Millions of people happily pay an annual membership fee to join Costco. You might more than make up the $65 you spend on a Gold Star membership or the $130 for an Executive membership by saving more money on groceries and household essentials all year long.
But falling into the wrong habits at Costco could end up costing you money instead of letting you free up more cash to pad your savings account. Here are three changes to your Costco shopping worth considering.
1. Shop during the week instead of on weekends
It’s easy to see why Saturdays and Sundays are popular times to shop at Costco. Many people don’t work over the weekends, and it’s harder to fit a Costco run in during the workday or after work when you’re exhausted.
But shopping at Costco on the weekends generally means hitting the store when it’s the most crowded. And if those crowds get to your head, you might make poor choices — and understandably so.
Say you’re used to shopping on Saturday afternoons, when it’s tough to work your way through the aisles and the checkout lines are always long. You might rush through your shopping, throwing products into your cart at rapid speed to move the process along. In doing so, though, you might pick up items that don’t have the farthest expiration date because you didn’t look, leading to wasted food and money.
A smarter move? Try to find ways to make it to Costco during the week. That could mean hitting the store during your lunch break if the logistics work out, or heading there on your way home from work. You may find that if you’re able to shop when the store is less packed, you can make better decisions.
2. Shop in person instead of online
The crowds at Costco may be enough to push you to do your shopping online instead of in person. But while that may be more convenient, you should know that ordering from Costco.com negates some of the savings you might enjoy as a Costco member.
Costco marks up the prices of its online inventory to account for the cost of shipping and handling. You might notice that many items on Costco.com ship for free, but you’re actually paying those costs in a less obvious way.
For example, Costco.com lists the cost of a 30-count of Kirkland toilet paper rolls at $23.49. In-store prices can vary by location, but you may be looking at a price of $20.99 or $21.99 if you buy the same item at your local store.
And while paying a few dollars extra for a single item isn’t such a big deal, imagine you keep overpaying by $1 here or $2 there across 12 items per month. Suddenly, your monthly Costco bills are $12 to $24 higher. On a yearly basis, that’s an extra $144 to $288.
Instead of shopping at Costco.com all the time, try to find ways to visit the warehouse. And if the crowds are an issue, play around with different weekday times to see when the store is the least packed. You may even be able to ask staff at your local store if they have data on foot traffic to help you plan your shopping runs.
3. Be more selective about the items you purchase in bulk
Buying groceries at Costco could save you a lot of money — especially if you swipe the right credit card for extra rewards. Check out this list of the best credit cards for Costco members. But if you’re not careful, you may end up losing money in the form of food waste.
Think about the bulk items you buy from Costco regularly. Now ask yourself: How often do I end up tossing some of my stash?
If you realize you commonly don’t finish your spinach or salad mixes before they wilt, then it may be time to compare the bulk price at Costco to the price for a smaller quantity at your regular grocery store. And you may find that spending less, but getting less at your local supermarket, is a better deal.
In addition to being more selective about the bulk items you buy, you can also see if a local friend or neighbor is willing to split the cost of certain purchases with you. Perhaps Costco has such a great price on strawberries that it’s worth it to buy them in bulk and throw some out compared to paying up at your local grocery store. But before you resign yourself to throwing out one-third of your carton, see if you can get someone to go in on those weekly purchases so you both benefit.
A few changes to your Costco habits could put extra cash in your pocket. Aim to avoid the store on weekends and limit the number of orders you place online. And be careful about bulk perishables, so you don’t end up throwing your money away.
