reddit reports that consumers are returning dead plants), and 98% of products sold in the warehouse can be returned at any time, no questions asked. Because Costco constantly adjusts prices throughout its warehouse, price adjustments are also offered to customers who may be looking for a price drop when purchasing. Just remember to hang it on your receipt!

Fill Your Tank

Anyone who’s tried to fill up their gas tank knows that finding a good deal on gas is sometimes more painful than the actual price of the fuel. Despite the rather long lines, Costco’s gas stations are worth the wait.

“It’s been 70 cents a gallon cheaper in Vegas for a while. Our lines are crazy but worth it. This translates into a savings of approximately $10 to $12 per refill,” one Reddit user wrote:.

Another added: “Always 20-30 cents per gallon cheaper than other gas stations.”

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One of the biggest complaints from consumers is that they are prohibited from purchasing items they want based on quantity at Costco, especially when it comes to perishable items. But savvy shoppers have found that sharing items with friends, neighbors or relatives solves this dilemma.

“As a single person, my tip is to share things with my neighbors. Less likely to go bad, get lost in the clutter, take up too much space in my too small apartment, etc.,” one user wrote. reddit commented.